Are you visiting Quebec City and wondering what the perfect Quebec City souvenirs are to bring back? Well not only being Canadian, but also Quebecois, I know some of the truly local hacks to get you the best souvenirs from Quebec.
From the purely Quebecois things you need to bring back to the Canadian gems you can’t leave the city without – this list has it all!
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Where To Do Quebec City Shopping For The Best Souvenirs
When I say there are no shortage of tourist shops in Quebec City, I mean it. I tried to go into all of them but even I couldn’t.
The main Quebec City shopping street is all along Rue Saint Jean. But the shopping doesn’t stop when the street does, it continues along Côte de la Fabrique, Rue De Buade, which ultimate leads you to Quartier Petit Champlains.
Petit Champlain is less gimmicky I would say than most tourist shops, it’s all about the local products here – and they’re proud of that!
I’d like to also point out Rue de Trésor because it’s easy to miss. It’s a secret alley off of Rue de Buade with local artists you should check out as well.
If you’re looking for something truly unique and one of a kind though, head to Rue Saint Paul for your Quebec City shopping. It’s antique store after antique store.
At the end of Rue Saint Paul, you’ll end up at Le Packwood cafe et boutique. This is another great store with local and unique finds. Plus along with your shopping, you can also pick up a coffee while you’re here. P.S. if you’re looking for Quebec City souvenirs for kids, this might be a good place to start.
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The Top 10 Quebec City Souvenirs To Bring Back
You can’t go wrong bringing back any of these best souvenirs from Quebec City. From food to share with friends and family, to local artwork to hang up to remember your favourite vacation memories!
1. Maple Syrup
You can’t visit Quebec without indulging in this delicacy. Did you know, Quebec is the largest producer of maple syrup in the world! (No seriously, in 2011 Quebec made 94% of Canadian maple syrup and 77% of the world’s supply!).
Needless to say, you can’t leave Quebec City without some maple syrup in your suitcase. This is probably the best souvenirs from Quebec that you can buy!
Don’t just go to the tourist shop and pick up any maple syrup though – you might end up over paying for less, and you risk it not even being pure!
Instead, buy the same maple syrup I buy for my home – the can of maple syrup. This way you also know you’re also getting the real deal.
I did find a few shops in Old Town that sold the can for a reasonable price, you can also just go any grocery store though.
Buying maple syrup in a can is also safer for traveling. This way, you don’t have to worry about it breaking and getting all over your belongings.
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You will need to learn how to open the can though and it even requires a special can opener. You have to buy a can opener that looks like this one on Amazon.
To open it properly, poke two holes opposite each other. If you only make one hole, the maple syrup won’t come out. Don’t ask me why – I’ve tried it and trust me you need two holes.
If you don’t end up buying the can, read the ingredients to make sure it is in fact pure maple syrup.
2. Anything With Maple Syrup Is A Good Souvenir From Quebec City
Obviously, we like maple syrup, so we also put it in a lot of goodies!
If you don’t want to buy pure maple syrup as a souvenir from Quebec City, (I mean I would understand why, it can be quite heavy), opt for something made with maple syrup instead.
You can buy maple syrup candles (that actually use the maple syrup can), maple syrup liqueur, chocolate infused…etc. The list goes on!
My favourite (and what I actually grew up with) are maple syrup cookies! You can of course buy these for a premium in tourist shops. But you’ll get more for less just outside the walls at the local grocery stores. You can find them in the cookie section.
Quebec City Shopping on Amazon!
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3. What To Buy In Quebec: Retro Nordiques Merch!
The Nordiques were Quebec City’s hockey team back in the day. They were moved to Denver Colorado in 1995 (now the Colorado Avalanche).
They seemed like they had a pretty successful run in the NHL – winning 9 out of 16 seasons.
They’re still a big part of Quebec history, especially for sports fans. So you can still buy their merch as a souvenir from Quebec City in most tourist shops. If you’re in to hockey (or know someone that is) this is a neat Quebec City souvenir to buy.
