12:00 PM · 40 min
Taxi from YQB to Old Québec
Easiest way into the walled city with luggage
Day-by-day plan, $5
Québec Winter Carnival
For anyone in Québec City Feb 12 – 15: all 4 days planned, 21 places in order.
Get the plan · $5
Apple Pay · Google Pay · card 7-day refund
- Its places average 4.4 on Google14 rated places, 73,722 reviews
- Facts checked Nov 11, 20264 sources, listed below
Stroll Old Québec past the Château Frontenac, join Carnival parades and snow sculptures, see Montmorency Falls frozen solid, and finish with a relaxed toboggan slide.
The plan
4 days · 21 stops
What it's like in FebruaryExpect highs around -4°C (25°F) and lows near -14°C (7°F). Pack layers, a warm hat, and waterproof boots for snowy days.
Day 1 · Fri, Feb 12
Old Québec and Bonhomme at night
Arrival, toboggan run, historic squares, then the lit Ice Palace.
Photo: Steffen Winkler / Google2:00 PM · 1 h
Dufferin Terrace
Historical landmarkThe 1884 wooden slide drops at up to 70 km/h
4.8(2,563)Google$
2 min
Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.03:15 PM · 30 min
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac
HotelQuébec's iconic castle hotel; stunning in winter light
4.7(27,756)Googlefree
3:50 PM · 15 min
Funicular down to Petit-Champlain
Skips the icy Breakneck Steps with a view
4 min
Photo: Gilbert Bochenek / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.04:15 PM · 45 min
Place Royale
Historical landmarkBirthplace of French North America, charming in snow
4.7(2,756)Googlefree
7 min
Photo: Jeangagnon / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.06:30 PM · 1 h 30 min
Aux Anciens Canadiens
RestaurantTourtière and maple sugar pie in a c.1675 house
4.4(3,501)Google$$$
7 min
Day 2 · Sat, Feb 13
Carnival sites and the night parade
Snow sculptures, sugar shack lunch, then the evening parade.
Photo: John Barry / Google9 min
Photo: Guillaume Cattiaux / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.010:30 AM · 2 h 30 min
Plains of Abraham
ParkSnow sculptures, family games, and possibly the snow bath
4.7(8,271)GoogleEffigy required
9 min
Photo: Jason H / Google1:15 PM · 1 h 15 min
Restaurant La Buche
RestaurantPea soup, maple bacon, and indoor maple taffy
4.5(10,662)Google$$
12 min
Photo: Deb Seibel / Google3:00 PM · 2 h
Place George-V
City parkMain Carnival hub with big slides and warm tents
4.5(187)GoogleEffigy required
15 min
Photo: Le Petit Château / Google5:15 PM · 1 h 15 min
Restaurant Le Petit Château
RestaurantClassic Old Quebec bistro near Saint-Jean, warm and hearty for winter.
3.8(1,569)Google$$
19 min
17 min
Photo: Krishna Prabhu / Google9:30 PM · 1 h 15 min
Pub St-Alexandre
BrewpubWood-paneled pub for Caribou and Québec microbrews
4.1(2,815)Google$$
Day 3 · Sun, Feb 14
Frozen falls and a romantic dinner
Frozen Montmorency Falls, Hôtel de Glace, Valentine's dinner
8:15 AM · 30 min
Pick up shuttle or rental car
Skip Old Québec parking by renting for one day
Photo: Parc de la Chute-Montmorency - Accès principal / Google9:00 AM · 2 h
Parc de la Chute-Montmorency
Park83-meter falls freeze into a cone for ice climbers
4.6(1,490)Google$$
30 min
Photo: Steven / Google12:30 PM · 1 h
Ashton
Fast food restaurantQuébec's cult poutine chain, hearty fuel for cold festival days.
3.8(1,273)Google$$
10 min
Photo: Lapin Sauté / Google7:30 PM · 2 h
Le Lapin Sauté
RestaurantIntimate Old Québec bistro serving Québécois rabbit and maple dishes.
4.6(4,518)Google$$
Day 4 · Mon, Feb 15
Breakfast, one slide, then home
Croissants on Saint-Jean, then Inuit art before flying
Photo: John Barry / Google9 min
Photo: Sasha Voinov / Google9:45 AM · 30 min
Au 1884
Sandwich shopSpeed down an 1884 wooden toboggan chute above the frozen river.
4.2(350)Google$$
12:15 PM · 40 min
Taxi to YQB for departure
Comfortable buffer before your flight
Take it with you
Every day is here to read. The app adds offline maps, the next stop and the walk to it as you go, and updates until Feb 12.
- 4-day Presidents' Day weekend plan
- Effigy prices and the Carnival sites
- Frozen Montmorency Falls and the toboggan slide
- Offline maps in the app
Apple Pay · Google Pay · card 7-day refund
Give it as a giftNot ready yet? Tell Sally why.
Thanks, that helps.
