Experience the world's biggest winter festivals.

Winter Festival in Quebec

The first Winter Carnival was held in 1894, initially as a way for locals to escape the monotony of the harsh winter. Today, it has become one of the world's largest winter festivals, featuring over 200 activities including night parades, snow sculpture competitions, and the main event: the ice boat race on the St. Lawrence River.

The festival is usually held at the end of January or beginning of February each year and lasts for 17 days. Throughout the festival, snowmen will appear everywhere with many fun activities. At the entrance to the festival, behind the snow-covered pine trees, is the magical snow palace. This is a structure built entirely of ice and snow and decorated by professional sculptors, a sight you won't find anywhere else.

• Location: Quebec, Canada
• Period: January 26 – February 11

Hwacheon Sancheoneo Trout Fishing Festival in South Korea

The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Winter Trout Fishing Festival in Hwacheon County offers visitors the chance to try fishing, hand-catching fish, skiing, ice hockey, building snow sculptures, and more.

Freshwater mountain trout, a species endemic to Gangwon-do province, is a type of freshwater trout that lives only in clean, freshwater with an average temperature below 20 degrees Celsius. This species can survive in icy water. When the weather is warm, they don't appear, hiding deep beneath the riverbed. Anglers must move from hole to hole to track the fish's movements. The winner of this ice fishing festival is the person who catches the most fish.

Ice fishing for trout is one of the annual recreational activities held at South Korea's Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, attracting over a million visitors each year.

• Location: Hwacheon, South Korea
• Time: January 6 - January 28

Yukon Quest Dog Sled Race

In February, head to Alaska to cheer on the sled teams as they undertake a 10- to 16-day trek from Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon in Canada. The champion will take home a $35,000 prize.

• Location: Alaska and Canada
• Date: February 3rd

Ice Lantern Festival in Harbin, China

The ice sculpture festival was first held in 1963 and was interrupted for several years during the Cultural Revolution, before being restored in 1985.

The artisans used approximately 180,000 cubic meters of ice and 150,000 cubic meters of snow taken from the surface of the Songhua River and cut into numerous blocks. Various types of saws were used by the ice sculptors to create these giant works of art over several consecutive days leading up to the official opening of the festival. These ice sculptures are always a highlight of Harbin every winter, attracting millions of visitors.

• Location: Harbin, China
• Time: December 24th - February 25th

Amsterdam Light Festival

The Amsterdam Light Festival is a light festival held annually around November. It showcases works of art, including painting and architecture, and provides an opportunity for artists to demonstrate their talent through light art creations.

With its unique combination of light, you can choose from two ways to admire the art: on the water or on land. Each method will give you a different perspective on the artworks, as each angle of light reveals a different beauty to these masterpieces.

• Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Period: November 30th – January 21st

Sapporo Snow Festival, Japan

The snow festival takes place in Odori Park, starting at the Sapporo TV Tower with its large ice rink. From the top of the tower, the festival unfolds under sparkling lights and white snow. Artists from all over the world come to create their works at the festival, and some of the most talented teams will compete in the International Snow Sculpture Competition.

Millions of people from all over the world come to enjoy the snow sculptures, making Odori Park a popular winter entertainment destination.

• Location: Sapporo, Japan
• Time: February 5th – February 12th

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