A chauffeured Quebec City tour works best when you plan it around the cliff. The Citadelle, the Plains of Abraham, the Parliament and the Chateau Frontenac are all in the Upper Town; Petit-Champlain and Place Royale are at the bottom, beside the river; and the countryside that makes a day memorable, from Ile d'Orleans to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, is a short drive east. A car links the levels and the outskirts so your time goes on the sights, not on stairs and parking.
On Elly8.net, the simplest way to book it is the private city highlights tour, four hours with a chauffeur from US$440 in a business sedan to US$880 in an Executive Sprinter, fixed and all-in. For a longer or looser day there is hourly service with a 3-hour minimum and an 8-hour full-day chauffeur. This guide from the Elly8.net desk sets out four itineraries, the opening hours that shape them, and how to pick the right package.
How long should a Quebec City tour be?
For the Upper Town and Lower Town highlights by car, four hours is enough: the Citadelle, the Plains of Abraham, the Parliament, the Chateau Frontenac and Petit-Champlain with short stops. Add Ile d'Orleans or Montmorency Falls and plan six hours. A day that also includes Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre and long meals fits an 8-hour full day.
Most visitors try to fit too much into a morning. The old town rewards walking, so the best chauffeured tours use the car for the transitions, the steep climbs and the out-of-town legs, and let you walk the short stretches in between. The chauffeur drops you at the top of a street and collects you at the bottom.
See Quebec City prices and reserve
Which package fits which day
| Package | Length | Business sedan | Business SUV | Executive Sprinter | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private city highlights tour | 4 hours | US$440 | US$560 | US$880 | The classic old town circuit |
| By the hour, as directed | 3-hour minimum | US$110 per hour | US$140 per hour | US$220 per hour | A shorter loop or a custom plan |
| Montmorency Falls and Ile d'Orleans | 6 hours | US$610 | US$775 | US$1,215 | Falls, island farms and the countryside |
| Full-day chauffeur | 8 hours | US$810 | US$1,035 | US$1,620 | Long days with meals and several areas |
All prices are per vehicle, in US dollars, and include the chauffeur, taxes and standard gratuity. Parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost. Rides in Quebec City are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Every package is listed on the Quebec City car service page, and the private city tours page explains how tours work in every city we serve.
Itinerary 1: the Upper Town in four hours
This is the circuit most first-time visitors want, and it fits the four-hour highlights tour.
Citadelle de Quebec. The star-shaped fortress sits atop Cap Diamant above the river, and Destination Quebec cite describes it as a National Historic Site with guided tours year-round and the museum included in admission, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except December 25 and January 1, on its Citadelle listing. Allow about an hour if you join a guided tour.
The Plains of Abraham. Battlefields Park, run by the National Battlefields Commission, is where the battles of 1759 and 1760 were fought. The Plains of Abraham listing mentions the Plains of Abraham Museum, and in winter cross-country ski trails and a skating rink. By car you can see the park's length in a few minutes and stop at the lookouts over the river.
The Parliament. The seat of the Assemblee nationale on Grande Allee offers free tours, with a guide or on your own. Its visitor listing gives hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, closed Sunday, so plan a Sunday tour without it.
Chateau Frontenac and Dufferin Terrace. The chauffeur drops you near the hotel; you walk the terrace for the view, then take the funicular or the stairs down while the car goes round to meet you below.
Itinerary 2: the Lower Town and the river
Petit-Champlain and Place Royale are where Quebec was founded more than 400 years ago, according to the tourism office's Petit-Champlain guide. The lanes are pedestrian in practice and best on foot. The car's job here is to save you the climb back up.
A good shape for this half-day: start at the Upper Town, walk down through the old streets with time for shops and lunch, and have the chauffeur waiting at the bottom by the river at an agreed time and place. From there, drive along the Old Port and up past the Parliament for a last look before the hotel. Booked by the hour, three hours covers it comfortably.
If you would like a view of the old town from the water, the Quebec-Levis ferry run by the Societe des traversiers du Quebec crosses from the Lower Town to Levis. Ask the desk to have the chauffeur meet you on the Levis side and drive you back, so you see the skyline from both shores without a return crossing.
Itinerary 3: falls and island in six hours
The signature Quebec City package is six hours to Montmorency Falls and Ile d'Orleans, from US$610 in a business sedan. The falls are about 12 to 14 km from Old Quebec, and the bridge to the island is close by. The tourism office's Ile d'Orleans tour guide lists vineyards, a chocolate maker, strawberry picking from late June to mid-July, a maritime museum and historic manors along the island road.
We cover this day in depth in Quebec City to Montmorency Falls: which way to go, including the cable car, the 487-step staircase and the seasons when each is open. If tastings are part of the plan, they happen at the producers; the chauffeur follows local rules on alcohol in the vehicle. Our wine tours page explains how tasting days are run.
