For the last full day of our Round the World trip, we decided to take a bus tour to Quebec City.
A van picked us up at our hotel and brought us to the Gray Line office, where we had twice boarded the hop-on/hop-off bus. Soon a deluxe tourist bus arrived to take us to Quebec City.
The front seats of buses usually have some reserved or “priority” seating intended for elderly and pregnant passengers. These typically have a sign with a picture of someone sitting in a wheelchair, a pregnant woman, and an old man with a cane. We noticed that no one had a wheelchair, and no one appeared to be pregnant. But, I’m an old man with a cane! We took the front seat! We had an excellent view of the road.
Vieux-Québec (Old Québec)
Québec City is divided into two sections: Vieux-Québec (Old Québec) and Upper Town (Haute‑Ville).
A local guide met our bus in Vieux-Québec, with its cobblestone streets. He led us on a group walking tour of the narrow lanes, cafés, art galleries, and boutiques. In addition to the shops, there were 17th‑ and 18th‑century stone houses. The open squares evoke a distinctly European atmosphere.
After our tour, our bus was waiting for us.
Montmorency Falls
Our next stop was Montmorency Falls. At 83 m (272.3′) high, a full 30 m (98.4′) taller than Niagara Falls, it was a spectacular sight. Alice and I walked along the lower path. We opted not to take the gondola to the top of the Falls because our guide told us there would not be enough time. As it was, we were among the last to return to our bus.
Upper Town (Haute‑Ville)
Upper Town (Haute-Ville) is the upper, fortified part of Old Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage site situated on Cape Diamond overlooking the St. Lawrence River. It is known for historic buildings from the 17th century.
After a bus tour of the Upper Town, our guide explained that the bus would be returning to Vieux-Québec where we would have several hours to explore on our own. He offered to let some of us off in front of the Château Frontenac, if we were confident we could find the bus in Vieux-Québec on our own, warning that the bus would not wait for us if we were late.
We accepted the offer to get off the bus. Nearly everyone else accepted the offer, too.
Alice and I wandered for a while and found Le Café Buade. It was a tiny cafe with a long line waiting to get in. So, it took over half an hour to be seated. (All the other restaurants had similar long lines.)
Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec
One of the adventures I had looked forward to was riding the funicular, which I’ve enjoyed on each of my previous visits to Quebec City.
The Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec is an inclined elevator (formerly a funicular railway) connecting Vieux-Québec with Upper Town (Haute-Ville). Climbing a steep incline of 45 degrees over a distance of 64 meters (210 feet), it offers panoramic views overlooking the St. Lawrence River and the historic port. The original funicular was built in 1879 as a water balance railway.
Alice was more than a bit nervous about boarding the small cabin, but soldiered on.
Back in Vieux-Québec we stopped for ice cream at one of the shops and roamed the village for about an hour before returning to the site where the bus had promised to be. Of course, we were early; the bus hadn’t arrived yet. I busied myself watching them unload and load a nearby ferry. Alice waited at the bus stop chatting with the other tourists.
The ride back to Montreal was uneventful. We enjoyed the view from our front row seat.