When the words ‘family holiday’, crossed the dinner table, it took no convincing for my two brothers – Nikko and Luka – and me to say yes to joining our parents Annemarie and Jim on a trip to Québec, Canada.
In fact, it took less than an hour for us to find flights, book and start packing for our trip.
Grabbing our warmest winter coats and boots, we soon had our gear packed, but no idea what delights we were in for.
Setting off from home in Sydney, three flights and almost 24 hours later we landed in a winter wonderland.
Stepping off the plane into a chilly minus 25 degrees, we gasped seeing the trees blanketed in white and flurries of snow floating in the air. It was the start of an adventure of a lifetime.
We stayed in Charlesbourg, a quiet suburb nine kilometres from the city centre.
For 141 days of the year, Québec City has at least a centimetre of snow on the ground. In winter – which was when we were there – it can be as deep as 53cm.
While snow makes everything magical, covering every rooftop and tree, it can make getting around quite dangerous.
Each morning we waited for a snowplough to clear the snow and ice from our street before we could set out on our daily adventure.
What to do in Québec?
Old Québec
Despite the many different cultural influences, the city has a distinct French character, and the official language is French.
Taking a stroll through Old Québec, we loved the enchanting town with its European charm and stunning architecture.
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, the walled old city has architecture dating back over 400 years.
In Upper Town is the impressive Chateau Frontenac – one of the world’s most photographed hotels – and Notre-Dame Basilica-Cathedral, which has been there since 1647.
Lower Town is where the city was first settled, and there we explored Petit-Champlain, one of the oldest shopping streets.
It felt like being in Paris with the cobblestones and 17th and 18th century buildings.
At night the trees were filled with fairy lights, and decorations lined every door and street corner.
Working up an appetite, we tried Québec’s most famous dish, Poutine – hot chips, topped with fresh cheese curds and gravy.
For sweet treats, Québec is famous for maple syrup, and I recommend trying a maple taffy on snow – a Canadian tradition.
Maple syrup is boiled, then poured in lines on clean snow. As it cools, popsicle sticks are used to roll the maple taffy into a lollipop. It’s absolutely delicious!
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Winter Carnival
If you visit in February, like we did, you’ll get to enjoy one of the world’s biggest winter festivals!
A magical part of winter since 1955, the Québec Winter Carnival happens over 10 days, celebrating winter and Nordic culture.
Each year, sculptors create works of art from giant blocks of snow and ice, transforming the city into an outdoor museum.
From canoe races to ice slides, sleigh rides, ice skating, ice fishing and axe throwing, there’s something for everyone.
Braving the icy night, we rugged up in five layers and, armed with a hot chocolate, explored huge ice sculptures.
Bonhomme’s Ice Palace was one of my favourites – hand carved each year out of ice, it seemed to be plucked from a fairytale.
At 45 metres tall, the sculpture had nine rooms and was illuminated in colourful lights.
It takes around 2800 blocks of ice to build the palace with each block weighing 136 kilos!
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Dog sledding
Waking up to a fresh dump of snow, there was one thing on our minds – SNOW DAY!
There’s no better way to travel over the winter landscape than on a sled guided by a team of dogs.
Dogsledding has a long history entwined in the culture of Québec. Originally a means of transport to carry supplies over snow, today dogsledding is a popular sport and fun way to explore – and it’s a must-do for tourists.
We chose the family-run company, Aventure Inukshuk. Having rented a car for the duration of our trip, we made the 30 minute drive to the Duchesnay Tourist Resort.
There, we were guided through the snow trails by a team of six husky friends and an experienced guide known as a ‘musher’.
As we sat back to enjoy the ride, the snowy landscapes were like something out of a Christmas movie.
Being long-haired dogs, huskies are naturally well dressed for the occasion, but for us passengers it can get quite cold. Make sure to wrap up in thermal winter woollies.
If you return to the shack as a human ice block, like I did, rest assured you can warm your mittens in front of a toasty wood fire, with a steaming cup of hot chocolate and a cuddle up to thank your fur crew.
The sleigh ride through the snow-covered woods was hands down my favourite experience of the entire trip!
When choosing a dogsledding company, it’s important to do your research. Dogs love to run, but it’s crucial they’re cared for, respected and loved.
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Tubing
If you’re anything like me and love the snow but are more of a Bambi on skis than a professional, then tubing is up your alley.
There’s something about hurtling down a snowy slope on an inflatable tube that brings out our inner child and screams fun!
Wrap up in your winter woollies, wear an extra pair of socks and pack a few pocket warmers.
We spent the day at Village Vacances Valcartier, the largest winter playground in North America!
Dashing down the side of the mountain both solo and as a whole family, there were different slopes to suit every tuber.
After a few beginner runs, we all felt brave enough to take on the ‘tornado’, where you can reach up to 100km/h! It also has a terrifying 80-metre vertical drop.
My stomach rising into my throat as we flew down the snowy slope, I was terrified and might have had my eyes shut for most of it, but the thrill was worth every second!
Reaching the bottom, I was ready to go again!
The more snow the more fun so, if you can, plan to visit between December and the end of March for the best experience.
Ice hockey
Growing up in Australia, we’re half a world away from ice sports, but my family found our way into ice hockey years ago and have been fans ever since.
So if you’re in Canada and have the chance to watch a game – I promise you won’t be disappointed!
The atmosphere at an ice hockey arena is next level – it’s impossible not to have a fun time.
For the full experience, we grabbed a Canadian beer, some poutine, and a jersey and got in with the heart of the fans.
While Québec no longer has a team in the National Hockey League (NHL), there are other teams playing each weekend.
We were lucky to watch the Québec Remparts, a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Québec City, who were versing the Halifax Mooseheads.
A crash course on rules – each team has five players and a goalie, the puck must cross the blue line before the player, and be shot into the net with a stick to be a goal.
The rest you’ll learn along the way and you might just be the team’s next biggest fan!
If you want to give ice skating a whirl, head to an indoor or outdoor rink, or do as the Canadians do and jump on a frozen lake.
Once you hire ice skates and a helmet you’re ready to go! But before you jump on a frozen lake, do your research and find out if the ice is safe to skate.
While a lake might look frozen, there’s a chance the ice is too thin to skate on!
I loved Québec life and can’t wait to go back.
Travel tips
Getting there
Considering we left booking to the very last minute, a quick trip to Flight Centre took the stress off and made for a smooth sailing booking experience. With Canada being a popular travel destination we were spoilt with airline choices with Qantas, Virgin Australia, Qatar and Cathay Pacific all being popular flight options.
Places to stay
One of my favourite things about travelling is experiencing living as the locals do. While I do love a plush hotel room with room service and a buffet breakfast, nothing screams holiday like a new house. With so many booking platforms at our finger tips, I booked accommodation through Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia.
Winter warmers
Winter in Canada is a whole other ball game than what us Aussies are used to (no seriously, frostbite is a real thing). What is the secret to keeping warm in minus 40 weather? Layers! Head to your local Kathmandu or UGG Australia for some winter warmers like thermal under garments, socks, gloves, beanie and parker jacket.
Pack light
If you’re anything like me and are using the same dusty old luggage from your very first trip, it might be time to retire your old faithful. If you’re looking for the perfect case head to The Iconic to shop brands like Samsonite and American Tourister, or head directly to the July and Antler website.
