2 days in Montreal

Day by day

1. Day 1: Old Montreal and Notre-Dame Basilica

   Old Montreal, Notre-Dame Basilica, Old Port and Pointe-à-Callière, then Montreal Botanical Garden in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Old Montreal

      Place Jacques-Cartier slopes down to the river past Nelson's Column and City Hall, and the silver dome of Bonsecours Market marks the waterfront.

   2. Late morning

      Notre-Dame Basilica

      In the evening, the AURA light-and-music show transforms the interior.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Montreal-style bagel

      St-Viateur and Fairmount in Mile End, both baking around the clock and selling them hot by the dozen.

   4. Afternoon

      Old Port

      Lawrence from the Clock Tower to the entrance of the Lachine Canal, with promenades, the 60-metre Grande Roue Ferris wheel, a zip line, the Montreal Science Centre and summer festivals. In winter an outdoor skating rink opens by the water.

   5. Late afternoon

      Pointe-à-Callière

      Built over the spot where Montreal was founded in 1642, this archaeology and history museum takes visitors underground through excavated foundations, the city's first Catholic cemetery and a restored 19th-century stone sewer collector.

   6. Evening

      Montreal Botanical Garden

      Combine it with the Insectarium and Biodôme on a Space for Life ticket, and book Gardens of Light evenings ahead.

2. Day 2: Mount Royal Park and Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

   Mount Royal Park, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Saint Joseph's Oratory and Jean-Talon Market, then La Ronde in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Mount Royal Park

      The Kondiaronk Belvedere in front of the Chalet du Mont-Royal looks over downtown's towers to the St. Lawrence, and Beaver Lake is a spot for picnics in summer and skating in winter.

   2. Late morning

      Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

      Spread across five pavilions on Sherbrooke Street, the MMFA ranges from Old Masters and Impressionists to Quebec, Canadian and Indigenous art and decorative arts, and includes a 19th-century church converted into a concert hall.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Smoked meat

      Schwartz's on Boulevard Saint-Laurent, open since 1928, and other delicatessens downtown.

   4. Afternoon

      Saint Joseph's Oratory

      It grew from the chapel of Brother André, a doorman credited with healings and canonised in 2010, and some pilgrims still climb the central staircase on their knees. The terrace gives a wide view over the west of the city.

   5. Late afternoon

      Jean-Talon Market

      Late summer brings piles of corn, berries and tomatoes, and autumn brings apples and pumpkins.

   6. Evening

      La Ronde

      The park opens seasonally; buy tickets online and arrive at opening to ride the big coasters before queues build.

Before you go

• Notre-Dame Basilica: Book AURA show tickets online, especially for summer and holiday evenings.

If it rains

• Swap in Montreal Biodôme (Olympic Park): Start in the tropical forest to warm up in winter; it is a reliable rainy-day choice with children.
• Swap in Underground City (RÉSO) (Downtown): Follow the RÉSO signs between metro stations on a cold day; the food courts of the big shopping centres make an inexpensive lunch.
• Swap in Montreal Science Centre (Old Port): Combine it with the Old Port promenade and the Clock Tower; it is a dependable plan for a wet afternoon.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 23–30 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.7 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Metro. Four lines — Green, Orange, Yellow and Blue — run on rubber tyres; Berri-UQAM is the main interchange, and the Yellow line reaches Parc Jean-Drapeau.

More or fewer days

• One day in Montreal
• 3 days in Montreal
• 4 days in Montreal
• 5 days in Montreal
• 7 days in Montreal

Questions travellers ask