The city is small, but it sits on a cliff, so it makes a big difference whether you stay up in Haute-Ville, down in Basse-Ville or outside the walls. Here are my five picks for where to stay in Quebec City, with three hotels in each area.

Where to Stay in Quebec City: The Best Areas

• Old Town (Vieux-Québec) - best area for first-time visitors
• Petit-Champlain & Vieux-Port - best area for couples and romance
• Saint-Roch - best area for foodies and budget travellers
• Montcalm & Grande Allée - best area for families and museums
• Saint-Jean-Baptiste - best area for local atmosphere

Below, I go through the areas one by one with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in January for two people, and they rise noticeably during the Winter Carnival and the summer holidays. 1 Canadian dollar is roughly 53p. The city’s own airport, Jean-Lesage (YQB), is about 15 kilometres from the centre, but many people fly into Montreal and take the train onwards. According to Québec Cité, VIA Rail takes around 3 hours and 15 minutes from Montreal to Gare du Palais, and if you land in Montreal, you can read how to get from Montreal Airport to the city centre.

1. Old Town (Vieux-Québec) - best area for first-time visitors 🏰

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the middle of it all. From Porte Saint-Jean it’s under 10 minutes on foot to Château Frontenac and Terrasse Dufferin.
• 🚶 Transport: On foot. The streets inside the walls are narrow and steep, and the funicular by Terrasse Dufferin takes you down to Petit-Champlain.
• ✈️ Time from Jean-Lesage Airport: About 20 to 30 minutes by taxi, which charges a fixed fare to the centre.
• 💰 Price level: $$ to $$$$. The three hotels below cost about 195 to 695 dollars (around £105 to £370) per night when I searched for a weekend in January.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and busy until late. In winter, it’s the ice on the steep streets you need to watch out for, so bring shoes with good grip.

Old Town is the part of Haute-Ville inside the city walls, and this is where Quebec City looks just like the postcards. The historic district has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985, and according to UNESCO it is the only city in North America to have kept its city walls with their bastions and gates. You can walk along the top of much of the walls, and from Porte Saint-Louis and Porte Saint-Jean everything is just a few minutes away.

In the middle of it all stands Château Frontenac, the hotel with the green copper roofs that opened in 1893 and is now the city’s landmark. In front of it runs Terrasse Dufferin, the long wooden boardwalk above the river, which has a toboggan run in winter, and behind the hotel you’ll find Place d’Armes, Rue du Trésor with its painters, and Notre-Dame-de-Québec. If you want the stories behind it all, you can take a guided walking tour of Old Town from about 43 dollars (around £23).

See hotels in Old Town here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip and you only have two or three days. You have the restaurants on Rue Saint-Jean and Rue Saint-Louis right on your doorstep, and in the evening the little side streets go quiet once the day-trippers have gone home. It’s also the most atmospheric place to stay in winter, when the Christmas lights hang over the streets and when the Winter Carnival is on.

The downsides are the price and the hills. Old Town is the city’s most expensive area, many of the hotels are in old buildings without lifts, and parking costs extra almost everywhere. If you’re coming by car, check the parking before you book, because the streets are narrow and there’s almost no on-street parking.

Hotels in Old Town (Vieux-Québec)

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac - sleep in the city’s landmark

Château Frontenac is Quebec City’s best-known hotel and a five-star castle with a spa, indoor pool, gym and several restaurants. Many rooms have views over the St Lawrence River or Old Town, and you’re right by Terrasse Dufferin. The price is the highest in this whole guide, parking costs 45 dollars (around £24) per night, and some guests complain about thin walls between the rooms.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Amazing views, amazing everything. Thank you!”

See photos and book Château Frontenac here.

Monastère des Augustines - peace and history in an old monastery

Monastère des Augustines is on Rue des Remparts in the old monastery where the Augustinian nuns ran the city’s first hospital. The restaurant Le Vivoir serves healthy, local food, and you can book massages and yoga on site. The rooms deliberately have neither TV nor phone, which not everyone likes, but its score on Booking.com is the highest in the area.

From one review: “Fantastic location and history.”

See photos and book Monastère des Augustines here.

Hotel Champlain - cheaper hotel with free espresso around the clock

Hotel Champlain is on Rue Sainte-Anne inside the walls, about a five-minute walk from Château Frontenac. There’s free cappuccino and espresso around the clock, a small bar and its own parking for 24 dollars (around £13) per night, which you need to reserve. It was the cheapest of my three picks in Old Town, but there’s only one lift, and several guests find it slow.

