Christmas in Quebec City: A 2025 Guide
Planning to spend Christmas in Quebec City? Bienvenue! You’re in the right place.
As the fall season wraps up, the holiday festivities start up pretty quickly in Quebec City. Starting in mid-November, Quebec City turns into a festive, lit-up winter wonderland.
Quebec City is one of my favourite cities in Canada, and I specifically made the trip there last winter to experience the Christmas markets, and other holiday festivities with my family.
Quebec City is a magical place to experience Christmas. The downtown (Old Quebec) is a UNESCO World Heritage Sight with 400-year-old buildings – you can imagine how pretty they are all decorated for Christmas.
In this article, I’ll share with you:
- the two Christmas markets in Quebec City
- other things to do in Quebec City during the holiday season
So, let’s jump in – Christmas in Quebec City!
2 Christmas Markets in Quebec City: What You Need to Know
Did you know that there are two Christmas markets in Quebec City?
The two Christmas markets in Quebec City are:
- German Christmas Market, open from mid-November until mid-December and held outdoors (this is the famous one that most people travel here for)
- The Grand Christmas Market, held indoors (and most popular with locals) from late November until Christmas Eve.
Both Christmas markets in Quebec City are two of the most important events. There are dozens of other festivals and events held in Quebec City year-round. Read my post on festivals in Quebec City to find others.
The German Christmas Market (La Marché de Noël Allemande)
November 21st to December 23rd, 2024
The German Christmas Market is the most famous Christmas Market in Quebec City, and it has events during the day as well as at night. It’s open from 11am to 9pm on most days.
When making your travel plans, be sure to keep the opening days in mind. The German Christmas Market is closed between Mondays and Wednesdays, but open from Thursday through Saturday until 9pm, and until 6pm on Sundays.
So, if you’re coming to Quebec City to visit the German Christmas Market, just make sure you’re in town between Thursdays and Sunday since those are the only days that its open.
See our complete guide to the German Christmas Market below.
Tip: Guests visiting the German Christmas Market in Quebec City this year are encouraged to bring reusable bags, and their own cups or thermoses. This will reduce the use of single-use plastic and other items.
Things to Do in The German Christmas Markert
The German Christmas Market is very ‘spread out’ – its not all happening in one compact area. All of these activities below are associated with the market and are happening for as long as the market is open.
1. Shop the vendor markets
You can’t visit the German Christmas Market without doing a little shopping. There will be crafts, homemade Quebec and Canada souvenirs, gift ideas, knit items, and of course food, and hot drinks.
Don’t forget your reusable bag, so you have something to carry your purchases in.
One thing to keep in mind about this German Christmas Market – the vendors aren’t all in the same area, like at other Christmas Markets around the World.
Instead, there are different locations around the city with small little micro markets. (Even though they’re all a part of the same market.)
This map shows you where all the different sites for the German Christmas map are – there are six sights in total.
2. Visit the Château du Père Noël
Santa’s Castle
The Chateau de Père Noël in Quebec City is a beautiful ‘meet Santa’ display with the Chateau Frontenac as its backdrop.
Santa will meet with children, hear about their Christmas wishes and give them a candy cane – plus you have the opportunity for some great photos.
The line up to meet Santa was huge, (and my kids weren’t the right age for it) so we didn’t meet him. But its free – all you have to do is join the line.
Also, a bonus – Santa in Quebec City is bilingual! You can speak either French or English to him.
Santa is not in town every day – only certain days – typically Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in two different slots each day.
3. Carriole du Père Noël
Santa’s Sleigh
Pile your kids into Santa’s sleigh and get adorable family photos of your family sitting in the sleigh with the historic city in the background.
You can find Santa’s sleigh right on Rue Petite Champlain – there are actually two or three of them to get photos taken at.
There is a beautiful setup there, so be ready to take a lot of cute family photos. Sometimes when it’s busy, there might be a short line.
4. See a puppet show
There are live puppet shows – the old-fashioned kind -right in Old Quebec during the German Christmas market. The puppet shows are held at Theatre Platz, which is on Rue St -Anne.
Right beside the puppet show is the KinderChalet, which serves food. So it might be an option to grab a snack for your child while the puppet show is on!
Pro Tip: I recommend downloading the Quebec City Christmas Market site map, which shows you where everything will be taking place. This makes it easy to see where everything it is, and saves time trying to get between attractions. You can find the printable map here.
