Quebec, city guide, 3 days
Old Quebec is the only walled city north of Mexico, and it’s dense enough that three unhurried days cover it properly on foot — cobblestone streets, a clifftop fortress, and French colonial architecture that genuinely does read as more European than North American.
Split time between Upper Town (the Château Frontenac, Dufferin Terrace’s river views, Plains of Abraham) and Lower Town (Petit-Champlain’s boutique-lined streets, the oldest commercial district in North America). Cross the river to Lévis for a skyline view of the whole old city that most visitors never bother with.
Winter turns this into a genuinely different destination — the Winter Carnival (Carnaval de Québec) each February brings ice sculptures and the city’s toboggan run to life, worth planning around if cold-weather travel appeals.
Typical range: $150–$350 per night in Old Town hotels.
Sephari’s Curated Travel Outfits has warm layering options if you’re timing a visit around the Winter Carnival.