Hotel de Glace

The ice hotel is quite impressive and beautiful to visit. Dress warmly to walk in the hallways and take a peek at the rooms; each with its own snow or ice sculpture design. Stop at the ice bar to enjoy a drink, served in an ice glass. You can warm up by the outdoor fire pit before and/or after. After 9:00 pm, rooms become exclusive to those who booked them for the night. Some of them have a fireplace, but its only for ambience so don't expect to warm up. There are 3 hot tubs and a sauna for ice hotel guests to use before going to sleep. Bathrobes are provided in the normal hotel room you will have in addition to your room at the ice hotel. (Not all guests end up being able to sleep the entire night in the ice room and that is OK.) My husband and I chose to book a deluxe room which had a private yard with a hot tub and sauna. It was pricey, but worth it for the privacy. All the suites are right across the heated bathrooms too, so very convenient for people like me who get up in the middle of the night to use the facilities. The ice rooms are kept between -5 and -3 degrees Celcius, but comfortable thermal sleeping bags are provided as well as a extra blankets which can also be used as pillows. I won't lie, at first I wasn't sure I would make it through the night but once you get cozy in the sleeping bag and fall asleep you can get a good night's sleep. It's worth doing once in your life.

We stayed here on one of the coldest nights of 2026. Despite the extreme temperatures, we had a blast! The bar and the common areas are a sight to be seen with intricately carved designs. Our room, however, was a little less than impressive. It featured a creepy jester/clown motif behind the bed and less than attractive bedding. We made it most of the way through the night, but I have never been so grateful to have a warm room at the Hotel Val Cartier to retreat to in the early morning hours.

Where to start! I have been thinking about going to the Ice Hotel in Quebec for years. I am almost 62 and figured better to do it sooner than later. I went with my sister in law who was also curious. We drove from Toronto to the hotel. We were fortunate to have good weather. We had a back up plan to take the train which would lessen the weather concerns but taking a 4 wheel drive pick up truck also gave us flexibility and security. About 8 hours later we arrived. Yes, we packed everything since we didn’t really know what we might need. Definitely keep an eye on the weather. Essentials your winter coat, pants, boots, hat 2(one to use during day and one to use to sleep in the ice hotel), 3 pairs of mitts, little warmers that can be activated and added to your mitts or boots, swimsuit and footwear for when you get out of the hot tub-remember you are walking a wee distance in the snow and putting wet feet in boots can be tricky-lined crocks might be best, extra socks, clothes that allow you not to hold onto the sweat, goggles* and face cover can be really nice if you are tubing, ice skates and helmet (also can be rented), snacks for your room and small meals in your room can help lessen your restaurant costs. Arriving at this beautiful location was easy and parking was included. We stayed 3 nights which I definitely recommend. The second night we slept in the ice hotel but you also have your regular room so you can always go back to it. That night was pricey but it was an experience that we wanted and so happy that we did it. We went during the week which helped. We planned it for just after the completion of the hotel. Even if you don’t want to sleep in it this location it is a wonderful experience since you can tour the ice hotel from 9 am to 9 pm and after 9 pm you can still got to its bar, chapel, ice slide and main hall. Beautiful during the day and night. We didn’t eat at the ice restaurant but it looks like a unique experience but our main goal was to sleep the night. During the day we enjoyed tubing ( they will stop the tube for you to get in when going up the hill if you need it-we were definitely challenged getting in and getting out we just rolled out). There’s an indoor waterpark but we spent the day in the spa.( we so loved after a day of tubing). There’s a cute looking indoor village with restaurants and a couple of gift shops. We were surprised that there wasn’t a lot of touristy items with ice hotel on them but maybe that was for the best. We did pick up a glass replica of the ice hotel ice glasses ( actually made out of ice that you drink out of). The food was good. Remember to ask to apply any discounts that you might have that come with your tube pass or spa pass ( the staff doesn’t seem to remind people of that). The staff were amazing and eager to help. We even had the pleasure of meeting one of the sculptors. We spent a lot of time exploring and taking pictures of the ice hotel. Remember to watch the video to prepare you for sleeping in it. It’s easy to overdress. We were warm following the steps in the video. I fortunately did not have to get up during the night to pee. There are nearby warm washrooms. We stayed in the #3 ultimate room with a hot tub , fireplace and theme room. There are other hot tubs so it’s not super necessary to have a room with a hot tub. Personally I loved being in a theme room with fireplace (just ambience and we bought the extra logs- we stood by the original logs which last about 30 minutes and then put on the second set before climbing into bed). It was a bucket list experience. We did see many families doing it. That wouldn’t be my choice but I could definitely see taking children and enjoying a mini vacation in the regular hotel. There are reasonable packages. There is ice skating but those days for me are over. I did take a nasty fall due to my poor skating ability and thank goodness I had a helmet on. I did see a lot of people enjoying the winding path. Absolutely breathtaking experience that I am so thankful that I had a chance to see it and sleep in it. The sculptures are unbelievably beautiful. Truly a museum ❤️ Hard to believe it only lasts a few months. By the way I am fine after the fall.

Our stay at the Ice Hotel was fantastic! Having a room in the regular hotel, included in the price, took all the anxiety away. The Ice Hotel is a masterpiece. Each room is a sculpted piece of art! The bar was fun, hot tubs and sauna for Hotel guest only, the chapel exquisite and the sleeping bags rated to -40°. The resort also had 20+ tubing runs which added to the adventure. The night we stayed was -25°C and I was toasty. Slept till my normal 6:30 wake up. Had a chance to stroll through the buildings with nobody else around. Magic! My wife enjoyed the night also. After breakfast, took a hot shower in the "other" room and cruised back to Quebec City.

The Ice Hotel is located in the backyard of an actual hotel Valcartier Vacances Valcatier Resort. I did not stay overnight in the Ice Hotel but there are suites/rooms available. During the day there's a bar inside where you can purchase cocktail in iceglasses and beer. I also saw a restaurant inside that was not open. Overall it's interesting tourist attraction to visit.