Citadel of Quebec (Citadelle de Quebec)

The Basics

Sightseeing and hop-on hop-off bus tours of Quebec City often visit the Citadel of Quebec, with guides providing commentary about its history and current role as a base for Canadian forces. Purchase a ticket to explore the National Historic Site and access the Royal 22nd Regiment Museum (Musée Royal 22e Régiment), where weapons, uniforms, and other military artifacts are displayed. French- and English-language guided tours of the complex take place at least every hour.

How to Get There

The fort is set atop Cape Diamond (Cap Diamant), which overlooks the St. Lawrence River. Reach the citadel by car via Côte de la Citadelle (limited parking is available at the site). It’s about a 30-minute walk from Gare du Palais train station and a 20-minute walk from Chateau Frontenac. RTC buses (3 and 11) stop next to Côte de la Citadelle.

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When to Get There

Summer is the best time to visit: Tours are more frequent, the weather is warmer, and troops can be seen performing special ceremonies. Changing of the Guard ceremonies take place daily at 10am from June 24 through Labour Day in early September, while Beating of the Retreat ceremonies run at 5pm on Wednesdays in July and August. Nighttime tours by lantern take place from June to October.

Regimental Ceremonies at the Citadel

The Changing of the Guard marks the handover between the previous sentries on duty and the batch of troops taking over for them. Officers inspect the troops, with the military band providing music and the well-behaved mascot, Batisse the goat, also taking part. Meanwhile, the Beating of the Retreat marks the end of the day and sees guards assemble on the parade square to fire rifles. Troops wear bearskin hats and red regimental coats during both ceremonies.

Recent reviews from experiences in Quebec City

Lovely tour! Very...

KAREN_A, Nov 2021

Quebec City: Double Decker Express Tour

Lovely tour! Very informative, key landmarks to see and visit. Best way to see quebec city in 1 hour.

Nice selection of sites...

Karen_H, Nov 2021

Nice selection of sites in the city, the chateau and old neighborhoods were especially nice representations of old Quebec City

Very good and interesting trip

Verllie_J, Oct 2021

The guide explaining all the important aspects of Quebec City and also personal experiences. Too bad it wasn't a very good day weather wise..

Excellent way to see Quebec!!

John R, Jun 2019

Quebec City Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

We haf never bern to Quebec before, so decided to book the hop on hop off and it didn't disappoint. Buses were clean, comentary was via earplugs & in 10 different languages. The sights were amazing snd the information provided was superb.

Good overview but

popandsas, Oct 2018

Two hour tour was very good but busy times can mean a long wait. 60 min wait plus 2 hour tour did not allow us to use the hop on/off feature. It was worth it though to see all of the tourist areas for an overview. Buses clean, employees nice/efficient, and tour very complete. Just bad luck to hit the busiest weekend time. We did see empty buses as our vacation progressed and recommend M to F use if possible.

Double decker bus tour

Jan_H, Sep 2021

Made a reservation at the last minute but no problem getting a seat on the double decker bus. Excellent tour guide and worth the cost!

Spectacular View from the bus

Ramneek_K, Sep 2021

Loved it like loved it.. He drove perfectly, was very humble and I loved the bus, comfy and made such that you can see the spectacular view, the course they selected for the tour couldn’t be more perfect than this.

Very nice, quick tour

Alison_L, Aug 2021

Nice, quick tour of Quebec City. You definitely hit the high point of the City. Make sure you pick the correct channel for your language preference when plugging in the head set.

MarionLambert_TripAd, Oct 2019

Enjoyed the tour... organized, smoothly run and information. Quebec City is charming and a lovely city to stroll and visit.

A great Bus Tour

Dan_T, Aug 2021

An excellent experience for a family from Toronto exploring Quebec City The bus driver and tour guide were knowledgeable

Quebec Hop-on and Hop Off Tour

Odyssey754369, Oct 2019

The tour was fun and interesting. Lots of details were shared about the old and new city. All enjoyed seeing the historical sites

Amazing

Jo_M, Aug 2021

We had a great time. Guide was knowledgeable and the experience was really great. I. Any believe I never visited QC city before. I’ll definitely visit again. And recommend this tour to anyone