Quebec City in December means snow on the ramparts, the wooden stalls of the Marché de Noël allemand (German Christmas Market) and the skating rinks of Old Quebec. This guide answers the question “what are the best things to do in Quebec City during the holidays?” for the 2026-2027 season and brings together the must-do activities of the holiday season: Christmas markets, skating rinks, light trails, New Year’s Eve and Carnaval. The December dates were verified in October 2026.
Looking for family-friendly holiday activities, a romantic getaway or a New Year’s Eve night out? Every suggestion starts from downtown Quebec City: Hôtel Le Saint-Édouard, at 330 rue de la Couronne, in the Saint-Roch neighborhood (Nouvo St-Roch).
Holiday Season in Quebec City 2026: The Key Dates
The holiday season in Quebec City starts well before Christmas. What is there to do in Quebec City in December? Almost everything. The Parade des jouets (Toy Parade) kicks off the Christmas festivities on November 14, 2026. The German Christmas Market in Quebec City follows from November 19 to December 23, 2026, and the Grand Marché de Noël (Grand Christmas Market) runs from November 21 to December 24, 2026.
The Salon des artisans de Québec fills the end of November (November 27 to December 6, 2026), ideal for Christmas shopping with local artisans. The Marché du Noël d’Antan de Cap-Santé, from November 27 to 29, 2026, brings old-fashioned Christmas traditions back to life in the Portneuf region.
Between Christmas and New Year’s, the festive mood changes neighborhoods, and the holiday events move to the Upper Town. The Kaléidoscopes festival livens up Old Quebec from December 27 to 31, 2026. On December 31, the city rings in the New Year with a free celebration. Then the Hôtel de Glace (Ice Hotel) reopens on January 4, 2027, and the Carnaval de Québec (Québec Winter Carnival) returns from February 5 to 14, 2027.
| Event | 2026-2027 Dates | Where |
|---|---|---|
| German Christmas Market (Marché de Noël allemand de Québec) | November 19 to December 23, 2026 | Old Quebec, 6 sites |
| Grand Christmas Market (Grand Marché de Noël) | November 21 to December 24, 2026 | Grand Marché de Québec |
| Kaléidoscopes | December 27 to 31, 2026 | Old Quebec |
| New Year’s Eve in Quebec City | December 31, 2026 | Parliament Hill |
| Hôtel de Glace (Ice Hotel) | January 4 to March 13, 2027 | Village Vacances Valcartier |
| Carnaval de Québec | February 5 to 14, 2027 | Quebec City |
Traveling with your dog? Our pet-friendly hotel in Quebec City also welcomes pets over the holiday break.
Christmas Day and New Year’s Day: What’s Open
On Christmas Day and January 1, most museums and shops close. Several winter activities still stay open, according to the Destination Québec cité list updated in September 2026:
- the Place D’Youville skating rink and the Dufferin Terrace toboggan slide (Au 1884);
- Onhwa’ Lumina, Bora Parc and the snow slides at Village Vacances Valcartier;
- Montmorency Falls Park (Parc de la Chute-Montmorency), open on December 25 without services;
- the Musée du Monastère des Augustines, open on December 25;
- the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and Strøm Nordic spa, open on January 1.
On December 24, the heritage churches of Old Quebec host holiday concerts and services, including midnight mass (2026 schedules [TO VERIFY] with the parishes).
Holiday opening hours vary from year to year. Call before you go, especially for restaurants open during the holiday season. On other winter days, Quebec City’s museums are a good escape from the cold: the Musée de la civilisation, the Aquarium du Québec or the region’s Nordic spas.
Christmas Markets: The Christmas Magic of Old Quebec
Christmas markets are the easiest way to experience the magic of Christmas in Quebec City. Old Quebec, with its narrow streets and New France setting, is a natural fit for European Christmas traditions. Our hotel near Old Quebec is about a 20-minute walk from the first market stalls.
German Christmas Market in Quebec City, November 19 to December 23, 2026
The German Christmas Market in Quebec City sets up from November 19 to December 23, 2026, across six sites: Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, the Hôtel-de-Ville gardens, Place d’Armes, rue Sainte-Anne, Place D’Youville and the back courtyard of Holy Trinity Cathedral. Admission is free.
