Quebec City Holidays
Quebec City
Holidays
The Château Frontenac towering over the St Lawrence, cobbled streets that could be Brittany, the world's largest winter carnival and a French-speaking culture that has survived 400 years of being surrounded by English — Quebec City is extraordinary
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Flight Time
8h to Montreal; then 3h by train or 2.5h by car to Quebec City; or direct charter flights
Best Time
February for Carnaval; June–September for summer; December for Christmas markets
Country
Canada
Suppliers
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Quebec City Holiday Guide
Quebec City is the most European city in North America — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only walled city north of Mexico, with a beautifully preserved Old Town (Vieux-Québec) of 17th and 18th century French colonial architecture, cobbled streets, the iconic Château Frontenac and a French-speaking culture that is unlike anywhere else in Canada.
The city was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain — making it one of the oldest cities in North America — and has been continuously inhabited ever since. The fortifications (the only remaining fortified city walls in North America north of Mexico) were built by the French and later reinforced by the British after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759 — the battle that decided the fate of New France and effectively ended French colonial rule in Canada). The walls, the gates and the Citadelle (a star-shaped fortress still garrisoned by the Royal 22nd Regiment) are all extraordinary.
Vieux-Québec (the Old Town) is divided into two parts: the Upper Town (Haute-Ville), on the cliff above the St Lawrence River, containing the Château Frontenac, the Plains of Abraham and the Citadelle; and the Lower Town (Basse-Ville), at the foot of the cliff, containing the Place Royale (the birthplace of French civilisation in North America) and the Petit-Champlain district (the oldest commercial district in North America, with charming boutiques, restaurants and galleries).
The Carnaval de Québec (held every February) is the largest winter carnival in the world — 17 days of outdoor activities, ice sculptures, night parades, the famous ice palace (the Palais de Glace) and the iconic Bonhomme Carnaval (the snowman mascot). Quebec City in winter is one of the great travel experiences.
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Average Temperatures
Jan
-13°C
Feb
-11°C
Mar
-4°C
Apr
5°C
May
13°C
Jun
19°C
Jul
23°C
Aug
22°C
Sep
16°C
Oct
9°C
Nov
2°C
Dec
-8°C
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Call 01282 960 460Top 8 Things To Do in Quebec City
The château, the cobblestones, the carnival, the battlefield and the French-Canadian culture that make Quebec City the most unique city in North America.
Château Frontenac — The Most Photographed Hotel in the World
The Château Frontenac is the most iconic building in Canada — a grand château-style hotel on the cliff above the St Lawrence River, built in 1893 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and designed by architect Bruce Price. The hotel (now a Fairmont property) is the most photographed hotel in the world — its dramatic silhouette of copper-green turrets and red-brick towers dominates the Quebec City skyline and is visible from kilometres away. The hotel has hosted Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and Charles de Gaulle (the Quebec Conferences of 1943 and 1944 were held here). Afternoon tea in the hotel is a Quebec City institution.
Vieux-Québec — A UNESCO World Heritage Walled City
Vieux-Québec (Old Quebec) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only walled city north of Mexico — a beautifully preserved Old Town of 17th and 18th century French colonial architecture, cobbled streets, stone buildings and fortification walls. The Upper Town (Haute-Ville) contains the Château Frontenac, the Plains of Abraham, the Citadelle and the Governors' Promenade (a boardwalk along the cliff edge with extraordinary views of the St Lawrence). The Lower Town (Basse-Ville) contains the Place Royale (the birthplace of French civilisation in North America) and the Petit-Champlain district.
Carnaval de Québec — The World's Greatest Winter Carnival
The Carnaval de Québec is the largest winter carnival in the world — a 17-day festival held every February, celebrating Quebec's French-Canadian culture and the joy of winter. The highlights: the Palais de Glace (a magnificent ice palace built anew each year), the night parades (two evening parades through the streets of Old Quebec), the canoe race across the St Lawrence River (teams of 5 paddle and drag their canoes across the ice floes), the ice sculpture competition, the snow bath (participants in swimwear roll in the snow) and Bonhomme Carnaval (the giant snowman mascot who presides over the festivities). The carnival draws over 400,000 visitors each year.
Plains of Abraham — Where the Fate of Canada Was Decided
The Plains of Abraham is the most historically significant battlefield in Canadian history — the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (13 September 1759), in which British forces under General James Wolfe defeated French forces under the Marquis de Montcalm in a 15-minute battle that effectively ended French colonial rule in Canada. Both commanders died in the battle. The battlefield is now Battlefields Park (a 108-hectare urban park on the cliff above the St Lawrence) — one of the finest urban parks in Canada, with extraordinary views of the river and the surrounding countryside. The Discovery Pavilion provides an excellent account of the battle.
Petit-Champlain — The Oldest Commercial District in North America
The Petit-Champlain district is the most charming neighbourhood in Quebec City — a maze of narrow cobbled streets at the foot of the cliff below the Château Frontenac, lined with 17th and 18th century stone buildings housing boutiques, galleries, restaurants and cafés. The Rue du Petit-Champlain (the main street) is one of the most beautiful streets in Canada — particularly in winter, when it is decorated with lights and snow. The Breakneck Stairs (Escalier Casse-Cou — the oldest stairway in North America, built 1635) connect the Upper Town to the Lower Town. The Place Royale (the birthplace of French civilisation in North America) is at the heart of the district.
Montmorency Falls — Taller Than Niagara
Montmorency Falls is one of the most impressive waterfalls in eastern Canada — an 83m waterfall on the Montmorency River, 10km east of Quebec City, where the river plunges into the St Lawrence. The falls are 30m taller than Niagara Falls (though much narrower). A suspension bridge crosses the top of the falls; a cable car provides access from the base. In winter, the mist from the falls freezes to create the Pain de Sucre (Sugar Loaf) — a cone of ice at the base of the falls that grows throughout the winter and is used for tobogganing. The Manoir Montmorency (a Victorian manor house at the top of the falls) has an excellent restaurant.
Ice Hotel (Hôtel de Glace) — Sleep in a Castle of Ice
The Hôtel de Glace (Ice Hotel) is one of the most extraordinary accommodation experiences in the world — a hotel built entirely of ice and snow, rebuilt every winter near Quebec City (currently at the Valcartier Vacation Village, 30 minutes from the city). The hotel (which opens in January and melts in April) has 44 rooms and suites, each with a unique ice sculpture design, ice beds (with thermal sleeping bags and mattresses), an ice bar, an ice chapel and an ice slide. The temperature inside the hotel is -5°C to -10°C. Day visits (without staying overnight) are available; the ice sculptures and architecture are extraordinary.
Quebec Food — The Finest French-Canadian Cuisine
Quebec City has the finest French-Canadian cuisine in Canada — a unique fusion of French culinary tradition and North American ingredients that produces dishes of extraordinary quality. The classics: tourtière (a meat pie of pork, veal and potato — the traditional Christmas dish of Quebec), poutine (chips with cheese curds and gravy — invented in Quebec in the 1950s), sugar pie (tarte au sucre — a sweet pastry filled with maple sugar and cream), maple syrup (Quebec produces 71% of the world's maple syrup — the cabanes à sucre, or sugar shacks, open in March and April for maple syrup festivals), and the extraordinary cheese of Quebec (Oka, Comtomme, Le Migneron). The restaurant scene in Vieux-Québec is excellent.
Explore Quebec City on the Map
Key areas, beaches and attractions across the island.
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