Sam is a gregarious person with a good memory for his guests' place of origin! Our tour took place…read moreon a warm sunny day, so Sam thoughtfully paused our walk in shady locations. His knowledge of Quebec is extensive. Unlike other guides, Sam's attempts at humor usually worked. He's a man I'd like to have as a friend. I don't know how he earns enough money to live on. But he said the best thanks would be to write an online review. Glad to oblige, my friend!

Sam's the best! Go on his tour! If you are in Quebec and have 2 hrs to spare, I highly recommend…read moretaking a tour with Sam. My spouse and I have been to Québec before (just last year), and we took this tour on one of our last days in the city on this trip. All to say, we went on this tour on our 8th day in the city and still learned a ton. Sam has an excellent memory for people's city/region of origin and ties that into his tour when possible. He also gave us excellent restaurant recommendations at the end of his tour, which we used for our last 2 meals while we were in town. And don't forget that these "free" tours are listed as such so the guide can earn money directly via your tips at the end. Don't forget to think about how many people are in your group and how much time you spend with Sam when you calculate how much you'll be giving him. He's a treasure -- a unique and fun tour guide!

The Citadel is a must visit site with so much history. Definitely book a guided tour so you can…read moresee all the highlights.

Sitting atop this is Québec's star-shaped Citadel, a massive fortress protected by thick walls,…read moreramparts, and ditches that was built in 1832. The Citadel is used as a military quarter for generals, officers, and servicemen, as well as as the summer residence of the Governor General of Canada. it is the largest British-built fortress in North America; it took 30 years to construct. This military site has been active since 1850 when it housed British troops and the British artillery. Its walls enclose 300 years of history from the New France period to today. Known as "the Gibraltar of the Americas" on account of its strategic location and breathtaking view of the city and the St. Lawrence River. Summer visitors can watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony each morning, and the military museum, located in the mid-18th-century powder magazine in the southern corner of the Citadel, is open year-round. Admission costs CA$18 for adults. The admission fee includes access to the museum exhibits.

Robert gave us an excellent tour yesterday. Despite the very rainy weather, we enjoyed his…read moreknowledge and sense of humor. He also made sure we were protected from the rain as much as possible. I definitely recommend this tour of upper and lower Quebec City (with Robert if possible.

The walking tour was excellent, with our tour guide Marie giving local insights to the history of…read moreOld Town. Why 4 stars instead of 5? The only problem was AFTER the tour, when I had to walk up the 200 steps and several steep uphill sections back to my parked automobile. Unless you are a young athlete, please take the Funicular back to the top! It's worth whatever they charge you. Also, street parking in this area is almost impossible to come by. Parking at a local hotel cost me $50 (Canadian). Be careful where you park.

Terrasse Dufferin is a wooden boardwalk in Old Quebec City- Upper Town. It has spectacular views of…read morethe St. Lawrence River and the Le Chateau Frontenac . Along the boardwalk there are areas to sit and enjoy the views, and there were a few musicians adding to the charm. The Terrase Dufferin was built in the 1870's. The funicular entrance in Upper Town is located here. It is definately worth strolling the boardwalk and enjoying the sights.

Overlooking Old Québec from its perch just below the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Terrasse…read moreDufferin offers spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River and ofcourse, the magnificent Frontenac hotel. This elevated vantage was the original site of Fort St.-Louis, the governor's residence in colonial times. Tourists can see the ruins underneath the promenade. we were here on a weekday so faced a little crowd and it was soothing to walk on the terrace offering a great view. Formerly a military fortification, this public boardwalk still houses historic cannons. if you visit during the summer - you're bound to run into street performers and artists as you stroll along. The terrace provides incredible views over the Lower Town and the River and often hosts street musicians and other performers. Beneath the terrace, and partially viewable from viewing points are the remains of Chateau Saint-Louis, which was the offices of the French and British governors from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Dufferin Terrace is the perfect spot to take beautiful pictures. It is also here you can board the funicular that will take you down to rue du Petit-Champlain in Lower Town. The Dufferin Terrace is a great place to watch summertime fireworks displays.

I contacted STFE a ouple of weeks in advance of our cruise to arrange a walking tour of the old…read moretown area. The communication back and forth with the main officie was timely and complete and we agreed to a 3 hour tour. Robert, our guide, met us at the dock- right on time. He called my cell when he arrived so we walked off the ship and he was waiting. He have an overview of the "normal" tour and asked if we wanted any modifications. We had one person in the group with some movility issues, and he made accomodations throughout the tour to accomodate her needs. We began the walk down near the dock. Robert was very knowledgable and personable throughout the day. He addressed our questions about the history and built upon topics that we asked questions about. There was not the pressure to visit certain shops or restaurants that you sometimes have from local guides- much appreciated! We thought the tour was one of the hghlights of our entire trip. Great job by STFE,

Yves Tardif opened the door to Quebec City! I always…read moreknew that there was another city in the province of Quebec other the Montreal, but I had never traveled to Quebec City until this September. It was worth the trip in no small part because of Yves Tardif. I could have seen its historic architecture and sampled the delightful food without his assistance, but Yves provided the narrative. He told us of the story of the founding of Quebec City and of its key role as the initial capital of the province of Quebec. He provided us with not only the political and military history of the city, but also the cultural development of the city, especially within the last fifty years. I learned about the role of the various organizations within the Catholic Church in the development of Quebec City and its continuing role in its daily life. He has a delightful sense of humor, and chats without lecturing. He made the city come alive!

