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Stepping Off the Ship in Quebec City

Few ports put you this close to a walled old town. With your own driver, a small group can see Old Québec, the falls and the island farms before the ship moves on.

Which wharf you're at

Most ships use the Ross-Gaudreault Cruise Terminal at Pointe-à-Carcy (wharves 21 and 22), reached from Dalhousie Street at Quai Saint-André beside the Petit-Champlain district. The largest ships berth at Terminal 30, reached from De L'Estuaire Street by way of Abraham-Martin Street. Only authorized vehicles may enter Wharf 30 in the cruise season, so a pickup there is agreed in advance; a shuttle also links it with Old Québec.

Ford Transit minibus cabin with blue and grey seats
Ford Transit minibus cabin with blue and grey seats

Cruise lines you might be sailing with

  • Pearl Seas Cruises
  • Crystal Cruises
  • Cunard (Queen Mary 2)
  • Norwegian Cruise Line
  • Princess Cruises
  • Holland America Line

The terminals

  • Coast Guard wharf (Wharf 93) and Quai Paquet (Wharf 81, Lévis) also take cruise ships
  • Cruise Terminal 30 (Wharf 30), built in 2020 for the largest ships
  • Ross-Gaudreault Cruise Terminal (Terminal 84), Pointe-à-Carcy, serving wharves 21 and 22

Old Québec has its own rules

Tour buses can't park inside the walls. Inside, some hotels have set-down spaces out front where a vehicle may stop for ten minutes at most, every tour bus needs a city permit on show in the windshield, and engines go off the moment the vehicle stops. For you, that means brisk boarding, a clear meeting point and no lingering.

Routes shift as well. Until 30 November 2026, while rue De Buade is under works, rue Saint-Louis is limited to a short list of vehicles; tour buses taking cruise passengers from the port terminals are one of the exceptions, and every other tour bus has to come in by rue Saint-Jean instead, or by côte du Palais. These are current rules that may change for 2027, so the route is checked for your date.

Half a day beyond the walls

Montmorency Falls, higher than Niagara and with a cable car, is about 15 minutes east. Île d'Orléans, known for its cideries and farms, sits about 20 minutes away over the bridge from Beauport. Pair the two, or add the basilica at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, about 30 minutes out. Wendake, the Huron-Wendat Nation community, is about 20 minutes north-west.

Charlevoix's Baie-Saint-Paul, roughly 1.25 hours each way, suits a group spending a night ashore more than a same-day call.

Your questions

How much time should we leave to get back?

The Port of Québec asks passengers to reach the wharf no less than 2 hours before departure. Plan the day backwards from there and keep the farthest stop for the morning.

Will anyone help with bags when we disembark?

Yes. Porters are on hand to take luggage out to the waiting buses, limousines and taxis. Disembarkation mostly happens from 6:30 to 10:30, so give your driver a realistic window.

Can we connect to a train or a flight?

Both terminals are about a 15-minute walk from Gare du Palais, the VIA Rail station. The airport, Québec City Jean Lesage International, lies 15 to 20 km from the wharves, roughly 20 minutes by road.

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