Tremblant Summer Itinerary: 3 Days in Quebec's Favourite Ski Town
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A ski town in the summer
Everyone knows Tremblant for the winter, but we came in July, and the village was completely alive. Patios everywhere, a gondola up the mountain, a luge, a glowing night walk through the forest, and a national park just up the road. You do not need skis, you do not need any gear, and it is only about ninety minutes from Montreal.
Here is everything we did across three days, in the order we did it, with where we stayed, what to book ahead, and the little tips that make it easy.
The shape of it
Day one. Settle into the pedestrian village.
Day two. The mountain top to bottom, then a glowing walk after dark.
Day three. Hiking in Quebec's very first national park.
Tina's Rule
Get the Multi-Activity Bundle and book it ahead. You pick a few activities, the gondola, the luge, Tonga Lumina, and it works out far cheaper than paying for each one at the gate.
Day One
Settle into the village
We arrived in the afternoon, checked in, and just let ourselves fall into the pace of the place.
Check in at the heart of the village
Where We Stayed
We based ourselves at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tremblant, right in the pedestrian village and steps from the gondola, with a complimentary breakfast to fuel the mornings. Being able to walk everywhere and leave the car parked made the whole trip easier.
Wander the pedestrian village
Colourful, Lively, Walkable
Colourful buildings, street performers, and in July a free blues festival scattered through the streets. We only caught the tail end of it, but even that set the tone for the whole trip.
Dinner at Le Shack
Place Saint-Bernard
Right at the base of the slopes, Resto-Bar Le Shack has been a Tremblant institution since 1993. We grabbed a table on the terrace for a relaxed first night in the middle of all the action.
Tina's Tip
Ask for a terrace table at Le Shack if the weather is nice. It looks right out over the busiest, prettiest corner of the whole village.
Day Two · The Mountain
The mountain, top to bottom
The biggest day of the trip, and the one that makes the case for summer all on its own.
Panoramic gondola to the summit
About 10 Minutes Up
The Panoramic Gondola carries you up to the 875 metre summit with views over the Laurentians, Lac Tremblant, and the valleys the whole way. At the top there is a 360 degree observation tower, and we had lunch up there at Le Grand Manitou before heading back down.
The Skyline Luge
The Most Fun of the Trip
Take a chairlift up, then control your own little cart down 1,400 metres of twists and turns through the forest on the Skyline Luge. Get the multi-ride ticket, because one run is never enough, and it is genuinely a blast at any age.
Tina's Tip
Ride the gondola in the morning when the summit is clearest, and save the luge for the afternoon when the light turns golden through the trees.
Day Two · After Dark
A glowing walk through the forest
Dinner at La Pizzateria
Village Favourite Since 1995
Before the walk we had dinner at La Pizzateria, known for thin-crust square pizzas and fresh pasta right in the heart of the village. A cozy, easy spot to fuel up before the evening.
Tonga Lumina after dark
Created by Moment Factory
We ended the night on Tonga Lumina, a sensory night walk through the forest. You ride a chairlift up in the dark, then follow a glowing kilometre and a half trail that tells the story of a sleeping giant. It was one of the most magical things we did all trip.
The Move
Book your Tonga Lumina ticket ahead and choose a later entry, so you finish dinner, stroll over, and let the forest be fully dark for the whole effect.
Day Three
Into Quebec's first national park
On our last full day we traded the village for the trees, about twenty five minutes up the road.
A guided hike with D-Tour
Local Guide · Picnic Included
We met our D-Tour guide at the discovery centre and spent the morning hiking with a local who knew every corner. We took the shorter route to the La Corniche lookout and Chute du Diable, a beautiful waterfall, with a picnic lunch packed by the guide. Having someone local completely changed the hike.
Parc national du Mont-Tremblant
A Certified Dark Sky Park
This is Parc national du Mont-Tremblant, Quebec's very first national park and the third ever created in Canada. It is also a certified International Dark Sky Park, so if you can linger after sunset, the stargazing is unreal.
Dinner at Le Vieux Four
Authentic Wood-Fired Italian
We ended the trip at Le Vieux Four, all authentic wood-oven pizza and Italian flavours in a warm, friendly room. Exactly the cozy last night we wanted.
Before You Go
How to do it right
Get the Multi-Activity Bundle. Pick the gondola, luge, and Tonga Lumina together and save over paying at the gate.
Book ahead. The gondola, luge, Tonga Lumina, and the guided hike all run smoother, and cheaper, when you reserve online in advance.
Pack a layer for the summit. It can be warm in the village and genuinely cold and windy at the top, so bring a jacket for the gondola.
Stay in the village. Being able to walk to everything, and leave the car parked, made the whole trip feel effortless.
It is only 90 minutes from Montreal. Which makes this an easy long weekend, or even a very full day trip.
One Last Thing
Leave one evening unplanned. The village has free entertainment most summer nights, and some of our favourite moments were just a patio, a drink, and the mountain glowing behind us.
Not just a ski town
Three days, one mountain, and not a single pair of skis. Tremblant in the summer completely won us over, and it is so much closer and easier than most people think. If you make it up, I would genuinely love to hear how it went.
See you on the mountain,
Tina · @travelwithtina
