Organized Tours

Québec City is small enough to get around with a good map and a guidebook, but a tour is tremendously helpful for getting background information about the city's history and culture, for grasping the lay of the land, and, in the case of bus tours, for seeing those attractions that are a bit of a hike or require wheels to reach.

Below are some agencies and organizations that have proved to be reliable. Arrange tours by calling the companies directly or by stopping by the large tourist center at the Place d'Armes in Upper Town.

Bus Tours

Buses are obviously convenient if extensive walking is difficult, especially in hilly Upper Town. Among the established tour operators, Dupont, which also goes by the name Old Québec Tours (tel. 800/267-8687 or 418/664-0460; www.tourdupont.com), offers English-only tours, which are preferable to bilingual tours since twice as much information is imparted in the same amount of time. The company's city tours are in small coaches, while day trips out of the city are in full-size buses. To take a whale-watching cruise, go about 3 hours north into the Charlevoix region; Dupont offers a 10-hour whale-watching excursion that includes a cruise in Baie-Ste-Catherine. Buses from the city can take you up and back in a day -- inquire at the tourist office.

Horse-Drawn Carriage Tours

A romantic but expensive way to see the city at a genial pace is in a horse-drawn carriage, called a calèche. Carriages will pick you up or can be hired in places throughout the city, including at Place d'Armes. The 40-minute rides of Calèches du Vieux-Québec (tel. 418/683-9222; www.calecheduvieuxquebec.com), Calèches de la Nouvelle-France (tel. 418/692-0068; www.calechesquebec.com), and Calèches Royales du Vieux-Québec (tel. 418/687-6653) cost C$80 (£40) plus tip for four people maximum. Carriages operate year-round, rain or shine.

River Cruises

Croisières AML (tel. 800/563-4643 or 418/692-1159 in season; www.croisieresaml.com) offers a variety of cruises. Weighing in at 900 tons, M/V Louis Jolliet is a three-deck 1930s ferry-turned-excursion vessel. It carries 1,000 passengers and is stocked with bilingual guides, full dining facilities, and a bar. The basic cruise, "Stories of an Explorer," lasts 1 1/2 hours, and three times daily in peak summer months and once a day in spring and fall. Prices are C$30 (£15) for adults, C$27 (£14) for seniors and students, C$16 (£8) for children 6 to 16, and free for children 5 and younger. Board the boats at quai Chouinard, 10 rue Dalhousie, in Lower Town.

Walking Tours

Times and points of departure for walking tours change, so get up-to-date information at any tourist office. Many tours leave from the Place d'Armes in Upper Town, just in front of the Château Frontenac.

Tours Voir Québec (tel. 866/694-2001; www.toursvoirquebec.com) specializes in English-only guided tours of the Old City and limits groups to 15 people. "The Grand Tour," which is available year-round, focuses on the history of the French in North America and the variety of cultures that make up the province. Cost is C$20 (£10) adults, C$17 (£8.50) students, C$11 (£6) children 6 to 12., and free for children 5 and younger. The company also offers private tours for families, small groups, or even a single person; call or go online to inquire about rates.

One way to split the difference between being out on your own and signing up for a tour is to use Map Old Québec (www.oldquebecmap.com), a website which offers a beautifully designed map and MP3 files, so that you can download a tour onto your iPod (or any other MP3 player) and go at your own pace.

A new option, inaugurated in spring 2008, is a self-guided tour called VivaCité Trail (www.parcoursvivacite.com). The route is marked throughout the city with signs and colored markers embedded in sidewalks. Plaques provide written information about the parks, public squares, and attractions along the way.