Tremblant
The Skiing Unlocked guide to ...
Tremblant is a really special place to me; I spent a season here in 2014 and not only completely fell in love with the place but discovered what skiing really meant to me. I was really lucky to return in 2025 and get to experience the place again, and was overjoyed by how little it had changed; it was, truly, one of North America’s best places to ski.
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Why? Let’s find out. Built on expert personal experience, here’s the Skiing Unlocked guide to Tremblant, Canada …
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Contents
Use the links below to quickly navigate this guide
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1. Top 3
2. The Basics
3. Where is it?
4. How do I get there?
5. Where to Stay?
6. The On Snow Experience
7. The Off Snow Experience
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Top 3 reasons for picking Tremblant:
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One of the shortest flight times from the UK and Europe to experience proper North American skiing
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A resort that can be anything you want it to be; supremely family friendly but can really turn it on after dark …
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Small ski area packs a real punch, especially for piste lovers and those who want to get lost in the trees
The Basics
Tremblant is located in Quebec, Canada, around 80 miles (120km) and 90 minutes from Montreal. The local currency is the Canadian Dollar ( $CAN, trading at around $1.89CAN to £1 GBP, and $1.42CAN to $1 USD). The local language is French, and whilst it is officially bilingual with English expect to find a few locals who prefer French! This is an expensive resort - be prepared to pay top dollar for lift passes and on-snow food and drink; that being said, value can still be found here.
The closest airport to Tremblant is Montreal (officially Montreal Pierre Elliot Trudeau, or “YUL” from its IATA code), and, as of 2024/25, there is now a twice-a-day shuttle running from the airport to the foot of the resort village. For Brits and Europeans, no visas are required, although an electronic pre-clearance known as an ETA is required.
Skiing Unlocked recommends spending around a week in the region; things can get busy at weekends and this is a small resort, so combining mid-week skiing with a long weekend in Montreal, Toronto, or Quebec City is often an excellent use of your holiday time. Things can also get seriously cold in mid-winter, so March is often best to experience the best of the skiing with the mercury looking a bit more favourable!
There is a wide range of skiing available across the 100 runs and 80km of pistes available; there is plenty for beginners and intermediate, and advanced skiers will love the bumps (moguls) and tree runs. For those looking for serious powder and massive vert its best to look elsewhere, although on a powder day a lot of fun is to be had in Tremblant’s extensive glades.
The emergency number for Canada is 911; the ski patrol number for Tremblant is +1 819 681 5911
Resort website: www.tremblant.ca
Lift Passes: www.tremblant.ca/plan/tickets-and-passes
Piste Map: www.tremblant.ca/mountain-village/maps
Where is it?
Montreal is deep in the heart of Quebec - although looking at a map it is astonishing how further north Quebece and Canada extends. That being said, it is the closest major ski resort to many of Canada’s east coast cities such as Toronto, Ottawa and especially Montreal - with travel time of just under 90 minutes from the latter - making it especially popular as a weekend getaway from these places.
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Despite being only 932m in maximum elevation it is one of the tallest mountains nearby. The Laurentians in which it sits are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, and as a result the mountains are rounded and shallow from millions of years of erosion. Don’t let this fool you, however; it can get bitterly cold in the winter, regularly tipping below -20°C. Therefore it is incredibly snow sure between January and March, and with a winter season that begins in late November and runs well into April.
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This low elevation means it is entirely covered in trees, something very unique if you are coming from the Alps! Every piste is treelined and many pistes themselves are made up specially prepared tree skiing areas, known as glades; it is so easy to get lost - metaphysically speaking! - and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life in this place!
How do I get there?
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The simple answer is to fly to Montreal (YUL), then drive north about 90 minutes along state highway 117 to the resort. There is a twice-daily return transfer from the airport to the resort which offers a fast and convenient option, but check timings closely; it can be a tight squeeze making these transfers when landing off flights from the UK and Europe. Getting to the airport is relatively easy if you are staying in or around Montreal before or after heading to the resort.
There are also a number of private transfers available. Hiring a car is also an option, and this is a useful option if you are then planning on heading to Ottawa, Toronto or Quebec City.
Where to Stay?
Despite the small footprint of the resort both on the mountain and in the village, there is quite a lot of choice on where to stay! The resort village is compact and means everything is a short walk - or gondola ride - from the foot of the slopes, but the village of Mont Tremblant itself stretches more than 10 miles through the woods to the suburban high street of Sainte Jovite, meaning there is a vast array of small family guesthouses and AirBnBs all linked by the free shuttle bus.
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The pedestrianised resort village is the centre of the universe, home to the ski school, rental shops, shops, bars and restaurants. The main drag meanders uphill from the car park, bus drop off and day lodge at its foot, up to the foot of the slopes at the top; a pedestrian gondola, Cabriolet, whisks skiers and pedestrians up to the top in 45 seconds, a small ski run winds skiers back to the day lodge on the way back down.
Some ideas on where to stay include:
Fairmont Tremblant
Right at the foot of the slopes is the Firmont, the 4* anchor headline property in the resort. Technically ski-in, ski-out it is only really accessible from the gentle, beginner friendly green run Nansen, but otherwise is a short, 30-second walk from the lift stations and the top of town. It features a spa and wellness centre, hot tub (with poolside bar service), several restaurants, an excellent breakfast buffet, and its own ski hire/storage centre and ski school meeting point. Perfect for couples or small groups looking for an exclusive experience
Ermitage du Lac
Around two-thirds of the way down the will and just off on one of the side streets is the Ermitage du Lac, with beautiful views across Lac du Tremblant and the original village chapel. Whilst services are more limited here, it features a wide range of apartments and multi-room suites, offering a perfect destination for families and groups. The pedestrian gondola is a two-minute walk away, it hosts its own boot room, and skis can be left with the Ski Butlers up at the foot of the slopes.
