Mont-Tremblant in Summer: Best Things to Do Off-Season in Quebec’s Ski Country

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Mont-tremblant in summer
How green is your valley? Mont-Tremblant in summer. Photo credit: Judy Antell

If your ideal summer consists of great outdoor activities, try Mont-Tremblant. The popular Quebec winter ski resort town is a summer wonderland. Think hiking, biking and riding the gondola – and bring a jacket for the evening. The charming pedestrian village has outdoor dining and entertainment, too. For bargain hunters, consider both the favorable Canadian exchange rate and the lower summer prices.

With global warming, ski resorts have pivoted to offering year-round attractions. And unlike in winter, if you aren’t a skier, you don’t have to feel left out walking around without a lift ticket dangling from your jacket. Everyone comes to the French-inflected, Mont-Tremblant, in Quebec for an array of summer activities. Just don’t expect to lay out at the beach working on your tan. This winter wonderland offers so much to active vacationers. Instead of hot and humid weather that limits outdoor activities, Mont-Tremblant in summer features high temps in the 70s, (or 20s, if you are Canadian).

I think of Canada as a great ‘starter’ foreign country where you can expose your family to international travel. It is close enough for many in North America to drive to for a weekend getaway, and a short flight from my home in New York City. [though Air Canada somehow stretched both legs of our trip into epic day-long misery]. In winter, you can fly into Mont-Tremblant, but in summer, the drive from Montreal is about 90 minutes.

While we concentrated on outdoor activities, there are also plenty of indoor things to do in Mont-Tremblant in summer. So get that passport and head north, eh?

Below, find my list of the best things to do in Mont Tremblant in the summer.

Wide paver streets with people in Mont-Tremblant pedestrian village, a fun thing to do
The pedestrian village in Mont-Tremblant. Photo credit: Judy Antell

Stroll the Pedestrian Village

No matter when you visit Mont-Tremblant, the pedestrian Tremblant village is amazing. Hotels, restaurants and boutiques line this wide, car-free boulevard. You can pretty much let kids loose here (at the end, there are cars, but basically cars driving slowly into the parking lot).

In summer, kids play on the playground, get ice cream or a giant beaver tail pastry (vegetarian alert: no meat, just butter, sugar and eggs. Lots of all three) and at night, listen to free concerts. Every restaurant has outdoor seating, so even while you are eating, you are treated to the spectacular street scene.

Man on bike on wooden bridge in Mont-Tremblant, one of the best things to do
You can spend the whole day biking in Mont-Tremblant in summer. Photo credit: Judy Antell

Bicycle Riding

At the very end of the pedestrian village, rent bicycles. There are sizes for kids through adults, with bike seats and trailers for those too young to pedal on their own. Then hit the glorious wide, paved bicycle paths. You are biking on the cross-country ski trails and there are some hills, but we saw kids as young as five cruising along.

We crossed a couple of wooden bridges and rode to an old town. If you bring lunch, there are picnic tables along the way, but no water. Although, with no humidity, we weren’t really thirsty and felt we could ride all day!

SheBuysTravel Tip: If your kids are a little older, rent mountain bikes for more thrilling rides. And if you are an inexperienced rider, there are guided tours on e-bikes.

Go for a Hike

The ski-in ski-out nature of the pedestrian village means hiking trails – the ski trails in winter – are also at your fingertips. You are at the base of the Laurentians so there are many options. We saw a few waterfalls and lots of colorful wildflowers.

You can also find more trails in Mont-Tremblant National Park.

Ski gondola in summer in Mont-Tremblant, one of the best things to do
Ride the panoramic gondola in summer at Mont-Tremblant. Photo credit: Judy Antell

Ride the Panoramic Gondola

The Panoramic Gondola ride to the top of the mountain offers 360-degree views when you get to the top. There is a restaurant at the top, and you can hike down or ride the gondola back to the pedestrian village.

SheBuysTravel Tip: If you hike down, be aware that a 3-4 mile downhill hike will strain your calf muscles. Be sure to stretch!

