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Québec

Signature City Québec

Program No. 19748RJ

Join a local expert for an insider’s perspective on Québec City. You’ll hear fascinating lectures, taste regional cuisine, visit must-see icons and go off the beaten path.

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6 days

5 nights

11 meals

5B 2L 4D

Check-in, Welcome Dinner, Orientation

Quebec City, Québec

Historic Québec, Upper Town Walk, Civilization Museum

Quebec City, Québec

Then & Now, Lower Town Walk, Ursuline Museum

Quebec City, Québec

War & Peace, Plains of Abraham, Free Time

Quebec City, Québec

Morrin Centre, Artillery Park, Huron-Wendat Museum

Quebec City, Québec

Program Concludes

Quebec City, Québec

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At a Glance

Discover the best that Québec City has to offer as locals introduce you to the history, food and arts of this World Heritage Site. Explore the heart of Old Québec's Upper and Lower Towns and examine the city's extensive fortification system with a local expert. Traverse down pedestrian streets and laneways of one of the oldest European settlements in North America. Lectures are brought to life with field trips encompassing both landmark sites and less heralded aspects of the city, opening doors to historic interiors that few visitors discover. Learn about the culture, traditions and history of Indigenous Peoples. Journey into heart of the Huron-Wendat Nation with an expert-led field trip to the village of Wendake where you will visit a traditional longhouse and enjoy a memorable farewell dinner.

Activity Level

Keep the Pace

Walking three to four miles a day on uneven surfaces, cobblestones; many steep hills and stairs, some without railings.

Best of all, you’ll…

Explore the Plains of Abraham, site of many clashes between the French and British Empires.
Visit Montmorency Falls and discover one of the most beautiful natural jewels of Québec.
Learn about the educational mission of the Ursuline nuns and view their rich ethnographic and artistic collections.

General Notes

Select dates are designated for small groups and are limited to 24 participants or less.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Marie Legroulx

Marie is an eleventh-generation Quebecoise whose ancestors settled on the shores of the St. Lawrence River in the mid-17th century. She has a BA in history and an MA in Quebec literature from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Marie draws on both fields in her Road Scholar learning adventures as well as within her life more broadly. She taught French and Quebec literature for 25 years at the university level. Marie has been leading groups in Quebec City and the surrounding area since 2008.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Chantal Bellon View biography

A retired teacher, Chantal Bellon has lead visitors around the province of Québec, to the vibrant city of Toronto and the beautiful Niagara Falls, to the nation’s capital in Ottawa. Chantal enjoys sharing the charm and beauty of her home country with guests from around the globe and always looks forward to learning something new from them too. Although as a teacher, she primarily taught math and science, she has an eclectic love for travel, music, carpentry, and animals.

Jocelyne Belleau View biography

Jocelyne Belleau was born and raised in Québec City. After many years in an executive position at Sears, Jocelyne shifted gears to embrace her love of sharing the history, and the present-day city of Québec. She has grown to appreciate the evolution of the city and the features of Old Québec including its narrow streets, the history of each house and its people. Jocelyne weaves her local expertise and interest in architecture, cultural traditions, Indigenous peoples and history into each of her lectures.

Clarisse Fréchette View biography

Clarisse Frechette’s family arrived in Québec back in 1677 as shipbuilders. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and worked as a research agent for Québec’s Department of Education before taking on the role of a field manager for Statistics Quebec. Becoming an educational interpreter was second nature for Clarisse, with her love of history and certainly her love of Québec! She has explored the old streets of Québec for over 20 years. It is always her pleasure to help people discover this area.

Marie Legroulx View biography

Francois Vidal View biography

François Vidal was born in Québec City, where he spent years studying theatre and travel. He frequently combines his education with his love for Québec City and its rich history, performing in numerous educational theatrical productions. François has been an educational interpreter in Québec City since 2009 and is well-known for his personification of historical figures including a recent production in which he portrayed General Montcalm from the French-Indian War. François displays a keen interest in the architecture, culture and lifestyle in Québec City.

Routes Adventures Mobile Phone View biography

Please call the toll free line at 1-866-745-1690 during regular business hours or for non-urgent matters (Mon - Fri 8:30 - 4:30 EST). The mobile phone #1-613-331-5777 is for after hours and weekends for emergency use only. The phone is carried by a staff member.

Philippe Theriault View biography

Philippe Theriault has been a group leader in India, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the Americas for 30 years. He has a background in anthropology and history, and is an expert in generalizing history to help people understand local cultures and traditions. When asked to comment on his experiences while traveling, Philippe quotes Marcel Proust: “helping people discover a new place or a new culture is also a way of opening their eyes to the joy of living and to the art of travel.”

Fabien Bouchard View biography

Fabien Bouchard has worked as an English teacher for over three decades, with his retirement planned for 2025. Most of his career has been with the Department of National Defense in Valcartier, Québec, teaching military members preparing for deployment. Fabien, who has two adult daughters, has been an active runner at the national and international levels since he was a teenager. He is also an avid fan of hiking, having trekked around the French Alps, Pyrenees, and Canadian Rockies.

Suggested Reading List (5 books)

Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop

You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

Search for a Title

Signature City Québec

Program Number: 19748

Wolfe at Quebec, The Man Who Won the French and Indian War

by Christopher Hibbert

A history of British General James Wolfe's last year of life by the entertaining and informative author of "The Story of England." Hibbert traces the neurotic general's life through diaries, letters, ships' logs and firsthand accounts, painting an interesting portrait of the man who defeated French General Montcalm at Quebec.

The History of Canada Series: Three Weeks in Quebec

by Christopher Moore

In 1864, thirty-three delegates from five provincial legislatures came to Quebec City to pursue the idea of uniting all the provinces of British North America. The American Civil War, not yet over, encouraged the small and barely defended provinces to consider uniting for mutual protection. But there were other factors: the rapid expansion of railways and steamships spurred visions of a continent-spanning new nation.

Canada and Quebec: One Country, Two Histories

by Robert Bothwell

An in-depth look at Canada-Quebec relations through interviews with prominent Canadian figures.

Charlevoix, a tradition of hospitalilty

by Judy Bross | David Mendel, Fran Tremblay

A fascinating history and exploration of summer resort life in the region. With short, informative texts, captivating stories and anecdotes, the book is illustrated with historic photographs and illustrations, and more than 100 spectacular new photographs by Luc-Antoine Couturier, of summer homes, their gardens, and the magnificent Charlevoix landscape. You are invited to take a vicarious tour of some of these hidden properties that date from the golden era of summer resort life, when prominent Canadian and American visitors, including the President of the United States, William Howard Taft, arrived by steamboat to spend their vacations in the summer homes they built. Discover a remarkable heritage that is very much worth preserving.

Made In Quebec

by Julian Armstrong

Quebec has a cuisine firmly based on French foundations, but blended and enriched over the years by the cooking styles of a variety of immigrant groups, initially British and American, more recently Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern and Asian. More than in any other province or region in Canada, people in Quebec are passionate and knowledgeable about their food. The restaurant scene is robust, not just in Montreal and Quebec City—you can go to just about any small town in la belle province and have a splendid meal.

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