Cold temperatures and long nights have arrived in Quebec, but La Belle Province always manages to heat up with a plethora of dazzling festivals and unique opportunities to entice travellers seeking quintessential Canadian experiences during the winter.

Here are some options guaranteed to warm the heart, if not the toes:

• Saguenay en Neige (Jan. 30-Feb. 9): Snowy fun abounds in Saguenay as the city streets become an open-air museum displaying hundreds of snow sculptures designed by students and professional artists. The festival’s dedicated children’s village delights little ones with a giant snow slide and family friendly stage shows.
• Saint-Côme en glace (Feb. 1-16): Hundreds of artists and volunteers come together each year to create fantastical ice sculptures that light up the charming village of Saint-Côme, just 90-minutes north of Montréal. The glittering festival features a live ice sculpting contest, musical performances, ice sliding and fireworks displays.
• Carnaval de Québec (Feb. 7-16): Québec City transforms into a winter wonderland each year for this legendary 10-day festival. The world’s largest winter carnival offers a jam-packed program featuring nighttime parades, elaborate ice sculptures, ice canoe races and the loveable Bonhomme mascot.
• Montréal en Lumière (Feb. 27-March 9): This annual festival lights up Montréal’s winter nights with live performances, culinary experiences, free outdoor family activities and luminous art installations, including the renowned all-night contemporary art show, Nuit Blanche.

Hôtel de Glace 

Hôtel de Glace marks its 25th anniversary in 2025. The iconic ice hotel will celebrate its milestone season with a spectacular new restaurant built within its icy walls. Developed in partnership with one of the country’s leading hotels, the Hôtel de Glace Restaurant by Fairmont Le Château Frontenac will offer a Nordic-inspired menu of hearty dishes prepared by the Château Frontenac culinary team. Diners can take advantage of a special gastronomic experience on Fridays and Saturdays starting Jan. 15. The exclusive dinner package includes a welcome cocktail, self-guided tour of the ice hotel, a three-course meal, and round-trip shuttle service to Hôtel de Glace from Château Frontenac.

Mont-Tremblant shuttles

 Two new Montréal shuttle services have debut to help make outdoor attractions in the surrounding regions more accessible for visitors travelling without a car. The Orléans Express shuttle now connects Montréal-Trudeau International Airport to Mont-Tremblant, offering access to the mountain with two round-trip shuttles in operation per day during the winter season. Additionally, Bonjour Nature Shuttle provides day trips from Montréal to the Lanaudière region, providing access to hiking, skiing, snowshoeing

Year-round micro-cabins

For those seeking travel experiences away from the crowds, these secluded accommodations across Québec are cozy and nestled within scenic surroundings:

 

• Hauts Refuges (Charlevoix): This year-round ecotourism site features four elevated micro cabins perched high among the treetops. Ready-to-camp shelters are equipped with electricity and a nearby sanitary block offers running water and shared bathroom facilities. Wood-panelled cabins are accessible via hiking trails and can accommodate between one to six guests, making them ideal for families. The property recently joined the Les Vallons des Éboulements snowshoe trail network, which guests can access via a new three-kilometre trail (Sasquatch) located in the Hauts Refuges parking lot.
• HOM mini chalets (Outaouais): Tucked away along the forested shores of Lake McGregor, this eco-chic haven caters to solo travellers and couples looking for a wellness-focused nature retreat. The 12 intimate cottages are a step above the average glamping accommodations; luxurious amenities include personal hot tubs, hammam steam rooms and saunas.
• Farouche Tremblant (Laurentians): These Nordic-inspired micro cabins are dotted along the banks of the Diable River at the entrance of Mont Tremblant National Park. Developed by Atelier L’Abri, the four A-frame structures feature a striking minimalist architectural design and a compact floorplan that includes a king bed, sofa and gas stove. A robust agro-tourism destination, Farouche is also home to a working farm and café-bar La Buvette, which offers a farm-fresh menu alongside wine, beer and cheese from local producers.
• Laö Cabins (Eastern Townships): These nine mini chalets are surrounded by a dense 66-acre forest of maple trees. Elevated glass-encased cabins are outfitted with wood-burning fireplaces and all the camping essentials. Guests can supplement their stay with a locavore basket of gourmet bites from nearby producers in Racine, or visit the on-site Ö zone spa.

Celestial hotspots

‘Noctourism’ (nocturnal tourism) and astro adventures are on the rise according to new 2025 travel trend research from Booking.com and Skyscanner. With more and more travellers seeking out dark sky experiences, amateur astronomers are flocking to Québec for incredible celestial views. From meteor showers to the Aurora Borealis, here are some of the top spots for stargazing in the province during the dark winter months.:

• Mont-Megantic Dark-Sky Reserve: In 2007, the Mont Mégantic region became the first International Dark Sky Preserve certified by DarkSky International. Today, Mont-Mégantic National Park offers a range of astronomy-focused educational activities at ASTROLab and the Mont-Mégantic Observatory. The park also hosts special stargazing events throughout the year to coincide with meteorological happenings.
• Eeyou Istchee Baie-James: Perched above the 49th parallel, this vast region in Québec’s far north is home to wild rivers, sprawling forests and dark skies that dance with the colours of the Aurora Borealis. While it’s possible to see the Northern Lights year-round in this region, the winter months provide prime viewing opportunities given the extended hours of darkness.
• ObservEtoiles: Located on a Dark Sky Preserve at Au Diable Vert in Glen Sutton, this 184-seat open-air planetarium allows visitors to explore the cosmos alongside an astronomer. During the summer months, seasonal presentations invite visitors to don VR headsets to help illuminate the night sky, displaying digital overlays of the constellations and planets.

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