A Visit to the Stunning Hôtel de Glace (Ice Hotel) in Québec City

Visiting the Hôtel de Glace (Ice Hotel) is a must for anyone who will be in the Québec City area during the winter season whether you stay the night, enjoy a gourmet meal or just explore this unique hotel!

My husband and I visited the Ice Hotel on a winter getaway to Québec City this year. I had previously visited on a press trip 12 years ago and enjoyed the comparison between the Ice Hotel then and now – a lot has changed in the past decade! ( Read A Photo Tour of the Ice Hotel if you would like to see an earlier version of the hotel.)

Open January 4 – March 22, 2026

exterior of quebec city ice hotel with bright blue sky. — Hôtel de Glace – the only ice hotel in North America

About the Ice Hotel

Inspired by the Swedish Ice Hotel, the Hôtel de Glace (Ice Hotel) in Québec opened for the first time on New Year’s Day in 2001 as the first ice hotel in North America. It is now a major tourist attraction for the region and the province having welcomed over 2 million visitors from around the world since its inception. There have been a few different building sites but the Ice Hotel has been permanently located at Village Vacances Valcartier in Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier since 2016.

This architectural wonder which is entirely sculpted from ice and snow is completely rebuilt with a new design each winter. Around 45-50 people including 15 sculptors work on the construction of the hotel which takes approximately six weeks. The temperature has to be below zero celsius before work commences and can start as early as November to get the site ready for a January opening. Approximately 3,000 blocks of ice and 35,000 tons of snow are used for constructing the 6 metre high building.

The theme in 2026 is the Hôtel de Glace Comes Alive.

The Ice Hotel in Quebec City

Location of the Ice Hotel

The Ice Hotel is located on the site of Valcartier Vacation Village in Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier approximately 35 kilometres (22 miles) from Québec City.

There is plenty of free parking on site and there are shuttles available if you are staying in the city but don’t have access to a vehicle. The official shuttle operates in partnership with Unitours departing from Old Québec with travel time of approximately 45 minutes.

large snow sculpture of tortoise with small trees on back at quebec city ice hotel. — Snow carving at the Ice Hotel

Self-Guided Tour of the Ice Hotel

It’s possible to take a self-guided tour of the Ice Hotel even if you aren’t staying as an overnight guest or dining in the restaurant. Ticket prices start at $25 per person so it’s not inexpensive but is definitely worth it as it’s really quite impressive to tour a building that is entirely made of snow and ice. Tickets may be purchased online (at a discount) or at one of the Valcartier Vacation Village ticket booths.

Day visitors can walk through the hotel and admire all the public spaces including the chapel, the Grand Hall, the rooms and suites, and the restaurant and even pause to enjoy a signature cocktail at the Ice Bar. There’s a family-friendly ice slide and we saw a group of kids having a blast on it (I briefly considered giving it a go but decided I’d likely hurt myself!).

We spent approximately an hour touring the hotel – it was cold so we didn’t dawdle!

four columns of ice in grand hall of quebec city ice hotel and stunning ice chandelier hanging from ceiling. — Grand Hall of the Ice Hotel with its stunning ice chandelier

chapel at the ice hotel in quebec with furs on ice benches - altar made of ice - purple lighting. — Chapel at the Ice Hotel

quebec city ice hotel - two ice beds with colourful red, green, and yellow bedding with a rooster and sunflowers carved in the walls. — One of the Ice Rooms at the Quebec City Ice Hotel

Ice Bar and Restaurant at the Ice Hotel

Open to both day visitors and hotel guests, the Ice Bar serves up signature cocktails in an ice glass to be enjoyed along with the music and atmosphere.

The Hôtel de Glace Restaurant also offers a dining experience (a new addition since my first visit more than a decade ago) in collaboration with Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. This exclusive experience which is available Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings includes round trip shuttle transportation from the Fairmont, a guided tour of the Hôtel de Glace, a welcome cocktail and a three-course gourmet dinner inspired by Nordic cuisine and crafted by chefs from Fairmont Le Château Frontenac ($255 per person 13 years of age and over – service included taxes extra).

We considered having dinner at the Hôtel de Glace but the prix-fixe menu was very “meat-y” (foie gras, duck consommé and rack of venison) which I don’t eat so wasn’t worth it for us. They can accomodate vegetarian or other dietary restrictions but require 48 hours notice. Be sure to wear winter-appropriate clothing as you will be dining in a room entirely sculpted from ice and snow!

desk made of ice at entrance with the word 'Restaurant' engraved in cursive in the snow above sign reading "Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac". — Dining at the Ice Hotel

restaurant at quebec ice hotel with image of woman sculpted into back wall, tables and chairs made of ice with dark fur seatpads and table set with dark greenery and placemats. — The Ice Hotel Restaurant

bar at quebec ice hotel with purple and pink lighting - glasses made of ice stacked on bar also made of ice - pink and purple heart on wall behind. — The bar at the Quebec Ice Hotel

tower of ice glasses stacked on ice bar with bottles of alcohol in background - pink and purple heart on wall. — Ice glasses

Experience Sleeping at the Ice Hotel

If you’re braver than I am, then you can book one of the rooms and suites at the Ice Hotel and spend the night. It’s definitely a bucket list hotel in Canada but one I can’t convince myself to experience!

Overnight guests can select one of about 30 beautiful ice-sculpted regular rooms or themed suites for their stay where they’ll sleep in ultra-comfy Arctic sleeping bags. It’s apparently quite cozy as indoor temperature hovers around -5 Celsius (23 F) even when it’s colder outside and the sleeping bags will keep you warm in up to -30 Celsius temperatures.

Guests enjoy exclusive access to the Nordic relaxation area which features saunas and hot tubs under the stars. Also included is a room at the Hôtel Valcartier for the same night as the stay which is great for luggage storage and showers etc.

I enjoyed touring the rooms – they’re very creative and I’m sure sleeping in one is a once-in-a-lifetime cool experience to have – I just don’t think that I could sleep a wink!

two double bed room at quebec ice hotel with colourful bedding and carving of clown in snow wall behind bed. — Room at the Ice Hotel near Quebec City

room with three ice beds with dark coverings at quebec ice hotel - wall covering in snow wall. — Family-size room at the Ice Hotel

mattress and pillow on ice bed with free standing black fireplace in background. — Room with a fireplace

Play at the Valcartier Vacances Village

Valcartier Vacances Village (Valcartier Vacation Village) is a large family resort and outdoor recreational complex that is open year-round. During the summer it features an outdoor waterpark with waterslides and a wave pool but in the winter it transforms into the largest winter playground in North America with 35 snow slides and a skateway as well as a huge indoor waterpark. If you’re travelling with kids then this is a fun place to spend the day summer or winter!