The Grand Christmas Market (Le Grande Marché de Noël)
November 24th – December 24th, 2023
The Grand Christmas Market is held indoors at the Grand Marché de Québec, and has over 200 vendors which sell similar items to what you might see at the outdoor market – crafts, gifts, food items, Christmas decorations, and more – however, based on our recent experience this year, it is mostly food items.
There are lots of ‘food’ or consumable gifts you could get for people for Christmas such as candles, jams, soup in a jar, and things like that.
We also enjoyed sitting down with a cup of coffee and croissants.
The Grand Marché is not quite as picturesque or “festive” as the German Christmas Market, since its indoor, but it’s a great way to escape the cold, find a lot of gems and artisan items made from local small businesses, and do some Christmas shopping.
Knowing some French might be useful at the Grand Marché; not all the vendors speak perfect English. (However, many of them do speak English and are happy to speak to you in English.)
If you plan to spend time at the German Christmas Market in the evening like I do, the Grand Christmas Market is an option for during the day, since it isn’t open evenings.
Le Grand Marché is a historic food building and seen as a gourmet food destination. There are bakers, chocolatiers, cheesemakers, pastry chefs and fruit and vegetable producers that sell food year-round, all day every day.
How to Get to the Marché de Noël
While the German Christmas Market is held in the city centre and is highly walkable, the Grand Christmas Market is located in the outskirts of the city. The exact address is 250-M, boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel, Québec (Québec) G1L 5A7
Unfortunately, it would take an hour to walk to the Grand Marché from Old Town, so its probably easiest to drive or take an Uber there. If you drive, there is parking provided at p4 which is right in front of the Grand Marché building. There are 350 spaces and parking is free for your first 2 hours. (We personally only stayed about an hour.)
See the official Grand Marché website for more options for getting to the Christmas Market.
Things to do in Quebec City at Christmas
(Besides the Christmas Markets)
Christmas in Quebe City isn’t limited to just the markets. You can also take advantage of Quebec City in winter while you’re here. There are winter sports, popular winter food, and the opportunity to see some of the sights with snow.
1. Go ice skating at Place d’Youville
If you enjoy ice skating, then skating at Place d’Youville should be on your bucket list during Christmas in Quebec. The lit-up rink at Place d’Youville is a gorgeous setting both during the day, and at night.
The rink is open from 10 am until 8 pm each day. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday its open a bit later – until 10pm.
Of course, the opening of the rink is very weather-dependent. Like anywhere else, they rely on cold enough weather.
Each day, the City of Quebec will update on their website whether the rink is open or closed, depending on the weather conditions. There is also a livestream of what Place d’Youville looks like at any given moment that you can view here.
Good to Know: Skate rental at Place d’Youville is $10 for adults, and $5 for kids. Helmets are free of charge. There are also washrooms on site that you can use. There is both indoor and outdoor paid parking nearby, but you can also walk there from most Old Town locations in about 15 minutes.
If you’re looking for other places for outdoor ice skating in Quebec City, there’ also a skating rink right next to the museum at the Plaines d’Abraham that opens on December 14th.
It’s completely free, and is more of a skating path, so its best if you only want to skate in one direction. More info here.
2. Stroll through Petit Champlain
Quartier Petit Champlain is a neighbourhood (“quartier” means neighbourhood) in Quebec City that is famous for its shopping.
If you plan to do Christmas shopping in Quebec City, then besides the Christmas markets, this is the other place you should go.
Rue du Petite Champlain is one of the prettiest streets in Quebec City year round, but it looks like a Christmas card during Christmas. There are Christmas carollers, outdoor fire-pits, and lots of decorations.
Petit Champlain area is named after Samuel Champlain, the French explorer who founded Quebec City in 1608.
2. Check out Palace Royale
Place Royale is the site of the first official settlement of Quebec, and is always beautifully decorated for Christmas.
At the Place Royale, you will see the Notre Dame des Victoires church, which is the oldest stone church in North America.
There’s not a lot to ‘do’ in this square, but its just something you should come and get a look at. It’s just a short 1-minute walk from the funicular.
3. Go see Santa at the Benjo Toy Store
Santa visits the Benjo Toy Store, which is one of the most beautiful toy stores in Quebec City.
Benjo, with or without Santa, is an impressive toy store to walk around. It’s like an old-fashioned toy store that you normally only see in the movies. There are good quality brands from both North America and Europe, and interactive and creative displays. It even has a candy section!
There are lots of toys that would make great gifts for any kids you know (and some adults too!)
