For couples · Montreal · Canada
Romantic things to do in Montreal
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Hayden Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Quick answer
Montreal's European feel — cobbled lanes, candlelit bistros and French spoken on the street — makes it a favourite with couples. Old Montreal at night, Mount Royal at sunset and a bring-your-own-wine dinner in the Plateau make an easy romantic plan. Couples tend to stay in Old Montreal.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 6
- Couple-friendly sights
- 2
- Area for couples
- Old Montreal
- Best months
- September–October
Romantic ideas
1.Evening in Old Montreal
Walk the lit cobbled lanes of Rue Saint-Paul after dinner and end at the waterfront by the Clock Tower.
2.AURA at Notre-Dame
Watch the basilica's interior come alive with light and orchestral music in the evening show.
3.Sunset from Mount Royal
Climb to the Kondiaronk Belvedere and watch the downtown towers light up as the sun sets.
4.Bring-your-own-wine dinner
Take a bottle to an 'apportez votre vin' bistro on Avenue Duluth or Rue Prince-Arthur.
5.Floating spa in the Old Port
Bota Bota, a spa on a converted ferry, has outdoor hot pools facing the skyline.
6.Gardens of Light
Stroll among glowing lanterns in the Botanical Garden's Chinese and Japanese gardens on an autumn evening.
Sights couples love
Neighbourhood · Old Montreal
Old Montreal
Walk it early in the morning or after dinner, when the streets are quietest and the façades are lit.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Couples
Garden · Olympic Park
Montreal Botanical Garden
Combine it with the Insectarium and Biodôme on a Space for Life ticket, and book Gardens of Light evenings ahead.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
- After dark
Where couples should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, luxury and culture
Old Montreal
Vieux-Montréal, the 17th-century French settlement beside the St. Lawrence, has cobbled Rue Saint-Paul, Place Jacques-Cartier, Notre-Dame Basilica and stone warehouses converted into boutique hotels and restaurants. The Old Port waterfront adds the Clock Tower, a Ferris wheel and summer festivals, and Place-d'Armes and Square-Victoria metro stations sit on its edge.
- Good
- Historic atmosphere and walkable sights; Boutique hotels in old buildings; Waterfront promenades
- Watch out
- Touristy restaurants around Place Jacques-Cartier; Pricey in summer and quiet in winter
- Nearby
- Notre-Dame Basilica, Old Port, Place Jacques-Cartier, Pointe-à-Callière
Romantic day trips
- Quebec City (About 3–3.5 hours by train or car) — The walled old town of Quebec's capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has the Château Frontenac above the St.
- Mont-Tremblant (About 1.5–2 hours by car) — The Laurentians' best-known resort has a car-free village of colourful buildings at the foot of a major ski mountain, with gondola rides, hiking and lake beaches in summer and Mont-Tremblant National Park nearby.
- Eastern Townships (About 1.5 hours by car) — Rolling farmland, lakes and covered bridges south-east of Montreal, with the Brome-Missisquoi wine route, cideries, cheese makers and villages such as Knowlton and North Hatley.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Smoked meat, Poutine and Sugar shack feast. Book popular restaurants ahead during festival season and Grand Prix weekend.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Montreal romantic?
Montreal's European feel — cobbled lanes, candlelit bistros and French spoken on the street — makes it a favourite with couples. Old Montreal at night, Mount Royal at sunset and a bring-your-own-wine dinner in the Plateau make an easy romantic plan.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Montreal?
Evening in Old Montreal: Walk the lit cobbled lanes of Rue Saint-Paul after dinner and end at the waterfront by the Clock Tower.
+Where should couples stay in Montreal?
Old Montreal: Cobbled streets, grey-stone buildings and the Old Port waterfront.