What a Quebec ice hotel winter day costs
The two cheapest outings on this site share one park outside Quebec City: an ice hotel ticket from ~$29 and a snow tubing pass from ~$33. Guided outings cost several times more, from ~$121 for a snowshoe day up to ~$207 for an ice canoe crossing. Below, all six side by side, then the costs the ticket leaves out.
Six winter outings side by side
The table lists each outing on our home page at its regular "from" price per person on GetYourGuide. The booking page sometimes shows a lower figure, and prices shift a little with the date, so read these as the upper end.
| Outing | From | Length | Included | Transport | Free cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hôtel de Glace visit (our pick) | ~$29 | Self-guided, day ticket | Admission, rooms, themed suites, bar, chapel, parking | Not included | 24 h |
| Snow tubing, Valcartier | ~$33 | Day pass for day or night | Entry, parking | Not included | 24 h |
| Snowmobile, Île d'Orléans | ~$153 | 1.5 h guided | Guide, helmet, winter gear, parking | Not included | 24 h |
| Ice canoe with sauna | ~$207 | About 3 h | Gear, sauna, photos, hot chocolate with pastries | Not included | 4 days |
| Snowshoe day, Jacques-Cartier | ~$121 | 9 am to about 4 pm | Guide, equipment, park fee, lunch, hot drink | Bus from Quebec City | 24 h |
| Strøm Nordic Spa | ~$70 | No time slot | Entry, robe, towel, locker, parking | Not included | 24 h |
All six let you reserve now and pay later on GetYourGuide. The ice canoe is the odd one out on cancellation, because its free window closes four days before your date rather than 24 hours.
Two cheap tickets at Valcartier
The ice hotel ticket from ~$29 buys a self-guided visit valid for the day, with entry to every room and themed suite as well as the bar and chapel. Parking is in the price. It holds 4.7 from 590+ reviews on GetYourGuide, with a softer 4.4 for value for money.
The snow tubing pass from ~$33 works the same way. It covers entry and parking for the day or the evening and nothing more. It scores 4.6 from 170+ reviews on GetYourGuide.
The two are sold as separate tickets, so a day doing both costs the sum of the pair. Added together they still come in well under any guided outing on the list, which is why so many visitors start here.
The weak spot is the trip out, which neither ticket covers. Our guide to getting there weighs a rental car against a taxi, and the Valcartier day plan shows how to fit both tickets into one visit.
The cheapest way into the ice hotel
A self-guided day ticket to the Hôtel de Glace with parking included. You arrive under your own steam and stay as long as the cold allows.
What the guided outings charge for
The snowmobile ride on Île d'Orléans from ~$153 pays for 1.5 hours behind a guide plus the helmet and winter gear. Quebec Ski-doo Adventures holds 4.9 from 230+ reviews on GetYourGuide.
That fare assumes two people per machine. Riding alone means paying for both places, which doubles the bill at once. The listing also asks you to bring a credit card, so have one with you at the base.
The Quatre Natures snowshoe day from ~$121 packs the most into its price. Its day from 9 am to about 4 pm covers the bus from Quebec City and a guide with all the equipment. Park admission is included, as is lunch with a hot drink in a heated tent.
The ice canoe tour from ~$207 is the dearest of the six. About three hours buys training and the crossing in crampons, with a hot chocolate stop on the ice. The price also covers a Nordic sauna afterwards plus photos and videos.
The price reflects small groups of twelve at most and a lot of specialist gear. Our ice canoe guide explains what the paddling involves and who it suits.
The spa sits in its own bracket
Strøm Nordic Spa Old Québec from ~$70 sells entry to a thermal circuit, not a tour. The ticket covers the baths and saunas plus the robe and towel. A locker and parking are included too, and it holds 4.8 from 1,100+ reviews on GetYourGuide.
Viator sells a fuller Strøm package that adds slides and a water bottle, at a noticeably higher price. Meals at the restaurant and massages cost extra either way, and the spa admits guests aged 16 and over only.
Costs the ticket prices leave out
- Transport to Valcartier, which neither the ice hotel nor the tubing ticket covers; a taxi both ways or a rental car for the day
- Food and drinks, not part of the tubing or ice hotel tickets; drinks at the ice bar are paid separately
- A second snowmobile place if you want a machine to yourself
- Your own snacks for the snowmobile base, since the ride includes no food
- Clothing rental for the snowshoe day, offered on the listing but not included
- Tips for the guide, which the snowshoe listing names as extra
Transport is the line people forget. Village Vacances Valcartier lies roughly 30 km (19 miles) from Old Quebec, so price a taxi both ways before you go, and compare it with a rental car if you travel as a group.
A family of four, two ways
Picture two adults and two children doing the ice hotel and tubing at Valcartier. At the listed per-person prices that is four times ~$29 plus four times ~$33, before you pay for the drive and lunch, plus any drinks at the ice bar. Check the booking page for child rates.
Swap that day for one guided outing and the sums climb fast. Four places on the snowmobile cost four times ~$153, children must be at least 9, and only adults with a licence may drive.
The ice canoe rules out younger children anyway, since it takes ages 12 and up. Our guide to winter outings with kids lists every age limit, so you can see which outings the whole family can join.
Spending less without cutting corners
Reserve now and pay later on GetYourGuide, then keep an eye on the free cancellation window. Winter weather can move the ice canoe or the snowshoe day, and both need a minimum number of people to run.
Group outings by place to save on transport. The ice hotel and tubing share one car trip, while the spa sits by the river a few steps from Old Quebec and needs no car at all.
Our three-day winter plan arranges the outings this way. For the weeks when everything is open, read when to visit. Our clothing guide helps you avoid renting gear you could have packed.