Would you plan a winter trip just to go snow tubing in Quebec? After spending a day at Village Vacances Valcartier just outside of Quebec City, my answer would be an emphatic yes. I’ve tried snow tubing across the U.S. and I’ve never experienced a destination like this.
“This is the last run…seriously…I mean it this time,” I told my daughter as we flopped ourselves into the moving tubes to be hauled up the mountain via tow rope for what seemed to be our 22nd snow tubing run and about the third time I had uttered those words.
This was a far cry from the trepidatious family that first arrived at Village Vacances Valcartier, North America’s largest winter playground a few hours earlier — one of us scared of heights, another scared of rides, and the little one not feeling 100 percent. A little bravery, a little Advil, and a lot of fun later, all of us were reluctant to leave and put an epic winter day.
About Village Vacances Valcartier
Unlike some snow tubing parks associated with ski mountains, Valcartier, located just 20 minutes outside of Quebec City in Canada, focuses on tubing, with more than 35 slides (wow!!), 5,000 inner tubes, and 17 mechanical lifts to bring you to the top of the mountain.
Village Vacances Valcartier is a year-round destination for families with an outdoor waterpark, Winter Playground, Bora Parc indoor waterpark, and the Aroma Spa.
This resort also includes a variety of accommodations, including the year-round, four-star Hôtel Valcartier, an ultra-modern 600-site campground, and seven rustic cabins for summer guests. The resort’s pièce de résistance is the Hôtel de Glace (Ice Hotel), which, since 2016 is sculpted every winter with a different design and includes guest rooms and an Ice Bar.
Snow Tubing in Quebec: Village Vacances Valcartier
Valcartier not only has more snow tubing runs than any other mountain I’ve seen, they also have some truly innovative (and possibly hair-raising) rides! The snow tubing slides are rated according to thrill level from everyone to extreme. There are also tubes for groups, like the snow rafting or Tornado, while other slides work with one to eight people at a time.
Luckily all the runs are labeled just like ski slopes: green = easy/beginner; blue = intermediate; black diamond = difficult/fast; double black diamond = crazy fast; so it was easy enough to find something that suited our temperament. Also, the two main lifts from the lodge area brought us to the top of the same mountain and it was easy to walk across to another sliding area to check out the runs.
Avalanche
If you want to start slow, take the rope tow lift to the right of the lodge when facing the mountain and at the top, take a second smaller lift to the Avalanche area. But don’t worry, while Avalanche sounds scary, you can come right back down that short second lift section on Trail #24 — very slow, very easy and a good introduction to snow tubing, especially for smaller children or scaredy cats.
Tornado
From the Avalanche section you can also find the “Tornado” tube, which seats three to eight people and is equipped with a special mechanism that makes it spin as it slides (no thank you, I’m all set with spinny rides.)
Snow Rafting
Imagine taking the white water rafting experience and putting into on snow. In the Snow Rafting section, there are three slides with rafts that fit four to twelve people each. Everyone jumps in and then you race down the slide at lightning speed (the more people you have, the faster it goes.
Himalaya
We took a walk through the woods and past a few of Valcartier’s 600, four-star camping sites to check out the view of the frozen Jacques-Cartier River, where you can do some real white water rafting in the summer. Since the Himalaya slides in this area were all double black diamonds, reaching 80 km/h and giving the impression of dashing off the edge of the mountain toward the frozen river valley below, we headed back to our comfort zone in the Central Section.
Central Section
As we approached our first run and looked down the mountain at the tiny people below, all of us were just a little nervous for our first run. Images of concussions, bruised tailbones, and bone-jarring bumps raced through my mind.
As we looked at each other to see who would go first, I knew it was time to take the leap. With the first bit of acceleration, I got that same drop in my stomach that incites panic whenever I go on a ride and immediately threw down a heel to slow myself down. But soon the speed took over and I relaxed and went with the flow…or the slide…and within seconds I was coasting to a stop at the bottom of the hill and turning to give a thumbs up to my daughter, who was next in line.
In the Central Section, we found a mix of greens, blues, and a couple of blacks that kept us busy and happy all day. In this area, the supervision isn’t as tight as the faster runs, which have monitors posted at the top of each run to get people connected and spaced out properly, but there were still gates that raised when it was safe for the next slider to start.
We went up and down for hours in every combination possible: everyone alone, mommy & daughter, daddy & daughter, and one family run; with multiple runs on our favorite trails (#12, 14, 8 & 9.) Every ride as smooth as silk, no bumps, no bruises, and no longer any fear.
It is easy to spend the entire day snow tubing at Valcartier — whether you are a daredevil or a chicken. Between six restaurants and snack bars, two bars, and plenty of space to enjoy a packed lunch. We were also happy to find plenty of lockers available for rent.
Valcartier is very family-friendly, offering a children’s playground with tunnels and slides, animal mascots, family games that could win you a free maple taffy from the sugar shack, and pop music playing in the background.
Ice Skating
If you want a break from snow tubing, you can go ice skating instead. Village Vacances Valcartier has a one kilometer skating path and you can listen to music as you glide through the snowy landscape. Skate rentals are available so don’t worry if you didn’t bring your own!
Tips for Snow Tubing in Quebec:
- Dress warm — wear layers and stick with wool or synthetic blends versus cotton
- Don’t forget your hand warmers, foot warmers, tissues, lip balm and sunscreen
- Ski goggles or sunglasses are helpful to keep the wind and snow out of your face
- Snow pants and snow boots are a must!
Going snow tubing at Village Vacances Valcartier is a great addition to attending the Quebec Winter Carnival (another of my favorite things to do in the winter!) or visiting Quebec City with kids. You could also add on a visit to Saguenay Lac St Jean to see the beautiful fjords and enjoy some time in a Nordic Spa.
Note: Our stay in Quebec City was hosted by Tourism Quebec, Quebec City Tourism, and tickets and a tour were provided by Village Vacances Valcartier but my opinions are my own — and we loved it! The featured photo at the top of this post was courtesy of Village Vacances Valcartier.
Tamara Gruber is the Founder and Publisher of We3Travel. A former marketing executive and travel advisor, Tamara is an award-winning travel writer and recognized expert in family travel. Tamara is a member of SATW and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, and serves on the Board of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimetoFly.com and the co-host of the Vacation Mavens travel podcast.
