Hotel de Glace Ice Hotel Visit Quebec City

The Hôtel de Glace

The Hôtel de Glace is an ice hotel rebuilt each winter from snow and ice by a team of artists, builders and designers, and it is widely described as the only ice hotel in North America. The first version opened in 2001, and every year the design changes, with new sculptures, new themes and new rooms.

Many travellers ask whether the ice hotel in Quebec is worth visiting, and the answer is yes, particularly if you want a winter experience you cannot find anywhere else. Hôtel de Glace tickets like this one are for admission only, so you visit the hotel without staying overnight, and the visit fits easily into half a day.

Ice Rooms and Themed Suites

Inside, corridors of snow-white walls lead to bedrooms with beds built of ice and covered with thick furs, and themed suites where each room is a different artwork. Ice sculptors carve details such as headboards, columns, chandeliers and figures, and coloured lights change the mood as you walk.

The inside temperature stays a few degrees below freezing, which keeps the structure solid. Take your time to photograph the rooms, and do not touch delicate carvings, since they melt from the warmth of hands. Visitors often notice how quiet the rooms feel, because the thick walls of snow absorb almost all outside noise.

The Ice Chapel

The chapel is one of the most photographed spaces in the hotel, with rows of ice seats, a carved altar and lighting that turns the whole room blue or gold. It is a quiet place to stop, and it is often used for winter weddings. Even if you are not religious, the play of light on the ice makes it worth a few minutes of your time.

Your admission gives access to the rooms, the themed suites and the chapel. Allow around an hour for a relaxed visit, more if you enjoy photography, and remember that the hotel is a site for guests staying overnight as well, so voices are kept low in the corridors.

Planning Your Visit

The hotel is open only in winter, generally from early January to late March, depending on the weather, and it lies about thirty minutes by road from Quebec City. The best time to visit the Hôtel de Glace is in January and February, when the ice is at its best, and opening hours run from morning to evening.

Wear very warm clothes: a winter coat, hat, gloves, scarf and insulated boots, with warm layers beneath. Transport to and from the attraction is not included, so plan your route by car or taxi, and parking is included with the ticket.