Québec City is small enough to get around quickly and easily with a good map and a guidebook, but a tour is helpful for getting background information on the history and culture of the city, grasping the lay of the land, and seeing those attractions that are a bit of a hike or require wheels to reach. Directly in front of the Château Frontenac, the Kiosque Frontenac (tel. 418/692-5483) can make reservations for most city tours, whether by bus, boat, or foot. Below are some agencies and organizations that have proved reliable in the past.

Bus Tours

Buses are obviously convenient if extensive walking is difficult for individual visitors, especially in the hilly and steeply sloping Upper Town. Among the established tour operators, Dupont (tel. 888/558-7668 or 418/649-9226) offers English-only tours, which are preferable since twice as much information is imparted in the same amount of time as on a bilingual tour. The company's city tours are in small coaches, while day trips out of the city, to the casino at Charlevoix and along the south shore, for example, are in full-size buses. Dupont also offers a 10-hour whale-watching excursion by bus to Baie-Ste-Catherine and cruise boat into the St. Lawrence River. La Tournée du Québec Métro (tel. 800/672-5232 or 418/836-8687) has tours of Old Québec and excursions to Ile d'Orléans, Montmorency Falls, and Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, with free hotel pickup. City tours usually last 2 to 2 1/2 hours and cost about C$30 (US$26/£13) for adults, about half that for children.

Horse-Drawn Carriage Tours

A romantic but expensive way to tour the city is in a horse-drawn carriage, called a calèche. There are three companies that operate in the city. Carriages will pick you up or can be hired throughout the city, including at Place d'Armes. The 40-minute rides of Calèches du Vieux-Québec (tel. 418/683-9222) and Calèches de la Nouvelle-France (tel. 418/692-0068) cost C$75 (US$65/£32) plus tip for four people maximum. The other company is Calèches Royales du Vieux-Québec (tel. 418/687-6653). Carriages operate all summer, rain or shine.

River Cruises

A variety of cruise possibilities are offered by Croisières AML (tel. 800/563-4643 or 418/692-1159 in season). Weighing in at 900 tons, M/V Louis Jolliet is a three-deck 1930s ferry-turned-excursion vessel. It can carry 1,000 passengers, and has bilingual guides, full dining facilities, and a bar. The basic cruise lasts 1 1/2 hours, and has three daily departures in high season. There's also a full-dinner evening "Love Boat" cruise with dancing as part of the experience. Prices for the 1 1/2-hour "Discoverer" cruises are C$28 (US$24/£12) for adults, C$26 (US$23/£11) for seniors and students, and C$14 (US$12/£6) for children 6 to 16. Fares on the "Love Boat" cruises are C$33 (US$29/£14) for adults, C$31 (US$27/£13) for seniors and students, and C$16 (US$14/£6.90) for ages 6 to 16, but meals are extra, from C$28 to C$49 (US$24.US$43/£12.£21) per person extra, tax and tip not included. Board the boats at quai (pier) Chouinard, 10 rue Dalhousie, near Place-Royale in the Lower Town.

Croisères Dufour (tel. 800/463-5250 or 418/692-0222), also offers a variety of cruises within the city for similar prices, as well as tours down to Montréal.

For whale-watching cruises, you need to first drive north about 2 hours along the St. Lawrence River into the Charlevoix region. Whale-watch boats leave from the towns of Baie Ste-Catherine and Tadoussac and typically spend 2 1/2 hours looking for whales. There are packages that include a night at the famed Hotel Tadoussac, buffet dinner, and breakfast.

Walking Tours

Times and points of departure for walking tours change, so get up-to-date information at any of the tourist offices or at the kiosk on Terrasse Dufferin near the Château Frontenac and beside the funicular entrance. Many tours leave from there. The Association des guides touristiques de Québec (tel. 418/683-2104) can provide guides for any length of time, on foot or in your car or theirs.