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4. Huron-Wendat Crafts & Goods
Another very important part of Quebec City history are the Huron Wendat. The Huron-Wendat is the First Nations community that live in Wendake Quebec – only a 20 minute drive from Quebec City.
Buying Quebec City souvenirs from the Huron-Wendat is supporting their livelihood. For centuries they’ve been selling their crafts and goods. And it’s one of the ways in which they make a living today.
A perfect Huron-Wendat souvenir from Quebec City is anything they make from moccasins, to leather coin purses, to jewellery.
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The best place to buy these Quebec City souvenirs is of course in Wendake. This isn’t always possible though, so you can still find some of their products around Quebec City. The best place to look is Petit Champlain because it’s more about locally produced crafts here.
You can always ask to make sure that it’s from Wendake before buying anything.
5. Local Alcohol Souvenir From Quebec City: Micro Brews, Liqueurs & More
It wouldn’t be a souvenirs list without some local alcohol to try – and Quebec does not disappoint.
From beer, to liqueur, to wine – they will have something for everyone! This is one of those Quebec City souvenirs that you can bring back to enjoy with friends and family too.
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Local Beers
For starters, Quebec in general loves micro brews and Quebec City has their fair share of local ones. My two favourite micro brews in the city are La Souche and La Barberie.
If you continue down Rue Saint Jean, passed the city walls, theres a few places to pick up these beers. There’s a Quebec Beer store (Malt & Compagnie) and I know they have cans at Carrefour des Terroirs. If you go more local, you can even find local beers at the grocery store (like Metro in Saint Roch).
La Souche has A LOT of beers to choose from so you’re bound to find a beer for you. You can find their beer at local grocery stores in cans.
On top of simply getting a beer from a microbrew, see if you can find a raspberry wheat beer. This seems to be a local trend that most breweries made (yes La Souche makes it and it’s one of my favourites!).
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So, if you can’t decide between flavours, Franc Bois from La Souche is a good option (the raspberry wheat beer). Or if you like sour beers, they make a sour raspberry wheat beer that won best sour in 2021 (Franc Bois D’Hiver).
I also really liked beer from La Barberie – you can even go to the brewery in Saint Roch to try their beers before buying them as a souvenir from Quebec City.
Caribou
On top of local micro brews, they also have their own very special alcohol that is specific to Quebec City – not even the province of Quebec. I swear, I hadn’t heard of this until I came to Quebec City.
Caribou is based on a drink that dates back to the 17th century. The First Nations thought the settlers were drinking caribou blood. And the rest is history.
Don’t worry – the drink today doesn’t contain any blood. It’s red wine, Canadian whiskey, and usually maple syrup.
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Maple Whiskey
And finally, it wouldn’t be an alcoholic souvenir from Quebec City without some maple syrup. So of course, there are liqueurs with Canadian whiskey and maple syrup.
The two popular brands are Coureurs des Bois and Sortilege.
6. Locally Grown Tisanes – Best Souvenirs From Quebec
I know I’m very biased towards tea souvenirs, but even if I wasn’t, these teas are from plants that are native to Quebec. So you might not be able to find them back home!
There are two local tisanes that stand out to me: Labrador tea and Wintergreen.
My personal favourite is wintergreen – it’s seriously the best mint tea I’ve ever had. It’s simply superior to peppermint or spearmint tea. It’s perfect to warm up with in winter or make iced in the summer. (P.S. in French it’s called thé des bois… not really sure why. The direct translation of that would be wood tea).
Labrador tea is good too, although it’s a bit more woodsy tasting in my mind. It’s actually known for it’s medicinal properties though.
You can find these at some local shops. If not, Camelia Sinensis in Saint Roch (outside the city walls) has both teas and even more locally sources blends).
P.S. If you’re interested, you can also buy tea flavoured with maple syrup… there’s no judgement here!
