This is the city’s best-known after-dark walk, and it is built on true stories rather than ghosts. Costumed guides play real figures from New France, among them the executioner Jean Rattier and his wife Marie Rivière, and walk you through the streets where crimes were committed, suspects arrested and sentences carried out. The format is theatrical: the characters stay in role, the stories come with plenty of dark humour, and the walk lasts about an hour and a half. It starts at the Morrin Centre on Chaussée des Écossais, passes Place Royale, and spends much of its time in the Lower Town, ending near the Québec City Mural on Rue Notre-Dame. Tours run in English, with a separate French-language departure at the same hour. The evening start gives the old lanes a lamplit, slightly menacing atmosphere, which is half the appeal. Bookings need at least two people, and the walk is not wheelchair accessible because of the hills and stairs.
What you actually hear
This is a crime tour, not a ghost tour, and it is worth knowing the difference before you book. The stories concern thieves, murderers and the harsh justice of the French and early British regimes, told through the hangman and his wife, who make unlikely and entertaining narrators. Expect gallows humour and some grim detail about punishments.
The guides are performers first, so the pace is lively and the audience is drawn in with questions and small bits of acting. If you are hoping for hauntings and apparitions, other walks in the city lean that way, but if you like history with an edge, this is the one that people tend to remember.
Planning the evening
The meeting point is the Morrin Centre, and guests are asked to arrive a little before the start time so the group can leave together. Evening departures are the norm and the schedule can change through the year, so check the available dates when you book, and book ahead for weekends and in summer when it sells out.
Wear comfortable shoes with grip, because the route climbs and descends steep streets and several flights of steps. Because the walk finishes in the Lower Town, you will need to find your own way back up to the Upper Town afterwards, either on foot, by the funicular while it is running, or by taxi. Bring a little cash if you want to tip the performers.
Who it suits
Adults and teenagers with a taste for dark history, couples looking for something more memorable than another dinner, and groups of friends. It is less suited to small children, who may find the content frightening, and to anyone with limited mobility. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start, which gives you room to adjust if the weather turns.
Pair it with an early dinner in Saint-Jean-Baptiste or a drink afterwards in the Lower Town, and consider a daytime visit to the Morrin Centre, housed in the city’s first prison and a fitting prelude to a crime walk. Dress for the weather, since the tour runs outdoors, and in winter that means serious boots, a hat and gloves for a long stretch of standing still.
What to expect
The experience
An evening guided walk of about an hour and a half led by costumed performers who play the executioner Jean Rattier and his wife Marie Rivière, starting at the Morrin Centre and ending near the Québec City Mural.
Best time
Evening departures, which give the lanes their lamplit mood; book ahead for weekends and summer.
How long
About 1 hour 30 minutes.
Tips
Arrive a few minutes early, wear shoes with grip, bring a little cash for tips, and plan your way back up to the Upper Town afterwards.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Adults and teenagers who like their history dark, theatrical and a little funny.
- Families
- Better for teenagers than small children, as the stories deal with crime and executions.
- Couples
- A memorable alternative to a standard dinner-and-stroll evening.
- Pair with
- The Morrin Centre by day, dinner on Rue Saint-Jean and a drink in the Lower Town.
- Time needed
- About 1 hour 30 minutes plus time to get to the meeting point.
Good questions
How long is the crime walking tour?+
About an hour and a half, with the walk finishing in the Lower Town near the Québec City Mural.
Is it a ghost tour?+
No. It tells true stories of crimes, arrests and executions in New France through costumed characters, so it suits history fans more than those hoping for hauntings.
Is it available in French?+
Yes. A separate French-language departure runs at the same time as the English one, so choose the language when you book.
Is it suitable for children?+
The content includes grim detail about punishments, so it suits teenagers and adults better than small children. Check the age guidance when you book.
Can I cancel?+
Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start, so you can adjust if the weather turns.