Inflatable slide with paddle boats on lake in Mont-Tremblant, a fun thing to do in summer
There are so many things to do at the Beach & Tennis Club in Mont-Tremblant. Photo credit: Judy Antell

Beach & Tennis Club

The Beach & Tennis Club on Lac Tremblant is filled with activities for the entire family. There are 25 clay tennis courts. Water sports include leaping off the inflatable mountain, renting a canoe, kayak, pedal boat, sailboat or paddle board and waterskiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing or tubing.

Or you can swim at the lake beach, read a book while your kids swim – there are lifeguards – and play in the sand.

Illuminated installation on trail at Tonga Lumina, a fun thing to do in Mont-Tremblant in summer
A unique night-time summer activity in Mont-Tremblant: Tonga Lumina. Photo credit: Judy Antell

Tonga Lumina

This interactive night-time activity includes a ride on the Flying Mile chair lift and a short hike. You are ostensibly searching for a sleeping giant, one who makes the mountain tremble (the English translation of Mont-Tremblant).

But the story takes a back seat to the thrill of walking around at night, and seeing the illuminated installations. The sounds are not too scary, but young children, particularly those afraid of the dark, may find parts alarming.

SheBuysTravel Tip: The walking paths are quite dark. If you have glow necklaces or glow sticks, bring them for the kids.

Rock climbing facility in Mont-Tremblant, a fun thing to do in summer
Outdoor rock climbing wall at the base of the panoramic gondola. Photo credit: Judy Antell

Rock Climbing

Rock climbers can enjoy two types of climbing. There is guided cliff climbing, with belaying and rappelling, and an outdoor climbing wall, like you see at climbing gyms. You can also just watch.

Note: my youngest daughter is a serious rock climber.

adult man and woman in spa pool at Scandanive Spa in Mont-Tremblant
Relax at the adults-only sanctuary, Scandanive Spa. Photo credit: Scandanive Spa.

Scandinave Spa

As you may have guessed, a Mont-Tremblant summer is filled with outdoor activities. So what to do when it rains? In the pedestrian village, there is an escape room and laser tag, and adults can take the free shuttle to a nearby casino.

Since none of this appealed to us, we headed to the Scandinave Spa. This year-round refuge, open to those 18 and up, has you lock up your cell phone and enjoy hot tubs, cold plunge pools, swimming in the (cold) Diable River, steam rooms and saunas. We brought our bathing suits, a stack of unread New Yorkers and refillable water bottles. We figured if we were going to get wet, we might as well stay in swimsuits.

The spa hands you a padlock, robe and two towels when you enter. You can wear flip-flops – they also sell them – but Sandinave Spa is impeccably clean so you can be barefoot everywhere. In winter, the walking paths are heated! We did the spa routine three times: a long warm soak, a brief cold plunge and a long rest. You can lounge under heat lamps, or in Adirondack chairs by a fire. At one point, someone from the spa walked around handing out shots of cold, fresh-pressed apple juice.

Scandinave Spa has a no-talking policy but sighs of pleasure are fine, and yelps from the shock of icy water. If the water treatment isn’t relaxing enough, you can get a massage: Swedish, (of course) deep tissue and prenatal are some of the offerings.

Resort pool at Fairmont Tremblant, a fun place to stay while exploring Mont-Tremblant in summer
The outdoor pool at Fairmont Mont-Tremblant resort. Photo credit: Judy Antell

Where to Stay in Mont-Tremblant

Hotel ski resort prices are much lower in summer. We stayed at the luxury Fairmont Tremblant resort, which has a large outdoor pool and outdoor hot tub (plus indoor too for inclement weather) and a cold plunge pool. The hotel has a free guided nature walk and free yoga on weekends in summer and outdoor dining.

My Mont-Tremblant summer vacation whetted my appetite for a winter trip. But there were also all the things we didn’t have time for: mini golf, eurobungy, go-karts and a zipline. There is also a birds of prey show, and you can take an apprentice falconry class. There are golf courses, horseback riding and whitewater rafting.

Note: I won this trip to Mont-Tremblant. I would absolutely return on my own dime. And that dime goes further in Canada, with a favorable exchange rate.

Judy Antell is an empty-nester mother of 3 who spends a lot of time visiting her daughters. Why don’t they live in Brooklyn? Judy and her husband love to travel, by bike, car, or plane, whether to see their kids or have friend or couple adventures, mostly centered around vegetarian food.
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