P.S.S La Souche actually uses Labrador tea in two of their beers (La Tourbiere and Stadacona).
7. Quebec City Shopping For Artwork By Locals
You always need to pick up local artwork on every trip you go on, and Quebec City is no exception.
The best place to find your favourite local piece is on Rue de Trésor in Old Quebec.
It’s an alleyway connecting rue Sainte Anne and Rue Buade, so it’s pretty easy to miss.
The alley is lined with local artists – most even painting a masterpieces on the spot. All Quebec City artwork is conveniently in one place so you can find the style you like best.
Keep in mind though it’s all outside – so sometimes not all (or even any) of the artists will show up. Especially on those cold winter days.
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8. Quebec Style Nougat
You can also bring back some local Quebec nougat. These are actually from Ile D’Orleans which is the Island you see at across the St. Lawerence River. This is where you’ll find la Nougaterie de Quebec (they also have a shop on Petit Champlain so you don’t have to travel to the island).
If you think I’m sending you to get regular nougat, you’re wrong!
There are many different types of nougat, and I’m usually not a fan. This delicious Quebec nougat is soft and aerie so it actually doesn’t get stuck in your teeth as much. It’s more like a marshmallow filled with goodies!
The Nougaterie de Quebec makes all these interesting flavours as well. The only one I haven’t liked so far is the lemon… I’d stay away from that one!
But they have beer, green tea – and the best… salted caramel!
You can of course taste the flavours before buying any!
9. A Quebec Tuque!
If you’re visiting in the winter (then you should read my post about it here), but you’ll also need a tuque when you’re here anyway… which makes it an even better souvenir from Quebec to buy!
Buy this souvenir from Quebec City when you arrive and wear it during your trip!
Even if you’re visiting during the summer you can pick up a local tuque for your next winter adventure. Perhaps choose a Nordiques inspired tuque!?
Still not sure what a tuque is? Well it’s really just a hat, but in Quebec we call it a tuque.
Typically a tuque is a beanie, but feel free to get one with a pom pom on top for added fun!
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10. Anything From Roots
Although Roots is actually from Toronto Ontario it’s still about keeping it Canadian… right!?
I mean, I grew up in Quebec and we’re all about Roots here! If you’re looking for the ultimate classic thing to buy from Roots it’s their salt and pepper sweatpants (see them online here).
I grew up in these – well I was never lucky enough to have the salt and pepper version – those were never on sale!
Because heads up, these will probably be the most expensive sweatpants you’ll ever buy… but it will be worth it!
You also can’t really go wrong with anything in the store.
P.S. This is also a good place to buy a tuque if you’re interested!
Still Need A Place To Stay In Quebec City… My Hotel Recs!
I’ve visited Quebec City and stayed in a few places over the years, here are my recommendations.
If you’re on a budget but want to stay in the city centre, there’s no better place than Au Petit Hotel (see it on Booking.com). It’s a small but mighty hotel and for a night or two it gets the job done! Plus, you’ll feel like you’re staying in old time Quebec when you stay here!
I’ve also stayed just outside Old Quebec at the Hilton Québec. If you’re going to stay here, you have to upgrade your room to one with a view. This way, you’ll have floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Chateau Frontenac, plus you’ll have all the luxuries of staying in a hotel. It’s not far from Old Town either, only about a 5 minute walk. See it on Booking.com.
I’ve also heard only good things about the Clarendon Hotel in Old Town Québec. It’s be a bit pricier than Au Petit Hotel, but it’s also a more regular size hotel room. Plus, this is THE location to be in Quebec City. See availability and room rates on Booking.com.
For more accommodation options in Quebec City on Booking.com, or for more recommendations read my blog post.
My Amazon Quebec City Must Haves
Read More Related Posts
- Best Restaurants In Quebec City & Quebecois Food To Try
- Top 10 The Best Hotels In Quebec City For Every Budget
- 40 Things To Do In Quebec City: Top Attractions To Hidden Gems
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Last update on 2024-04-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API