Quebec Winter Carnival

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Quebec City

Arrive in Quebec City at any time. A G.A.P Adventures representative will meet you at the airport and transfer you to our joining point hotel. There are no planned activities, so check into to the hotel (check-in time is approx 3pm) and enjoy the city. In the late afternoon (approx 5pm) meet your fellow group members to go over the details of your trip; this is also when your leader will collect your local payment. Check the notice board or ask reception to see the exact time and location of this group meeting. After the meeting head out for a meal in a nearby local restaurant (optional). If you arrive late, no worries, the leader will leave you a message at the front desk.

Day 2 Quebec City (B)

Immerse yourself in the festive ambiance of the centre of French North American culture: Québec city. Today is a full day to explore this fantastic winter carnival. Depending on the 2009 schedule there are any number of highlights to experience. Watch the famous canoe race 3.2 kilometres across the freezing Saint Lawrence River; the race dates back to 1894. Watch the Siberian Huskies pull their sled through the snow covered streets of the old town, and visit the ice bar for a cold drink at the ice palace. Whatever you choose, Carnival is Canadian winter fun at its best.Since the beginning of the French colony in North America, the inhabitants of New France began a rowdy tradition of gathering before Lent to eat, drink and be merry. At the time, this intense period of revelry was already designated as the Carnival - a word of Italian origin to refer to Mardi Gras. The custom of celebrating from the end of January until mid-February has long been popular—the first large winter Carnival in Québec City, the world's snow capital, took place in 1894. Often faced with winter’s hardships, the city's population reinvented this popular tradition with a winter celebration that warmed the hearts of revellers. Interrupted by two wars and the economic crisis of 1929, Carnival was held sporadically until the second half of the century. In 1954, in the context of the economic development of the Old Capital, a group of business people re-launched the festivities. That year, Bonhomme was born and elected the event’s representative. The first official edition of the Québec Winter Carnival took place in 1955. Carnival snowballed into an expression of the joie de vivre of the entire Québec City population, and became an important vehicle for tourism in the city. Carnival has since added even more popular activities, such as winter sports, snow sculptures, and activities based on the traditional Québec lifestyle, such as canoe and dogsled races. Today, the Québec Carnival is the largest winter carnival in the world today, and is third on the List of Top Carnivals after the famous carnivals in Rio and New Orleans.The Plains of Abraham, a 250 acre park, is the main venue for Carnival. Bonhomme, a giant, smiling snow figure, comes to life to host the celebration. His home is known as the Ice Palace. And his entourage the “Knuks,” an amusing band of colourfully and outfitted characters who mingle with the crowd, performing magic and general antics. People come from around the world to enter competitions and to revel in the magical winter Mardi Gras-like atmosphere. Celebrants, many of them wearing the traditional woven arrow sash, brave the snowy tundra and just get with the program.One of the highlights of Carnival is the International Snow Sculpture Event with more than 20 countries participating. Other highlights are dog sled races, ice canoeing, winter swimming and lots of happy people!

Day 3 Duchesnay (Lac St. Joseph) (B,D)

