Emergency measures in the wake of Covid-19:

The US-Canada border has been closed to all non-essential travel until at least 21 February 2021. Travellers entering Canada by air or by land face testing and mandatory quarantine, and must provide traveller contact information on arrival.

See Quebec concerning the gradual resumption of activities and a guide to the main directives currently in force. Ontario is allowing the reopening of businesses and public spaces in three stages across the various regions of that Province.

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With its narrow cobblestone streets, old city walls, and friendly gay scene, Quebec City seems to have everything for a magical trip. As soon as you arrive in the charming quarter known as "Old Quebec," you'll realize this city, founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, is like no place else in North America. The friendly locals speak predominantly French, but in tourist areas and gay bars and restaurants you'll manage with English.

No matter what the season, there are always special events taking place in Quebec City. The summertime Festival d'Eté de Québec takes place in July, and winter’s Carnaval de Quebec, happens in January and February. For the gay community, the Fête Arc-en-ciel, known in English as the Rainbow Festival, takes place in September.

 

Getting here

Jean Lesage International Airport is about 12 miles northwest of downtown. There are also trains and buses between Montreal and Quebec City. If you are driving between the two cities, the journey takes about three hours.

Getting around

You’ll just need your own two feet to explore Quebec City. Most sights of interest to travelers are within easy walking distance of each other. For public transportation information see the website of RTC in French or English.

Neighborhoods

You'll find the city's gay scene along portions of quaint rue St-Jean, a street full of various bars, cafes and boutiques just outside the walls of the Old City.

 

Media and Resources

Check out Alliance Arc-en-Ciel Quebec, for details about the local community, especially for Pride events.

Fugues Magazine covers gay lifestyle in Quebec City, along with other cities in the province, and around the world. See their 2018-19 Rainbow Guide to Quebec City, Montreal and elsewhere in the province.

Be sure to check out DailyXtra for daily news and features about all of Canada, and beyond.

Voir Magazine covers local music, films, books and other events and arts listings in Quebec City as well as Montreal and Ottawa/Gatineau.

For general tourist info see the website of Québec Original, the official tourism website for the city, in French, English and other languages. QuebecRegion is another useful general site for tourists.

For map locations and website links to businesses listed below, and more, see our gay Quebec City listings pages.

 

Going Out
You'll find the city's gay scene along portions of quaint rue St-Jean, a street full of various bars, cafes and boutiques just outside the walls of the Old City.

Le Dagobert (600 Grande Allée est), young, mixed mainstream club crowd, live bands, DJ sets, House to Urban variety of dance music genres.

Le Drague Cabaret Club (815 rue St-Augustin at St-Joachim), the big LGBT cabaret and dance club in town, popular warm season terrace-sitting. Monday Country dancing, Wednesday karaoke, Thursday and Sunday drag shows, pros and amateurs; quiz games, Saturday dancing, Sunday shows.

ForHom (221 rue St-Jean), gay men's social club and bar for members only next to Sauna Bloc 225; terrace, free WiFi internet, film screenings, Men in Boxers Friday nights. (You need a FB account to access their page).

Fou-Bar (575 rue St-Jean), gay-friendly and rollicking venue with live jazz, rock, folk, ska, reggae and vocal acts, plus occasional tango dance nights too.

Le Maurice & Le Pot-de-Vin (575 Grande Allée Est), mixed dance club, ultra lounge, terrace overlooking Grande Allée; casual French/Quebecois lunch/dining, pasta, fish & chips, burgers, poutine, ribs, fish, beer/wines, cocktails.

Ozone Pub (570, Grande Allée Est), diverse crowd, lunchtime meals; evening wraps, burgers, smoked meats, pizzas, poutines, nachos and salads.

Le Sacrilege (447 rue St-Jean), mixed but gay-friendly nightclub, great terrace seating, cafe fare sandwiches and beverages, magazines, internet access; mixed and varied crowd, theater and live music events, DJ sets, open seven days a week until 3am.

