Explore Montreal: 10 Incredible Things to Do and See

10 Best Things to Do in Montreal

Out of all the attractions in Montreal I visited, Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal is hands down the most beautiful of all. It is probably one of the most beautiful basilicas in Canada, with its stunning Gothic Revival architecture and an interior that will blow your mind!

Built in the 19th century, the basilica is best known for its magnificent interior, which features a deep blue vaulted ceiling—a color rarely seen in churches—adorned with golden stars, intricate wooden carvings, and vibrant stained glass windows that depict the religious history of Montreal rather than traditional biblical scenes.

I was completely blown away by its sheer beauty, and I have seen many churches in my lifetime! If I had to choose one attraction to showcase Montreal, it would be this one! Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal is truly the crowned jewel of Montreal.

To get inside, you can either buy a ticket at the entrance, which often has long queues throughout the day, or you can reserve a time slot and book your ticket online here to skip the queue. I got mine online using my phone right at the entrance as soon as I realized how long the physical ticket queue was! Do yourself a favor and book it online!

The basilica is open from 9 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays, 9 AM to 4 PM on Saturdays, and 12:30 PM to 4 PM on Sundays. The entrance fee is 16 CAD per person. I highly recommend you book your ticket online here prior to your visit to skip the queue.

Where to Stay in Montreal?

Budget

Auberge Saintlo Montréal Hostel

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Mid-Range

Manoir Sherbrooke

$$ | Double Room

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High-End

Hôtel Birks Montréal

$$$ | Double Room

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2. Hang Out at the Old Port of Montreal

If you’re looking for a lively place to hang out in Montreal, you can’t go wrong with the Old Port of Montreal (Vieux-Port de Montréal), a historic waterfront district that stretches along the Saint Lawrence River, adjacent to Old Montreal.

The area was established in the 17th century as a bustling fur trading hub and has since evolved into a vibrant destination with tons of amazing things to do and see. There are beautiful green parks, numerous museums, and even an amusement park with a massive ferris wheel, an adventure park, and even a skating rink in winter. The place is always lively throughout the day, and I love coming here when the sun is out.

Here, you’ll find a beautiful boardwalk that stretches along the Saint Lawrence River, offering fantastic views of the riverbank. The boardwalk spans more than 2.7 km, with plenty of lush green parks and other attractions all within walking distance, making it a perfect spot for a leisurely evening stroll.

While you’re here, you can also check out the Port of Montreal Tower for a great elevated viewpoint of the area, ride the ferris wheel at La Grande Roue de Montréal, cross the street to shop at Bonsecours Market, or hang out around Saint-Paul Street, the main pedestrian street running parallel to the Old Port. And that’s just the beginning! The port is most lively in the afternoon and into the late evening, so be sure to plan your visit accordingly.

At the northern entrance of the Old Port of Montreal, you’ll find the historic Clock Tower, built in the early 20th century to memorialize the sailors lost at sea. The monument offers a great place to relax, with unobstructed views of the river and the iconic Jacques Cartier Bridge.

Best of all, it provides a quieter atmosphere compared to the bustling amusement park at the Old Port, and it’s a place I always go to when I need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Unfortunately, you can’t climb up the lighthouse, but the view and solitude definitely make the walk worth it.

In the summer, you’ll also find an artificial strip of sandy beach with umbrellas and sunbeds set up along the harbor, right next to the Clock Tower. It’s an awesome spot to unwind and soak up some sunshine. If you’re looking for a peaceful place to relax and enjoy the view, this is where I recommend you go.

4. Check out Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History

Right next to the Old Port, you’ll find the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History, a museum built atop the very site where the city was founded in the 17th century. What a fitting location for a museum dedicated to history and archaeology, don’t you think?

The museum consists of several interconnected pavilions, each dedicated to different facets of Montreal’s history. You can explore some of its best permanent exhibitions, such as “Where Montréal Was Born”, which highlights the city’s founding and early development, and “Building Montréal”, where you’ll be whisked back in time to relive key moments in the city’s past under French and British regimes, from the 17th to the 19th century.

