Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Quebec Winter Carnival: Montreal and Quebec City in the snow
6 days from Montreal to Quebec City in the carnival weeks: two nights in winter Montreal, VIA Rail to three nights in Old Quebec, the Hôtel de Glace, the frozen Montmorency Falls and a day in Charlevoix.
6 days · Montreal to Quebec City · up to 12 guests
Baie-Saint-Paul in Charlevoix under snow, the day 5 outing from Quebec City Photo: Hayden Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baie-Saint-Paul,_Quebec.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Start and end
- Montreal to Quebec City
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
City walking of about 4 to 7 km a day on snow, ice and steep streets in temperatures that are often well below freezing, with warm stops every hour or two; one 3-hour road day to Charlevoix, and you can sit out any walk or the whole Charlevoix day.
- Meals included
- 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 695 (estimated price)
- Season
- Quebec Winter Carnival
Highlights
Why this trip
- Three nights in Old Quebec during the Carnaval de Québec, with your Bonhomme Effigy pass included
- Bonhomme's Ice Palace lit up at night and the snow sculptures on the carnival sites
- A guided visit to the Hôtel de Glace, rebuilt from snow and ice every winter
- Montmorency Falls frozen in place, with the ice cone the spray builds at its foot
- A run down the Dufferin Terrace toboggan slide beneath the Château Frontenac
- Mount Royal in the snow, a warm Mile End bagel and the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal
- A winter day in Charlevoix: Baie-Saint-Paul under snow, with an easy way to stay in town instead
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 695 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in winter Montreal
Montréal-Trudeau International Airport to your hotel in Montreal
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Montreal
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL), about 20 km west of downtown, where a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the warm ride to your hotel by Old Montreal.
Evening
Plan to land by about 3 pm so you can settle in before the evening briefing; the exact time comes with your final itinerary. Darkness falls around 5 pm in February, and the streets of the old town look their best under snow and lamplight, so a short walk down to the frozen Old Port is worth it if you arrive early. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the week: how to dress for the cold, what the carnival holds on your dates, and how each day mixes outdoor time with warm stops. Then we walk to dinner together at a bistro serving Québécois winter cooking: pea soup, tourtière, braised meats and maple desserts.
Included
- Pick-up at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
- Welcome briefing with your guide, with a winter clothing check
- Welcome dinner of Québécois winter cooking
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Mount Royal in the snow and Old Montreal
Mount Royal to Mile End, then the underground city and Old Montreal
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Montreal
- Drive about 1 h
We start on Mount Royal, the hill that gives the city its name. The van takes us up to the chalet, and from its terrace, the Kondiaronk Belvedere, the downtown towers line up below you with the frozen St. Lawrence behind them. Beaver Lake, a short walk away, is usually a skating rink in February. Down the north side of the mountain we stop in Mile End for a bagel still warm from a wood-fired oven, which does well as a hand warmer.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal of Montreal favourites. In the afternoon your guide shows you how locals cross the city in winter, through part of the underground city, the network of passages linking metro stations, malls and office towers, before we come up in Old Montreal for Place d'Armes and the Notre-Dame Basilica, opened in 1829, with its deep blue and gold interior.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Mount Royal and the Kondiaronk Belvedere
- A Mile End bagel
- Sit-down lunch
- The underground city and Old Montreal on foot with your guide
- Entry to the Notre-Dame Basilica
Optional experiences
- Igloofest, the outdoor winter music festival in the Old Port, on the nights it runs during your dates (ticket paid on the day)
Easier option: Stay in the warm chalet on Mount Royal while others walk to Beaver Lake.
More active option: Rent skates and take a few turns on Beaver Lake, when the ice is open (rental paid on the day).
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 4 to 5 km on foot over the day, much of it indoors or on cleared paths.