I really recommend the bunch tour. Wonderful attentive staff. A very enjoyable three course meal…read more After we enjoyed a nice cruise around the St Lawrence and a knowledgeable tour guide on the top deck.

DISAPPOINTING BOAT TOUR…read more As part of a large group tour, we went on the AML M/V Louis Jolliet lunch cruise. Our bus tour guide dropped us off at the dock and the table service lunch was served as the boat left Basse Ville. No one realized there was an ongoing commentary during the cruise that was not being broadcasted into the dining room. It wasn't until a fellow diner returned to our table and told us we should step outside to listen to the commentary - by then we had passed Montmorency Falls and probably some other noteworthy sights. While it was nice to have lunch on the boat, the point of the boat tour was to see sights along the St. Lawrence River and learn about them. We wish we had skipped the sit-down lunch and just grabbed a bite and enjoyed the full cruise and commentary on the deck.

The public square called Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, located next to city hall, is bordered on three…read moresides by rue De Buade, côte de la Fabrique and rue des Jardins. This public square was where local farmers would come to sell their produce in Upper Town. It was known by a succession of names: Grande Place, Grande Place de la Haute-Ville, and Place du Marché. Starting in 1900, Place du Marché became Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville following the construction of city hall. and the famous Notre Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral is right there. The tiny square fronting the Quebec City Hall has an infectious buzz about it. The space was historically host to a very popular public market, drawing crowds from the entire city. Surrounded by historic buildings, the square is a lively gathering place for locals. This square was also referred to as Place Notre-Dame and Place de la Basilique until the mid-twentieth century. Restroom: there are many restrooms nearby areas, one is beside the Bus stop, and another is in the Tourist information center.

Vincent did an amazing job. The selection of places and pacing of this tour was perfect. We ended…read moreup going back to several of the locations later for other meals. He also covered some of the unique history of Quebec and the province. Highly recommend this tour.

On MARCH 1 we booked a JULY 12, 2024 11:30am Quebec City tour with Local Food Tours and received…read moreconfirmation with instruction to arrive 15 minutes early at Restaurant La Buche, 49 Rue Saint Louis. On July 10 at 12:23pm we received an email message that our tour was being cancelled "due to circumstances out of our (the tour company's) control." The company asked if we would be available on July 11 or July 13 for rebooking (we were NOT available). Less than one hour later (1:09pm to be exact) we received another email stating "You can disregard my previous email. I was able to find a solution." We responded, "Thank you. We will plan on our original reservation." On the day of the scheduled event (July 12, 20024) we arrived early at the restaurant for our 11:30am tour. At 11:22am, seeing neither a tour representative nor other tour participants, I telephone the tour company but only got an answering machine message, spoke in French (which I could not understand). At 11:29am I sent an email to the tour company stating, "We are waiting at La Buche but see no guide. Please confirm today's tour is planned as originally scheduled." Around the same time we learned from the guide of a different food tour group (but with the same tour company) that the starting point of our tour had apparently been changed. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED !!! At 1:10pm I finally received a call from a company representative who apologized for the situation. Our travel plans did not allow us to "reschedule" the tour, and by this time our disappointment and frustration at having been "stood up" led us to demand an immediate refund of the tour payment. We had believed this food tour would be a true HIGH POINT of our visit to Quebec City. Instead, it became a COMPLETE DISASTER. We have traveled to many places internationally over several decades and never, ever experienced such a failure to communicate

We took the 4.5 hour countryside tour. It was wonderful. About $54/person. Bus picks you up in…read morefront of Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac hotel at 12:30 and has you back by 5:00 (assuming all guests are on time). We stopped at the historical church of Basilique Saints-Anne-de Beaupre, the beautiful waterfall of Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, which was my favorite of the stops, a copper artisan shop (which I could have done without), and a charming chocolate shop in Ile D'Orleans which I loved. Our tour guide, Allen, was wonderful. He was full of knowledge, as his family is from the country side where he took us to, easy to listen to, and funny. The single deck bus was clean and comfortable. Each of the stops had clean restrooms. If you're looking for an inexpensive way to kill some time, learn a little history, and want to see the countryside, I recommend this tour, particularly with Allen as the tour guide.

We took the 4.5 hour country tour thinking we would see St Anne's and the waterfall for the…read moreentirety of the 4.5 hours. We didn't expect four stops with just about 40 minutes left for each of the two places we really wanted to visit. The trip to the island was a surprise but it was just to see an ice cream / chocolate shop. Surely there were more things to see on the island. The copper demonstration was also a surprise. The artist was lovely and the cooper beautiful but is is definitely not something we were interested in. Another reviewer said cut this from the tour - I agree. I would have rather spent more time at St Anne's. The falls weren't as promised. The cable cars weren't running and the paths were still closed. So we viewed the falls from quite a distance. They should have told us the cable cars weren't operative. Very disappointing to say the least. St Anne's was lovely. We arrived just as mass started which was odd - we sat and joined services for a bit so we wouldn't disrupt the congregation. We should have arrived before or after mass not during mass. We had a car and could have saved $110 plus the bus driver tip and driven the short 15 - 20 minute drive ourselves. The falls and St Anne's are about 10 minutes apart. For the falls we would have parked at the top and walked across the bridge at the top (which was open) rather than view the falls from a block or two away. For the church, we would have arrived before mass so we could have walked around without disturbing the parishioners. If you don't have a car - this tour permits you to see St Anne's and the falls but I would make sure the cable cars are working (we were told they are closed until mid to late June 2023). Alternatively, if you don't have a car - I encourage you to check into uber. You could probably spend less for the three car rides and spend more time at St Anne's and at the Falls.