The best time to travel to Quebec

Unlike other provinces that are remote and difficult to travel to, Quebec is one of Canada’s most accessible provinces for winter sports. If you dreamt of trying cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, wild ice skating or ice fishing, Quebec is the winter destination for you. Popular activities like snowshoeing at Mont Royal or dog sledding only open from December to March, so plan your trip for one of these months if you want to try every winter sport Quebec has to offer.

Quebec is the main producer of maple syrup in Canada, producing over 90% of Canada’s supply. The best time to try authentic Quebec maple syrup is in the “sugaring off” season, which starts around late February and ends in April. As well as sampling maple syrup at one of the many local sugar shacks, you can take part in activities such as walks to view the tapped maple trees, tasting maple water and learning about the harvesting and making process. Some shacks also offer other goods such as an apple shack or to-go sugar shack meal boxes.

You’re bound to pass through Montreal during your travels around Quebec. It’s a lively city throughout the summer but June and July are particularly good months for festivals. You’ve got everything from the Grand Prix to the Montreal Fringe Festival, a graffiti mural festival and celebrations for Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in June. Heading into July, there is Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, a circus festival, Comic Con, Soulfest, a sci-fi film festival and more. Festivals continue until the end of summer in September, but July is the peak month for the sheer amount of events in the city.