6 delightful day trips from Montréal

Montréal may be packed with urban delights like a thriving culture and nightlife scene, but it also boasts beautiful city parks and bracing hikes up local favorite, Mont-Royal.

But even with all these green spaces amidst the chic and bustling streets, sometimes it's fun to head beyond the city limits on a day trip. Trains and buses will get you to a few places, but a rental car will give you freedom and flexibility as you explore lush forests and pockets of Québec culture.

If you get a little peckish along the way, make like a true local and stop for poutine (French fries, squeaky cheese curds and flavorful gravy) from a casse-croûte (fry shack).

Tear yourself away for just a few hours on our favorite day trips from Montréal.

1. Road trip to the Eastern Townships

Travel time: 1 hour

Québec might not be known for its wine (yet), but Les Cantons de l’Est (Eastern Townships) region is doing its best to change that. The fertile landscape, dotted with cute cottages similar to what you’ll find in New England, is home to a number of wineries pushing the boundaries of what we can expect from Canadian wine.

One particularly notable spot is Clos Saragnat, whose owner invented ice cider – similar to ice wine – and offers tastings. Other great wineries to do tastings at include Vignoble du Ruisseau and Vignoble de l’Orpailleur.

The Eastern Townships is also home to great microbreweries like Brasserie Dunham and gourmet food producers such as Le Musée du Chocolat in Bromont. Further east, meet monks at the Trappist monastery Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac and taste their delicious cheeses, chocolates and sparkling ciders.

How to get to the Eastern Townships from Montréal: Drive southeast over the Samuel de Champlain Bridge and on Hwy 10 to the Townships. Some villages worth visiting include Sutton, Dunham, Bromont, Granby and Frelighsburg.

2. Go hiking at a provincial park

Travel time: 30 minutes

Just 30km (18.6 miles) from Montréal, near the suburb of Longueuil, lies the opportunity to go hiking amidst 27km (16.7 miles) of trails at Parc National du Mont-St-Bruno. The lovely park has five lakes and plenty of wildlife including 200 species of birds and endangered Western chorus frogs who sing a mating song. The park also has canoes and stand-up paddleboards for rent, as well as cross-country skiing trails in winter.

How to get to Parc National du Mont-St-Bruno from Montréal: Drive over the Samuel de Champlain Bridge and take Ave de l’Acier. Alternatively, take a bus from Terminus Radisson Sud and change at Terminus Sainte-Julie.

3. Taste maple syrup at a sugar shack

Travel time: 1 hour

As the snow begins to thaw in springtime, so does the sap in maple trees. The sap is collected and cooked down into Québec’s liquid gold – maple syrup. Québécois celebrate syrup season (late February through April) by feasting on traditional food bathed in the sweet stuff at a cabane à sucre (sugar shack).

Classic feasts include fluffy crepes, glazed ham, tourtière (meat pie) with homemade ketchup, oreilles de crisse (literally meaning Christ’s ears but referring to fried pork rinds), and country loaves, all with plenty of maple syrup to drizzle on top of everything.

It’s also fun to roll the syrup in snow and lick it like a popsicle. You can find sugar shacks on the outskirts of Montréal and across southern Québec, but a dependable option close to the city is Sucrerie de la Montagne in Rigaud, which is open year-round.

How to get to Sucrerie de la Montagne from Montréal: Drive west on Hwy 40 and turn off the exit to Riguad. The sugar shack is on Ch St-George.

4. Go kayaking, cycling and rock climbing in Val-David

Travel time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Surrounded by lush Laurentian hills, Val-David is an artsy, shop-filled town that’s also a gateway for adventure sports.

For a family-friendly experience, À l’Abordage rents out kayaks to meander down the river before setting you up with a cruiser bike to tackle the rails-to-trails Le P’tit Train du Nord bike path back to Val-David. There are other places to rent kayaks and bikes as well if you plan to stay out longer or do something more adventurous.

On the edge of town, Parc Régional de Val-David - Val-Morin is a go-to for rock climbers, with hundreds of traditional and bouldering routes.

How to get to Val-David from Montréal: Take Hwy 15 north or make it an adventure and cycle Le P’tit Train du Nord.

5. Strap on your skis at Mont-Tremblant

Travel time: 1 hour and 40 minutes

Since 1939, Mont-Tremblant has been Québec’s premier ski resort, with gorgeous runs starting from above the clouds down past evergreen trees weighed down with snow. The town below is made to look like a little European village (it’s kitschy but charming), with plenty of shops, restaurants and resorts. Warm up after a day on the slopes at Spa Scandinave.

In summer, Mont-Tremblant transforms into a playground for hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and golfing. Visit nearby Parc National du Mont-Tremblant for an escape to the wilderness – it’s a lot of fun to explore by canoe.

How to get to Mont-Tremblant from Montréal: Drive north on Hwy 15 until you get to the resort town. There are a few buses from the town of Saint-Jérôme, as well as shuttles around town.

6. See majestic mammals at Parc Oméga

Travel time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Canada’s vast wilderness is graced with the presence of caribou, moose, elk, bears and many more majestic species, but the chances of running into them in the wild are slim. That’s where Parc Oméga comes in. The reserve protects hundreds of species of Canadian mammals while holding a careful equilibrium that protects the animals, the natural habitat and the humans who visit.

Drive your car slowly through the entrance, and you’ll soon be greeted by dozens of gigantic elk. Buy a big bag of carrots to bring with you and stick one out the window – don’t worry, the beautiful beasts are gentle. The tour continues past caribou, ibex, wolves, cinnamon bears and more, and there’s a farm where you can get out and walk around with deer.

How to get to Parc Oméga from Montréal: It’s located north of Montebello, roughly halfway between Montréal and Ottawa on the Québec side. You’ll need your own vehicle to do the tour.