While Canada is a place popular for incredible things like whale watching, Niagara Falls, its wildlife, historical landmarks, vast vineyards and fine wines, there is one Canadian city you must visit: Quebec. Quebec is one of the more famous Francophone cities in the country and is rich and vibrant in many ways. It  is one of the most unique places on earth, suitable for any tourist, with a multitude of art,  culture,  natural beauty, adventure, religion, and luxury. It is the only walled city in North America and is proudly a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is strategically situated atop rocky cliffs that look out over the St. Lawrence River. At the location where there is the current Place Royale, a fur trading colony was established in 1608. It swiftly expanded into an economic hub and is currently the capital of the province of Québec and one of Canada's most gorgeous cities.

Plage de la Malbaie, Québec   |   Click by abdallahh from Flickr

The Lower Town has cobbled and narrow lanes and iconic buildings from the rich history that Quebec has witnessed over the years from its origin. Quebec, Canada is a huge provincial city that takes up nearly one-sixth of Canada. Talking of history, Quebec is a town founded by a French explorer named Samuel de Champlain in 1608 at its extreme topographic condition on a cliff top overlooking St. Lawrence River. Because the city is near a river and at an elevation, it became a primary place for trading, as a sea port was also built after the origin. After witnessing the many reforms and bolts of WW I and II, The British Conquest, the Quiet Revolution, the Great Depression, Maurice Duplesis, the 1995 referendum, and many other events, Quebec turned out to be advanced, equipped with adequate amenities, and a gorgeous city of Canada. 

L'hôtel du parlement, Québec  |   Click by Nicolas Lh. from Flickr

The city’s topography has been a part of making the city popular around the world as well. Located at an elevation, the city is divided geographically into two parts, the Upper Town or Haute Village and the Lower Town or the Basse Village. The Upper town has the most picturesque landmarks and monuments like City Fortifications and Château Frontenac. This town was built for the city's defence purposes and its military base. As ‘touristy’ as this city gets with its historic buildings, monuments and other attractions in Quebec City, the joyful festivals and celebrations add up to the fun atmosphere the city offers. You will get to see festivals like the Quebec Winter Carnival, New France Festival, Festival d'été de Québec, Quebec City Summer Festival, The Beaches, New France Festival and more such relishing festivals are lined up during the year, specially arranged during the peak season. 

While you are in this beautiful Canadian city, you will have several hotels offering enough comfort, great food, excellent service and entertainment. Quebec hotels like Hotel Classique, Hotel Cofortel, Hotel Quebec Best Western Plus, Hotel Le Concorde Quebec, among the other well-known ones will offer the best stay in Quebec, Canada. The city is even famous for the fun shopping the tourists enjoy and, of course, THE FOOD! Quebec is famous for an enormous number of dishes. Poutine, Tourtière,  Montreal Smoked Meat, Tarte au sucre, Pouding chômeur, Tire Sur la Neige are the most devoured dishes in the town. Tourists' dinner and snacking plans revolve around these dishes. As delicious the food here is, the people who cook and the locals overall are equally heartwarming. They will always smile and willingly help tourists whenever you need one. This will keep surprising you with all things historic, beautiful, and encaptivating, there is no way to experience it but by visiting it yourself.

Bike

There are many great linear bike trails, most of which start in the Old Port. You can take these bikes to see more of the river or see what Quebec City's suburbs look like. The 5-mile, traffic-free Corridor de la Rivière-Saint-Charles trail runs from the Old Port Market and loops around both banks of rivers. Several local bike rental services guided tours. However, biking is not the most practical way to get around the city given the slopes in Old Québec. 

 Bus, Quebec |  Click by Bobby Hidy from Flickr

Buses

Metro buses of RTC or Réseau de Transport de la Capitale operate around the city. There are six bus lines that help locals and tourists to move around Old Québec and stop near many of the area's best known attractions, including the Citadel and the Museum of Civilization. These buses stop every 10 to 15 minutes as per their stops. Only CA$3.50 (about $2.75) or CA$3 (about $2.40) in cash is required to purchase a single-ride general ticket. People of all ages qualify for discounted fares. There are alternatives for unlimited weekend passes, and five-day passes i.e Monday to Friday, and one-day passes. 

The two bus terminals in Québec City serve intercity buses for hassle-free travel. Like train stations, you need to decide which terminal will best serve your travel requirements. The two terminals are Gare du Palais Bus Terminal (320, Rue Abraham Martin, G1K 3X2) and Sainte-Foy Bus Terminal (3001, Chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois, G1V 5A6. Gare du Palais Terminal is easy to reach from old Quebec. 

Funicular, Quebec  |  Click by David Wilson from Flickr

Funicular

From Basse-Ville or Lower Town of Old Québec to Haute-Ville or Upper Town, there is a very steep ascent. Funicular help you to conserve energy and take in the spectacular sights. Between the northern edge of the Quartier Petit Champlain in Basse-Ville and the entryway to the Château Frontenac in Haute-Ville, this cliff-side elevator climbs up 210 feet at a 45-degree slope. The funicular opens every day at 7:30 am. However, depending on the season, it shuts between 11 pm and midnight. It costs CA$3 approximately. 

Taxi

Québec City has an abundance of taxis. Although you can call for a Quebec taxi on the street, you might have more success if you go to a designated taxi stand, which you can locate near all the big  Quebec tourist attractions. Quebec city taxi rates per metre start at about CA$3.45 and cost CA$1.70 for every additional kilometre. You can book private taxis or taxi transfers in Quebec to travel. It is convenient and time-saving, and nowadays, taxi agencies offer taxi trips to Quebec at great discounts. Rydeu provides such convenient, easy-to-get private taxis in Quebec that will take you in and around the town.

Although there are many public and private modes of transport available, you will find many tourists moving on foot and taking walking tours to all the beautiful tourist attractions in Quebec. It is one of the best ways to explore this beautiful town.