By train to Quebec City and the ice hotel
Montreal to Quebec City by VIA Rail, then the Hôtel de Glace at Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in Quebec City
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
After breakfast the van leaves for Quebec City with your bags while we take a late-morning VIA Rail train from Montreal's Central Station, about three and a quarter hours along the snowy south shore of the St. Lawrence; we confirm the exact train against the VIA timetable for your dates.
Afternoon
We arrive in the early afternoon at the Gare du Palais, at the foot of Old Quebec, and the van takes your bags to the hotel, where we stay three nights. Lunch is yours, on the train or in the Lower Town. Later in the afternoon the van drives about 30 minutes north to Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier for a guided visit to the Hôtel de Glace, an ice hotel rebuilt every winter from snow and ice: carved rooms and suites, an ice chapel and an ice bar, kept just below freezing inside. We stay as the light goes and the coloured lighting comes up.
Evening
Back in the city, your guide hands out your Effigy and walks you to Bonhomme's Ice Palace, lit for the evening, and the carnival is yours.
Included
- VIA Rail from Montreal to Quebec City, with your bags carried by road
- Transfer from the Gare du Palais to your hotel
- Guided visit to the Hôtel de Glace
- Your Bonhomme Effigy, the pass to the carnival sites
- Evening walk to Bonhomme's Ice Palace with your guide
Optional experiences
- A drink in a glass carved from ice at the Hôtel de Glace bar (paid on the day)
Free time: Lunch and evening free in Old Quebec
Activity: Inside the ice hotel it stays below freezing, about -3 to -5 C; keep your coat and gloves on. If the carnival's night parade falls tonight, we set the evening around it. The train time depends on the VIA Rail timetable for your dates; we pick a late-morning departure and confirm it with your final itinerary.
Old Quebec on foot and a carnival afternoon
Upper Town to Petit-Champlain and Place Royale, then the carnival sites on the Plains of Abraham
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Quebec City
A local Quebec City guide joins your See Sight Tours guide at about 9 am for a walking tour of Old Quebec, the walled town UNESCO listed in 1985. We start on Dufferin Terrace beneath the Château Frontenac, where the toboggan slide has run in winter since 1884: everyone gets a run, sitting on a wooden toboggan down an icy chute towards the terrace. From there we follow the walls to the edge of the Plains of Abraham, then go down the Breakneck Stairs to the Petit-Champlain quarter and Place Royale, where Champlain founded the city in 1608, and ride the funicular back up.
Afternoon
Lunch is a warm sit-down meal in the old town. In the afternoon we go to the carnival on the Plains of Abraham with your guide: maple taffy poured on snow and rolled on a stick, ice slides, snow sculptures and a cup of caribou, the carnival's wine and spirit drink, if you want one.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Old Quebec walking tour with a local guide: Dufferin Terrace, the walls, the Breakneck Stairs, Petit-Champlain and Place Royale
- A run on the Dufferin Terrace toboggan slide
- The Old Quebec funicular
- Sit-down lunch in Old Quebec
- Afternoon at the carnival with your guide, with maple taffy on snow
Optional experiences
- The carnival's snow bath, night parade or ice canoe race, on the days they fall within your dates (free with the Effigy)
Easier option: Take the funicular down to the Lower Town instead of the Breakneck Stairs, and watch the toboggan run from the terrace if you prefer.
More active option: Take extra runs on the toboggan slide and the carnival's ice slides in the afternoon.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot in the morning on steep, sometimes icy streets; good boots with grip matter today. Warm stops are built in every hour or so.
The frozen falls and a day in Charlevoix
Quebec City to Montmorency Falls, along the Côte-de-Beaupré to Baie-Saint-Paul, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Quebec City
- Drive about 3 h
We drive about 15 minutes east to Montmorency Falls for around 9 am, ahead of the day groups. The falls drop 83 metres, about 30 more than Niagara, and in a cold winter the spray freezes into a tall ice cone at their foot that locals call the sugar loaf, with ice climbers sometimes on the frozen cliffs beside it. We walk the top of the falls for the view down to the St. Lawrence. Then Route 138 follows the Côte-de-Beaupré past the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and climbs into the hills of Charlevoix, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, to Baie-Saint-Paul, an artists' town in a snowy valley.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal of Charlevoix produce, then there is time for the galleries and cafés on Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
Evening
We are back in Quebec City by about 4:30 pm, and we finish together at a farewell dinner in the old town.
