Guided tours, Quebec

Although Quebec City is a beautiful and historic city, it also has a dark side. If you want to know more about that dark side, this is the tour for you. The tour is an hour and a half walking tour through Old Quebec by night, you will hear tales of murders, executions and hauntings, ending in the most haunted place in Quebec City. There were several children on the tour, and I was probably the most scared person there! I suppose the fact that there was a full moon that night and a black cat had crossed my path didn't help. This is a relatively tame tour, and it provides some interesting insight to Quebec's history. It was fun, scary and educational.
The tours run at 8pm and 9pm nightly and cost about $17.50 for an adult. The office has a sign on the door telling where to meet, and this is where you pay, but it is highly recommended that you go a few hours early (at least) and make a reservation. It fills up quick!

Most people know whether they want to take a tour or not depending on the time they have but here is a little bit of advice from my tours. I took two one city tour and the other a country side tour.

The city tour was approximately $29 CDN and the country side tour would have been around $50.

There was an error in communication between me and the telephone guy because I didn't want a city tour but ended up on it.

I don't recommend the city tour if you are able to walk. Old Quebec is so beautiful that walking is definitely the way to go. They are not long walks either so you can really soak up the atmosphere of the city. When I ended up going on the city tour I simply repeated it all again with a lesser view through a tinted window. I think I might of took 3 or so pictures, that's it.

The country side tour on the other hand was very nice. I could never of seen what I did by walking and I saw some amazing sights. I really recommend the country side tour. The Montmorency Falls though I warn you are very impressive and probably warrant a little more time. I would probably enjoy going back there for a half day to just relax.

So there is my two sense worth on the tours, in my off the beaten path tips you will see some of the highlights of my country side tour.

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Like most old, historic cities, Quebec has its own collection of creepy ghost stories. The Ghost Tours regale visitors with these tales, mixing history and folklore. See some of the city's most allegedly haunted places and hear about the tragic lives of those who are said to haunt them.

I cannot vouch for anyplace being really haunted, but the stories are from the local historical records. Maybe someone will witness something that cannot be explained.

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This is a guided "walk about" mostly in Upper Town...and the subject...you guessed it is a history of certain hauntings and unexplained and mysterious happenings around the Old City of Quebec...

I was LUCKY in that I had the experience of having Eva acting as guide....she was simply INCREDIBLE relating the many stories that comprise the tour! She clearly enjoys her work.

The group was small ...only about seven people and the tour took us all of an hour and a half as we walked from venue to venue...all under the cover of darkness and Eva carrying a lantern lit by a single candle,at each stop Eva told us a story that related particular hauntings and spooked happenings!

I wont tell you the whole story because you need to experience this for yourself...the next time you're visiting Quebec City.

The tour cost is about $ 18.00 for adults....$ 15.50 for students and seniors...and children under ten are free...

The tour leaves at 8:00 PM sharp...and involves walking a few kilometers and two sections involve the HILL.......so this might not be appropriate for anybody that might have mobility issues.

The meeting location where the tour is started is in Lower Town conveniently located just across the street from a recently discovered favorite little shop ...a Caban de sucre...a store owned by a man named Mario that sells Maple Sugar products...ahem...sorry...more about this little store later... :O }

All in all this is a fun and entertaining way to spend a part of an evening in Quebec City and i you're lucky enough to have Eva as a guide than thats a BONUS for you!!

HAVE FUN....ENJOY !!!

This one is for all Dan Brown fans: Avacture is a truly original activity that helps you discover the city in a unique interactive way. As the hero of this adventure a la DaVinci Code, you must find clues that are spread throughout the city by the "Ordre du Bon Temps" in order to discover the secrets of the Champlain Prophecy. You'll find yourself racing through the streets of the old city to get to the next clue, looking for hidden messages on the walls of historic buildings. At the moment, Avacture documents are only available in French so you'll need at least one person in your group who can speak French, and you should allow at least 2 hours to complete the adventure and solve the mystery of the Champlain Prophecy. A really great activity for people of all ages!

Tickets ($18 for adults) can be bought at Quebec Experience, located in Les Promenades du Vieux Quebec.

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We were keen to gain a good appreciation of old Québec city as quickly as possible, so decided to take a walking tour. It was easily arranged for quite a moderate price and our enthusiastic guide proved to be a wealth of information. We thought it great value and picked up far more detail than I recorded (or can remember) in half a day.

Here’s an example of the snippets of interesting information. Walls made of French stone were plastered to help keep out moisture which would split the rock when it froze; neither the local Québec stone, nor English stone (identifiable because it is grey and square cut) needs plaster to keep out moisture. In the British period, ships brought out bricks from London (hence London bricks) which still are superior to any local bricks.

The photos show our tour guide, also a wall of French stone being replastered (appropriately, at the Consulate for the Republic of France).

Our guide was a bit surprised with the 10 Americans in his tour. Normally, that many people only arrive in high season, not in the midst of winter. The New Year festivities were apparently a big draw.

We all tried to keep warm during our two-hour walking tour of upper and lower towns of Quebec, complete with historical moments and locations. A great way to find the major sites in old town, either with a guide or without. Signup for the tours at the information booth, at the corner across from the Frontenac Hotel (the really big chateau).

As skies begin to darken over Quebec City, the costumed tour guide of Ghost Tours of Quebec, strikes a match and lights his lantern. The anxious ticket holders wait in anticipation, for they know, they will be walking through Old Quebec City to hear over 300 years of murders, executions, mysterious ghost sightings, tragedies and hauntings. A great attraction for tourists and a nice family idea before or after a good dinner in one of the restaurants of Quebec City. The cobble stone streets and ancient buildings of old Quebec City set the stage for a truly unique tourism experience. On the Ghost Tour you will find out how the execution of this American in Quebec may hold the answer to an unexplained haunting. Ever wondered what qualification got you the job of Executioner in the 1600’s in Quebec City? Our guide at Ghost Tours of Quebec will surprise you with the answer. The ghost of this international murderer, has been credited with the deaths of over 1000 people… One of Canada's most incredible mysteries. Enter and experience one of Quebec City's most haunted buildings
90 minutes of fascinating stories from Canada’s past. All stories were researched at the National Library in Ottawa and Quebec provincial libraries locally.

La Compagnie des Six-Associés offers historical walking tours of Quebec City but those are not your typical walking tours: exploring themes such as Lust and Drunkeness, Crimes and Punishments, they will let you in on what most history text books will never divulge! The tour guides know a lot about the city and will usually be able to answer all your questions along the way without having to rely on what's written in the script. One of the best ways to discover the real history of Quebec City! Tours last about 90 minutes and cost $16. Reservations are required.

A city that has so much history can't help but have its share of murder, crime and ghost stories. Ghost Tours of Quebec will lead you on a tour of Quebec City's dark side, letting you in on the location of ancient burial grounds and the possible culprits of cases that have remained unresolved to this day, up to the grand finale of the tour that lets you enter into one of Canada's most haunted buildings. Will you too see the ghost that appeared before Queen Elizabeth II?

Tours run rain or shine and go up some hills so make sure to wear appropriate clothes and shoes. During summer, English tours depart at 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm. Tickets are $17.50 for adults and reservations are recommended.