The German Christmas Market is open Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (6 p.m. on Sundays), then every day from December 21 to 23. Expect crowds on weekends. The wooden stalls serve mulled wine, pretzels and German crafts under the holiday lights. The setting is magical, and admission is free.
Organizers’ tip: street parking fills up fast in the evening and on weekends.
Grand Christmas Market and the Illuminated Petit-Champlain
The Grand Marché de Noël runs from November 21 to December 24, 2026, at the Grand Marché de Québec on boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel. This indoor Christmas market brings together local products: Christmas gifts you can shop for out of the winter cold.
The Petit-Champlain district and Place-Royale form the most photographed Christmas village in the city: a giant Christmas tree, twinkling lights and decorations in every shop window. A walk through the area is all it takes to soak up the magic, with no ticket and no schedule. Evenings there are magical, especially in the snow.
In the Quartier Petit Champlain, in past years, choirs and the Flip Fabrique troupe gave free performances on December weekends (2026 program [TO VERIFY]). The Boutique de Noël on rue de Buade and the Château Frontenac round out the stroll. Farther along, rue Saint-Jean keeps its shops open for Christmas shopping; a gift card for a museum or a spa makes a great last-minute gift.
Plan Your Holiday Getaway Near the German Christmas Market
Park once, then walk to the Christmas markets. The best rate is guaranteed on our website.
Skating Rinks and Slides: Things to Do During the Holiday Season
Skating and sliding remain the holiday season activities Quebecers love most. Snow is sometimes late to arrive, but three refrigerated ice rinks and two sliding sites keep the season going in December.
Place D’Youville Skating Rink, Plains of Abraham Ice Ring and Discoglace
The Place D’Youville skating rink, at the foot of Porte Saint-Jean, is open from mid-November to mid-March. Its refrigeration system keeps the ice in good shape even during thaws, with skate rentals on site.
The ice ring on the Plains of Abraham offers more room: a refrigerated ice ring open from mid-December to mid-March, with skate rentals. At the Port of Québec, Discoglace combines skating and music from late December to early March.
Domaine Maizerets, east of downtown, adds a rink lit up at night on a heritage site.
Feel like skating indoors?
- The Méga Parc at Galeries de la Capitale has an indoor ice trail.
- The Centre de glaces Intact Assurance offers public skating sessions.
- Parc de la Pointe-aux-Lièvres, near Saint-Roch, has an ice trail of about 1.5 km along the Saint-Charles River.
Sliding as a Family: Dufferin Terrace and Village Vacances Valcartier
The Dufferin Terrace toboggan slide, run by Au 1884, races down the slope at the foot of the Château Frontenac from mid-December to mid-March. Kids love the slide. Your best winter memories often start right there.
Among the family things to do during the holiday season, the biggest playground is in the northern suburbs. In Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Village Vacances Valcartier brings together snow slides, Bora Parc (an indoor water park) and the Hôtel de Glace.
For the outdoors, Destination Québec cité also suggests snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing at Stoneham or Mont-Sainte-Anne, fat biking and dogsledding, all less than 30 minutes from Quebec City. You can go fat biking at Empire 47, among other places, and snowshoeing in Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier.
A family of six? The family room sleeps up to 6 people, kids included.
Christmas in Quebec City After Dark: Immersive Evening Experiences
Christmas in Quebec City also happens after sunset, around 4 p.m. in December, when the city lights up. These evenings feel like stepping into a holiday movie. Two multimedia light shows created with Moment Factory stay open through the winter, and one of them is in our neighborhood.
AURA at Saint-Roch Church, in Our Neighborhood
AURA turns the interior of Saint-Roch Church into a 45-minute show: projections, light effects and orchestral music. Moment Factory has already presented AURA in Montreal and Paris. AURA runs year-round at dusk; showtimes change with the season.
Saint-Roch Church is in the same neighborhood as the hotel, downtown. The perfect evening: AURA, then dinner in Saint-Roch. Our guide to things to do in Quebec City has more ideas.
Onhwa’ Lumina, Wendake’s Illuminated Trail
Onhwa’ Lumina is a 1.2 km illuminated trail through the forest in Wendake. Seven stations tell the myths and traditions of the Huron-Wendat Nation through light, music and projections. Allow 50 minutes of walking through the forest, in the snow.
