Quebec City Activities Month by Month

October 20, 2026

What you can do in Quebec City depends heavily on the month. This guide runs through the year from December, with prices in Canadian dollars (CAD). Taxes of 14.975% are often added to quoted prices. Most staff in the tourist core speak English, but greeting people in French is appreciated.

December to March

The Glissades de la Terrasse, three ice slides on Dufferin Terrace, open from mid-December and run until about mid-March, longer in a cold year. Each toboggan carries up to four people at speeds that can reach 70 km/h. The operator, Au 1884, had not published 2026 to 2027 prices when this was written. Free skating is on land at the Place D’Youville rink and the Plains of Abraham ice ring, and skates can be rented at both for about 10 CAD plus tax for adults at Place D’Youville. The river ice is usually too thin and icebreakers work the channel, so stay on the land rinks. The Plains also have about 13.9 km of free cross-country ski tracks.

The Hôtel de Glace, 30 minutes north at Valcartier, welcomes day visitors from 26 December 2026 to 21 March 2027, with the dates still to be confirmed. Admission depends on height: about 35.99 CAD online or 42.99 at the door from 1.32 m, before tax, and less for smaller visitors. Check the Valcartier ticket page .

February

Carnaval de Québec is on from 5 to 14 February 2027. An Effigie pass, needed from age 13, was about 29 CAD plus tax at the presale price. Expect night parades and the Ice Canoe Race, which the public watches from the bank. The Pentathlon des neiges is on the Plains from 13 to 21 February 2027. Details are on the Carnaval website . Rooms sell out early.

March and April

Sugar shacks open from about mid-March to the end of April. One listed shack is Cabane à sucre Familiale in Sainte-Famille on Île d’Orléans. Snow can linger, and slopes and stairs in Old Quebec stay slippery at this time of year.

May to October

Rafting on the Jacques-Cartier River runs from mid-May to mid-October on a Class III to IV stretch. The operators named by Quebec-Cité include Excursions Jacques-Cartier and New Wave Expeditions. The St Lawrence at Quebec City has no whitewater. Croisières AML sails from Quai Chouinard on cruises of about 1 hour 30 minutes, listed at about 49.99 CAD for adults and 15.00 for ages 2 to 12 before tax. Montmorency Falls is open all year, with daily access of about 13.90 CAD for adults in high season, from 11 May to 1 November 2026. The Citadelle’s changing of the guard takes place on Wednesday to Sunday mornings at 10:00 from late June to the end of August, and not in the rain.

July

The Festival d’été de Québec takes place in early to mid July. Check the festival site for exact 2027 dates and tickets, and book a bed early.

Getting around

The city has no metro, only RTC buses, and the funicular linking Upper and Lower Town costs 7 CAD one way. Bring boots with grip from November to April. You can look up guided options on Viator .