Family friendly activities in the beautiful province of Quebec and surrounding area. Find tips and guides for hiking, traveling, outdoor and indoor time with your kids.
Isle-aux-Coudes is located off the shore of Charlevoix on the St. Lawrence River. The 23km island is known for its cycling adventure and splendid views of the Charlevoix hills and mountains. The short free-of-charge ferry boat ride with the car is a nice experience. During the summertime you can enjoy many festivals and events on the island. It is part of La Route des Saveurs (a culinary route) with featured local producers and restaurants in the area.
Le Massif de Charlevoix offers the highest vertical drop in Eastern Canada and east of the Canadian Rockies, 52 trails, the longest is 5.1 km. The views of the St Lawrence River are outstanding and the feeling during skiing is that you’re on a cliff, just about to fall inside the water! Park your car, put the gear on and start your day by skiing downhill! The main entrance is located on the mountain summit. We enjoyed a chilly and windy day skiing at this ski station earlier this year.
Île-d’Orléans, on the St. Lawrence River nearby Quebec City, is devoted to agriculture & horticulture and is benefiting from agrotourism all year long. The island consists of 6 municipalities, it is about 34km long and 8km wide at its widest point. The island is accessible via the Île d’Orléans bridge from Beauport. I have listed a few ideas for a half day visit during winter time.
Chocolaterie de L’île d’Orléans
Promenade Horatio-Walker
Cidrerie Bilodeau
Ice Skating in Saint Laurent de l’île d’Orléans
We decided to try a 2km walk (one way, total 4km) with snowshoes for the first time in beautiful Charlevoix. We took the easiest path in the area, called Sentier des Lacs. During wintertime, the walk is inside the forest, along a frozen lake, truly a majestic walk. The 2km walk is basically parallel to a closed road which leads to parking P2 (accessible by car in the summer), you can stop, eat and start a fire at the refuge and return back to the original starting point or to continue for many other trails with panoramic views of the St Lawrence river.
Quebec Aquarium in Quebec city offers a refreshing getaway with impressive exhibitions of fishes, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and sea mammals. We had lots of fun on our visit during a massive snowstorm. The aquarium is ideal for kids with lots of attractions to enjoy in any weather condition.
The place to learn about the Huron-Wendat First Nations history. Wendake is a reservation of the Huron-Wendat and is located in the La Haute-Saint-Charles borough of Quebec City. Just 30 minutes from Quebec City you will find this beautiful reservation, with a great walk to see Kabir Kouba waterfall and the Huron-Wendat Museum.
Quebec Family Hikes 