A fun trip to the Quebec City area is to combine an urban vacation with a nature vacation. This can be done easily if traveling to Quebec City as there is a provincial park called Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier or Jacques Cartier National Park, which is only 50 kilometers from Quebec City. We camped in the park and would travel to Quebec City. This is a great way to keep your costs down by avoiding expensive hotel rooms.
Quebec City has the feel of a European city, which is one of the few places in North America where you can get an experience like this. The places of interest include the Chateau Frontenac, which is a historical hotel within the historic Upper Town district of Old Quebec City. Chateau Frontenac is an impressive structure and was the tallest building in Quebec City from 1924 to 1930.
You can walk inside the main floor and admire the rich interior spaces and check out the shops. A short walk across the font esplanade of the hotel you will find the Old Quebec Funicular. A funicular railway is like a diagonal enclosed escalator that connects Upper Town to Lower Town of Old Quebec City. You can also take stairs if you want to get some exercise and not pay the fee; however, I recommend riding it at least once.
The Citadel (La Citadelle de Quebéc) is another tourist attraction located at Cap Diamant, which is the highest natural point in Quebec City. The Citadel overlooks the Saint Lawrence River and has with impressive views of the river.
The Citadel
Montmorency Falls is another tourist attraction that is only 12 km (7.5 mi) from Old Quebec City. It is a large waterfall on the Montmorency River. There is a cable car that can take you to the top of the cliff and then take a short walk to the walkway bridge above the falls. There is also a staircase that can be used, I opted to take the cable car up and the stairs down to get a different vantage point. You can also schedule a lunch or dinner at the Montmorency Manor. There are also other dining options, including a sandwich shop at the station at the bottom of the falls.
Montmorency Falls
Jacques Cartier National Park is located in the Laurentian Mountains and has many activities such as camping, hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing, rafting, and tubing in the summer months.
Jacques Cartier National Park.
We did both the rafting and the tubing when we went in the summer and recommend both. The rafting is easy enough that children will also enjoy; however, there is also a short portage section that you will need to carry the raft to avoid a rough section of water.
Campsites at the park are decently spaced apart and most sites have good shade. It would be a good idea to bring a netted tent for your picnic table as the mosquitos and horse flies can get pretty bad in the evening.
It was great to mix the city tourist attractions with the activities of the park. One day we would be in the city and the next day enjoying the Jacques-Cartier River.