Onhwa’ Lumina is open year-round, except in November and April. In winter, the snow enhances the projections. Onhwa’ Lumina is also one of the attractions open on Christmas Day and January 1.
New Year’s Eve in Quebec City: Where to Celebrate on December 31, 2026
New Year’s Eve in Quebec City is celebrated outdoors, in the cold and in a crowd. For 2026, Destination Québec cité has announced a free celebration on December 31 in the Parliament Hill and Plains of Abraham area. The 2026 program hasn’t been released yet (artists, stage and fireworks [TO VERIFY]).
In 2025, the New Year’s celebration took place at Place de l’Assemblée-Nationale, with the Toboggan festival on Grande Allée from December 29 to 31. The heated patios of Grande Allée, steps from the Fontaine de Tourny and the Assemblée nationale (Parliament Building), remain a great meeting spot before the midnight countdown. New Year’s Eve on Grande Allée is still a Quebec City tradition.
Before the December 31 celebration, start your evening at NouVO Cuisine & Mixologie: Italian-inspired tapas and signature cocktails, every evening from 5 p.m.
Kaléidoscopes, December 27 to 31 in Old Quebec
Kaléidoscopes takes over from the German Christmas Market after Christmas. From December 27 to 31, 2026, the festival presents more than 30 free shows in Old Quebec: theater, music and visual arts, on the German Christmas Market sites. It’s the ideal activity between Christmas and New Year’s, when the markets are closed.
To keep the night going, check out our list of original restaurants to try in Quebec City.
After the Holidays: Hôtel de Glace and Carnaval de Québec 2027
Once the holiday vacation is over, winter carries on. The Hôtel de Glace is open from January 4 to March 13, 2027, at Village Vacances Valcartier: grand hall, chapel, rooms and an ice bar.
The Carnaval de Québec returns from February 5 to 14, 2027. During the Carnaval de Québec, downtown parking is in very high demand.
Book Your New Year’s Stay in Quebec City Direct
Ring in the New Year downtown, without getting back in the car. See our stay packages for the end of the year.
Things to Do in Quebec City During the Holidays Without Hunting for Parking
What are the best things to do in Quebec City during the holidays when you arrive by car? First, park the car. Hôtel Le Saint-Édouard offers on-site parking with EV charging stations, at $32 plus taxes per night. Then, Quebec City is best explored on foot: Old Quebec is about 20 minutes away, Gare du Palais 5 minutes and the Centre des congrès 10 minutes.
Your car stays in the hotel’s parking lot for your whole stay.
A Downtown Stay Between Saint-Roch and Old Quebec
A stay at Le Saint-Édouard puts your getaway downtown, in the Saint-Roch neighborhood. The hotel, a WorldHotels Distinctive member since May 1, 2026 (formerly Best Western Plus), has everything you need after a day outdoors:
- an indoor pool to warm up after skating;
- a fitness room open 24 hours;
- breakfast at Le 330 before heading out to the Christmas markets;
- NouVO in the evening, for tapas and cocktails.
Have a question about your holiday season stay? Call 418 649-1919.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas in Quebec City and the Holiday Season
Is the German Christmas Market Free?
Yes. Admission to the German Christmas Market in Quebec City is free at all six sites, from November 19 to December 23, 2026.
What’s Open on December 25 and January 1 in Quebec City?
According to Destination Québec cité, the Place D’Youville skating rink, the Au 1884 slide, Onhwa’ Lumina, the ski resorts, Unitours city tours and several spas stay open, but several museums close.
Where Can You Park to Visit Old Quebec During the Holidays?
Street parking is limited during the Christmas market; paid public parking lots surround the old city, such as the one at Place D’Youville. The easiest option: leave the car at the hotel and enjoy the city on foot.
What Is There to Do in Quebec City in November, Before the Holidays?
November kicks off the season with the Parade des jouets on November 14, 2026, the German Christmas Market from November 19, the Grand Marché de Noël from November 21 and the Salon des artisans from November 27. Our advice: a November visit lets you discover what’s new and soak up the atmosphere of the heart of the city before the crowds.
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