UPDATED 2020! During the summer of 2015, I spent ten great days in the beautiful province of Quebec on my first ever trip to Canada. Quebec City was the base for my visit, and I spent a lot of my time exploring the surrounding area outside of the city. The scenery is stunning and you definitely won’t lack things to do! Here are the top 6 daytrips from Quebec City.

1) Jacques Cartier National Park

This was by far my favorite daytrip from Quebec City! Simply put, the scenery is jaw-dropping. Jacques Cartier National Park is only about a 30 to 40-minute drive north of the city, but you feel as if you’re in another world. There are a wide variety of hikes, ranging from 30 minutes to 9 hours, with varying difficulty levels. The Information Center has a free brochure with all the information for the hikes, and on the park facilities in general.

I did the Les Loups hike, which took me through the forest up to two different viewpoints of the valley and river. The views were well worth the trek to get there! The park charges a per-person entrance fee (as of 2020, it is $8.90 CAD), and separate fees for cabins, yurts, and other activities. Besides hiking, there are tons of other activities available in the park, from canoeing to kayaking to rafting to ziplining. This is a can’t-miss daytrip from Quebec City!

2) Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre

This town is a 30-minute drive northeast of Quebec City, and it thrives off of its main tourist attraction: the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre. The Basilica itself is stunning, with a beautiful ceiling and intricate mosaics on the floor of the nave. The shrine of Saint Anne is said to have healed many people—and you can see the crutches and canes of those who found themselves cured on the wall at the start of the nave. It’s also a popular pilgrimage site! There is a separate museum, as well as several other buildings and the garden walk. Don’t miss your chance to stock up on Holy Water! The Basilica is free to visit.

3) Ile d’Orleans

Located in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, Ile d’Orleans is a popular daytrip for tourists with good reason. With quaint and charming scenery (the island is mainly a farming/pastoral area), Ile d’Orleans is great just for a drive or bike ride around the island. There are a large number of wineries and cideries that you can visit for a tasting, definitely enough to spend an entire day making your way through them all. (Although obviously have a designated driver!) The very southern point of the island has nice views of Quebec City on a clear day! This is a fantastic daytrip from Quebec City to enjoy the slower-paced country life. If you’re looking to rent bikes, here are a few options for you!

4) Montmorency Falls

The most popular waterfall attraction in the area, Montmorency Falls is very wide and pools into a lake. This is probably the busiest of the daytrips from Quebec City! There are a dizzying amount of stairs to climb in order to walk across the suspension bridge over the falls, so prepare yourself for a workout! There are great views of Ile d’Orleans and Quebec City from the lookouts though, so it’s definitely worth it. A furnicular will take you to the top and back, or there are options to zipline or even climb your way up! When I went, the park itself was free, but parking was an exorbitant $12 CAD. They now have a different pricing structure, costing about $7 CAD for an adult and $3.50 CAD for parking. It is an easy 20-30 minute drive northeast from Quebec City, and is also visible from the highway.

5) St. Anne’s Canyon

While not quite as popular as its well-known cousin Montmorency Falls, I actually liked St. Anne’s Canyon a bit more. It offers visitors a more authentic experience by having several bridges over the canyon that you can cross (whereas Montmorency has only the main one). Less than 20 minutes up the road from Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, the canyon has great opportunities for photos, and is tucked away in the gorge for a more intimate setting. You can zipline across the canyon from the second bridge, and it’s very possible to see a rainbow across the canyon during your visit! As of 2020, admission costs $14.50 CAD for adults. You can view all the prices for St. Anne’s Canyon here. It’s easy to combine St. Anne’s Canyon with the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre for a very long daytrip from Quebec City!

6) Levis

I didn’t spend as much time in Levis as I probably should have. I’d love to go back and see Maison Alphonse-Desjardins, a beautiful mansion house, and discover more of the city! But the Chutes de la Chaudiere waterfall are worth a quick visit, and the city has a ferry across the river to Quebec City. The ferry from Levis lands right below Chateau Frontenac, and I’d say Levis is worth a trip just for the views of the city from the ferry! (Of course, it was rainy and foggy when I went, so the views weren’t as great.) As of 2020, it costs $8.65 CAD for a car (including the driver), and an additional $3.65 for adult passengers. Check out the official ferry schedule and costings here. I think this is one of the most underrated daytrips from Quebec City!

Planning Your Trip

Having a car is definitely the best way to get around outside of Quebec City. All of these destinations can be visited as daytrips from Quebec City, and the city makes a great base for exploring! The nearest airport is Quebec City (YQB). I always use Skyscanner to find the best deals on flights. You can search for hostels in Quebec City here, and for hotels here. You can also sign up to and search accommodation on Airbnb here. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. Looking for a tour instead? Check out these tours from Quebec City!

I loved my trip to Quebec City, and there is so much to see in and around the area! I hope this post helps planning out what to see around Quebec City, and the best daytrips in the area!

Have you ever been to Quebec City? What are your favorite daytrips? Let me know in the comments!

You might also like my posts:

What Not To Miss In Quebec City

How To Spend 24 Hours In Vancouver

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Highlights From Banff And The Surrounding Canadian Rockies

All of my Canada posts!

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