What if I told you there’s a place where you can wander cobblestone streets, hear French all around you, eat croissants for breakfast, sip wine at a sidewalk café and feel like you’ve landed in Europe, when actually, it isn’t Europe? Then you come back a few months later, and that same destination has transformed into a snow globe, complete with skiing, ice skating, frozen waterfalls, cozy fireplaces and even a hotel made out of ice. Welcome to Quebec.
I don’t think there’s one best time to visit, because there are basically two completely different vacations hiding in the same destination. If you’ve never been, I highly suggest you go. It’s just over the border, and it truly feels like Europe, without the eight-hour overnight flight that leaves you absolutely exhausted when you arrive. By the end of this guide, I’m going to make you choose: are you Team Quebec Summer or Team Quebec Winter?
Why Quebec Feels Different
When I say Quebec, remember that I’m talking about an entire Canadian province, not just Quebec City. You can build several very different experiences into one vacation:
Montreal is cosmopolitan: the city you fly into, and a great spot for creative, foodie, artistic, energetic people.
Quebec City is romantic, historic and incredibly European-feeling. I’m not kidding when I tell you you’re going to think you ended up in Europe.
Outside the cities is where Quebec gets really interesting: mountains, lakes, forests, small villages, farms, wineries and beautiful scenic drives.
For my Florida people, one of the biggest attractions is simply experiencing an actual season. We don’t get seasons here. We get hot and hotter, hurricanes and maybe one random cool day around January, when you think, “Oh, that was so fun, I got to put on my jacket for once in my life.” Quebec gives you real seasons.
Team Summer: Patios, Festivals and Waterfalls
Summer in Quebec means patios, festivals, waterfalls, road trips and long evenings outside. Temperatures are much more comfortable than in Orlando, outdoor dining comes alive and the cities fill up with festivals. The sun sets super late, which is the coolest thing.
Combine Montreal and Quebec City by Train
Summer is when I’d combine the two cities. Start in Montreal: walk through Old Montreal, explore the cafés and restaurants, visit the markets and spend an afternoon around the Old Port. Then drive or take the train to Quebec City. I highly suggest the train. It’s such a cool experience.
Old Quebec, Dufferin Terrace and Petit-Champlain
Once you arrive in Quebec City, spend time in Old Quebec. This is the Quebec you’ve seen in photographs: cobblestone streets, little cafés, historic buildings, flowers spilling out of window boxes, street musicians and, sitting above everything, the gorgeous Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. Walk the Dufferin Terrace right outside the hotel and look out over the St. Lawrence River, then make your way down to Petit-Champlain.
This is one of those places where I tell people to put their phones away for ten minutes. Stop trying to take the perfect picture and just walk, because there’s something around every corner. (Then, of course, you pick the phone back up and say, “Ooh, let me take some pictures.” That’s what most people do.)
Old Quebec: put the phone away for ten minutes and just wander.
Montmorency Falls
Another summer must is Montmorency Falls. This enormous waterfall is actually taller than Niagara Falls, and because it’s so close to Quebec City, it’s an incredibly easy add-on. You can see the falls from different viewpoints, and depending on your comfort level with heights, there are ways to make the experience a little more adventurous.
Montmorency Falls is taller than Niagara Falls, and an easy add-on from Quebec City.
Samantha’s Secret Spot: Île d’Orléans
One of my favorite easy additions is Île d’Orléans, an island just outside Quebec City. It changes the whole pace of your vacation: you leave the city behind, and suddenly you’re surrounded by farms, little villages, roadside stands, local shops and beautiful views. It’s Canada in the countryside, and it’s absolutely gorgeous, especially in summer and fall.
This is where you rent a car and explore without being in a hurry. Stop whenever something looks interesting. Find a farm stand and buy everything you can eat without having to cook it. Eat the local strawberries and the cheese, and get the chocolate. We don’t even need to discuss it. Trust me, get the chocolate.
Find something made with maple, because it’s Canada and they have the best maple ever. (There are these maple candies that melt in your mouth but are a little gritty. I can’t think of the name, but they’re freaking phenomenal.) Visit a vineyard or a cidery; the apple trees up there are amazing, and the cider, the corn, the strawberries, everything just tastes different up north. Basically, eat your way around the island.
Just don’t try to cram it into an hour. That’s how people ruin the experience. Give yourself several hours to really drive around the countryside. It’s worth it.
Team Winter: A Real-Life Snow Globe
Now let’s completely flip the vacation. Winter in Quebec is magical, a winter wonderland, literally everything you’d picture winter to be. Yes, it’s cold. It’s in the north, and there’s snow. My fellow Orlandoans, I’m not going to tell you otherwise: you’re going to freeze, so buy the stuff. But this is your chance to finally look cozy, with cool jackets, boots, scarves, hats and gloves. Get properly dressed and enjoy it, because it’s spectacular.
Quebec City under snow looks like somebody shook a Christmas snow globe. You’ve probably seen it in some Hallmark or Christmas movie, and when you get there, you’ll swear you’ve seen it in 80 movies. It’s incredibly romantic: the lights are glowing, the snow is falling and sparkling, and people are ducking in and out of cafés, shopping and drinking hot chocolate.
Team Winter: Quebec City under snow looks like somebody shook a snow globe.
Mont-Tremblant
Winter is also a great time to build a trip around skiing. Mont-Tremblant is probably the name many American travelers recognize, with skiing and snowboarding. What makes it appealing for a vacation is that you don’t have to be an expert skier to enjoy it. There’s a pedestrian village with restaurants and shops, so couples or families with different interests all have something to do.