One guest highlights: “The location was excellent, and the staff were very friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book Hotel Champlain here.

2. Petit-Champlain & Vieux-Port - best area for couples and romance ⚓

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Directly below Château Frontenac. To reach Terrasse Dufferin, take the funicular or walk 5 to 10 minutes up the stairs.
• 🚶 Getting around: On foot, and the ferry to Lévis leaves from Basse-Ville. Gare du Palais is a 10 to 15-minute walk from Vieux-Port.
• ✈️ Time from Jean-Lesage Airport: Around 25 to 30 minutes by taxi at a fixed fare.
• 💰 Price level: $$ to $$$$. The three hotels below cost around 135 to 760 dollars (roughly £70 to £410) per night when I searched for a weekend in January.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and quiet in the evening. The stairs between Haute-Ville and Basse-Ville can be slippery in winter.

Basse-Ville is the lower part of the Old Town between the cliff and the river, and this is where Samuel de Champlain founded the city. According to UNESCO, the lower town grew up around Place Royale and the harbour, and the square with its stone houses and the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church is still the heart of the neighbourhood. Right next to it is Rue du Petit-Champlain, the narrow pedestrian street with little shops, cafés and restaurants, decorated with lights all winter.

If you follow Rue Saint-Pierre and Rue Saint-Paul north, you reach Vieux-Port with its marina, antique shops and some of the city’s best restaurants in the old warehouses. This is also home to the Musée de la civilisation, where a ticket costs 27 dollars (around £15) for adults aged 35 to 64, and the museum is closed on Mondays outside the summer season. If you want to eat your way through the neighbourhood, you can join a food tour of the Old Town with more than ten tastings for around 173 dollars (around £90).

See hotels in Petit-Champlain and Vieux-Port here.

I would choose Basse-Ville if you’re a couple and want the most romantic version of Quebec City. The hotels are set in old warehouse buildings with thick stone walls, and in the evening, once the shops close, you have the cobblestones almost to yourselves. Take the ferry over to Lévis and back one evening, because the view of Château Frontenac from the river is one of the best in the city.

The downside is that you have to climb stairs or take the funicular every time you want to go up to Haute-Ville, and the Escalier Casse-Cou (“Breakneck Stairs”) earns its name when it’s icy. The choice of cheap hotels is also limited, and during the day Rue du Petit-Champlain is packed with tourists.

Hotels in Petit-Champlain & Vieux-Port

Auberge Saint-Antoine - luxury hotel with history in its walls

Auberge Saint-Antoine is on Rue Saint-Antoine, a few minutes’ walk from Place Royale and Vieux-Port. It’s a luxury hotel with a spa, gym, the Chez Muffy restaurant and Café Artefact, and finds from the archaeological excavations beneath the hotel are displayed around the building. It’s the most expensive hotel in this guide, and some guests would like more wardrobe space and aren’t happy with the shower.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel is beautiful and has a fantastic location, a short walk up the hill or round to the funicular to get to the next level of the city.”

See photos and book Auberge Saint-Antoine here.

Auberge Saint-Pierre - large loft-style rooms in an old building

Auberge Saint-Pierre is on Rue Saint-Pierre, halfway between Place Royale and Vieux-Port. The rooms are large and loft-style with brick walls, there’s a lift, a bistro and a bar, and parking costs 24 dollars (around £13) per day, or 40 dollars (around £20) plus tax with valet. Some rooms can be noisy because of the location, so ask for a room away from the street.

From a review: “The room was fantastic, loft-style and very spacious, and the bed was very comfortable.”

See photos and book Auberge Saint-Pierre here.

Hotel Belley - small hotel above a cosy tavern

Hotel Belley is on Rue Saint-Paul at the northern end of Vieux-Port, around a 10-minute walk from Gare du Palais. It’s a small hotel above Taverne Belley, which serves local and imported beers, and you can park at a reduced rate for 20 dollars (around £10) per day. It was the cheapest of my three suggestions here, but there’s no lift, and the noise from the tavern can be heard in the evening.

One guest highlights: “We loved that it’s a smaller hotel with a lovely little bar downstairs.”

See photos and book Hotel Belley here.

