Our Helicopter Ride in Mont-Tremblant

As I mentioned in our first article about snow tubing in Mont-Tremblant, we spent two weeks vacationing in the Montreal region in the middle of winter. We had originally planned to explore Québec City and the surrounding area, but that project was canceled at the last minute. Anyway.

Today, I am taking you along for another activity we had the chance to try in partnership with Manawa, the activity-booking platform we recommend: a helicopter ride in Mont-Tremblant. Part of the purpose of this professional trip was to test several activities and share them in detail on the blog, with the hope of inspiring you to discover Canada in winter.

At first glance, you might think there is not much to do in this part of Canada during winter, but we quickly realized how wrong that was. Between snow tubing, snowshoeing, helicopter flights, skiing, dog sledding, and snowmobiling, there is plenty to keep everyone busy.

Neither Mélanie nor I had ever taken a helicopter flight before. Mélanie had flown over Pointe des Châteaux here in Guadeloupe in an ultralight aircraft, while I had flown over Bora Bora in French Polynesia by seaplane. A helicopter, however, feels completely different.

As a reminder, we rented all our winter clothing from Tuque & Bicycle Experiences, which is a great option if you do not want to buy a full set of winter gear.

Not knowing what the road conditions would be like, we left our Airbnb a little earlier than usual. Around 10 cm of snow had fallen overnight, and the scenery was beautiful, but the drive was smooth and we arrived about an hour early. We parked, and Geoffrey came out to welcome us. Everything around the site was covered in fresh snow, including the fir trees.

We went downstairs to his office to complete the paperwork. Through Manawa, we had booked a 30-minute helicopter flight so we would have time to enjoy the scenery. The helicopter can carry a maximum of three passengers in addition to the pilot, which Manawa had already told us. Geoffrey confirmed that our family of four could split the booking into two 15-minute flights, with two passengers on each flight, so that is what we chose.

We quickly got to know Geoffrey and joked about how different the weather was from what we are used to, even though it was a little milder that morning at around -7°C. We split into two groups: Mélanie would fly with Louis first, and I would go with Téo on the second flight. They recorded our weight—making me regret the raclette, haha—and our height. Then it was already time to get ready for takeoff.

From the office, we followed a short snowy path through the forest to the hangar where the helicopter was parked. The company had three helicopters: two similar to the one we would be flying in and a larger aircraft used for other purposes, not necessarily sightseeing. Geoffrey told us that winter can be quieter than other seasons. I would have loved to try the flight in autumn too, when the landscape is full of color.

Geoffrey moved the helicopter outside and let it warm up for a few minutes. We then received a safety briefing beside the aircraft. We were told never to touch the doors because they are fragile, and above all, never to walk behind the helicopter. After landing, passengers must always move toward the front of the aircraft. Once the engine had warmed up and the checks were complete, Mélanie and Louis climbed in first. Geoffrey helped them put on their headsets, which the kids loved—especially Louis, who could not stop talking, haha.

The first group was ready to leave. I stayed with Téo near the hangar so I could film the takeoff. What I had not anticipated was the blast of wind and snow from the rotor, which forced me to turn the phone away and ruined the video, haha. I made sure not to repeat that mistake when they returned. While we waited, I prepared the cameras and chatted with Geoffrey’s wife.

As I mentioned in the introduction, it had snowed the day before, and the surrounding fir trees were completely covered in white. We were also lucky enough to take off while it was snowing, which created a lovely atmosphere. Visibility, however, was not ideal, which was a little disappointing, though there was nothing we could do about it. The helicopter lifted off very smoothly from the middle of the forest, surrounded by an entirely white landscape.

The takeoff felt much gentler than the seaplane flight I had experienced or the ultralight flight Mélanie had taken. We climbed quickly after leaving the ground, which gave us a wide view of the area. Everything was white and gray. It was beautiful, although the lack of color created a slightly unusual feeling. Mist and fog reduced visibility, making photography difficult, and the camera sometimes struggled to focus.

Even during the short 15-minute flight, we still managed to see a great deal: the small towns nearby, roads clearly visible because they had been cleared of snow, completely frozen lakes, and winding rivers cutting through the landscape. The area was more populated than I had realized from ground level.

We then flew over the Mont-Tremblant resort, where we could see the developed area, the casino, the ski slopes, and luxury villas along the lake. Geoffrey pointed out several impressive homes in the area and answered all our questions as we flew. It was a completely different experience from flying over turquoise lagoons, but it was still fascinating.

The 15 minutes went by quickly, although the short duration was not too frustrating because the landscape was fairly uniform, with shades of white and gray, and the visibility was limited. A 15-minute flight is still enough to get a good overview of the area, but I would not recommend choosing anything shorter. We even had a few funny moments, as Téo would say, when we passed through clouds and could not see anything at all.

We ended the flight by returning to the hangar, with a wide turn just before landing that added a little excitement while still feeling very smooth.

Afterward, Geoffrey explained how different the scenery looks in summer and autumn and showed us photos from those seasons. I think an autumn flight would be especially interesting because of the fall colors.

We really cannot complain, because it was still a beautiful experience. Was it the most memorable flight of my life? No, but the weather and visibility clearly played a role. Under a blue sky, the experience would have felt very different, and I think autumn would be an even better time to go because of the colors.

Would we recommend it? Yes. It was genuinely fun, although I would choose a day with better weather if possible—something we had not planned carefully enough this time.

As always, here are a few practical details.

How you get there will depend on where you are starting. If you are planning a trip to the Laurentians, you will most likely arrive through Montreal, as we did. Before leaving, we booked our rental car through Discover Cars, which compares offers from a large number of rental companies and often has very competitive rates.

As with the snow-tubing activity, allow roughly 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours to drive from Montreal, depending on traffic and road conditions. The distance is about 130 km. From our Airbnb in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, the drive took around 30 minutes.

Where you stay will depend on your itinerary and the activities you have planned. The site is close to Mont-Tremblant, so you can stay in the resort area or choose accommodation a little farther away, which may be less expensive. Here are four well-rated options:

• Hotel Vacances Tremblant: the property offers rooms and equipped studios, an indoor pool, and easy access to ski areas and outdoor activities. Guests often praise its service and comfort.
• Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Mont Tremblant: this hotel offers comfortable rooms, free Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast, an indoor pool, and free parking.
• Le Grand Lodge Mont Tremblant: set on the shores of Lake Ouimet, the property offers spacious suites, a private beach in summer, a spa, and dining at Chez Borivage.
• Château Beauvallon: surrounded by the Laurentian Mountains, it offers comfortable suites with kitchenettes near the ski area, along with a shuttle, two pools, and an outdoor hot tub.

You can also use the map below to look for accommodation in the Mont-Tremblant region.

If you are arriving through Montreal and plan to spend a few days there, Valérie has also written a detailed guide with her best recommendations for where to stay in Montreal.

That brings me to the end of this article about our helicopter ride in Mont-Tremblant. See you soon, and feel free to read about our dog-sledding experience in the Laurentians!

Written by Sylvain PONS

I had the opportunity to explore the beauty of this country I love on several different occasions and in different places (Canadian Rockies, the Island of Newfoundland for 1 month, Yukon and Québec)!

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