This Winter Walking Tour is the perfect way to discover Old Quebec’s history, its architecture and its charms in the midst of winter. Enjoy the quaintest Nordic city of North America thanks to breaks to warm up during the guided tour.
(Based on 361 reviews)
Sorry, this tour is scheduled, but online bookings are temporarily not available on our website.
The tour is likely available to book on some platforms, contact us and we’ll let you know how to book.
You’ll discover magical places eatilled with a rich history in enchanting sceneries. You’ll learn the main facts and see the highlights of Quebec City’s historical center. Like the famous Place royale, Château Frontenac, City Hall and cathedrals (Catholic and Anglicane). Because this tour is seasonal, provided during winter only, we’ll focus on the influence of the cold season on historical events, local culture and architecture.
The Winter Walking Tour stands outside, in the quaint streets of Old Port & Petit Champlain (Lower Town) and Old Quebec (Upper Town), but we’ll make warm breaks inside buildings.
To tease you, here are some winter topics : Bonhomme Carnaval and the biggest winter carnaval of the world, impact of the ice bridge on the economy, ice canoeing, siege of 1775 with Benedict Arnold…
Important notice :
- The Musée de la Civilisation don’t sell any tickets for the Winter Walking Tour, they only greet us to meet each other and start.
- Please wear warm clothes, warm socks, warm shoes. Even if we do warm breaks, we’ll spend most of the time outside. Winter here is very cold and windy. Ski suits are useful and you should consider something warm like this.
How to get there ?
The Musée de la Civilisation has two entrances: one on Dalhousie Street and the other one on Saint-Pierre Street. The meeting location is inside the museum, nearby the boutique and Saint-Pierre entrance.
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Xavier was incredibly friendly and made us feel very welcome. He had a deep knowledge of the city, past and present, and presented in a simple and effective way. He offered personal recommendations and made sure we stayed comfortable throughout the tour - his personal post cards and hand warmers were a thoughtful touch. We are so glad we had this experience with Xavier and would recommend him to anyone!
By Julia (North Carolina) on Airbnb (2019) -
Xavier's tour was so fun and interesting. He really had a great knowledge of the city and we learned a lot. He also was so friendly, really learning everyone's names and connecting with them. He made great recommendations for places to visit after the tour. He also brought handwarmers and toe-warmers which was a nice touch.
By Grace (New Jersey) on Airbnb (2019) Xavier communicated well with us leading up to our tour. He arrived at our rendezvous early and began on time. A blustery, rainy and cool day, he checked in on our comfort multiple times. Most of what we were told and shown was totally new to us. We learned so much. Merci, Xavier. Highly recommend your tour.
By Lisa (Maine) on Airbnb (2019)I signed up for the tour with Xavier since the popular travel writer, Rick Steves, often recommends to take a tour with a local to fully learn and appreciate a new place. I found this tour with Xavier superior to just walking around with a guidebook or following a guide on my phone. Xavier shared many personal perspectives when answering our questions. He welcomed discussion and this distinguishes the walking tour from a guidebook. Though admittedly geared for adults, my two kids, 16 and 8, joined us on the tour and enjoyed it. Xavier included them in the tour which maintained their interest. We got insight into Quebec history, the unique neighborhoods of the city, how residents celebrate winter and indulge in summer. Xavier provided many recommendations on additional sites to see, which we followed up on after the tour. Good advice on dressing to be comfortable in winter. I noticed many residents and/or visitors work long, insulated coats with fur trim and real boots, not skimpy shoes. They know what works. Highly recommended. Enjoy your tour. Scott
By Scott (Maine) on Airbnb (2019)If you have the time take the tour it's worth it.
By Carlos J (New York) on Airbnb (2019)Xavier was a fantastic guide. Our tour was a great orientation to the city and its history.
By Liz (Atlanta, Georgia) on Airbnb (2019)Very interesting tour that brought the city's history alive. Xavier was a very knowledgeable guide and had a quick wit to keep the tour fun and interesting at the same time. Would absolutely recommend.
By Ethan (Georgia, USA) on Airbnb (2019)On our tour, we had a small group from varying geographical backgrounds. Xavier had a way of relaying info that intrigued, entertained, & pleased my old history buff husband, a young aeronautical engineer, two business professionals & generally interested me. He is passionate & knowledgeable about many aspects of history. If I were to stay longer, I would book another tour in a different subject. Same guy, same visit, & I bet he would not repeat a thing from the first tour- he's that good (witty, too!). He did his best to make sure that we were comfortable during our tour, including a pre-email with advice & instructions- read it, its helpful.
By Alissa (Missouri) on Airbnb (2019)Xavier is a top notch history tour guide, who is knowledgable, relatable, and caring. Don't let this opportunity pass you by!
By Michael (San Francisco, California) on Airbnb (2019)Xavier nous fait participer à la visite et a la bonne humeur communicative. On ne s'ennuie pas et on ne voit pas le temps passer.
By Mélanie (France) on Airbnb (2019)
If you need help or if you didn’t find an availability that suits you, please contact us. We might add an availability for you if we can. It is also possible to provide a private tour.