3. Saint-Roch - best area for foodies and travellers on a budget 🍽️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 1.5 kilometres north-west of Château Frontenac. Porte Saint-Jean is a 15 to 20-minute walk, but it’s uphill.
• 🚌 Transport: Many of RTC’s bus routes run through the neighbourhood, and Gare du Palais, with trains and long-distance coaches, is at the eastern end.
• ✈️ Time from Jean-Lesage Airport: About 20 to 25 minutes by taxi at a fixed fare.
• 💰 Price level: $ to $$. The three places below cost around 120 to 240 dollars (roughly £65 to £130) per night when I searched for a weekend in January.
• 👮 Safety: An ordinary city neighbourhood. Rue Saint-Joseph is lively until late, but a few corners around Boulevard Charest can feel a bit run-down in the evening.

Saint-Roch sits below the cliff north-west of the Old Town, and it was once the city’s working-class and factory district. Today it’s Quebec City’s food quarter, with some of the city’s best restaurants, microbreweries, coffee shops and wine bars along Rue Saint-Joseph and the side streets. In the middle of the neighbourhood stands the large Église Saint-Roch, and right next to it is the Jardin de Saint-Roch, a small park with a waterfall cascading down the slope.

The neighbourhood is also full of offices, tech companies and students, so there’s plenty going on during the week, and food and drink are cheaper than inside the walls. From here you walk up to Saint-Jean-Baptiste and the Old Town via the long staircases, and Gare du Palais is at the eastern end, so if you’re arriving by train from Montreal, this is where you’ll get off.

See hotels in Saint-Roch here.

I would stay here if you’d rather spend your money on good food than on a room inside the walls. You get newer and larger rooms for your money, more aparthotels with kitchens and a neighbourhood where you sit side by side with people who actually live in the city. It also suits you well if you’re arriving by train and want to walk straight from the station to your hotel.

The downside is the hill. You have to climb the stairs or take the bus every time you want to get to Château Frontenac, and in winter it’s a cold and slippery trip. Saint-Roch isn’t pretty in the same way as the Old Town either, and some of the streets towards Boulevard Charest are mostly traffic and concrete.

Hotels in Saint-Roch

Hotel Royal William - four-star hotel with big beds

Hotel Royal William is on Boulevard Charest Est in the heart of Saint-Roch, a few minutes’ walk from Rue Saint-Joseph. It’s a four-star hotel with a restaurant, gym and soundproofed rooms, and parking costs 22 dollars (around £12) per night. Several guests say it’s hard to work out where the car park is, so ask the hotel before you drive there.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Excellent location, fair price, comfortable big beds.”

See photos and book Hotel Royal William here.

Le Saint Edouard - indoor pool for cold days

Le Saint Edouard is on Rue de la Couronne in the western part of Saint-Roch. The hotel has a heated indoor pool, gym, restaurant and bar, and it’s one of the few places in the neighbourhood with a pool, which is lovely in winter. Breakfast isn’t included, and parking costs 32 dollars (around £17) per night, which several guests feel is too much.

From one review: “The hotel is quite central. The staff are friendly, and check-in was great.”

See photos and book Le Saint Edouard here.

Les Lofts St-François - modern apartments with their own kitchen

Les Lofts St-François is on Rue Monseigneur-Gauvreau, a side street off Rue Saint-Joseph. These are modern apartments with a fully equipped kitchen, laundry and lift, but no restaurant, and you check yourself in. The price was the lowest of the three when I searched, but some guests complain about noise and light getting into the bedroom.

One guest highlights: “Beautiful, large and modern apartment in a good location close to public transport.”

See photos and book Les Lofts St-François here.

4. Montcalm & Grande Allée - best area for families and museums 🌳

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 1 to 2 kilometres west of Porte Saint-Louis. From Avenue Cartier, it’s a 20 to 25-minute walk along Grande Allée to the Old Town.
• 🚌 Transport: RTC buses run along Grande Allée and René-Lévesque towards the Old Town, but most people choose to walk the whole way along Grande Allée.
• ✈️ Time from Jean-Lesage Airport: Around 20 to 25 minutes by taxi at a fixed fare.
• 💰 Price level: $ to $$$. The three hotels below cost around 150 to 270 dollars (roughly £110 to £200) per night when I searched for a weekend in January.
• 👮 Safety: One of the city’s safest areas. Grande Allée gets loud with bars and terraces at weekends, while the side streets of Montcalm are quiet.