Bar St-Matthews (889, Côte-Ste-Geneviève), combined neighborhood pubs Taverne 321 and Le 889, wide cross-section of local men of all kinds; cruising, leather and bear events, DJ music, pool table, patio.

Gay-friendly restaurants include: La Piazzetta (64, rue Saint-Paul); and Le SSS (71, rue Saint-Paul), a gay-friendly bistro/restaurant in Vieux-Port, serving lunch, dinner, snacks, wines and cocktails around a fireplace. Their sibling restaurant Toast! (17, rue Sault-Au-Matelot), closed after a fire.

 

Saunas

The elegant Sauna Backboys (264 de la Couronne, downtown), open 24/7, sauna, steam, whirlpool, lockers and rooms, plus upstairs labyrinth. Parking on-premises, also a snack bar, TV and video lounge, cozy fireplace.

The busy Sauna Bloc 225 (225 rue St-Jean), a sure bet for steam lovers, open 24/7 with plenty of action in renovated Victorian-era building. Facilities on three floors include erotic boutique, sauna and steam room, whirlpool, maze, relax room, cabins with video, glory holes, sky-lit four-level atrium.

Sauna-Hotel Hippocampe (31 rue McMahon), open 24/7 in historic stone house within walls of vieux-Quebec. Among finest saunas anywhere, muted-light maze, solarium, steam/sauna and Jacuzzi, erotic boutique, cabins with optional porn videos. Hotel Hippocampe gay men's lodging options include simple chambrette or larger hotel-style, double bedrooms, some with private bath. Guests have in-out sauna privileges and free internet access.

 

Accommodations

Le 253 Bed and Breakfast (253 rue de la Reine; 418-647-0590), modest downtown hotel within easy walking distance of Sauna Backboy. The main floor breakfast room here looks out onto an expansive guest garden.

Le 727 Chambres et Pension (727 rue D'Aiguillon; 418-648-6766), old favorite with laid-back owners. Second floor sun deck, guest breakfast area that overlooks main floor patio deck.

Coureur Des Bois (15 rue Ste-Ursule; 418-692-1117), stone house within Old City walls, modern rooms, shared or private bathrooms, WiFi. Comfortable, friendly atmosphere, fantastic breakfast. Rue Ste-Jean shops, bars, restaurants and tourists sites minutes away. Good weather sunning or cocktail sipping on terrace and back deck.

Hippocampe Hotel (31 McMahon; 888-388-1521), quality accommodations for gay men, spacious, attractive rooms at the center; ac, sauna, suitable for tourists and business travellers alike, near near pubs, restaurants and bistros; In-out sauna privileges.

Hotel Clarendon (57, rue Sainte-Anne; 418-692-2480), 143 rooms in Art Deco building at Old Quebec center; Charles Baillairgé French restaurant breakfast and fine dining, jazz bar.

La Maison du Cocher (31 Dauphine, #1; 418-261-6610), Coach House within Old City, stone-walled edifice with huge and pleasant apartments, modern kitchens, outdoor decks with hanging gardens.

Off our map, a little south of Quebec on Route 20 in Joly, Domaine de l'Arc-en-Ciel (1878, Rang 5 Ouest; 418-728-5522), has in-season wild camping sites, wooded paths, swimming and naturalist freedom for men only, 18-plus. Hosts provide disco social events and outdoor dining.

Septentrion B&B (901, Chemin St-Adolphe, Morin Heights; 450-226-2665). For a breath of country fresh air in the Laurentians, north of Montreal. Deep, dark woods contrast with manicured lawn at Quebec province's only gay five-star rated inn. Super deluxe facilities including swimming pool, hot tub, and one guestroom with in-room whirlpool. Waterfalls les Chutes de Ste-Marguerite du Lac Masson are nearby in Ste-Adele.

For a comprehensive list of B&Bs in Quebec, see the website of BBCanada