Winter Activities in Quebec: 9 Best Activities for Winter Vacations

The first item on your itinerary for the winter activities in Quebec is visiting and staying a night at the Quebec Ice Hotel. The place is curved out of ice each year and with different themes. The ice sculptures are molded with super creativity.

The hotel is all-inclusive, with an ice bar, spas, comfortable suites, and a fireplace. You could also plan your wedding here as there is an ice chapel you can book for the special day. This is an epic idea.

Imagine sleeping on a bed made of ice, and everything in the room is ice; this is an experience you must look forward to if only to satisfy your curiosity. The attendants give orientation sessions and provide thermal sleeping bags and insulated mattresses. You do not need to worry about the possibility of freezing.

As you book the ice room, you also get an allocation in a regular hotel if you change your mind in the middle of the night.

During the day, you can learn some ice carvings techniques at the hotel and do it yourself. Consider scheduling a tour of this magnificent place, even if you have no intention of staying the night.

Winter activities are a fun way of exploring Quebec City, and one of the unforgettable experiences is visiting the Plains of Abraham. Here, you can do any activity that pleases you, including making snow angels.

Plains of Abraham is located right outside the City walls and is home to an expansive trail where you can go skating, skiing, and snowshoeing. This space also calls for a photo snap to freeze the beautiful moments as it borders the magnificent parliament building.

This is only one of the places where you can skate, as there are more places within Quebec. Several vendors are on-site renting out equipment; hence you do not need to carry skating shoes or skiing poles.

The Toboggan slide is an experience unique to Quebec City and is located right in the town center, making it easily accessible.

You, alongside the other visitors, must pull the wooden sled to the highest point of the ramp. You should then sit on it – it can accommodate up to four people, then the guide will let go of the latch, realizing the sled to the ice track.

The slide can move at 70km/h, making the whole experience thrilling.

The low cost of enjoying the activity makes this ride even more lucrative. One round costs $3, and you can go for as many as you can afford. If you visit in a group, you can enjoy massive discounts without compromising the fun and thrill.

Quebec is a unique city because, as the other towns close down and look deserted in winter, Quebec comes alive with the Annual Winter Carnival. While the cold is biting, the fun activities and merry atmosphere will keep your heart warm.

The festival takes place around February each year and attracts masses of people from all over the world. Pack your warm clothes, not forgetting mittens, and head to Quebec. During the festival, the streets will be filled with mascots, the most common being the snowman.

Ensure you take a photo or selfie with Bonhomme, the King of the Quebec Winter Festival. This snowman is built from compacted snow to seven feet tall. He is the symbol of anti-global warming campaigns.

The other place you must visit during the carnival is the Ice Palace, a stunning palace made from ice where you will find ice sculptures and, surprisingly, even graffiti paintings. The palace lights up brightly at night, giving the glamor of a real castle.

You could also try out a snow bath if up to the challenge.

You must attend the night parade to experience the best of the Quebec winter carnival. You can join the parades and dance to the music as you move down the street, and you will warm up naturally. The whole experience is such a spectacle.

While the spas in Quebec operate across all seasons, something is enchanting about winter spa experiences.

During winter, the spas adopt thermotherapy, which involves getting into the heated saunas laced with your favorite essential oil, though they recommend eucalyptus more in winter. This is followed by what may look unconventional – dipping into freezing cold water tubs.

As uncomfortable as it may seem, people believe this practice improves blood circulation, detoxifies the body, and improves the body's ability to fight infections.

The spas also offer places to relax and warm up next to a fireplace after the thermotherapy ordeal.

While going on holiday during winter sounds far-fetched, it cannot be so if your destination is Quebec. The tube park experience awaits you, but first, get your inner child out. You can only fully enjoy the toboggan hill experience if you let go.

The expansive winter playground (America's largest) will set your adrenaline rolling with its long and steep sled runs. You could also enjoy ice skating while interacting with people of all ages and from around the world.

This is the place for adventure seekers, where you can slide downhill on snow rafts. You can share a raft with up to 12 people making it one of the cheapest activities in town.

The rafts attain speeds of up to 80km/h, while the rides offer exquisite views of the Himalayas and the Jacques-Cartier River Valley. You could also opt for the spinning rafts that take you downhill in a spinning motion.

If you have traveled to Quebec to experience some winter adventure, the cold weather should not hinder you from exploring. Get out on the streets of Vieux-Quebec and enjoy the five-kilometer stretch of the walled city – a first of its kind in North America.

The old historic town is small enough for you to explore on foot. Some old places you can visit include the Petit-Chaplain, located along North America's oldest commercial street, where you will find stores selling antiques and sweet treats.

You could also pop in at the Place Royale to get the best view of the Notre Dame des Victories cathedral. For fun and a night party, head over to Grand Alley, the street hosting the best restaurants and lit bars. You can get a panoramic view of the city from Hotel Le Concorde Quebec – the rotating hotel.

Where else can you go ice fishing beside the town of Quebec? The Louise Basin inner harbor is the place to visit for this unique experience. As expected, the harbor freezes in winter and turns into an outdoor recreational facility where you can do ice fishing.

How is that even possible? You might be wondering. The management builds igloos that will shelter you from the excessive cold. After breaking the ice, you get guidance on how to time a trout and catch it with a fishing knife.

Quebec is known for its amazingly sweet maple taffy, and you cannot leave the town without having a taste. The most enjoyable part is watching the vendors make syrup lollies by taking advantage of the snow.

You can try this to make it more memorable. Pour some maple syrup on the bed of snow and once it starts to harden, place the lolly stick at one end and roll it up. The size of your lollipop depends on the amount of syrup you use.

This process of making maple lollies takes place throughout the town, and if you have a sweet tooth, you might overindulge.