The Lévis Ferry (Best Skyline View), Old Port and St. Lawrence River Cruises

If you want the famous wide-angle postcard photograph of Château Frontenac, the Citadelle, Dufferin Terrace and the entire 60-metre cliff of Old Quebec rising above the St. Lawrence River, you do not need an expensive tourist boat tour. Walk two minutes east of Place Royale in Lower Town to the Québec-Lévis Ferry Terminal (Traverse Québec-Lévis) and hop aboard the public commuter ferry for a modest pedestrian fare.

1. How to Ride the Québec-Lévis Ferry at Sunset (Summer & Winter)

• Frequency & Tickets: ferries depart every 30 minutes during peak daytime hours (and hourly in the evening until late at night; check the official STQ timetable) right from the terminal at 10 Rue des Traversiers beside Petit-Champlain. Foot-passenger tickets are sold by cash or card at the terminal.
• The 12-Minute Crossing & Quai Paquet in Lévis: climb straight up to the open top outer deck at the stern of the boat. As the ferry pulls away from the dock, the entire tiered silhouette of Lower Town, the Ramparts and Château Frontenac unfolds across the water (in winter from January to March, the heavy icebreaker ferry crunches noisily straight through giant white ice floes on the frozen river). Step off on the opposite shore at Lévis: right outside the terminal sits Quai Paquet (with a 160-water-jet interactive fountain in summer), the cliff-top Terrasse de Lévis (reached by a short walk or bike lift), an artisanal ice-cream shop (Chocolats Favoris) and the riverside taproom of Corsaire Microbrasserie, then catch the next boat back 30 or 60 minutes later as the city lights come on at dusk.

2. Walking the Old Port (Vieux-Port), Rue Saint-Paul & Naval Museum

Back on the Quebec side, stroll north from the ferry dock along the boardwalk of the Old Port (Vieux-Port) past the cruise ship terminal and the Naval Museum of Québec into Rue Saint-Paul, Old Quebec's antique-dealer, art-gallery and bistro district (home to local favourites like Buffet de l'Antiquaire for hearty Québécois breakfasts and Chez Rioux & Pettigrew).