If you love picturesque, ski towns especially during wintertime, Mont Tremblant provides the perfect winter getaway. This Canadian destination in the province of Quebec is similar to Blue Mountain in Ontario but better, larger and more secluded. Just northwest of Montréal and within the Laurentian Mountains, Mont Tremblant provides a safe haven for winter sports lovers (and summer relaxation as well). You’ll also get a better ski experience here as the mountain is about 875 meters in elevation compared to Blue Mountain’s 450 meters.
Even if you choose not to partake in winter activities, there is still enough to so see and do for a minimum of 3 days for your Mont Tremblant winter getaway. If you can get away for a longer duration, you can spend about 4 to 5 days at this winter destination if you want more time on the slopes and want to try a few different winter activities available here.
How To Dress For A Winter Getaway In Mont Tremblant
I’m going to emphasize dressing warmly for your winter getaway in Mont Tremblant since it gets way below freezing temperatures here! When I visited Mont Tremblant recently, the temperature was about -20º C to -24º C in mid-February and it was snowing a lot. You likely won’t be able to get away with wearing any other footwear besides winter boots, although I saw 2 people in Converse and Vans and ripped jeans! But that’s Canadians for you – the cold doesn’t faze a lot of the people here, but I’m not definitely not one of them. I don’t enjoy the cold and prefer to stay warm and dry so here are some Winter Vacation Packing Tips To Stay Warm!
How To Get To Mont Tremblant
If you’re from Toronto like me and can drive to get to your Mont Tremblant winter getaway, it’ll take you about 6 hours or so depending on traffic to arrive at your destination. If you fly in to the Mont-Tremblant International Airport, you’ll still need to get a rental car in order to get into Mont Tremblant or take a 40 minute shuttle ride to the ski village from the airport. But keep in mind, if you are staying outside of the village area, you’ll need public transportation, taxis or Uber if you’re not renting a car to get around. The Mont Tremblant Public Transit, called the Orange Line takes you around Resort Village, Tremblant Old Village, and Downtown Saint Jovite for free.
Where To Stay In Mont Tremblant
If you like convenience and want to be able to do everything within walking distance, staying in the Village is your best option. This is a list of all the hotels and condos within the Mont Tremblant area. For my recent stay, we booked an Airbnb about a 10 minute drive away from the Village which is also much cheaper especially during the long weekend we visited. It was still very convenient and in between other activities we planned to do. Here are also the Best Ways To Save Money On Hotels For Your Next Vacation.
Where To Park In Mont Tremblant If You’re Not Staying In The Village
If you’re staying in the Village, you can easily get around on foot since the hotels are all the same vicinity. However, if you’re staying off-site (which also means your accommodations will be much cheaper), then you’ll need to know where to park in order to get to the Village.
There are 9 parking lots in the Mont Tremblant Village area. Of which 4 are free and 5 are paid. A few of the closer lots (P8 – P11 and VIP) to the village are paid parking at $3 to $4 per hour, or up to a $45 maximum per day. The lots in P1-P4 which are a little farther and may even require a shuttle bus, are free. But start your day early since P1 is the most popular and closest free lot at the base of the Mont Tremblant and it’ll get taken up quickly. If you end up having to park at a lot where you need a shuttle to the village, thankfully they come about every 10 minutes so it is quite quick. Here are also the details and locations of each lot.
Best Things To Do In Mont Tremblant
For Ski/Snowboard Lovers
If you’re going to Mont Tremblant specifically to ski or snowboard, you can literally spend all day here. There are 102 trails and 4 slopes. And if you’re going in high season, keep in mind there will be a lot of people and you’ll need to spend some time waiting for the ski lifts. You can book your ski lift tickets, lessons, or even rentals here. If skiing or snowboarding is specifically what you’re going to Mont Tremblant, you can spend your entire trip doing so.
Where To Eat And Shop: Mont Tremblant Resort Village
Mont Tremblant’s very own pedestrian village also known as Mont Tremblant Resort Village, offers an amazing selection of restaurants, shops, and even spas. After a long day of exploring the slopes, you’ll want to take a break to get some fuel. Luckily, all the best restaurants are literally next to the slopes in the Mont Tremblant Resort Village. A few of the most popular and best restaurants are La Savoie (book dinner reservations at least a week in advance!), La Diable Microbrasserie, La Maison De La Crepe, Axe Lounge Bar, and Au Grain De Café. If you want dessert or different flavored hot chocolates, visit Chocolato!
Top Activities To Do In Mont Tremblant Besides Skiing/Snowboarding
Unlike my other travel itineraries on my blog, I’ll share with you a list of fun winter activities that you can choose to participate in rather than just share what I did in a location to location itinerary since there are many options and everyone has different preferences. It was also extremely cold when I went so it made it hard for us to be outside for long even though we wanted to book many of the adventures – so maybe next time! Some of the options below are only an hour or so and some last for half the day. You can mix and match what you want to do but here are the best picks! Also, if you have time to stay for more than 3 days I was able to stay, these options are great for you to add to your list of things to do.
