Montreal Travelers Recommend

If you have just two days in Montreal, you’ll have ample time to explore the European-style architecture of Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal), visit some of the city’s ethnic enclaves, and dive into Montreal’s excellent food and craft beer scenes. Here is how to get the most out of 48 hours in Montreal, Quebec’s cultural capital.

Day 1: Downtown, Food, and Phantoms

Morning: Devote your morning to the downtown area, where most of Montreal’s major sights are concentrated. Take a guided tour around Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal), home to Notre-Dame Basilica, the Old Port, and Place d’Armes, or tour the top sights by hop-on hop-off bus tour, getting off to explore whenever you choose.

Afternoon: Snack your way through some of Montreal’s best foodie hot spots. Food tours typically focus on ethnic enclaves such as Little Italy or Chinatown, or Mile End, a trendy neighborhood full of brewpubs, restaurants, butchers, third-wave cafés, and Montreal’s most famous bagel shops: St-Viateur and Fairmount. 

Night: As darkness falls, delve into Montreal’s many unexplained mysteries with a ghost tour. Choose a tour that focuses on the history-steeped streets of Old Montreal, the oldest part of the city, or opt to tour Griffintown, a once-industrial neighborhood along the Lachine Canal. 

Day 2: Sky-High Views, Local Beverages, and Romance

Morning: Having seen the city from ground level, it’s time to appreciate the sights from a new perspective. Zoom up to the 44th-floor observation platform at Place Ville Marie, or ride a glass-enclosed cable car up 541 feet (165 meters) at the Montreal Tower. For an even more spectacular aerial view, take a helicopter tour over the city.

Afternoon: Dedicate the afternoon to discovering the local beverage scene. With so many craft breweries and brewpubs dotted around town, it’s helpful and efficient to take a guided beer tour. Non-beer drinkers may prefer a tea-themed tour with teahouse visits and tastings.

Night: Celebrate your final night in Montreal with a romantic meal to remember. Head back to Place Ville Marie for sky-high dining at the 44th-floor restaurant, or take a dinner cruise along the St. Lawrence River, during which you’ll enjoy a multicourse meal while sailing past the twinkling city lights. 

With three days in Montreal, you should have enough time to explore the city’s top-line attractions, discover interesting neighborhoods beyond the downtown core, and even take a day trip out to the picturesque Quebec countryside. Here’s how to pack sights, scenery, food, and fun into 72 memorable hours in Montreal.

Day 1: Downtown and the St. Lawrence River

Set aside your first day for Ville-Marie, the downtown area of Montreal and home to many of the city’s must-see sights, including Notre-Dame Basilica and Place Jacques-Cartier. You can travel around by hop-on hop-off bus or wander independently, but guided walking tours are the perfect introduction to Montreal for first-time visitors, who will learn all about the history of Canada’s 2nd-oldest city.

In the afternoon, stroll down toward the Old Port area for your first glimpse of the mighty St. Lawrence River. There’s a water-based tour option for all tastes, from gentle sightseeing cruises to paddleboat rentals and fast-paced Jet Ski tours. 

Refuel with a typical grab-and-go Montreal meal of a bagel, smoked meat sandwich, or poutine (French fries and cheese curds covered in gravy) before setting out on a guided ghost walk around the cobbled streets and history-steeped alleys of Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal).

Day 2: Country Escapes and City Views

Get out of the city today and enjoy an easy day trip to rural Quebec. Opt for a half-day or full-day tour of Quebec wine country. Visit vineyards in the Eastern Townships and take part in guided tastings of local wines and cheese, many of which aren’t available outside of Quebec. Alternatively, travel north from Montreal to the picturesque Laurentian Mountains, where you can visit country villages, cruise on scenic lakes, and ride a cable car to the top of Mont Tremblant. 

Back in town, trade the rural panoramas for cityscapes with a nighttime hop-on hop-off bus tour. Disembark near the Plateau for a quick dinner in one of the area’s hip restaurants, then reboard to reach Mount Royal (Mont Royal). Trek to the park’s mountaintop lookout for unforgettable views over downtown Montreal and beyond. 

Day 3: Multicultural Montreal

Venture beyond the boundaries of the downtown center to uncover Montreal’s multicultural side. Spend today getting to know other parts of the city and learning about the influence immigrant groups have had on the fabric of Montreal as well as its culinary scene. Explore the Plateau on a Jewish history walking tour, take a food tour of Little Italy or Chinatown, or join a walking tour along the Main—aka St. Lawrence Boulevard—stopping in Little Portugal, Mile End, and Little Italy for divine tastes of local specialties. 

