Looking for a magical destination to celebrate a ‘white’ Christmas with your family? Look no further than Quebec City, a place full of history, fun and delicious food.
It has the feel of a Europe, but is logistically simpler and less crowded. It’s a place that feels safe for families and is easy to navigate.
While you can just stay and enjoy the city by seeing the sights, a little prior planning will help make your Christmas trip to Quebec City extra special.
Location of your hotel
Staying the right location is a key to making things feel easier in Quebec City. The 'Old Town' absolutely oozes Christmas atmosphere, with Christmas decorations lining every street and twinkling lights creating a mesmerising scene. This is true during the day, but more especially at night. Staying in, or near, the Old Town is a bit like staying in the ‘Disney bubble’. You never have to leave the magic. Everything is within walking distance.
We stayed at Hotel Palace Royal and highly recommend it as a great base for larger families. Our suite contained a bedroom with two queen beds, and a living room with a sofa bed, as well as a relatively large bathroom. The best part of our room was the view out over the old city, right down to the river. We absolutely loved it.
Our hotel contained a tropically-themed indoor pool which was a huge hit with the kids and gave us a place to defrost a bit after busy, but cold, mornings. There was a restaurant and a small convenience store on site as well - great for times when we just needed a quick snack.
The best thing about the hotel was its location. The screenshot below from Google Maps shows you the proximity of this hotel to the Old Town (the hotel is the red pin). It was a one-minute walk to shopping laneways and we could be at the waterfront within ten minutes.
Our hotel was also just steps from the Old City stone ramparts (wall) and gateway, and the Place D'Youville outdoor ice-skating rink. This is a beautiful spot overlooked by the hotel. It opens at a different time each year (probably depending on the weather), so it’s worth checking the official Quebec City Christmas Guide for the dates of your visit. Coming from an area known for its temperate rainforest, humid summers and mild winters, having something like this on our hotel’s doorstep just helped reinforce the difference and specialness of our white Christmas experience.
There are some extremely family-friendly hotels in Quebec City which are cheaper and appear more fun on paper, but it is definitely worth taking into consideration the walkability of your accommodation choice and whether it helps reinforce the vibe of your vacation.
Check the official Quebec City Christmas Guide to ensure you don’t miss the most iconic Christmas activities
Some of the Christmas events only begin in the week or two before Christmas. The Dufferin Terrace toboggan, for example, will usually open in mid-December. If you arrive in early December and hope to enjoy a toboggan ride, you may be disappointed. It is also weather-dependent, so make sure you seize the opportunity to ride the toboggan when you have it!
The German Christmas Markets are another ingredient for an amazing Christmas in Quebec City, but these don’t run every night, so check the calendar to make sure your visit aligns with at least one night of markets – perhaps two, in case inclement weather results in their closure. There are multiple market locations spread across the Old Town and the booths are outdoors, so a blizzard or heavy snowfall can really impact them.
Make a plan for Christmas Day
A lot of activities close on Christmas Day itself. If you are hoping for a magical Christmas Day, plan ahead and check with your hotel to see if you can book in a special meal. Quebec City is a beautiful setting for celebrating Christmas, but make sure you have some plans for the day to help you create extra special memories.
Research events in the area
You won’t be able to do every activity you come across, but it’s definitely worth doing some research before you head to Quebec City. We enjoyed a mix of pre-booked activities and spontaneous fun. For us, the activities we pre-booked were: Dog sledding with Adventure Inukshuk, visiting the Benjo toy shop to walk through the VIP children’s entrance, visiting Village Vacances Valcartier for snow tubing and snow play, and visiting Montmorency Falls. We decided to hire a car for a couple of days to make it easier to enjoy these activities, which also gave us the freedom to explore some of the quaint small towns around the city as well. If we had not pre-planned and pre-booked the activities and our car, we would have had a lot less flexibility with our larger family. Rideshare services have limited options for families of six, and finding cars available at the right time would have been tricky! (We learnt this when we tried to book a taxi to take us to the train station at the end of our trip. In the end, the same taxi driver made two trips for our family, which is fine for a short trip, but would not have worked for a long drive to Valcartier!)
Plan a food budget, because the food is amazing!
Honestly, foodies will love the French-inspired foods available in Quebec City. For familieis, there are also plenty of healthy, familiar options. You certainly won't be stuck with chicken nuggets/tenders and chips here. Some of our ‘must try’ favourite foods from Quebec:
- Poutine: It’s like the official dish of Quebec
- Market foods such as hot drinks, pretzels and doughnuts
- Real hot chocolate
- Beavertails pastry
- French onion soup
- Mary’s Popcorn: There are two stores in the Old Town precinct
If you plan ahead, do some research into event dates and weather, book accommodation close to (or in) the Old Town and organise transportation, you will have a wonderful time in Quebec City. It will be beautiful whether it is snowing (we even had a blizzard) or fine. You will have fun whether you plan a jam-packed itinerary or just wander the streets. You will be able to eat something different at every meal or stick to the familiar favourites. It's the perfect mix of new and familiar, dusted with Christmas magic. The twinkling lights that fill the quaint laneways at night truly create an environment that is hard to match.
We hope our tips help you plan your own trip to Quebec City. Please reach out with any questions!
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