Included
- Montmorency Falls in winter
- Drive along the Côte-de-Beaupré into Charlevoix
- Sit-down lunch in Baie-Saint-Paul
- Time in Baie-Saint-Paul's galleries
- Farewell dinner in Old Quebec
Easier option: Skip Charlevoix: after Montmorency we send you back to Old Quebec by taxi, paid by us, for a free day at the carnival, and you rejoin the group for the farewell dinner.
More active option: Walk out across the suspension bridge over the top of the falls, when it is open in winter.
Free time: Late afternoon free before dinner
Activity: About 3 hours of driving in three legs, with stops; the 487-step staircase at Montmorency is closed in winter, and the cable car runs on a winter schedule we confirm before you travel.
A last carnival morning and home
Old Quebec to Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport or the Gare du Palais
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
The last morning is unhurried. After breakfast you have time for one more walk on the walls, a last run on the toboggan slide, a coffee in the Lower Town or a final visit to the carnival sites, which open in the late morning; your guide stays in the old town and is around for questions and directions. Bags come down by late morning, and the van leaves Old Quebec at about 12:30 pm for Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), about 16 km and 25 minutes away in normal winter traffic. If you are taking the train back to Montreal, or staying on in Quebec City for the rest of the carnival, we drop you at the Gare du Palais or your hotel instead. Your guide checks your flight or train before saying goodbye. If you want to stay longer, we can add hotel nights in Quebec City before or after the trip.
Included
- Free morning in Old Quebec, with your Effigy still valid on the carnival sites
- Drop-off at Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), the Gare du Palais or an Old Quebec hotel
Optional experiences
- Extra hotel nights in Quebec City to stay on for the rest of the carnival (priced at booking)
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 3:30 pm: we reach YQB around 1 pm, which leaves room for a slow winter road. Or take an afternoon VIA Rail train to Montreal.
- Montreal2 nights
- Quebec City3 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Late January and February are the coldest weeks of the Quebec winter: days often between about -10 and -20 C, colder with wind, short daylight (sunrise around 7:15 am, sunset around 5 pm in early February) and snow on the ground throughout. The cold is what makes the trip: the ice hotel, the frozen falls and the snow sculptures exist because of it. A heavy snowfall or extreme cold can change the order of a day; your guide moves outdoor visits to the best window.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want to see Quebec in its real season, with snow, ice and the carnival
- First-time visitors to Montreal and Quebec City who prefer a short trip with a train between the cities
- Friends and couples who like a festival but want someone else to handle the tickets, hotels and transport
- Solo travellers who would rather not navigate a winter festival alone
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who dislikes the cold: most of the day is spent outdoors at -10 C or below
- Step-free access: Old Quebec is steep, icy in places and full of stairs
- Travellers after skiing, dog sledding or a wilderness lodge; this is a city and festival trip
- Anyone who wants whales, Tadoussac or autumn colour; see our summer Quebec trip
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
5 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Montreal2 nights
- Quebec City3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 5 nights: 2 in Montreal by the old town, 3 in Quebec City inside or just outside the walls of Old Quebec, a walk from the carnival sites
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) on day 1 and drop-off at Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), the Gare du Palais or an Old Quebec hotel on day 6
- VIA Rail from Montreal to Quebec City, with your bags carried by road
- A private vehicle with winter tyres and a driver for the group
- The Old Quebec funicular
- A taxi back to Old Quebec on day 5 if you skip the Charlevoix day
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, with a local Quebec City guide for the Old Quebec walking tour and the Hôtel de Glace's own guide for the ice hotel visit
Activities
- Mount Royal and the Kondiaronk Belvedere, Montreal
- The underground city and Old Montreal on foot, with entry to the Notre-Dame Basilica
- Guided visit to the Hôtel de Glace, Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier
- Your Bonhomme Effigy, the pass to the Quebec Winter Carnival sites