Itinerary 4: the full day east along the river
For an 8-hour full-day chauffeur, from US$810 in a business sedan, combine the falls or the island with the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Shrine. The tourism office's shrine listing places it about 20 minutes from Quebec City, describes it as the oldest pilgrimage site in North America and suggests a guided tour of the basilica. By our routing it is about 35 km from Old Quebec.
A day that goes further, to Baie-Saint-Paul or La Malbaie, is a Charlevoix trip; our guide to Quebec City to Charlevoix by private car has the drive times and stops.
Timing, seasons and where the car waits
Start times. The Citadelle opens at 10 a.m. and the Parliament at 8:30 a.m. on weekdays. A 9:30 a.m. pickup puts you at the Citadelle as it opens and leaves the afternoon for the Lower Town.
Where the car waits. Old Quebec has narrow, one-way streets, steep hills and very little curb space. The chauffeur waits at the nearest legal point and comes to the door when you call; for each stop, agree the pickup point before you get out. Parking for the chauffeur is billed at cost.
Winter. In February, the Carnaval de Quebec closes streets in the Upper Town on parade nights, and in December the German Christmas market brings crowds to the old town. A winter tour is shorter on outdoor walking and longer on warm car time between stops, which suits hourly booking well.
Cruise days. When ships call at the Old Port, the chauffeur can meet you at the terminal and return you before all-aboard; see cruise port transfers and tell the desk your ship's departure time.
Language. Quebec City is French-speaking, with English common in hotels and tourism. If you would like a French-speaking or bilingual chauffeur, ask the desk when you book.
Tours for groups, delegates and wedding guests
A tour does not have to be a couple in a sedan. Some of the most useful bookings we take in Quebec City are for groups that want to stay together.
Family groups. Three generations in one Executive Sprinter, up to 12 passengers, means nobody waits on a curb for a second car, and the grandparents ride up the hill while the teenagers walk down. The four-hour tour in a Sprinter is US$880 for the vehicle.
Conference partners and delegates. Congresses at the Centre des congres bring delegates with a free afternoon, and a spouse or partner program between sessions is easy to run as an hourly booking from the hotel door. Book it under a corporate account and it lands on the monthly invoice.
Wedding weekends. Guests who have flown in for an Old Quebec wedding often want a morning tour the day after. A Sprinter that collects them from two or three hotels and finishes at a brunch spot keeps the group together; see wedding limousine service for the wedding day itself.
Do it yourself, or with a chauffeur?
For a fit solo traveller, Quebec City is very walkable, and the RTC's tourist routes are good value: route 11 serves the Plains of Abraham, the fine arts museum and the Parliament, and route 1 runs to Place Royale and the Old Port. A day pass costs C$10.50.
A chauffeured tour earns its price for travellers with limited mobility, older relatives, families with young children, winter visitors, small groups who want one vehicle, and anyone with only one day who wants to fit in the countryside as well as the old town. A family of four in a business SUV on the four-hour tour pays US$560 for the vehicle; as arithmetic only, that is US$140 each. Getting around between tours is covered in Quebec City taxi vs Uber vs a private car, and arriving from Montreal in Montreal to Quebec City by car, train or bus.
How to book a Quebec City tour
- Choose the package on the Quebec City prices panel, or use the web booker for a custom plan.
- Pick the vehicle. A business sedan seats up to 3, a business SUV up to 6, and an Executive Sprinter up to 12; the fleet page has the details.
- Add your hotel, start time and the sights you want in the notes, and the desk confirms the plan by email.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, refunded to the original card.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a private tour of Quebec City?
The four-hour private city highlights tour costs from US$440 in a business sedan, US$560 in a business SUV and US$880 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle and all-in. Hourly service starts at US$110 an hour with a 3-hour minimum, and the 8-hour full-day chauffeur from US$810.
Is four hours enough to see Quebec City?
For the highlights, yes: the Citadelle, the Plains of Abraham, the Parliament, the Chateau Frontenac and the Lower Town with short stops. If you want long museum visits, a sit-down lunch or the countryside as well, book six or eight hours instead.
Can the chauffeur wait while we visit the Citadelle?
Yes. The chauffeur waits nearby at a legal stopping point and returns to the entrance when you are ready. Old Quebec has little curb space, so agree the pickup point at each stop. Any parking fees for the chauffeur are billed at cost.
Can we combine the city tour with Montmorency Falls?
Yes. The six-hour Montmorency Falls and Ile d'Orleans package, from US$610 in a business sedan, can include a short loop of the old town before or after. For a fuller day with both, an 8-hour full-day chauffeur from US$810 gives more time at each stop.
Do you offer tours in winter?
Yes, all year. Winter tours spend more time in the warm car between stops and less on long walks. On Carnaval parade nights in February, streets close in the Upper Town, so the desk plans drop-offs at the edge of the closures.
Can we have an English-speaking or bilingual chauffeur?
Quebec City is French-speaking, and English is widely used in hotels and tourism. If you would like a bilingual chauffeur, ask the desk when you book and we will request one from our local partners for your date, along with any notes on the history or the stops you care about most.