AirBnB
The long, forest lined drive linking the resort village with the original village of Mont Tremblant and the highway turn-off of Sainte Jovite is littered with a vast array of chalets, homes and apartments, many of which can be found on AirBnB. These are linked to the foot of the resort village with a free shuttle bus that runs roughly every half-an-hour.
The On Snow Experience
Despite its compact size, Tremblant offers a really brilliant on-snow experience. There is something for everyone here and whilst the black runs may not be the steepest things in the world and there is no huge vertical off piste, any skier of any ability can have a really really good time.
The mountain consists of four distinct faces, two of which spill down from the top station to the main village on the South Side (Versant Sud), and to a parking lot and sub-lodge on the North Side (Versant Nord). South Side is the biggest and busiest mountain face, featuring plenty of the resort’s powerful, carving blues and blacks as well as the beginners’ area flowing down Nansen.
Nansen is the resort’s longest run, flowing and winding its way through the trees down the southwest corner of the face. Enclosed by trees, as indeed the whole mountain is, there is a peace to skiing Nansen that is unparalleled almost anywhere else; I would be willing to bet every penny I had that you cannot find a better area to re-tune your skiing or learn to carve than Nansen.
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Things turn gnarly on the North Side; black diamonds dominate, as do many of the resort’s glade runs. This isn’t a place for sending huge cliffs or waist-deep powder – that’s for resorts out west – but the pre-prepared and thinned glade runs are a fantastic challenge to any level of skier. You can also really dial up the adrenaline with Dynamite, featuring an ice wall to challenge even the gnarliest skier.
Attached to the southeast corner of the hill is Versant Soleil – the Sunny Side. The rolling blues and blacks go on seemingly forever, twisting and turning around this quiet corner of the mountain far away from civilisation. Finally, the northwest corner; The Edge. This is where you’ll find loads of glades, uphill touring tracks-cum-twisty turny downhill tree-lined couloirs, all of it completely ungroomed; this is mogul country. And don’t worry, the single lift that serves The Edge is an old, slow, fixed grip quad chair, meaning you have plenty of time to contemplate your fate on the way up …
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Make no mistake, when the snow comes it is glorious. There are several pockets of trees on Versant Nord through which you can get completely lost - metaphorically more than physically - enjoying some top quality tree skiing as you go. If you want it to be, this is serious skiing for serious skiers.
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The Off Snow Experience
On snow facilities in Tremblant are somewhat limited; a resort run self-service exists in the main Grand Manitou building at the top, with something similar in the day lodge at the foot of the North Side. A coffee shop occupies the same role on the South Side. Try not to think fine dining here - far more the North American burgers and fries to keep you going.
The exception is the Refuge du Trappeur, a mountain hut hidden away on the Versant Soleil, where stools and communal benches are hewn from stumps, serving ladlefulls of piping hot stew. A limited menu, perhaps, but exactly what you need to fuel the legs and recover a semblance of warmth on the coldest of days here. All of it is served with a range of exceptional local beers, coffees or hot chocolate between 12 and 3pm - arrive early or late as it can be a squeeze at peak lunchtimes!
In town there is far more to whet the appetite. From pizza at Yaooo to crepes at La Maison de la Crepe to barbeque at La Forge Bistro Bar & Grill, there are almost limitless options; almost worth wondering up and down through town before choosing somewhere that appeals! Again, fine dining does not reign, however there are options here to including at the Fairmont and in the Casino (reachable via free resort shuttle).
And for an after ski beer? Well. North American après can be hard to get right, so don’t be lured in by promises of après terraces and outside bars. There are a few spots that really take the biscuit, however. The Fairmont’s hut tub-side bar service is utterly unparalleled, for starters. Elsewhere, La Diable Microbrasserie offers beer brewed on-site that are utterly exceptional to chew over the ski day that was.
Finally, and most importantly, is Le P’tit Caribou. When I was there on my season this was a seasonnaire’s bar, somewhere to prop up the bar and drink away after skiing until the bus home pulled up. Now it is dark, thonging and bouncing, a perfect reimagining of France’s Folie Douce. The Caribou has been voted the best après bar in North America for more than a decade straight until 2024, meaning it is world renowned for what it offers.
What else do I need to know?
I mentioned that Tremblant is a bit of a dichotomy; on the one hand, great for families with so much to keep the kids entertained, whilst on the other a bouncing party town when it needs to be. That can be a bit difficult to understand so let me explain.
The skiing is great for everyone, and the huge variety of tree skiing on offer means that every level of little one can enjoy setting off and winding their way through the woods, growing their skiing all the time. Off snow, ice skating, laser tag, and a cinema are all on hand to keep them occupied, and the wide array of family-friendly restaurants ensures everyone is well fed and refuelled.
On the other hand, this is a great place for friends to party the night away; I’ve mentioned the Caribou already, but at the Central Bar and Restaurant a classy cocktail bar pushes the tables to one side as the night closes in to turn into a club, the dancing cages above the bar never quite hidden from view during the day. Local beers can be enjoyed at-source at La Diable, or you can head to Le Shack and watch some ice hockey - which is one almost every night, seemingly - on the TVs above the bar.
Whatever your reasons for coming to Tremblant, there is so much to enjoy.