La Citadelle de Québec: Guided Tour, Opening Hours and What to Combine It With
4 min read
La Citadelle is the star-shaped fortress above the St. Lawrence River at the edge of Old Quebec. The booking listing calls it a living fortress and an active military base, which matters for how you visit: you do not wander freely, you join a guided tour.
How the visit works
The Citadelle’s own website says that visits are exclusively guided. The Citadelle ticket and guided tour costs €14.02, is rated 4.7/5 and has 347 reviews. The listing says the tour is given in English or French, that guided tours run every 30 minutes and that they take place rain or shine, mostly outdoors. According to the Citadelle, general admission includes a 60-minute outdoor guided tour, and a typical visit with the museum takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
The ticket also includes entry to the Musée Royal 22e Régiment, which the listing describes as covering Canada’s military past, a former military prison and the old French powder magazine. The tour starts at the museum, 1 Côte de la Citadelle. Free parking, transport, and food and drinks appear in the listing’s includes list next to the actual inclusions, so confirm on the booking page what you get beyond entry, tour and museum.
When to go
For September 1, 2026 to May 21, 2027, the official page gives hours of 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and says the Citadelle is generally open except on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Check the schedule before you go. Hours differ in other seasons.
The Changing of the Guard is a summer event. In 2026 the Citadelle listed it at 10 a.m. from Wednesday to Sunday between 24 June and 30 August, and the ceremony is included with admission. It is not part of a winter visit. Because most of the tour is outdoors, wear weather-appropriate clothes and comfortable shoes, as the listing advises.
What to combine it with
Other sights lie within reach of the fortress, so it fits into a day in the city.
- The view from above. The Observatoire de la Capitale is on the 31st floor of the Marie-Guyart building. The listing says it is the city’s tallest skyscraper at 132 metres. The ticket costs €9.40, has 302 reviews and requires a reservation. The listing describes a discovery trail, “Horizons”, on the history of the capital.
- Art on the Plains. The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec stands inside Battlefields Park, on the Plains of Abraham. The ticket costs €19.11 and is non-refundable, unlike the Citadelle ticket, which can be cancelled up to 24 hours ahead.
- A guide for the city. The 1-hour express double-decker bus tour lists the Old Town, the Plains of Abraham and the Grand Allée. It costs €29.58.
For more tickets and museums, see the tickets and museums page, where 8 offers start at €9.40. If you would rather learn the town on foot first, read the Old Quebec walking tour guide.
Our verdict
The Citadelle is worth a slot if you want the military and defensive story behind the walls, and the combined ticket saves a separate museum purchase. Allow for a guided tour, not a free visit, and book a start time that leaves room for the walk uphill. The Citadelle says prices vary by age, with reduced rates for children.
