WOOF, wanna take your dog to Quebec City? Is Quebec City dog-friendly? Sniff out everything you MUST know before you go with this suPAW special guest post from my furry SoCal buddy Wombat.
Markin’ it up,
Roger Wellington a.k.a. The Doob
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About Wombat
Hi, I’m Wombat, a California furry friend of Sir Roger Wellington. When asked, my humans say I’m a “Chihuahua something.” They adopted me from the San Diego Chihuahua Rescue when I was six months old. I’m now two years old and have been through a ton a Wet Nose Escapades-travel training because my humans take me everywhere, and plan to move to Italy in five years. My hobbies are finding sticks, eating the tops of flakey croissants, stealing socks, and hiking anywhere new and fragrant.
I just returned from a fabulously fun week in Quebec City, Canada, where the Fall colors were in full swing. Being from California, I had never seen Fall. So pretty!! Falling maple leaves are almost as fun to chase as Canadian black squirrels. Is Quebec City a dog-friendly city? Absolutely!
Here’s what I have to bark out about visiting Quebec City with a dog:
The Old Town area of Quebec City doesn’t have an official off-leash dog parks. However, all the parks (and there are plenty) are dog-friendly if your dog is leashed. When carried around by my human, I could enter all the shops, except the food production shops like the fudge shop in Lower Town. Even the pharmacy gave me a dog treat!
Best Dog-Friendly Hikes and Walks
The best dog hike is through the Plains of Abraham. It’s the historical battlefield for the British and French armies who duked it out for ownership of Quebec. There are signs and informative displays along the walk. This 8-mile walk took all day for my little legs, but it was beautiful. The trails are well-marked, and there’s even a heated pavilion with bathrooms and a coffee shop in the middle of the trails. A few joggers ran by with very well-behaved off-leash dogs. Otherwise the foot-traffic was low with no cars, and the views of the river were lovely. It was a fabulous walk, even during rainy October, because the tree cover shielded us from the rain. Amazing! My humans also carried a small warming pouch for me, so I could snuggle down and dry off if I get too tired, wet or cold.
To reach the Plains of Abraham from Old Town, walk to the end of the big wooden terrace in front of the Chateau Frontenac, Terrasse Dufferin, and enter the cliff-side staircase and planked walkway, Promenade des Gouvenuers, that takes you past the sturdy cliff walls of the Citadel and into the Plains of Abraham. It’s a lot of stairs. Upward stairs, that is. If stairs are too difficult or you’re not a small dog (who can be carried) like me, you can walk through the park surrounding the Citadel or walk down rue St. Louis and turn left on Ave Georges VI. It’s all dog-friendly, so be sure to go sniff and explore!
Another great hike is Montmorency Falls, which is 10 miles north of Quebec City (a 40-minute bus ride on the #800 bus, buy an RT ticket at a Jac-&-Jil on rue St. Jean), or an Uber, or make friends with another dog pawrent with a car. I snuggled into my little carrier pouch as we took the bus. The Falls are taller than Niagara but not as wide. Everything is dog-friendly except for the large manor house. The suspension bridge over the falls, all the park trails, and the cable car are all dog-friendly.
The hikes around Upper Old Town and the Lower Town are all dog-friendly and have very little car traffic besides the occasional horse-drawn carriage. What is a horse? It’s huge, like a moving building. My humans wouldn’t let me chase it, although I certainly tried.
The funicular between Upper and Lower Town is dog-friendly, but requires a Canadian cash payment. Good thing the large, wide stairs between Upper and Lower Town are easy to navigate for both small and large dogs.
Most shops in the Upper and Lower Town are pet-friendly, if you’re small enough to be carried by your human. The exceptions are shops that actively produce food, like the fudge shop. Between Upper and Lower Town is Ramparts Park and the walkway, which have some pawsome river views. On the other side of the Upper Town, near the St. Jean exit outside of the city walls, lies Artillery Park. And down St. Louis, the other main exit gate through the city walls, is Esplanade Park. These two dog-friendly parks may be small, but offer fun photo ops and historical displays.
If you need to restock on dog supplies, there’s a lovely 2.5 mile rectangular neighborhood walk filled with old Quebec City architecture and three pet shops. Exit Old Town via St. Louis, which changes name to Grande Allée Est. Many of the ground floors of the old manor houses have been converted into restaurants with large patios, many of which are dog-friendly.
After a mile, take a right on Avenue Cartier where you’ll find two pet shops. Take another right when Cartier ends at Ch. Ste-Foy, which immediately turns into St. Jean. After another mile, you’ll return to the Old Town city walls.
On St. Jean, are several grocery stores, book stores, another pet store, and a public library hidden in an 18th century church (Library Claire-Martin next to St. Matthew’s Cemetery). The cemetery is now a park, so my humans traded doggy-entertainment shifts while they each stepped into the library. Dogs are only allowed to appreciate the stained-glass windows from outside.
Although there are no official dog parks in Old Town Quebec City, the Governor’s Park (next to Chateau Frontenac) is a walled park where I often romped with other small dogs. Beware the Canadian black squirrel – they will bark at you and occasionally throw acorns! However, they are super fun to chase. Since my B&B was next to Governor’s Park, I marked my territory in North America’s oldest official park every morning. I thought that was cool!
Best Dog-Friendly Attractions
The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, the world’s most photographed hotel, is a dog-friendly hotel. Be sure to take a stroll and admire the lobby.