For those interested in archaeology, you will also get access to underground archaeological sites, including the remains of the city’s first cemetery and the foundations of the original settlement located inside the museum. It’s an awesome place to visit for those who are interested in learning more about the history of Montreal. The museum is open from 10 AM to 5 PM every day except on Mondays, and the entrance fee is from 18 to 27 CAD depending on your age.

5. Hike Mount Royal and Check Out the View from Kondiaronk Belvedere

Next up, we’re going to hike Mount Royal, a prominent hill and park located in the heart of Montreal. The park offers a ton of awesome hiking opportunities with many crisscrossing paths that span more than 200 hectares (2 square kilometers) across the hill.

One of the best places to hike to is Kondiaronk Belvedere, an incredible viewpoint with an unobstructed view of Montreal’s stunning cityscape. You can start the hike from here and it will take you through thick forest along the wooden staircase, all the way to the viewpoint. It should take about 15 – 20 minutes to get to the top on foot.

The hike is very easy and straightforward, although you’ll be walking up steep stairs for about 15 minutes. Anyone in good physical condition should be able to do it without any issues. Once you reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with a panoramic view of Montreal from above. It’s truly a sight to behold, especially when the sky is clear and during sunset, so be sure to plan your visit accordingly.

At the top, you’ll also find a large building with a small café and restrooms where you can take a break. It’s a popular spot for locals to exercise, and you’ll often see them jogging up and down the stairs, so be sure to make way when they pass by.

Fun fact: Mount Royal, or “Mont-Royal” in French, is actually where the name of the city “Montreal” comes from. Another fun fact, the park was designed by the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also co-designed the renowned Central Park in New York City!

6. Be amazed by the Scale of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal ♥️ Must Visit

While you are at Mount Royal, be sure to drop by and check out the stunning Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, one of my favorite attractions in Montreal. It is a Roman Catholic basilica situated on the northern slope of Mount Royal and it is famous for being the world’s largest shrine dedicated to Saint Joseph. It is an important pilgrimage site that attracts more than 2 million visitors a year.

The basilica was built in the early 20th century in a unique architectural style that combines Beaux-Arts and Italian Renaissance elements, giving it a distinct look unlike any other basilica. It also features a massive dome that rises over 97 meters in height. Combined with its location on the hillside of Mount Royal, it is considered the tallest church in Canada and one of the largest domed structures ever built in the world.

The church is massive both on the outside and inside. While you can spot the church from almost anywhere in the city, which I found pretty awesome, the fact that there are about 5 to 6 floors inside still blows me away every time I think about it. As you scale the stairs and reach the balcony, you are rewarded with an incredible view of the city from above, perfect for capturing some amazing photos.

As you walk in, you’ll be greeted by the main basilica on the upper level of the church. From there, you can make your way down floor by floor, exploring all of its hidden gems, from the Crypt Church to the Votive Chapel and beyond. I thought it would be a quick visit, but it took me more than an hour to explore all the floors inside. There’s just so much to see here!

To get there from the viewpoint at Mount Royal, you can either take the metro from anywhere in the city to Côte-des-Neiges Station and walk to the church, or if you are at Mount Royal, you can take bus #11 from the park’s parking lot and it should drop you off at Queen Mary bus stop where you can walk to the church.

Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal is open daily from 6:30 AM to 9:00 PM, and admission is free. Visiting the church was one of the highlights of Montreal for me, so make sure you don’t miss Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal while you’re in Montreal.

7. Visit The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts 🏛️ Best Museum

After you are done exploring Mount Royal, you can also take a break and check out the extensive art collection at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Established in 1860, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is Canada’s oldest art museum, and it holds more than 47,000 works spanning paintings, sculptures, graphic artworks, photographs, multimedia installations, and decorative art objects from antiquity to the present.

Its massive art collection is distributed across five interconnected sections housed inside several buildings within the area, all connected via an underground tunnel, allowing you to easily navigate without having to go in and out of the buildings. The exhibitions range from Quebec and Canadian art, highlighting local talents, to international art, featuring masterpieces by artists such as El Greco and Rembrandt.

There’s quite a lot to see in the museum, so expect to spend at least an hour or 2 here. I visited the museum during a rainy day, which is just perfect, as there is not much else to do here when it rains, and it took me over 2 hours to explore all of its awesome exhibitions.