A guided afternoon bike tour of the city will allow you to cover even more ground and spot sights you’re unlikely to stumble upon while exploring solo, such as neighborhood parks and hidden-away eateries. Finish your trip in style with a dinner cruise along the St. Lawrence River, where you’ll be treated to front-row views of the dazzling skyline.

As the mercury dips below zero and a blanket of snow renders everything in sight white, the city of Montreal exudes a magical, winter wonderland quality. If you’re visiting Canada during the snowy season, you’ll find plenty of frosty fun in Montreal. See below for inspiration.

• Discover local art, gastronomy and culture during the 11-day Montreal en Lumiere winter festival. The festival culminates in Nuit Blanche, an all-night extravaganza featuring free events, shows, and parties.

• Embark on a tour of the Underground City, a vast subterranean complex situated beneath Downtown Montreal.

• Sip ice wines and apple ice cider during a winter tour of Quebec wine country.

• Wrap up warm and get in the festive spirit with a Christmas walking tour of historic Old Montreal and the Old Port.

• Zip around the scenic region of Mauricie by snowmobile.

• See native Quebec wildlife, including arctic foxes, snowy owls, caribou, and bears, roaming around open-air snow-covered enclosures at an outdoor zoo.

• Warm up by sipping steaming brews during a tea-themed tour of the city.

• Try ice skating, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing in Mount Royal Park (Parc du Mont Royal) and Jean Drapeau Park (Parc Jean-Drapeau).

Montreal, Canada’s 2nd-biggest city and the cultural capital of Quebec, thrills visitors with its melting-pot cultural influences, passion for fine food and fun, European-style old town, and picturesque riverfront setting. If you have only one day to explore Montreal, here’s how you can make the most of it.

Morning: Montreal’s Must-Sees

Start by ticking off the city’s top sights. Opt for a guided bus tour or a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour that covers the don’t-miss landmarks, from the Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal) to Mount Royal (Mont Royal), the cross-topped “mountain” after which the city is named. Active travelers can explore on two feet instead, or try the method of transportation preferred by many locals—bike—during a cycling tour. If you visit in winter, seek shelter from the sub-zero temperatures in Montreal’s Underground City, a vast complex of tunnels, hotels, malls, universities, and museums.

Afternoon: Splashes and Thrills

Montreal offers up countless opportunities to get active within the city confines. Go rafting or jet boating on the Lachine Rapids, or jet-skiing around the St. Lawrence River. For an exhilarating activity that doesn’t involve getting wet, try careening down a zipline by the Old Port of Montreal or taking to the skies over the city during a flying lesson. If snowy winter weather prevents these activities, you can dial up the adrenaline indoors with a race car or skydiving simulator instead.

Night: Dinner Cruises or Pub Crawls

Come evening, slow down the pace with a romantic dinner cruise along the St. Lawrence River. Admire the dazzling lights of the downtown area, float by St. Helen’s Island (Île Sainte-Helene), and glide under the Jacques Cartier Bridge while enjoying a multicourse meal aboard. For something a little livelier, join a guided pub crawl around Montreal. Hop between some of the city’s buzziest drinking spots before ending your experience in a nightclub, where you can mingle with Montrealers until the wee hours. 

Though not well-known outside of Canada, Quebec’s wine-growing regions—concentrated around Montreal and Quebec City—are burgeoning, with an increasing number of small-scale producers creating red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines, as well as fortified and ice wines. Here is what you need to know about wine tasting in Montreal.

Must-Try Varietals

About 40 different grape varietals are cultivated in Quebec wine country, with most production concentrated in areas north and south of Montreal in regions such as the Eastern Townships, Montérégie and Lanaudière. Because of the severe winter weather conditions, vintners tend to focus on hardy hybrid grapes such as frontenac noir and maréchal foch for reds, and vidal, frontenac blanc, frontenac gris, and seyval blanc for whites. Ice wines, sweet and concentrated dessert-style wines made by pressing frozen grapes, are also produced in the region.

Must-Do Experiences

• Try award-winning Quebec wines paired with a local cheese tasting during a half- or full-day wine-tasting tour.

• Treat your taste buds to a gourmet lunch at an artisanal winemaking estate.

• Sample ice wine, take part in an ice wine mixology workshop, and sip apple ice cider around an outdoor bonfire during a winter wine tour.

• Meet vineyard owners and enjoy exclusive experiences not available to the public during a small-group wine-tasting tour from Montreal.