- Evening walk to Bonhomme's Ice Palace, Quebec City
- Old Quebec walking tour with a local guide
- A run on the Dufferin Terrace toboggan slide, Quebec City
- An afternoon at the carnival with your guide, with maple taffy on snow
- Montmorency Falls in winter
- A day in Charlevoix and Baie-Saint-Paul
Meals
- Breakfast daily (5)
- 3 lunches: Montreal, Old Quebec and Baie-Saint-Paul
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Montreal and a farewell dinner in Old Quebec
- A Mile End bagel and maple taffy on snow
Not included
- International flights to Montreal and home from Quebec City
- Canadian entry documents (eTA or visa)
- Travel insurance, including cover for winter weather delays
- Winter clothing and boots
- Meals not listed, including lunch on day 3 and dinners on days 2, 3 and 4
- Drinks, including alcohol with included meals and caribou at the carnival
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Optional activities such as Igloofest tickets and skate rental
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 695 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Five nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, three lunches and two dinners, VIA Rail from Montreal to Quebec City with your bags sent by road, airport transfers at both ends, a private vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, your carnival Effigy, the Hôtel de Glace visit, the toboggan run, the Notre-Dame Basilica, Montmorency Falls and the Charlevoix day.
When does the trip run, and is it tied to the carnival dates?
Yes. Departures run only in late January to mid-February, inside the Quebec Winter Carnival. The carnival announces its dates each year, and recent editions ran about ten days in early to mid-February, so we publish our departures once its dates are out, with your three Quebec City days inside them.
How cold will it be?
Very cold. Days in Quebec City in February are often between about -10 and -20 C, and colder with the wind. We plan short outdoor stretches with warm stops, and the hotels are a walk from the carnival so you can warm up between visits. Dress in layers with a long insulated coat and winter boots.
What is the Bonhomme Effigy?
The Effigy is the carnival's pass: a small figure of Bonhomme, the snowman mascot, worn on your coat. It gets you onto the carnival sites and into many of the events for the whole festival; we confirm with the carnival exactly what it covers in your year. We buy one for every guest and hand it out on day 3, so you can use it on your free evenings too.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to fit inside one warm bistro together, keep track of each other in a carnival crowd, and board the train and the van quickly when it is cold.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with you from the Montreal airport to the drop-off in Quebec City. A local Quebec City guide joins for the Old Quebec walking tour, and the Hôtel de Glace has its own guides for the visit. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately. Expect 4 to 7 km on foot most days, on snow, ice and steep streets in Old Quebec, so steady footing and good boots matter more than fitness. The funicular replaces the Breakneck Stairs, and you can sit out any walk or skip the Charlevoix day for a free day in town.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
A room of your own is from CAD 695 more, shown before you book, with no other extra for travelling alone. If you would rather share, tell us when you request to book and we will try to pair you with another solo guest; if we can, you pay the twin-share price.
Do I need a visa or an eTA for Canada?
It depends on your passport. Most visa-exempt travellers flying to Canada need an eTA, applied for online before you fly. US citizens need only a valid passport. Some nationalities need a visitor visa. Check the Government of Canada rules for your nationality when you book.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We check the hotels, the train and the carnival arrangements and confirm your trip within 24 hours. No payment is taken when you request; we tell you the next steps when we confirm.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, with your own guide and vehicle, on a date you choose in the winter season, from CAD 7,335 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the hotels, train and visits.
Is there a summer version of this trip?
Yes. Our Montreal, Quebec City and Charlevoix trip runs from June to early October over 7 days, with Île d'Orléans and a whale-watching cruise at Tadoussac instead of the carnival, the ice hotel and the frozen falls.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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