If you have half a day to spare in Montreal, or you find yourself stuck in the rain, you might want to come and check out this museum. The museum is open from 10 AM to 5 PM every day except on Mondays, and the entrance fee is 30 CAD per person. If you are under the age of 25, it’s free! You can skip the queue and get the online ticket here.

8. Watch the Sunset at Parc Jean-Drapeau

Located on Saint Helen’s Island and Notre-Dame Island in the Saint Lawrence River, you’ll find Parc Jean-Drapeau, a prominent recreational area established in 1967 during the World’s Fair, Expo 67. The site, which hosted the event, has since been converted into a recreational area for everyone to enjoy.

One of the most iconic attractions here, which you’ve probably already seen across the river from the Old Port, is the massive Biosphere, an environmental museum housed in a striking geodesic dome. It’s a place where you can learn more about sustainable development and environmental issues. Even if you’re not interested in the museum’s content, you can still admire its massive scale from the outside and take some photos while exploring the rest of the island.

On the island, you’ll find several gardens with benches where you can enjoy some solitude and relax. One of my favorite spots to sit back, unwind, and enjoy the sunset over Montreal’s cityscape is by Trois Disques, a massive obelisk sculpture gifted by France in 1962. There are several chairs here where you can watch the sunset over the city in solitude.

If you’re looking for a quiet and peaceful place to explore, you’ll love Parc Jean-Drapeau. The park is open daily from 6 AM to 12 AM, and there is no admission fee. You can easily reach the park via the metro yellow line. Jean-Drapeau Metro Station is right in the middle of the park, so you won’t need to walk very far to get to the best parts of the park.

9. Stroll Around Jardin botanique de Montréal

One of the most impressive botanical gardens you can visit in Canada is Jardin botanique de Montréal, a massive urban oasis full of beautiful architecture and greenery that covers more than 75 hectares. It is considered one of the largest botanical gardens in the world, with more than 22,000 plant species across 10 exhibition greenhouses and approximately 20 thematic gardens.

There are a variety of gardens inside, with one of my favorites being the Chinese Garden, where you’ll find a stunning pond, a small waterfall, and several incredible pavilions that were made in China, shipped, and reassembled here in Montreal for visitors to enjoy. I highly recommend starting your journey here as you continue along its multiple crisscrossing walking paths.

Another awesome garden is the Japanese Garden, with its beautiful zen rock garden, a stunning recreation of Japanese minimalist interior architecture, and many stone altars and shrines scattered across its rolling green hills. I visited the botanical garden in early October, and my goodness, the autumn colors were absolutely breathtaking. Really, if you can visit Montreal during autumn, do it—it’s one of the best times to see the city!

There is also a garden and an exhibition dedicated to the First Nations, or the Indigenous peoples, which showcases the many faces of Indigenous cultures, as well as their ways of life, artifacts, and more. Be sure to keep an eye out for it as you explore the gardens.

In addition to the gardens, you’ll also find the Montreal Insectarium, with displays of live and mounted specimens, beehives, and free-flying butterflies; the Space for Life museum, where you’ll find a greenhouse full of plants; and so much more. You can expect to spend half a day exploring the botanical garden alone. It is a little bit out of the way, but it was definitely worth the trip for me. There’s just so much to see inside!

The garden is open daily from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and the entrance fee is 20.75 CAD per person. If you’re looking for a calming and relaxing place to spend time in Montreal, be sure to drop by and check out Jardin botanique de Montréal. Trust me, you’re going to love it!

10. Eat at Jean Talon Market 🥘 Place to Eat

Last but not least, if you’re looking for a place to eat or shop for local produce, one of the best markets to visit is Jean Talon Market, located in Montreal’s Little Italy district and considered one of the largest open-air markets in North America.

The market was established in 1933 and has become a lively hub for both locals and tourists to find fresh, locally sourced produce and specialty foods. The market truly embodies the diversity of Montreal, with all the specialty products you can find here—from Arabic chocolate to locally sourced seafood stalls. You should have no trouble finding a place to have lunch or dinner here.

