St. Lawrence and St. Charles river loop

Highlights

• The Champlain cycling path, on the Québec shore is really great. The cycle path has views of the old Port and the Québec Bridge. The Champlain promenade, next to the cycling path, also features nine art structures integrated into the landscape of the different stations / decks.
• The south shore allows the best views of Québec City! You get views of the iconic Frontenac castle and the Cap-Blanc (a historic wooden staircase), which takes you up to the highest point of the Plains of Abraham. Interestingly, this is where the Battle of the Plains of Abraham took place in 1759.
• The St. Charles River is a very relaxing path that offers a ten kilometre loop with a lot of walking / cycling gateways and small bridges. There are many perfect picnic spots on this route that are home to different bird species.

Route notes

1. Champlain Cycling path: 0 to 11 km

You ride on a really flat and well developed cycling path by the waterfront with great views on the St-Lawrence river for 8 kilometres. After this you’ll climb a great hill, under the trees, meeting an old railway pass. You’ll then cross the Québec bridge, a cantilever type, the longest of its kind in the world.

The view from Québec Bridge (photo credit: Geneviève Healey)

2. South shore cycling path: 11 to 28 km

The south shore cycling path delivers a picturesque view of Québec City.  It is also quite flat and a really well developed bike path that leads to the ferry.

Views of Québec City from the south shore (photo credit: Geneviève Healey)

3. Ferry + St-Charles river: 28 to 42 km

This last loop section takes in another popular, flat cycle path in the city!

Le Château Frontenac from the ferry! (photo credit- Geneviève Healey)

Café stops

There is a small food spot across the beach station on Champlain cycling path (a seasonal snack bar).

• O’Ravito café : 2560 Chem. du Fleuve, Lévis, QC G6W 1X4

There’s also a very cute café on the south shore and a microbrewery just before making it to the ferry.

• O’Ravito café: 2560 Chem. du Fleuve, Lévis, QC G6W 1X4
• Corsaire brewery : 5955 Rue Saint-Laurent #101, Lévis, Québec G6V 3P5

Accommodation

The historic district offers a lot of accommodation options, close to the Old Port.

Take a look at our Québec City guide for more information.

Tips

The route is mostly based on cycling paths, which are generally easy to navigate and great for contemplating the views!

But the Québec bike paths are popular and can become really crowded on summer days. The best time to do this bike ride would be in the morning, or just before dinner (or early in the evening when daylight is the longest).

When carrying a bike, you don’t need to pre-book and you can buy your ticket at the booth just next to the ferry deck.

See more tips for cycling in Québec City in our city guide here.

Station de la plage, Boulevard Champlain (photo credit: Geneviève Healey)

Have you cycled Québec City’s bike paths?

We’d love to hear about how cycling in Québec City went! Drop us a comment below.

Looking for more cycling routes in Québec City (and surrounds)?

Don’t miss these:

• Guide to cycling Québec City
• Maizerets park to Cap Tourmente
• West Suburbs of Québec
• Route of Les Équerres
• Route of the Three Lakes

Looking for more scenic river cycling routes? Don’t miss this article.

Geneviève is a passionate cyclist from Québec City, Eastern Canada.

She loves to travel by bike and thrives on long hours in the saddle, having participated in several ultra cycling events around the world, including in Canada, Portugal and France. Most recently she completed the BikingMan Corsica race and has also taken part in Race Across Québec, a 500 kilometre road cycling event that was held in the Laurentian's, just north of Montreal.

Alongside regularly found riding around Québec City, Geneviève contributes to Vélo Mag and Nature-Humaine. She also runs a personal blog, PinteuseBlogueuse, which highlights cycling routes that connect local microbreweries and artisanal food shops!