We spent a good hour walking around Benjo with our school-age child and our toddler. There is a train inside that you can ride, but it leaves sporadically throughout the day (no set schedule) and we didn’t want to wait for it.
Benjo is open from 10am to 5pm daily, and is located in the east part of Old Town – about a 25-minute walk from Château Frontenac. (So, its a bit out of the way, but worth the walk or drive.)
4. Try traditional Quebec winter comfort foods
Quebec traditional foods suit winter, and cold weather – which is probably why they became a staple here.
Quebec traditional cuisine is based on both French and North American origins. In a restaurant serving traditional Quebecois food you’ll see things like pea soup, poutine, and crepes on the menu.
Some ways to try some yummy Quebec cusine is:
- Eat at a creperie. Crepes are a staple of Quebec. We went to Le Billig Creperie and it was a gerat place to eat
- Try poutine
- Do a Quebec City food tours. They have them during the day, and evening. See the best Quebec City food tours here.
Pro Tip: If you’re in Quebec City at Christmas with kids, then read my post on the 15 best family-friendly restaurants in Quebec City.
5. See Montmorency Falls in the winter
Montmorency Falls has a 272-foot plunge, which is almost 100 feet (98.4 feet to be exact) taller than the famous Niagara Falls.
Yes, you can visit Montmorency Falls during the winter. The facilities at the falls face some closures in the winter months, but the falls are always open for visiting.
Between early November and Christmas, the cable car and many other services at Montmorency Falls will be closed.
They’ll be open again from Boxing Day to early January from 10am to 4pm, but then close again on January 4th for another month.
However, even with services like the cable car being closed, you can still access the falls year-round. Read my post on how to get to Montmorency Falls from Quebec City.
If you’re looking for another waterfall near Quebec City to visit in winter, then you could consider Chutes de la Chaudière on the island of Levis. These waterfalls are about a 30 minute drive from Old Town Quebec City.
6. Get the Best Hot Chocolate in Town
Quebec City gets a lot of culinary influence from France, which means that you can find a lot of French-style bakeries and cafés which also sell delicious hot drinks, both caffeinated and non-caffeine.
Hot chocolate of course, makes the perfect holiday treat and there are places in Quebec City that specialize in chocolate.
- Erico Chocolatier (pictured above)- a chocolate factory and museum that sells chocolate items made from European and Ecuadorian chocolate. They also make their own advent calendars that you can buy for Christmas!
- Chocolats Favoris, a café with a range of high-end desserts. (This is a local favourite – Quebeckers love it!) There are three locations in Quebec City, but the closest one to Old Town is located at 85 Boulevard René-Lévesque.
- Baguette & Chocolat – A funky and friendly style bakery in the heart of Old Town.
7. Check out the Notre-Dame Cathedral
The Notre Dame Basilica Cathedral in Quebec City is the oldest stone church in Canada, dating back to the 1600s.
It interior is stunning, and not something that is common for churches in Europe, but not in North America.
Right in front of the church is one of the sites of the German Christmas Market. You can go inside the church (until 4pm each day -admission is free) and then check out the market afterwards.
I had heard that there is often a beautiful nativity scene in front of this church; accompanied by Christmas carols. However, when we went, it wasn’t there. It’s worth checking out though.
8. Visit the Christmas store
La Boutique de Noël de Québec is Quebec City’s Christmas store, open year-round. You can browse ornaments, gifts, snacks, and tree-toppers while listening to the sounds of Christmas carols.
I know that there are Christmas shops in many towns, but the one in Quebec City is especially worth a visit, its very large and magical. It was even used as a set for a famous Korean movie called “Goblin.”
La Boutique de Noël is open from 9am until 9pm during the week and 10pm on weekends. You can find it right in Old Town, next to the Notre Dame de Basilica church.
9. Check out the Christmas Trees at Chateau Frontenac
Chateau Frontenac has a whole corridor of unique Christmas trees sponsored by local businesses. Its completely free to step inside and take a look at them.
The Christmas trees are a fundraiser that raises money for Fondation du CHU de Québec, which is for sick kids. Some of the trees were so creative – there was one made completely of wine glasses!
There’s actually a contest going on where you can vote for your favourite tree in the Chateau Frontenac, by donating $1. The proceeds earned from this contest go to charity, and you have a chance to win a night in the Chateau Frontenac. Find the contest here.
