Hotels near La Citadelle de Quebec

The Citadelle is a star-shaped fortress completed in 1850 that is still an active military installation, home to the Royal 22e Regiment and one of the Governor General's two official residences. Hours are 09:00 to 17:30 from 16 May to 31 August 2026, then 10:00 to 17:30 from 1 September. Admission is 22 dollars for adults, about 13.65 EUR, 20 for seniors and students, 8 for ages 11 to 17, free under 10, and 50 dollars for a family, including the compulsory hour-long guided tour and the regimental museum.

The Changing of the Guard and Music in Red runs 24 June to 30 August 2026, Wednesday to Sunday at 10:00, except 1 and 3 July, lasts 30 minutes and is included with admission. Note what that means: it does not run on Mondays or Tuesdays, and it is cancelled for rain with no rain date. Batisse, the regimental goat, appears afterwards for photographs. Because this is a live military site you cannot wander at will, which locks you to tour departure times, and access can be curtailed without notice for military or vice-regal events. The approach up cote de la Citadelle is genuinely steep.

Pro Tip: Book a Wednesday or Thursday, arrive by 09:30 for the 10:00 ceremony, and take the tour immediately afterwards while the weekend crowd is elsewhere. Approach from the Plains of Abraham rather than from Place d'Armes and you trade a steep climb for a level walk.