How to have the best White Christmas in Canada

With snowflakes and sleigh bells, ski slopes and skating rinks, Canada is the ultimate holiday destination for a white Christmas.

Ski with Santa in Whistler

Santa Ski Whistler — Don your best Santa suit (or Mrs Claus) and hit the slopes.

You don’t have to go to the North Pole to get into the Yuletide spirit with jolly Saint Nick. He’s just over at British Columbia’s world-renowned Whistler Blackcomb ski resort. In fact, if you head there the week before December 25, you’ll get to meet plenty of Santa ‘trainees’, who’ll be skiing and snowboarding down the slopes as part of Santa Day. The annual event takes place the Saturday before Christmas, and the first 100 people to arrive in full Santa or Mrs Claus attire get a free day lift ticket. To be involved, arrive at Garibaldi Lift Company, at the base of Whistler Mountain, in your full Santa-esque ensemble.

The day officially kicks off the holiday season in the resort and is a great way to start your ultimate white Christmas holiday in Canada.

Ice skate around Lake Louise

Lake Louise, Alberta — Ice skate around Lake Louise in Alberta.

It’s been hailed “the world’s best skating rink", and when you arrive at Lake Louise in Alberta, it’s easy to see why. Location is everything – the frozen lake sits glistening on the doorstep of the enchanting Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. Add a castle made of ice bricks, and hot cups of cocoa to warm the soul, and you’ve got one memorable Christmas experience.

Skating is available from mid-December to mid-April, and skates can be rented from The Fairmont.

Ride in a horse-drawn sleigh in Sun Peaks

Sun Peaks sleighride — Ride in a horse-drawn sleigh in Sun Peaks.

Explore one of Canada’s most popular family-friendly ski resorts, Sun Peaks, while huddled under a blanket on a horse-drawn sleigh. Gentle draft horses take passengers on daytime, sunset and evening tours through the village, and into the open for views of the surrounding valley and mountains.

Go mushing in the Yukon

dog sledding yukon — Go mushing in the Yukon with your very own team of huskies.

Prepare to get your heart racing on a quintessential Canadian adventure, with your very own team of huskies. At Sky High Wilderness Ranch in Yukon Territory, you can learn how to mush through a winter wilderness. As the dogs pull you down narrow, snowy tracks and around pine trees, you’ll discover just how much they love to run, and how addictive dog sledding can be.

It’s a great hands-on activity for intrepid couples and kids alike, as you learn how to communicate with the dogs and steer the sleds, and about the important role dog sledding has played in Canada’s northern communities.

Stay at Hotel de Glace in Quebec City

Sleeping in a room made of ice isn’t as crazy as it sounds when it looks like the suites on offer at Canada’s famous Hotel de Glace. Just 10 minutes from downtown Quebec City, this ice hotel is the stuff of snow bunny dreams. A popular spot for weddings, it’s the perfect place for couples to rekindle their romance in its 44 rooms and suites, some with ice sculptures and even fireplaces. Kids will feel like they’ve escaped to their very own Narnia – it’s a fantastical Christmas experience they’ll cherish for years to come.

It’s worth extending your Christmas holiday into January just to experience the magic of the hotel. The hotel is open between January until the end of March.

Ride The Canadian train

The Canadian train travels from Vancouver all the way to Toronto, but the best leg of the journey is undoubtedly through the stunning valleys of British Columbia.

Visit in winter and you’ll find it difficult to draw yourself away from the glass-domed viewing carriages. You’ll spend hours watching frozen waterfalls, aqua lakes and mountain peaks pass your window. All up, you’ll spend about 19 hours on board, disembarking in the pretty mountain village of Jasper, Alberta, where you can hire skis and head to Marmot Basin resort.

Sing Christmas carols in the decorated Butchart Gardens

Join traditional Christmas carolers among hundreds of fairy lights in the ever-popular Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. During December, the gardens undergo a festive transformation, with Twelve Days of Christmas displays that feature two turtle doves, three French hens, and, well, you get the picture. Adding to the festive cheer, children are encouraged to exchange homemade paper snowflakes for a hot chocolate in the coffee shop.

The Magic of Christmas theme runs throughout December.

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See the Christmas lights of Quebec City

Due du Petit-Champlain Quebec — Wander down Rue du Petit-Champlain, one of Canada’s prettiest winter streets.

Quebec City is aglow with Christmas lights from the beginning of December, making it a magical place to explore at night. Go on a self-guided walking tour (don’t forget to pack some warm boots), stopping at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in Place Royale. Make sure you also wander down Rue du Petit-Champlain, one of Canada’s prettiest winter streets. Young children will also be able to meet Santa in the Petit Champlain District or at Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, in Old Quebec. Don’t forget to check out the toboggan run on nearby Dufferin Terrace, as well.

The toboggan run is open from mid-December to mid-March.

Watch the aurora borealis in the Yukon

Northern Lights — This cosmic experience will stun you.

A Christmas in Canada wouldn’t be complete without spending an evening watching the aurora borealis dance across the sky. The best places to view the natural light show are in Canada’s northern regions, and Yukon is one of the most accessible. For travellers short on time, Northern Tales offers one-night Northern Lights viewing experiences, about 25 minutes from Whitehorse. Couples can snuggle around a campfire as they watch greens and purples ripple above, while children can stay warm inside a heated wall tent or log cabin as they wait for the show to start.

The tours start around August and continue until April the following year.

If you like the look of a Canadian getaway, make sure you check out our Canada travel guide, so you can ensure you read up on the very best the region has to offer.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.