10 . Go tobogganing at the Dufferin Terrace
*this may not be open at Christmastime – it depends on the weather conditions. When we were there, they had it set up but it wasn’t running yet*
The toboggan slide on Dufferin Terrace (just outside the Chateau Frontenac) is a long-standing tradition in Quebec City – the slide is over 100 years old, first appearing in Quebec City in 1884.
Its even older than the Chateau Frontenac, which was built just a few years later. You speed up to 70 km/hour (43.4 miles per hour) as you race down the hill.
As long as the weather cooperates, the toboggan slide will generally be open from mid-December until mid to late March.
Good to Know: It costs 4$ per person to go down the slide, and up to 4 people can ride at once. If you have a group of 4, then the 4th person is free (its $12 for 4 people.) Children under 3 are free, and anyone under 10 needs to be accompanied by an adult.
11. Do a Quebec City Christmas walking tour
Quebec City is likely one of the most beautiful cities at Christmas in North America.
There’s a walking tour in Quebec City that focuses on some of the most beautiful places to see at Christmas. Many of them have already been mentioned in this blog post.
But if you’re short on time, or its your first time in Quebec City, then this might be the perfect option to help you see everything you want to see, and give you some interesting tidbits as to the history of the old buildings you will see.
Plus, it includes a free hot chooclate!
Book your Quebec City Christmas walking tour here
12. Indulge at Schlemereck des Galleries Gourmandes
Stop in Schlemereck des Galleries Gourmandes for a foodie experience and some tasty treats. There’s a huge variety of bakeries, sweets and candies.
Schlemereck des Galleries Gourmandes is located inside Galerie de la Capitale, which is a shopping mall in Old Quebec. There are over 200 stores, and big-name brands, so its another place to do some shopping too.
Pro Tip: If you’re in Quebec City with kids, then Galerie de La Capitale is worth a visit. There’s an amusement park inside the mall. My daughter went here with her exchange partner. It’s popular with locals, but of course visitors are welcome too.
Where to Stay in Quebec City at Christmas
To make the most of your stay in Quebec City during Christmas, here are some places that are well-located, cozy and offer a good setting for celebrating Christmas in Quebec
- Budget: Auberge International de Quebec A hostel is located right in Old Town. It has both dorms, and private rooms
- Mid-Range: Hotel Manoir de l’Esplanade Historic, stone-wall building right in Old Town – and free breakfast included too
- Luxury: Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac There is no prettier place in Quebec City at Christmas
What to bring to Quebec City at Christmas
Here are the things I’d recommend bringing to Quebec City in November or December
- A reusable bag. Single-use plastics are becoming a lot less common in Canada, so its handy to have one or two while shopping. You will also need it for the German Christmas market
- Your own thermos mug for hot drinks at the Christmas market
- A warm touque as we call it in Canada (or beanie if you’re American)
- Mitts and scarf
- Wear decent winter hiking boots or shoes. I use hiking boots like these for all the walking in Old Town, that keep my feet warm
- Lip balm – the cold air can really dry out your skin and lips can get cracked.
Christmas in Quebec City: FAQs
Here are the most commonly asked questions about Christmas in Quebec City, and about the German Christmas Market in Quebec
Is it worth going to Quebec City for Christmas?
Yes, Quebec City is highly worth a visit at Christmas – it is unlike any other North American city at Christmas. The 400 year old buildings and narrow cobbled streets decorated for Christmas look like they’re right out of a Christmas card.
Is Québec snowy at Christmas?
There is a good chance of seeing snow in Quebec City at Christmas, although not 100% guaranteed. According to the weather network in Quebec City, there is are 18 days of falling snow in December. So the chances are pretty good that you will see snow around Christmastime in Quebec City.
What are some Christmas traditions in Quebec?
Most families in Quebec City follow the European tradition of opening their presents on Christmas Eve. Some of them also attend Midnight Mass. As a result, many businesses will close early on December 24th and will remain closed for Christmas Day.
Christmas in Quebec City: Conclusion
Between European-style Christmas markets, thousands of lights and festive decorations in the old city, and plenty of other things to do, Quebec City is one of the best destinations for Christmas markets in Canada.
To enjoy all the activities, both Christmas-related and year round, you will need 3-5 days in Quebec City. While there are a few activities open late, there are many that close by 4-5 pm, so its worth it to have a rough itinerary in mind. This is what my family did when we visited Quebec City at Christmas – there was so much to do and we didn’t want to miss anything!
I hope that this guide has been helping you plan a fantastic vacation in Quebec City at Christmas.