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The grand Château Frontenac hotel in Québec illuminated at night as snow falls gently over the historic city.
Québec

Fête de Noël: Christmas in Québec City

Program No. 12831RJ
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
11 meals ( 4B, 1BR, 2L, 4D )
2 expert-led lectures
8 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m. There are 23 stairs from the hotel ground level entrance to the main lobby. A phone is available at ground level to request luggage assistance.
Afternoon:
After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to meet with program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
Orientation: 7:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will learn from a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Meals will feature local cuisine in a variety of settings. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Activity Note
Walking about 3-4 miles; many steep hills, uneven terrain, cobblestone, and stairs will be encountered, some without railings. Be prepared for slippery conditions, snow covered or icy terrain, some stairs.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, we’ll enjoy a lecture from a local expert about the history of Québec City, beginning with its founding, to the fortifications which surround the Old Town and date back to 1745, to the culture of the city today. We will then set out on an expert-led walk to explore Upper Town. We will visit the monument of Samuel de Champlain, father of New France and founder of Québec City. We will continue to Dufferin Terrace, where we will enjoy magnificent views of the mountains, the St Lawrence river, the Lower Town, and the star-shaped Citadel. Enrich your knowledge of the city while learning about cannons, loopholes, and Québec’s defenses under two different regimes—all mingled with the city of today.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Stroll through the iconic Fairmount Chateau Frontenac with a local expert and learn about the historical events and people that shaped its identity over the years. Designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1981, the hotel was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway and its architecture influenced many of the other Canadian grand railway hotels built in the late 19th to early 20th century. We’ll return to our hotel for some free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure. Explore the Old City on your own: As you stroll the streets of the old city, imagine Christmas of yesteryear.
Activity Note
Walking up to 1 mile. Periods of standing up to 1 hour at a time, no seating available at the museum. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 26 miles, approximately 1hr riding time. Dress in layers for winter weather, be prepared for slippery conditions, snow covered or icy terrain, some stairs.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, we will learn about Québec through a comparison of “Then and Now,” together with an illustrated lecture given by our local expert, a long-time resident of Québec City. Next, we will board the motorcoach for a guided city exploration with our local expert before traveling onward to the Huron-Wendat Museum.
Lunch:
We will enjoy lunch at Restaurant LaTraite, where we'll savor boreal cuisine inspired by the native terroir, expertly blending authenticity with culinary finesse.
Afternoon:
We will visit the Huron-Wendat Museum and the Ekionkiestha’ National Longhouse. Throughout the visit, you will learn about Indigenous history and culture, as well as the traditions of the Huron-Wendat Nation. The museum, a national institution, preserves and promotes this rich heritage.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure to enjoy the ambiance of Christmas in the Old City.
Activity Note
Walking about 3-4 miles; many steep hills, uneven terrain, cobblestone, and stairs will be encountered, some without railings. Dress in layers for winter weather; be prepared for slippery conditions including snow-covered and icy terrain, and some stairs. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice. While there is no dress code, participants may wish to dress up for Christmas Eve dinner; NO jeans or jean-like material.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We'll start our day with a local expert, gaining insight into the city's unique architecture during a guided walk through this historic Old City. The field trip will begin at the hotel before heading toward Lower Town and Place Royale, known as the cradle of French civilization in North America. We’ll observe the merchant houses and Notre-Dame-des-Victories Church and uncover the charming commercial district on rue du Petit-Champlain. Next, with an expert, we’ll explore the Musée de la Civilisation, the city's most popular museum, located close to the historic site of Place-Royale. This internationally renowned museum features four permanent and six temporary thematic exhibitions. We will visit the permanent exhibition, “This is Our Story," which aims to familiarize visitors with the aboriginal cultures of today, their diversity, their visions of the world, and their identity processes in relation to their stories. The exhibition offers a reflection on what it means to be aboriginal in the 21st century. The grand narrative of the exhibition is based on aboriginal words. Throughout the process of creating this exhibition, the Museum collaborated with Québec’s 11 aboriginal Nations. The museum’s teams and its partner, La Boîte Rouge Vif, worked closely with aboriginal representatives on the development of the concept, the choice of themes and objects, and their descriptions and meanings. Accompanied by a docent, the visitor “meets” the aboriginals in their territory, through a storyline and through their vision of history, through what they have become beyond romanticism and prejudice, and finally, through their concerns and questions about the challenges of the future.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy the market or try one of the many bistros and restaurants in the area.
Afternoon:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. Take in over 400 years of history in a single glance, from Quebec City's highest point, the Observatory de la Capitale. Remember that winter has much to offer for outdoor lovers, and it is during the cold season that Quebecers express their "Joie de Vivre". Skate in the very heart of Old Quebec, next to Saint-Jean Gate, in Place d'Youville; skate rental available on site.
Dinner:
We’ll enjoy a Réveillon dinner with some traditional foods of Québec at the hotel. The Réveillon de Noël (réveillon means "to stay awake") typically begins a few hours before the Midnight Mass with a traditional feast and lasts well into the wee hours of the night. Friends and relatives, children, and adults join in traditional songs, dances, and exchanges of presents. This French-Canadian tradition, still alive today in many households, stems from centuries-old traditions imported to the New World from France. Experience a “Réveillon de Noël” in the company of newfound friends.
Evening:
At leisure. Solemn and impressive, filled with hymns of joy, the Midnight Mass reaches its high point with the procession of the Christ Child. Information on local Christmas services will be provided in the arrival package if you wish to attend.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 40 miles, approx. 1.5hrs riding time. Walking up to 1 mile, including stairs at the Basilica. Duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice. Dress in layers for winter weather; be prepared for slippery conditions, including snow covered and icy terrain. While there is no formal dress code in effect for Christmas Day dinner at the Chateau Frontenac; most wear semi-casual to dressy attire; NO jeans or jean-like material.
Morning:
Free time to rest, attend a service, or explore Old Québec.
Brunch:
Christmas brunch at the hotel.
Afternoon:
We'll visit Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. Explore the richly decorated interior featuring stained glass, mosaics, devotional chapels, and displays of ex-votos left by pilgrims. Step outside to walk the Way of the Cross, view symbolic elements such as the Holy Stairs, and enjoy the statues and fountains throughout the grounds. Together, the architecture, art, and outdoor spaces reflect centuries of history, faith, and pilgrimage, inviting quite exploration at your own pace. We'll depart for the ferry to Lévis. Enjoy spectacular views of Old Québec and its varied architectural landscape as you cross the St. Lawrence River, and revel in the sounds of massive ice floes colliding as you pass through the frozen waterway.
Dinner:
Perhaps the grandest Christmas tradition in Québec City is the annual Christmas dinner at the Château Frontenac — the most photographed grand hotel in the world and a proud symbol of the city. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
Along with the fine cuisine, enjoy the contemporary popular music throughout the evening. Complete your Christmas Day festivities with this celebratory feast in a setting that is trés magnifique! Truly an unforgettable experience. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 12:00 Noon. There are 23 stairs from the hotel lobby to the ground level. Luggage assistance is available upon request.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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