Bus and Carriage Tours
One of the most fun things to do in Québec is to take an all-day bus tour so you can see all the sights at your own pace. The major sightseeing bus company is Old Quebec Tours; phone (418) 664-0460 or (800) 267-8687. Various tours include a hop-on, hop-off service on an open-top double-decker bus, with a bilingual driver-guide, that stops at 14 of the city's top tourist sites, running every 30-45 minutes daily 8:30-4, June-Oct.; 9:30-4, Apr.-May. All-day travel $36.50; $22.50 (ages 6-17).Calèches, or horse-drawn carriages, are stationed at the Esplanade Park (Parc de l'Esplanade) at rue d'Auteuil, porte St-Louis and by the Place d'Armes, next to Fairmont Le Château Frontenac daily 8:30-4. A 35-minute tour costs $100 per ride (maximum four passengers).
Driving Tours
Alternatives to the multilane divided highways connecting Québec with Montréal are Hwy. 132 and Hwy. 138, which follow the southern and northern banks of the St. Lawrence River, respectively. These roads wind through picturesque small towns and villages, offering an unspoiled look at Gallic culture and domestic and ecclesiastical architecture.
Self-guiding Walking Tours
Visitors may obtain the booklet “Official Tourist Guide of Québec City” at the information kiosk at 12 rue Ste-Anne in downtown Québec. The booklet outlines three walking tours and six routes that can be explored via bicycle or automobile.Another option for pedestrian sightseers is to follow sidewalks marked with the green and blue circles of the VivaCité Trail. The 5.3-kilometre (3.3 mi.) walking tour travels through several historic districts, including Quartier Petit Champlain and the Old Port area, as well as through such hip neighborhoods as St-Roch and Faubourg St-Jean-Baptiste. Maps describing points of interest along the route are available from Québec City Tourism; phone (418) 641-6290 or (877) 783-1608.