Sally can plan your ownRead Day 1 freeGood to know
- The 2027 Québec Winter Carnival runs from February 5 to 14, 2027.carnaval.qc.ca · checked Nov 11, 2026
- The Effigy, the Carnival's official pass, costs $29 + tax in presale until January 17, 2027 and $39 + tax from January 18 to February 14; it isn't required for children 12 and under.carnaval.qc.ca · checked Nov 11, 2026
- The Effigy is sold online at lepointdevente.com, at participating Brunet stores from November 12, and on the Carnival sites from February 5 to 14, 2027.carnaval.qc.ca · checked Nov 11, 2026
- Bonjour Québec lists an ice palace, night parades, ice and snow sculptures and an ice canoe race among the 2027 activities, without dates or times.bonjourquebec.com · checked Nov 11, 2026
Quebec Winter Carnival 2027: how the closing weekend works
This four-day plan is for a couple at the 2027 Québec Winter Carnival, which runs February 5 to 14. It takes the closing weekend, Friday to Monday, staying inside the walls of Old Québec, on foot except for one day by shuttle or rental car. It is built around Bonhomme's Ice Palace lit at night, a Saturday on the Carnival sites with the Effigy pass, the Dufferin Terrace toboggan slide and frozen Montmorency Falls.
How the four days fit together
Friday night and Saturday go to the Carnival sites, and Sunday, the last Carnival day, goes to Montmorency Falls. If you are choosing between winter trips, the Sapporo Snow Festival plan covers February 4 to 11, 2027, the same weeks, and northern lights in Tromsø is another February plan.
- Day 1, Old Québec: a taxi from YQB into the walled city, the toboggan slide on Dufferin Terrace, the Château Frontenac, the funicular down to Petit-Champlain and Place Royale, dinner at Aux Anciens Canadiens, then Bonhomme's Ice Palace lit up at Place de l'Assemblée-Nationale.
- Day 2, the Carnival sites: snow sculptures on the Plains of Abraham, a sugar-shack lunch with maple taffy on snow at Restaurant La Buche, the slides and warm tents at Place George-V, a night parade on Grande Allée if one runs, then a Caribou at Pub St-Alexandre.
- Day 3, Montmorency Falls: a shuttle or one-day rental car to the frozen falls and the cable car, poutine at Ashton, an open afternoon, and a Valentine's dinner at Le Lapin Sauté.
- Day 4: croissants at Paillard on Rue Saint-Jean, then a taxi to YQB.
The Effigy pass and what's on at the Carnival
The Effigy is the Carnival's official pass. It costs $29 plus tax in presale until January 17, 2027, then $39 plus tax from January 18 to February 14, and children 12 and under don't need one. It's sold online at lepointdevente.com, at participating Brunet stores from November 12, and on the Carnival sites from February 5 to 14. This plan needs it for the Ice Palace, the Plains of Abraham and Place George-V, and its tip is to buy it at the gate on Friday night.
Bonjour Québec lists an ice palace, night parades, ice and snow sculptures and an ice canoe race among the 2027 activities, without dates or times so far. Confirm the parade and the snow bath on carnaval.qc.ca before building an evening around them.
Things to do in Quebec City in winter
- The toboggan slide on Dufferin Terrace, an 1884 wooden run that reaches up to 70 km/h, rated 4.8 on Google by 2,563 reviewers; buy a 4-ride ticket at the kiosk.
- Bar 1608 inside the Château Frontenac, for a fireside cocktail.
- The funicular down to Petit-Champlain, about $5 CAD, which skips the icy Breakneck Steps.
- Tourtière and maple sugar pie at Aux Anciens Canadiens, in a house from about 1675.
- Montmorency Falls, 83 meters high, which freezes into a cone for ice climbers; the cable car gives the best view of the basin.
What to book ahead
- The Effigy, before January 17 for the $29 presale price.
- Dinner at Aux Anciens Canadiens, which the plan says sells out on Carnival weekend.
- Montmorency Falls entry and the cable car, online through Sépaq.
- The Valentine's table at Le Lapin Sauté.
- The car or shuttle for Day 3, with winter tires.
How this plan was made. Sally, Highlights' AI trip planner, wrote it from a brief written for this trip. Its stops are matched to their Google Maps listings (checked Nov 12, 2026), and the ratings, hours and addresses come from Google. Each fact under Good to know links the page it came from and the day it was checked.
Questions
When is the Quebec Winter Carnival 2027?
February 5 to 14, 2027. This plan takes the closing weekend: it arrives on Friday, spends Saturday the 13th on the Carnival sites, goes to Montmorency Falls on Sunday the 14th, the last Carnival day, and flies home on Monday. The Effigy is sold on the sites for the whole run.
How cold is Québec City in February?
Typical February weather is highs around -4°C (25°F) and lows near -14°C (7°F). Pack layers, a warm hat and waterproof boots. The plan's first tip is to carry ice cleats in your carry-on, because you will need them right away, and the sugar-shack tents at Place George-V are where it ducks in when the wind bites.
What do people do during Carnaval?
Bonjour Québec lists an ice palace, night parades, ice and snow sculptures and an ice canoe race for 2027. On this plan that means Bonhomme's Ice Palace lit at night, the snow sculptures on the Plains of Abraham, the big slides and food trucks at Place George-V, maple taffy on snow, and a Caribou, the Carnival drink, in a warm pub.
Do you need a car for the Québec Winter Carnival?
Not inside the walls. This plan takes a taxi from YQB, then goes on foot in Old Québec and on the Carnival sites. It uses a shuttle, rideshare or one-day rental car only for Montmorency Falls, and the tip is to confirm winter tires and skip parking in Old Québec by renting for just that day.
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