The Citadelle and the Plains of Abraham: Where Quebec Changed Hands

Come between late June and late August if you want the Changing of the Guard at the Citadelle. Late September and early October turn the maples on the Plains red and gold with far smaller crowds. From late autumn to spring the Governors’ Promenade is closed, so the walk starts on Côte de la Citadelle instead.

The Parliament’s free guided tour needs a reservation (online or at the reception pavilion) and runs on a schedule that can shift around parliamentary business; arrive about 30 minutes early for security. The Citadelle is visited only on guided tours, so check tour times before you set off and plan the promenade to arrive just ahead of one.

The whole loop is on foot from Old Quebec. If you finish at the far end of the Plains near the fine arts museum and want to skip the walk back, the city’s RTC buses run along Grande Allée and René-Lévesque; use the RTC trip planner for the current lines.

The promenade, the Plains, the monuments and the Parliament tour cost nothing. If you are choosing one paid stop, make it the Citadelle, which you cannot see any other way.

Batisse the goat, the Royal 22e Régiment’s mascot, appears at the summer Changing of the Guard, which is usually enough to win over younger kids. The Plains themselves are ideal for letting children run between the monuments, and in winter the park is used for sledding and cross-country skiing.

Buy lunch in the old town and eat it on the grass above the river; there are few food options inside the park. In the evening, Grande Allée between the Parliament and the Plains is lined with restaurant terraces, busy and priced for visitors but a lively place to end the day.

Staying inside the walls puts the start of the walk on your doorstep. The Montcalm neighbourhood, along the northern edge of the Plains around Avenue Cartier, is quieter, residential and within walking distance of both the park and the old town.

The Governors’ Promenade has long stretches of steep steps with a drop on one side. It is not suitable for strollers or anyone with limited mobility; they should take Côte de la Citadelle, which reaches the same place by road.