Montreal’s food scene is the envy of Canada. The city has restaurants representing almost every country and corner of the world, as well as a bevy of homegrown delicacies and signature dishes. Here’s what you need to know about eating in Montreal.

Must-Try Dishes

Ask any Montrealer what you should eat and chances are they’ll tell you to try poutine. This classic Quebecois dish consists of fries, gravy, and cheese curds, though all manner of additional toppings are available.

Originating from the city’s sizable Jewish population, Montreal smoked meat is another local specialty that has reached near-legendary status. Made from cured, smoked, and steamed beef brisket flavored with a mix of spices, the meat is typically served in a mustard-smeared sandwich. Another staple savory snack is the Montreal-style bagel. A touch sweeter and a good deal smaller than New York-style bagels, these are baked in a wood-fired oven and are often still warm when sold.

Then, of course, there is maple syrup. With the province Quebec—in which Montreal is situated— responsible for about 75 to 80 percent of the world’s maple syrup production, it’s no surprise the golden elixir is a fixture on breakfast tables as well as being used for desserts such as sugar pie ( tarte au sucre ).

Must-Do Experiences

• Experience Montreal’s booming craft beer scene with brewery visits and beer tastings at brewpubs.

• Sample a range of wines—red, white, rose, and ice wines—in Quebec’s wine country.

• Discover the best things to eat in Old Montreal, the Plateau, Mile End, and Chinatown on food tours of the city.

• Have a local guide show you authentic spots, such as a kosher bakery, a famous bagel shop, food trucks, and other long-standing local establishments.

• Browse the colorful farm-fresh produce for sale in Little Italy’s Jean Talon Market.

With more than 375 years of history under its belt, Montreal is among Canada’s oldest cities. Few cities get to this ripe old age without accumulating a few ghosts, and Montreal is no exception. See below to find out more about Montreal’s spookiest sites.

Top Haunted Sites

• Search for the Algonquin Indian, the spirit of a long-perished Algonquin warrior who is said to roam Mount Royal Cemetery (Cimetière Mont-Royal).

• Hear about hair-raising reports of loud noises and a mysterious woman in white that have plagued the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in haunted Downtown Montreal.

• Wander the specter-ridden streets of Old Montreal, the oldest part of the city.

• Visit eerie empty lots, abandoned sites, and scary old buildings in Griffintown, a former industrial working-class neighborhood.

Montreal’s Haunted History

From the time of Jacques Cartier’s voyage to Quebec in 1535 right up to the 20th century, when the city rose to prominence as Canada’s biggest and most important urban center, Montreal has witnessed many murders, deaths, tragedies, and unexplained mysteries. Macabre episodes and gruesome events blight the pages of its history books, whether it’s the 6,000 Irish immigrants who fell foul to a typhus epidemic in the mid-19th century, the hundreds of soldiers wiped out during the 1837 rebellions against the English, the more than 50 children killed in a tragic 1918 orphanage fire, or the grisly killing of Mary Gallagher—whose decapitated body was found in 1879. As a result, ghost stories abound in Montreal, meaning guides have lots of creepy tales to share during “spirited” ghost tours of the city.

Montreal and Quebec City offer two very different experiences: the former is big, vibrant, and diverse, while the provincial capital radiates romance and European charm. Luckily, they’re close enough to each other that you needn’t choose between them. Here’s how to do a day trip from Montreal to Quebec City.

Highlights

• Admire the copper-topped turrets of one of the most iconic hotels in Canada: the historic Chateau Frontenac.

• Learn about the history of one of the oldest European settlements in North America at the Plains of Abraham, the site of a pivotal 1759 battle between the British and the French.

• Browse the exhibitions at the National Museum of Fine Arts (Musee National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec), the Museum of Civilization (Musee de la Civilisation), and the Ursulines Museum (Musee des Ursulines).

• Stroll the quaint streets of UNESCO-listed Old Quebec, home to Place Royale, the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec, and the boutique and restaurant-lined Petit Champlain.

• Hear the roar of Montmorency Falls, which plunge 272 feet (83 meters) into the St. Lawrence River.

Things to Know

• Quebec City is located about 158 miles (255 kilometers) northeast of Montreal.

• The journey takes just shy of three hours by road. During bus tours, tour guides provide commentary en route.

• Day tours from Montreal to Quebec City typically last about 12 hours.

• Some tours include free time where you can enjoy lunch independently as well as optional add-ons such as a St. Lawrence River cruise.

• Bring snacks and water for the journey, and comfortable walking shoes as Quebec City’s streets are cobbled and hilly.