Grande Allée is the wide boulevard that runs from the Parliament Building just outside Porte Saint-Louis and west towards Montcalm. The first stretch is the city’s party street, with restaurants, bars and terraces in the grand old townhouses, and further out it turns into a quiet residential area. Montcalm is the neighbourhood around Avenue Cartier, with bakeries, delis, cafés and small restaurants where locals shop and eat.

The big draw is the Plains of Abraham, the 1759 battlefield that is now a large park along the clifftop. It’s run by the National Battlefields Commission, and in winter you can go cross-country skiing and sledging, while in summer the children can run around freely. The park is home to the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, where a ticket costs 30 dollars (around £22) at the door and 25 dollars (around £19) online, while everyone under 18 gets in free. The museum is closed on Mondays.

See hotels in Montcalm and Grande Allée here.

I would choose this area if you’re travelling with children or arriving by car. There’s more space, the hotels often have a pool and parking, and the park is right on your doorstep. If you want a day out to Montmorency Falls, Île d’Orléans or Charlevoix, it’s also a good base for picking up hire cars with Booking.com, or you can take a guided tour to Montmorency Falls and Île d’Orléans from around 122 dollars (around £90).

The downside is the distance to the Old Town, which is walkable but feels long on a cold winter evening. Grande Allée is also not for you if you want an early night at the weekend, so choose a hotel on Montcalm’s side streets or a room away from the street.

Hotels in Montcalm & Grande Allée

Hotel Château Laurier Québec - saltwater pool right by the Plains of Abraham

Château Laurier is on Place George V by Grande Allée, a couple of minutes’ walk from the Plains of Abraham and the Parliament Building. It’s a four-star hotel with an indoor saltwater pool, hot tub, sauna, bar and family rooms, and parking costs 24 dollars (around £18) per day. Several guests mention that the pool can get crowded on busy days.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic facilities. The staff were excellent, everything was perfect.”

See photos and book Château Laurier here.

Petit Hôtel Café Krieghoff - a handful of rooms above a well-known café on Avenue Cartier

Petit Hôtel Café Krieghoff is on Avenue Cartier in the heart of Montcalm, above the café of the same name, where breakfast with local specialities is served. You’re right among the bakeries and restaurants and it’s around a 20-minute walk to the Old Town. There’s no lift, only stairs, and some guests feel the rooms are smaller than in the photos.

From a review: “Great location, a lovely walk into the historic part of Quebec.”

See photos and book Café Krieghoff here.

Hotel Charles-Alexandre - simple and cheap on Grande Allée

Hotel Charles-Alexandre is on Grande Allée Est, a few minutes’ walk from the Plains of Abraham and the Musée national des beaux-arts. The rooms are simple and the hotel doesn’t serve breakfast, but there’s a café nearby, and parking costs 17 dollars (around £13) plus tax per day. It was the cheapest of the three when I searched, but there’s no lift, which you’ll notice with a heavy suitcase.

One guest highlights: “Friendly and helpful staff. The room was nice.”

See photos and book Hotel Charles-Alexandre here.

5. Saint-Jean-Baptiste - best area for a local atmosphere 🍻

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Just outside the walls. From the middle of the neighbourhood, it’s a 10 to 15-minute walk along Rue Saint-Jean to Porte Saint-Jean.
• 🚶 Getting around: On foot to the Old Town, and RTC buses run along Boulevard René-Lévesque on the southern edge of the neighbourhood.
• ✈️ Time from Jean-Lesage Airport: Around 20 to 25 minutes by taxi at a fixed fare.
• 💰 Price level: $ to $$$. The three hotels below cost around 160 to 305 Canadian dollars (around £85 to £165) per night when I searched for a weekend in January.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and lively. The bars on Rue Saint-Jean stay open late, so stay on a side street if you’re a light sleeper.

Saint-Jean-Baptiste is the neighbourhood just outside Porte Saint-Jean, where Rue Saint-Jean carries on out of the Old Town and becomes a local high street. It’s lined with small bookshops, record shops, vintage shops, bars and places to eat, and the houses stand close together in colourful rows up and down the steep side streets. Rue Saint-Jean is also home to J.A. Moisan, one of North America’s oldest grocery shops, where you can buy cheese, maple syrup and picnic food.

