We went on a helicopter ride in Mont-Tremblant

As I mentioned in our first article dedicated to the snow tubing in Mont-Tremblant, we came to spend two weeks of vacation in the middle of winter in the Montreal region. Initially, we had planned to explore the city of Québec and its surroundings, but the plan fell through when it was cancelled at the last minute… Anyway.

Today, I take you on a journey to discover another activity that we had the chance to try in partnership with Manawa, the activity booking site we recommend: the helicopter ride in Mont-Tremblant. In fact, the purpose of our visit as part of this professional trip was also to test a range of activities and to present them in detail on the blog to inspire you to discover Canada in the middle of winter.

At first glance, one might think there isn’t much to do in these regions during winter but in the end, we were completely wrong. Between sliding on tubes, snowshoeing, the helicopter ride, skiing, dog sledding, and snowmobiling, there really is something for every taste to keep you busy without any worries!

Regarding the helicopter ride, I must say that neither Mélanie nor I were familiar with it. However, Mélanie had already had the opportunity to fly over the Pointe des Châteaux here in Guadeloupe with an ultralight aircraft, and personally, I had the chance to fly over Bora Bora in Polynesia with a seaplane. But it is definitely not the same in terms of sensations!

As a reminder, we rented all our clothes with Tuque & Bicycle Experiences, a fantastic deal if you don’t want to buy all your winter clothes!

Not really knowing how the road here is, we decided to leave the Airbnb a little earlier than usual. Even though 10 cm of snow fell during the night and the surroundings are still very beautiful, the drive went very smoothly and we arrived an hour early at the site. We parked and Geoffrey came to welcome us. The landscapes around us are beautifully snow-covered and even the fir trees are coated with the fresh snow from the previous day.

We went down to the lower part of his office to fill out the paperwork. With Manawa, we had decided to book 30 minutes of helicopter ride to take our time appreciating the scenery. It turns out that the helicopter can only take 3 people in addition to the pilot, which we had already been informed of by Manawa, but it is actually possible to do 2 flights of 15 minutes, with two groups of 2 people, which Geoffrey confirmed to us, so no worries, that’s what we went with!

We quickly got acquainted with Geoffrey and told him that it was quite a change from our usual, considering the weather, even though that morning it was a little less cold, around -7°. Anyway. We divided into 2 teams: Mélanie/Louis and on my side, I would fly with Téo as the second ride. They took our weight (I regret the raclette, haha) and height. And it was already time for departure!

From the office, we walked up the small snowy path in the middle of the forest that leads to the hangar where the helicopter we are going to ride is parked. It turns out they have 3 helicopters, two like the one we are going to ride and another larger one intended for other needs (not necessarily tourist ones). Geoffrey tells us that it’s sometimes quite quiet in the winter compared to other periods and, for that matter, I would have loved to try the experience in the autumn to see the beautiful colors.

Geoffrey brings out the helicopter and starts it up for a few minutes. We receive a briefing on the safety instructions on the ramp. We must never touch the doors because they are fragile and could break, and most importantly, never go to the rear part of the helicopter. When we get out of the helicopter, we must immediately move to the front of the aircraft. Once the engine is nicely warmed up and both engines have been checked, we let Mélanie and Louis get settled in the helicopter first. Geoffrey puts on our headsets for communication, which the kids really like, of course, haha, especially Louis who just keeps talking!

The first group is ready to leave. On our side, I stay with Téo at the hangar to try to capture a video of the helicopter taking off. What I hadn’t anticipated was probably the strong wind at takeoff that sends a blast of snow in our direction, to the point that I have to turn the phone (and so the video is ruined, haha). I won’t let that happen on the return; I’ll be closer. I stay with Téo in the hangar to prepare the cameras and chat with Geoffrey’s wife.

As I mentioned in the introduction, it had snowed the day before and the surrounding fir trees are immaculate with white, which is very beautiful. In addition, we were lucky to depart while it was snowing, which creates a lovely atmosphere. Unfortunately, visibility is really not at its best, which is a bit of a shame but nothing can be done about it! We take off very gently in the middle of the forest and a beautiful, entirely white wooded area, which is really nice!