Outdoor Activities
Option 1 – Snow Adventures Laurentides – Tubing
Time Spent: 2 or 4 hours
What You’ll Do: If you’re not one for skiing or snowboarding, a great option is to go tubing down the mountain instead! You can take a ski lift to the top and there are 8 descent levels ranging from beginner to expert.
Option 2 – Day With A Woodsman
Time Spent: 5 hours
What You’ll Do: This particular itinerary allows you to try a few different activities with a guide including a) ice fishing b) traditional lunch c) snowshoeing tour to look for animal tracks d) visit the first Athabascan wood bison reserve in Quebec e) visit sacred Native American ancestral site f) visit kennel to play with sled dogs
Option 3 – Dogsledding
Time Spent: 1 hour
What You’ll Do: You’ll get to learn to harness and drive your own team of huskies on valley trails with beautiful views of Mont Tremblant. You’ll also be provided a snack and hot chocolate as well as visit the kennels.
Option 4 – Dune Buggy Tours
Time Spent: 1.5 hours
What You’ll Do: You’ll be able to drive a Kawasaki Teryx (an all-terrain vehicle) and navigate through the northern edge of the Mont Tremblant National Park with a guide.
Option 5 – Ice Climbing
Time Spent: 3 hours
What You’ll Do: You’ll be ice climbing a frozen waterfall several times, learn the safety protcols, and belay other climbers. This activity is great for beginners and no prior climbing experience is needed.
Option 6 – Ice Fishing And Sled Dog Visit
Time Spent: 2 to 3 hours
What You’ll Do: Get the chance to catch brook or rainbow trout that you can bring home and it will be prepared for you by your guide. You get 2 fishing lines to share and you’ll also get to visit and play with sled dogs at the kennel near the end of your excursion.
Option 7 – Snowmobiling
Time Spent: 2 hours
What You’ll Do: This trip will take you to Saint-Agathe-des-Mont, one of the snowiest and most picturesque spots in the Laurentian Mountains due to its elevation. There are different trails ranging from straight and flat to winding through the forest.
Spas
After physical exertion on all types of winter activities available during your Mont Tremblant getaway, you also need to spend some time to enjoy the amazing spas and let your body recuperate!
1 – Scandinave Spa
There are 4 different Scandinave Spa locations in Canada with Mont Tremblant being one of them. The other 3 are in Blue Mountain, Ontario; Old Montréal, Quebec; and Whistler, British Columbia. They’re known for their outdoor baths but you can also book a massage if you’d like. This form of hydrotherapy helps relieve tension (perfect way to end Mont Tremblant winter getaway after all the outdoor activities!), and this ancient practices dates back thousands of years.
The first step is to increase your body temperature with their eucalyptus steam baths, Finnish dry sauna, hot baths, and thermal waterfalls. For me, that was my favorite step especially during the cold winter. Then, you’ll follow it by immersing yourself in cold water in the Diable River, Nordic waterfalls, cold plunge pools and cool showers. Unfortunately I’m not a fan of the cold and could barely do any of these, and especially not the river since my feet froze after it was submerged for a couple seconds. The Diable River is the coldest of them all. I also found this unique to the Mont Tremblant Scandinave Spa since they have a large river adjacent to their spa which allows them to drill a hole into the river (the rest of it is frozen) in order to do a cold plunge just steps away from their hot baths. The final step in your Scandinave Spa experience is to simply relax. There are areas where you can just lie or sit down and do nothing in the solariums, zero-gravity pavilion, terraces and hammocks, and fire pits.
Personally, we just booked access to the baths and had an amazing time. I would recommend booking your spot in advance since doing a walk-in may not guarantee you access (even before COVID restrictions) since it gets really busy. Booking ahead of time also includes the spa providing you a bath robe, 2 towels and a padlock. You’ll need to bring your own slippers though, but the grounds are also heated so if you forget them, it’s doable in the winter. Otherwise, you can purchase them as well. One thing to note though is that we can’t bring our phones or camera into the baths and amenities.
It’s a lovely and relaxing experience and definitely worth visiting. We were surprised to have only spent about 2 hours there since it felt much longer, but there is no time limit as to how long you stay to enjoy your experience. You’ll just need to make sure you arrive within your check-in time. I would have loved to stay longer but I actually got so hot from all the amenities there that walking around in my bathing suit in -20º C was perfectly fine.
2 – Moment Spa Fairmont Tremblant and Amerispa Le Westin Resort & Spa Tremblant
If you really want to pamper yourself, there are 2 other spas that you can treat yourself at in the Village. Both of them provide massage therapy, facial treatments, body treatments, and even spa services for men. You can visit their website for more details.
Casino
Lastly, another fun activity for people who love to take a bet is the Casino De Mont Tremblant. It is only about a 5 minute drive or you can take a shuttle from the Village and there are games, restaurants, bars, and even shows.
Overall, Mont Tremblant is a great winter getaway and provides many fun as well as relaxing activities for everyone to enjoy. You’ll truly get a full winter experience in this beautiful destination.
For more destination inspiration, check out these blog posts.