In the morning explore any Carnival sites you missed yesterday. Make sure you check out the sculptures on Plaines D’Abraham. In the afternoon travel approx 40km to Duchesnay (Lac St. Joseph) and spend the next 3 days in this fantastic wooden lodge.The Duchesnay area is also the location of the Quebec Ice Hotel. Experience a cold drink at the ice bar in this famous hotel before taking a tour through this fascinating structure. Tonight enjoy a fondue dinner around a fire and warm up after day in the snow and ice.Locals from all over Québec come to the winter wonderland of Station Touristique Duchesnay, a jewel of the Québec City region. This majestic site, which until just recently was a school of forestry, is Located on the banks of the magnificent Lac Saint-Joseph and principally composed of an 89 km² deciduous forest. Of great historical and natural value, and located only 30 minutes from Québec City, this four season vacation resort has a great deal to offer. The perfect escape from the hustle of everyday life, rooms and cabins at Auberge Duchesnay have the charm of a warm cottage in the winter snow, and come quipped with all the comforts of home.In 2009 the Ice Hotel will be entering its 9th year as North America’s only Ice Hotel. (With its snowy history, it's natural that Quebec would also have an impressive ice hotel!) In 1996, ice-structure enthusiast Jacques Debois learned of the Swedish ICEHOTEL. He had already built igloos and ice buildings for festivals around Canada but had not considered an ice lodging. He soon opened the Ice Hotel Quebec-Canada in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, 30 minutes outside of Quebec City. Growing larger every year, the hotel operates on the grounds of the Station Touristique Duchesnay, a resort for snowmobiling, dog sledding, cross-country skiing, ice-fishing and ice skating. It features 36 rooms and themed suites, an ice chapel, galleries and a bar. Like its Swedish counterpart, Ice Hotel Quebec-Canada also gives public tours during the day--the only hotel in the world where you are guaranteed a cold reception! The soaring cathedral-like walls and ceilings are not just for show—this is one of the most efficient and stable ways to construct large buildings out of hard packed snow. It took 12 000 tons of snow and 400 tons of ice to create this cool building; the construction costs over $400 000 US and, because inevitably come spring it will melt, the whole thing has to be rebuilt every year! Once finished it is a fully functioning hotel built entirely from ice and snow: while the main structure of the ice hotel is snow, sometimes up to six feet thick, everything else, the furniture, the tall supporting columns, the decorations and even the chandeliers are also made of ice…not just any old ice. The special ice is made in a factory in Montreal nearly 150 miles away. The work of ice sculptors and snow carvers fills cavernous rooms with glittering dioramas illustrating the history of both the native Inuit people of the north, and the French voyageurs who came to trade for furs over three hundred years ago. There are even a couple of art galleries, with works in frozen frames, a magnificent chapel where people come from all over the world to get married, and, everywhere you look, dramatic reliefs carved into the walls…“friezes,” of course.

Day 4-5 Duchesnay (2B,2L,2D)

Today is flexible. Go snowshoeing through the Boreal Forest or try x-country skiing on more then 20 km of trails. Skate on nature’s ice rink, toboggan down a snowy hill, dogsled or snowmobile; today is a day to experience what all Canadians live for: winter!If the warmth is more your style, then head for the outdoor spa and relax while enjoying the winter scenery. Still not warm enough? Take a swim in the heated pool and relax in the steam of the sauna. More adventurous types have the option of letting a dog sled team pull you across the snow, or taking a half or full day snowmobile ride—a true Canadian passion. The snowmobile trails lead directly to the Lodge; from there you could ride for literally thousands of km! Another option is ice fishing, with the possibility to eat what you catch for dinner.The boreal forest is the northernmost and coldest forest zone in the Northern Hemisphere, forming a continuous belt 1000 km wide (north to south) across North America, Europe and Asia. It is the most extensive vegetation zone in Canada, and covers significant areas of every province and territory. Its forests and woodlands in Canada are dominated by evergreen trees, including black and white spruce, jack and lodgepole pine, balsam fir, and American larch, or by small-leaf deciduous trees, including paper birch, trembling aspen and balsam poplar.

Day 6 Quebec City (B)

After breakfast, take in one last bit of Canadian wilderness before travelling back to Quebec City. The afternoon is free to get those last minute festival souvenirs or take one last photo of Bonhomme. Make sure to treat yourself to a warm sweet Queue de Castor, (beaver-tail) before you go—a Canadian tradition. Tonight we will say our goodbyes and enjoy one last evening out.

Day 7 Depart Quebec City (B)

You are free to depart at any time on Day 7, though remember check out from the hotel is approx 12am midday.

Trip Details

Accommodation	Simple hotels (3 nts), wilderness lodge (3 nts).
Group Size	Max 13, Avg 8
Included Highlights	Quebec Winter Carnival with entrance fee, Snowshoeing, X-country skiing.
StartFinish	ex Quebec City
Transport	Private bus, walking
Brochure Intro	Have fun French-style at the Biggest Winter Carnival in the world! Quebecers celebrate winter like nobody else. Fall under the spell of their warm welcome, and join countless athletic and cultural activities for all ages. Winter has never been so much fun.

When can I go?

Start Date	Finish Date	Places Available
2009-01-30	2009-02-05	7+
2009-02-06	2009-02-12	7+
2010-01-29	2010-02-04	7+
2010-02-05	2010-02-11	7+
2010-02-12	2010-02-18	7+

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