4 Fun Things to do in Quebec City with Kids
I took my kids to Quebec City when they were 2 & 4 and it was hands down, one of my all-time favorite trips. There are loads of fun things to do in Quebec City with Kids, but today we are sticking with my top 4. Instead of staying at the Chateau Frontenac, we stayed at a rental we found through Vrbo, which had an amazing view of the Chateau Frontenac and were really happy with our decision. Below, on the left, is one my favorite pictures I took while I was there. The lighting isn’t the best, but the memory is. If you look closely, you can see my husband and the girls walking hand-in-hand. How picturesque is that? If we went back, I’d be really torn between staying at a rental vs.the Chateau Frontenac. This is mainly because staying at the Chateau Frontenac is on our bucket list because there really is nothing we would change about our Airbnb experience because we loved it that much.
Walking down the street of our rental.
The Chateau Frontenac
4 kid-friendly activities in Quebec City
1. Visit the fountains/splash pads.
Stick with me here. These aren’t just any old splash pads. Well, by day, they may appear to be. But at night, they become magical! They light up in rainbow colors and are beautiful to watch. Not only that, they are the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day. If you don’t believe me, watch the video! They are sprinkled all around the city and you will see many children running through them (often in their clothes) at any given time.
2. Make maple candy.
Dine at La Buche and make your own maple candy dessert treat! When you order the “maple taffy on snow” they pour maple syrup on “snow” (finely crushed ice) and then you wrap it on a stick. Making maple taffy on snow is a popular winter tradition in Canada.
3. Take the ferry to Levis.
Take the ferry across the St. Lawrence river and enjoy the views! When you get there, if you’re visiting during the warmer months, you’ll want to stop and enjoy the splash pad.
4. Visit the Benjo Inc. toy store.
The store refers to itself as the most beautiful toy store in Quebec City and while we didn’t visit any others, I would tend to agree with this statement. We ended up walking over 2 miles to get there, which was only because we didn’t realize how far of a walk it was from our rental. If we had planned better, we would’ve driven. It wasn’t so bad once we got there because we were entertained for quite a while, but walking back with the stroller and the cobblestone streets was definitely a challenge.
5. Ride the funicular.
Take the funicular (think gondola) down from around the Chateau Frontenac to Petit-Champlain. If you decide to walk instead, it’s not so bad going downhill, but getting back up is a bear because of the hills. Definitely not easy with a stroller! The funicular is a fun way to ride down to Petit-Champlain and then back up again once you’re done exploring.
We would definitely return to Quebec City, its charm, history, and beautiful architecture won us over. There were only a few cons we could think of. One is that it can be difficult if you have a car due to lack of parking. Two is that we wouldn’t say Quebec City has an overly-friendly vibe, it was pretty hit or miss. Our server at La Buche was amazing and really sweet with the kids. On the other hand, I was bumped into (hard) many times and not once did I get an apology. And three is that it can get a bit crowded walking around more touristy areas of the city, so you might get bumped into.
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