I stopped at a local stall here and had their Fish and Chips, and it was fresh and delicious! I loved it! You’ll also find a handful of coffee shops and bakeries where you can indulge, or you can go shopping for spices or souvenirs to bring back home. The market is open from 7:30 AM to 6 PM on weekdays and 8 AM to 6 PM on weekends.

How to Get to Montreal?

Montreal is a huge travel hub in French Canada and you should easily find direct flights from the US and Europe. If you are traveling from Asia, you can also rely on great airlines like Emirates or Qatar to get to Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Montreal’s main airport. You can use platforms like Skyscanner or Expedia to find the most affordable options from your home country.

How to Get Around Montreal?

By Walking: Montreal is actually surprisingly walkable despite how far things seem to be, thanks to all the little attractions scattered throughout the city, which makes the walk more interesting and seems to go faster. Most of the attractions are located within the Old Montreal district and if you want easy access to all the city’s attractions on foot, I recommend staying in and around that area.

By Metro/Bus: For destinations farther away, like Jean Talon Market and the Botanical Garden, you can rely on the city’s metro or bus system, which covers much of the city. Google Maps makes it easy to find the right bus or metro to take and the time you need to be at the stop. The fare is 3.75 CAD per trip, or you can opt for a 24-hour pass for about 11 CAD. Unfortunately, the transit system requires you to pay each time you transfer between different modes of transportation. Luckily, this itinerary avoids such transfers.

You can easily pay for metro and bus tickets using your credit card directly on the bus or at metro stations, which is extremely convenient! I wish more cities were like this! Paper tickets are no longer available for purchase on buses, as they have been phased out. You can also buy an OPUS card, add some money into it, and you can use it to pay for all modes of public transportation in the city.

How many days to spend in Montreal?

To fully appreciate Montreal and all its charm, plan to spend at least two full days (three nights). This will give you enough time to explore the Old Town on one day and dedicate the next day entirely to experiencing Montreal’s natural wonders, such as the Botanical Garden and Mount Royal Park. Ideally, three days would be perfect, allowing you a day to rest, but if you’re visiting over the weekend, two days should be enough to cover the highlights comfortably.

For a complete itinerary to Montreal, check out:2 Days in Montreal: The Ultimate Itinerary

What to Pack for Montreal?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Montreal, Canada:

• Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
• Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
• Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi’s jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
• Fleece Jacket: For colder weather, layering is the key, and a fleece jacket makes an excellent insulating layer. I recommend the Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece (for women).
• Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It’s lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
• Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker’s towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
• Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
• Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
• Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It’s a total game-changer.
• Universal Adapter: You’ll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
• Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
• Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It’s large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it’s stylish as hell!
• Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can’t go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

Further Reading for Canada

If you are looking for more articles about Canada, here are a few articles that might help you plan your trip:

• Want to visit Canada in 10 days? Here’s an itienrary for you: 10 Days in Canada: A Backpacking Itinerary without Cars.
• Toronto’s true charm lies within its diverse neighborhoods. To really experience the best the city has to offer, you are going to need this guide: Discover Toronto: 12 Awesome Things to Do and See.
• You can experience so much in Toronto in just 3 days! Check out this complete itinerary for first-time visitors: 3 Days in Toronto: A Backpacking Itinerary.
• Niagara Falls is as epic as it gets when it comes to natural destinations. If you want to visit it, you are going to need this travel guide: Exploring Canada’s Niagara Falls in a Day: A Complete Travel Guide.
• If you want to visit Montreal on a weekend trip, this itinerary is for you! 2 Days in Montreal: The Ultimate Itinerary.
• One of my favorite cities in Canada, Quebec City is a fascinating destination to visit. From its rich history to a charming touch of European romanticism that you can’t find anywhere else in North America, you do not want to miss it when you are in Canada. Here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Quebec City.
• Wondering how many days to spend in Quebec City? Here’s a complete itinerary for you: 2 Days in Quebec City: A Backpacking Itinerary.
• To see all articles about Canada, be sure to check out our Canada travel guide page.
• For a complete itinerary of both the US and Canada, check out: One Month in USA & Canada: A Backpacking Itinerary without Cars.
• Looking for more travel guides for North America? You will find more over at our North America page.
• For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.