The neighbourhood sits on the edge of the cliff, so long staircases lead down from its northern side to Saint-Roch, and from the top you get views over the low rooftops and the Laurentians on the horizon. To the south are the Parliament Building and Grande Allée, so you have both local Quebec City and the Old Town within walking distance. In summer, people sit out on the terraces until late in the evening, and in July, when the city holds its big summer festival, the neighbourhood is buzzing.

See hotels in Saint-Jean-Baptiste here.

I’d stay here if you’ve been to Quebec City before, or if you want to be close to the Old Town without paying the price of staying inside the walls. The neighbourhood mostly has small hotels, guesthouses and apartments, and it suits you well if you’re travelling solo or as a couple and like a local bar in the evening.

The downsides are the steep streets and the staircases, which are hard work with a suitcase and slippery in winter, and the fact that many of the smaller places have neither a lift nor a reception. The choice of proper hotels is small, so book well ahead if you’re coming during the Winter Carnival or in July.

Hotels in Saint-Jean-Baptiste

Hilton Quebec - heated rooftop pool and views over the city

Hilton Quebec is on Boulevard René-Lévesque on the south-eastern edge of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, opposite the Parliament Building and a few minutes’ walk from Porte Saint-Louis. The hotel has a heated outdoor rooftop pool that’s open all year, a sauna, a gym and the CABU restaurant, and the upper floors look out over the Old Town and the river. Parking costs 25 Canadian dollars (around £13) per day in a neighbouring car park, and a few guests have found the staff unfriendly.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel is clean, with great views and a good location.”

See photos and book Hilton Quebec here.

La Sainte Paix - modern hotel with a shared kitchen

La Sainte Paix is on Chemin Sainte-Foy at the western end of the neighbourhood, a few minutes’ walk from Rue Saint-Jean and Avenue Cartier. It’s a modern hotel with a lift, soundproofed rooms and a shared kitchen where you can make your own breakfast, and there’s paid parking on site. Several guests say the rooms are small, but its score on Booking.com is high.

From one review: “Everything was excellent, from the moment we stepped into the hotel!”

See photos and book La Sainte Paix here.

Auberge Château des Tourelles - small hotel right on Rue Saint-Jean

Auberge Château des Tourelles is right on Rue Saint-Jean in an old house in the middle of the bars and shops. There’s a terrace and a shared lounge, but no breakfast and no lift, and parking costs 26 Canadian dollars (around £14) per day in a nearby car park. It was the cheapest of my three suggestions here, but the staff aren’t always on site, which some guests find inconvenient.

One guest highlights: “The hotel’s location was excellent.”

See photos and book Château des Tourelles here.

Where not to stay in Quebec City?

Sainte-Foy and the area around Boulevard Laurier are around 7 to 8 kilometres west of the Old Town and are mostly shopping centres, offices and chain hotels. It’s handy if you only need to sleep for one night while driving onwards, but otherwise you’ll spend too much time on buses or in taxis. The same goes for the hotels by the airport and in Lebourgneuf, which aren’t relevant at all for a city break. Lévis, across the river, has the finest view of Château Frontenac, but you’ll depend on the ferry every time you want to go into town.

Keep an eye on the calendar too. During the Winter Carnival, held every year in late January or February, and during the summer festival in July, prices rise sharply and the hotels inside the walls sell out well in advance. If you love snow, Bonhomme and ice sculptures, book several months ahead.

If it’s your first trip to Quebec City, I’d stay in the Old Town and spend a little extra to sleep inside the walls, ideally close to Château Frontenac. If you’re a couple, choose Petit-Champlain and Vieux-Port, and if you’re travelling with children or a car, Montcalm and Grande Allée give you the most space and peace. Saint-Roch is for you if you want to eat well and save on your room, and Saint-Jean-Baptiste is for you if you want local Quebec City right outside the gate.

From the airport, a taxi to the centre costs a fixed fare of 41.40 Canadian dollars (around £22). The bus is cheaper, and the airport’s route 80 runs to the centre for 4 Canadian dollars (around £2), but it takes longer and works best if you’re travelling light. Many people combine Quebec City with Montreal, three hours away, and here you can read where to stay in Montreal. If your trip continues through Canada, I also have guides to where to stay in Toronto and where to stay in Vancouver, all the way over on the west coast.

The post Where to Stay in Quebec City? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.