You can ski, snowshoe or cross-country ski. (I’ve never done either of those last two. I picture snowshoeing as walking in snorkel flippers, like Donald Duck feet. It probably isn’t, but I feel like I’d be that uncoordinated.) You can go tubing, which a lot of people love because it’s super easy, and you can find winter spas, which are completely my jam.
The Winter Festival and the Toboggan Slide
Quebec City has a winter festival every year that you don’t want to miss, and the other winter must is the slide. You walk up with your sled and go down a very, very, very long hill. It’s well worth it; you’ve just got to do it.
Good to know (checked October 2026): the winter festival is the Quebec Winter Carnival. The toboggan slide is Au 1884, on the Dufferin Terrace in front of the Château Frontenac. It runs from December to March, and current ticket prices are on its website. Sources: Québec Winter Carnival and Québec City Tourism.
The Hôtel de Glace: Would You Sleep in an Ice Hotel?
This is the one I really want to highlight, because a lot of people don’t know about it. The Hôtel de Glace is a hotel made entirely of snow and ice, and it’s rebuilt every winter. There are ice sculptures, themed rooms and suites and even an ice bar. And yes, you can totally spend the night. If it’s your dream to sleep on a bed of ice, this is where you want to go. It’s not cheap, and it does sell out, so if it’s something you want, book as soon as reservations open. They suggest spending just one night. (I’m kidding when I say it’s because you’d turn into a frozen ice sculpture. I’m sure that’s not what happens.)
Honestly, I’m not sure spending the night on ice is my idea of a good time. It intrigues me immensely, and it’s always been on my list, but you sleep in lots of clothing under lots of blankets, and while that sounds nice and romantic, I’m not sure whether I’d sweat to death or freeze to death. Do you want to wake up at 3:00 a.m. wondering why you voluntarily paid money to sleep surrounded by ice? I don’t know. You’ll have to let me know.
If sleeping in an icebox isn’t for you, you can visit without spending the night. Go take pictures, go see the rooms and have a cocktail at the ice bar.
Good to know (checked October 2026): the Hôtel de Glace is at Village Vacances Valcartier in Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, a short drive outside Quebec City. It’s scheduled to open from January 4 to March 13, 2027, and day visits end at the Ice Bar, where drinks are served in glasses made of ice. Source: Village Vacances Valcartier.
Tourist Trap or Totally Worth It?
Let’s be honest: the ice hotel is definitely a tourist trap. But it’s one of those tourist traps where the answer is yes, it’s a tourist trap, and yes, you still have to do it. When are you ever going to see a hotel made of ice? Whether you sleep there depends on how adventurous you are. Do you run hot? Sure, sleep there. You might melt the place.
Worth the Splurge: Fairmont Le Château Frontenac
The ice hotel is 100% a “you” decision. But the Château Frontenac? For the right trip, I say yes. This hotel is practically the symbol of Quebec City. It sits up top, towering over Old Quebec and the St. Lawrence River, and staying there puts you right in the middle of everything.
Would I tell every family to blow their entire vacation budget on it? Of course not. But for a special occasion, I highly suggest it. It’s perfection in every way, and it’s a Fairmont. I love Fairmonts; they always have that luxury, relaxed vibe. And if the nightly rate makes you gasp, and not in a good way, you can still visit. Go see it, have a drink, sit in the lobby and soak up the old-world feel.
My Travel Hack: Don’t Do Quebec the Same Way in Every Season
In summer, start in Montreal, take the train to Quebec City, then add Île d’Orléans and Montmorency Falls, and maybe Charlevoix if you have more time. Renting a car for at least part of the trip gives you the freedom to explore beyond the cities.
In winter, slow everything down and enjoy the city. Don’t plan to be outside walking eight hours a day. If they can keep an ice hotel standing for an entire season, you know it’s cold. Build in warm stops: café, walk, museum, lunch, explore, hot chocolate, shop, dinner. You get the idea.
What to Eat in Quebec
Don’t miss the poutine: French fries, cheese curds and gravy, usually served in a bowl or a cup. It’s simple, it’s glorious and it’s wonderful to walk around eating. If you’ve never had it, get it while you’re there. But don’t let poutine be the only Quebec food you try. There’s a fantastic food culture, so try the French food, the local cheeses, the pastries and the maple products. Try Montreal-style bagels, and if you’re in Montreal, get the smoked meat.
Don’t Forget Fall
I can’t leave without mentioning fall, because we don’t get changing leaves here in Florida. Quebec is stunning in the fall, with cooler temperatures, the leaves changing colors and the countryside at its most beautiful.
Samantha’s Suitcase: My Takeaway
Quebec is one of those destinations Americans tend to underestimate, or don’t even know about, because when they hear Canada, they think of Toronto and Vancouver. But there’s so much more. Quebec gives you that feeling of being in Europe without traveling eight hours, losing all that sleep and paying for that expensive flight. Instead, you take a short three-hour flight and say, “Wow, I feel like I’m in Europe.” Quebec isn’t just Canada. It has its own personality, its own language, its own food, its own culture and its own history. Don’t count out Quebec, or Canada for that matter.
So, which are you: Team Quebec Summer or Team Quebec Winter? Whichever you choose, my team at Fabulous Adventures Travel would love to help you plan it, from the train between Montreal and Quebec City to a night (or just a cocktail) at the ice hotel.