Guided Tours of Chateau Frontenac are dog-friendly! To be safe, before you purchase tour tickets, speak with the hotel concierge and show them your furry child. Some of the historical rooms, such as the Rose Room where the planning of D-Day took place, have historical carpets. Therefore, the guide prefers your human carries you into these rooms. Depending on the hour of your tour, you might walk through a super-fancy restaurant, during which my new furry friend and I had to wait outside for a few minutes.
Get your guided tour tickets HERE!
Grab my PetsKD pet sling carrier bag HERE.
Wine tasting and farm-hopping on Île d’Orléans is usually dog-friendly if the weather is pleasant and the outside patio tasting rooms are open. There are six small villages on the island, and you’ll need a car. However, the bridge connecting the mainland to the island is only a 15-minute drive from Old Town, making it an easy day trip.
Enjoy an open air snack lunch in the Central Plaza of City Hall, Place de l’Hotel-de-Ville, which is not a hotel. In October, it’s decorated with man-eating plants and giant pumpkin monsters – all open for dogs to sniff and run around alongside children. In the same plaza, you’ll find a giant clock from Switzerland. My humans sat and stared at this clock for a good length of time, learning to read all of its elements. They thought it was interesting, now that they know the time in Jura, Switzerland. On the other hand, I just wanted part of their enormous croissant from Café La Maison Smith across from the plaza.
Book all your Quebec City Attractions HERE! *Be sure to check for their dog policy prior to booking
Dog-Friendly Restaurants
Anything with an outdoor patio seems to be dog-friendly. My humans would always ask the hostess, who never turned us away. However, it was often cold and rainy, so we hunted out patios with rain cover and heaters, which definitely limited our options.
Our favorite for upscale dining was Alphonse, where I comfortably slept in my warm snuggle bag, except when the truffle ravioli was delivered, which made me poke my head out. Our favorite for yummy dining was Café Terrasse La Nouvelle-France, hidden in the middle of artists alley. Not only did they have a pet meal on the menu, but their patio is also blocked from wind and equipped with rain covers, fire pits, heaters, AND cozy blankets.
Their salmon chowder with cheesy toast and salad was delicious, just like their maple syrup pie, an October specialty in Quebec. I, of course, was treated to a bowl of lovingly grilled chicken, sized for a Golden Retriever.
For in-room dining, there’s a small grocery store, Epicerie Richard, in Old Town for wine, crackers, hummus, etc. There’s also take-out pizza from Polina Pizzeria.
Sniff out Roger Wellington’s 8 tips on how to dine with your dog!
Dog-Friendly Accommodations
Sir Roger Wellington’s suggestion to look at Booking.com with the pet-friendly filter is the best search option. My furry Terrier mix friend Scuppers stayed at an AirBnB near Governor’s Park.
If you want to splurge, Chateau Frontenac welcomes dogs into their huge lavish rooms. Norman, a Golden-doodle, loved his doggy welcome package at the hotel.
Book a dog-friendly room at Chateau Frontenac HERE!
We stayed at a wonderful dog-friendly B&B, La Marquise De Bassano in Old Town. It’s the family home of Véronyc and Francis, who have converted it to four ensuite rooms. One night, we came home to be greeted by my furry friend Coda, a black Pug. Because he was upset that his humans went to dinner without him, Francis, the B&B host, entertained him until they returned from dinner. ARF-mazing!! Coda and I had a good time bouncing around the living room.
Book your dog-friendly stay at La Marquise De Bassano HERE!
Traveling to Canada from U.S.A. with a Dog
All my new Quebec dog friends who drove were interested to learn how I flew into small Quebec City.
To fly from the West coast, fly to Vancouver, stay for a couple of days (see Sir Roger Wellington’s post about dog-friendly Vancouver) and then fly directly to Quebec City. Direct flights are offered only a few days per week.
To fly from the East coast, fly to New York City, stay for a couple of days, and then fly direct from Newark to Quebec City.
Avoid Montreal airport! You need at least 4 hours to safely make a connection in Montreal, which makes for an unnecessarily long travel day for little me.
Montreal transfer option for small dogs: fly to Montreal, stay for a couple of days, take the 3-hour train (dog-friendly for small dogs—carrier & dog total max weight of 22 lbs—and a $50 pet fee) from Montreal’s city center to Quebec City, arriving just outside the walls of the Old Town.
The flight crews on Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, and United, all loved dogs and were very accommodating. The United flight attendant even brought me ice chips just before take-off. I like to lick something while gaining altitude. Once that seat belt sign went off, I hung out in my crate on my human’s lap, often with the top flap open. Because of two years of travel training involving many road trips and hiking, I love my airline travel crate and am happy to nap in it. My humans walked me for at least two hours before any flight, which made me nap-worthy. I give Quebec City a five PAW-solute for dog-friendliness and fun, even during rainy, chilly October.
From Roger Wellington’s Guide to Taking Your Dog to Canada:
Proof of rabies vaccination is the ONLY requirement for all dogs entering Canada from U.S..
Likewise, the return to the U.S. only requires proof of rabies vaccination. No Vet Health Certificate or visit to the Vet needed before travel. WOOF-HOO!
For dogs under 8 months NOT traveling with their humans, a health certificate must be completed by a licensed veterinarian in the US within 72 hours of arrival in Canada. However, unlike dog travel to Europe, the certificate does not need to be endorsed by APHIS. Since air travel can be stressful for dogs, I’m barking with an upright tail that I do NOT recommend air travel for dogs under a year old, even when traveling with their humans.
*Always check the Official APHIS website for the latest information.
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