In terms of sensations, the takeoff is very smooth, much smoother than what I have experienced with a seaplane or what Mélanie felt in an ultralight. As soon as we take off, we climb quickly to gain altitude, which allows us to have a great view of the surroundings. Everything is white and gray; it’s an odd sensation, both beautiful and as if it lacks a bit of color (which is somewhat true, huh!). Visibility is clearly not optimal because there is a fair amount of mist/fog, so needless to say, it was really challenging for the photos and the camera sometimes struggled to focus.

But during this short 15-minute flight, we still had the opportunity to fully survey the area, notably seeing all the little towns around, the road network clearly visible from above (since it’s been cleared of snow), completely frozen lakes (naturally, since it’s winter), and even winding rivers discernible through the landscape. The area is actually very populated; I hadn’t really seen it that way from down below.

We then fly over the famous Mont-Tremblant resort where you can see the highly developed area, the city’s casino, the ski slopes, and the many luxury villas by the lake! It’s Geoffrey who explains to us that there are some stunning mansions of millionaires around here! He answers all our questions without any issue and gives us some explanations about what we can see! It’s certainly a completely different experience compared to flying over turquoise blue lagoons, but it is still fascinating to see.

The 15 minutes pass rather quickly, without being too frustrating either since the landscape is quite uniform with shades of white/gray and the visibility wasn’t the best either. 15 minutes is still interesting enough to get a good overview of the area, but I wouldn’t recommend less. We even had a few funny moments (as Téo says) in the clouds where you can see absolutely nothing!

We ended these 15 minutes with a return to the hangar and, most notably, a big turn just before landing that gives some great sensations, albeit still smoothly!

On the return, Geoffrey explains that the conditions are obviously very different in the autumn or summer and shows us photos of the area during those periods. For that matter, I think it would be really interesting to come in autumn to see the beautiful colors.

We can’t complain, as that would be too much, because it remains a beautiful experience. Is it the most stunning flight of my life? Unfortunately not, but the context and the weather also play a role. I think that with a blue sky, the experience would be very different, and I would still recommend coming in autumn even more, with its various colors.

So, do we recommend it? Yes, without any doubt, because it is really fun, but perhaps at another time; make sure to have good weather, which we didn’t really plan for this time around!

As always, a few words on the practical corner.

As usual, everything depends on your arrival city. If you are reading these lines and had planned a vacation in the Laurentians (full article written by our friend Valérie who lives on site), there’s a good chance that you arrived (like us) via Montreal. Before our departure, we had booked our rental car on the comparison site Discover Cars which offers the comparison of a very large number of rental companies and, honestly, you always find crazy low prices!

Just like for snow tubing, count on a 1h30 drive from Montreal, about 130 km. We were 30 minutes from our Airbnb in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts!

Everything will obviously depend on your itinerary and what you have planned. You’re really close to Mont‑Tremblant, so you can stay right there, or pick spots a bit farther away that will also cost you less. Here are 3 highly rated addresses :

• Hotel Vacances Tremblant : The property offers rooms and equipped studios, an indoor pool, and a location close to ski areas and outdoor activities, praised by visitors for its excellent service and comfort.
• Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Mont Tremblant : The place offers an ideal location, comfortable rooms with free Wi‑Fi and continental breakfast, plus an indoor pool and free parking.
• Le Grand Lodge Mont Tremblant : Located on the shores of Lake Ouimet, the property provides luxury accommodation with fully equipped suites, a private beach (in summer!), a full spa, and excellent local cuisine at the restaurant Chez Borivage.
• Château Beauvallon : Surrounded by the Laurentian Mountains, it offers comfortable suites with kitchenettes near the ski area. You’ll enjoy several services: free shuttle, two pools, and an outdoor hot tub to unwind in after skiing.

Otherwise, you can look on the map below for accommodations in the Mont‑Tremblant region.

Also, if you arrive in Montreal and spend a few days there, Valérie had written an extensive guide with her best recommendations for lodging in Montreal.

Alright, I’ll stop here for this article on the helicopter ride in Mont-Tremblant. See you soon and feel free to read 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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