Things to do · Montreal · Canada
19 best things to do in Montreal
19 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Chicoutimi, Public domain
Quick answer
The essential sights in Montreal are Old Montreal, Notre-Dame Basilica and Mount Royal Park. Of the 19 picks below, 10 are free, 7 work on a rainy day and 9 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Old Montreal
- Free sights
- 10
- Good on a rainy day
- Notre-Dame Basilica
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Montreal | Old Montreal | Half a day | Free |
| Notre-Dame Basilica | Old Montreal | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Mount Royal Park | Mount Royal | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Montreal Museum of Fine Arts | Downtown | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Saint Joseph's Oratory | Côte-des-Neiges | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Old Port | Old Montreal | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Pointe-à-Callière | Old Montreal | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Jean-Talon Market | Little Italy | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Lachine Canal | Saint-Henri | 2–4 hours | Free |
| Montreal Botanical Garden | Olympic Park | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Montreal Biodôme | Olympic Park | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Underground City (RÉSO) | Downtown | 1 hour | Free |
| Biosphère and Parc Jean-Drapeau | Parc Jean-Drapeau | Half a day | Low cost |
| Habitat 67 | Cité du Havre | 45 minutes | Free |
| La Ronde | Parc Jean-Drapeau | Full day | Expensive |
| Plateau and Mile End food walk | Plateau Mont-Royal | Half a day | Free |
| Montreal Science Centre | Old Port | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| McCord Stewart Museum | Downtown | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Bonsecours Market | Old Montreal | 1 hour | Free |
The 19 best things to do
Neighbourhood · Old Montreal
1.Old Montreal
Founded as Ville-Marie in 1642, Old Montreal keeps cobbled lanes, stone warehouses and grand bank buildings along Rue Saint-Paul and Rue Saint-Jacques. 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.
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
Religious site · Old Montreal
2.Notre-Dame Basilica
Completed in 1829, this Gothic Revival basilica on Place d'Armes has a deep-blue vaulted ceiling scattered with gold stars, elaborate carved woodwork and a large Casavant organ. In the evening, the AURA light-and-music show transforms the interior.
Visit by day for the detail or book AURA in the evening; it is an active church, so services can affect visiting times.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Book AURA show tickets online, especially for summer and holiday evenings.
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- After dark
Park · Mount Royal
3.Mount Royal Park
Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also created New York's Central Park, the park covers the mountain that gave Montreal its name. 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.
Climb the stairs from the top of Rue Peel (about 30 minutes) to the belvedere; on summer Sundays, listen to the tam-tams drum circle by the George-Étienne Cartier monument.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Iconic
- Active
Museum · Downtown
4.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.
Spend most of your time in the Quebec and Canadian art pavilion, and check the temporary exhibitions, which are often the highlight.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Iconic
Religious site · Côte-des-Neiges
5.Saint Joseph's Oratory
Canada's largest church rises on the northern slope of Mount Royal under one of the largest domes in the world. 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.
Climb the outdoor steps for the view, then see the votive chapel lined with crutches left by pilgrims.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Views
- History
Waterfront · Old Montreal
6.Old Port
The Old Port's 2.5 km waterfront runs along the St. 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.
Rent a bike or quadricycle in summer, or skate the waterfront rink in winter.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Views
- After dark
Museum · Old Montreal
7.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.
Start with the multimedia show on the city's history, then go below ground to the excavations.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Market · Little Italy
8.Jean-Talon Market
Opened in 1933, Jean-Talon is an open-air market that trades all year, enclosed in winter, with Quebec farmers' produce, cheese counters, maple products, bakeries and food stalls. Late summer brings piles of corn, berries and tomatoes, and autumn brings apples and pumpkins.
Graze on samples and assemble a picnic, then walk through Little Italy for an espresso.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Free
- Kids
Waterfront · Saint-Henri
1.Lachine Canal
Opened in 1825 to bypass the river rapids, the 14.5 km Lachine Canal is now a linear park with a bike and walking path from the Old Port to Lachine. Kayaks and pedal boats can be rented on the water in summer, and the Art Deco Atwater Market sits beside the canal.
Rent a BIXI bike and ride from the Old Port to Atwater Market for lunch; the path is flat and car-free.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Kids
- Food
Garden · Olympic Park
2.Montreal Botanical Garden
Covering about 75 hectares, Montreal's botanical garden is one of the largest in the world, with traditional Chinese and Japanese gardens, a First Nations garden and exhibition greenhouses. In September and October the Gardens of Light fill the Chinese and Japanese gardens with glowing lanterns.
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
Zoo · Olympic Park
3.Montreal Biodôme
Inside the velodrome built for the 1976 Olympics, the Biodôme recreates four ecosystems of the Americas that visitors walk through: a tropical rainforest, a Laurentian maple forest, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the sub-Antarctic islands, home to penguins.
Start in the tropical forest to warm up in winter; it is a reliable rainy-day choice with children.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Experience · Downtown
4.Underground City (RÉSO)
The RÉSO is a network of about 32 km of tunnels and passages linking metro stations, shopping centres, offices, hotels and universities beneath downtown. It is less a sight than a winter survival system, with food courts and shops at its busiest junctions.
Follow the RÉSO signs between metro stations on a cold day; the food courts of the big shopping centres make an inexpensive lunch.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- Shopping
- Food
Museum · Parc Jean-Drapeau
5.Biosphère and Parc Jean-Drapeau
Buckminster Fuller's 76-metre geodesic sphere, the United States pavilion at Expo 67, now houses an environment museum. It stands in Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène, where trails, river views and the Formula 1 circuit, open to cyclists outside race periods, fill a half day.
Take the Yellow metro line to Jean-Drapeau station and walk across the island for views back to the downtown skyline.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
Architecture · Cité du Havre
6.Habitat 67
Moshe Safdie's stacked concrete housing complex, built for Expo 67, is a landmark of modern architecture: 354 prefabricated modules arranged so that homes have roof gardens on the units below. It is a private residence, but the exterior is easy to see from Avenue Pierre-Dupuy and across the water from the Old Port.
Walk or cycle out along Avenue Pierre-Dupuy for close views and a skyline panorama back to Old Montreal.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- Free
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
Theme park · Parc Jean-Drapeau
7.La Ronde
Built for Expo 67 on Île Sainte-Hélène, La Ronde is Quebec's largest amusement park, with roller coasters and family rides, and it hosts the International Fireworks Competition over the river on summer evenings.
The park opens seasonally; buy tickets online and arrive at opening to ride the big coasters before queues build.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Active
- After dark
Neighbourhood · Plateau Mont-Royal
8.Plateau and Mile End food walk
A walk from Parc La Fontaine through the Plateau to Mile End shows Montreal at its most local: row houses with curving outdoor staircases, large murals along Boulevard Saint-Laurent painted for the annual Mural Festival, and stops for smoked meat at Schwartz's and bagels on Rue Saint-Viateur.
Walk north up Saint-Laurent to see the murals, detouring along Rue Duluth and Avenue du Mont-Royal.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Art
- Photo spot
Museum · Old Port
9.Montreal Science Centre
On King Edward Pier in the Old Port, the Montreal Science Centre has hands-on exhibitions on technology, the human body and engineering aimed at children and teenagers, plus an IMAX cinema.
Combine it with the Old Port promenade and the Clock Tower; it is a dependable plan for a wet afternoon.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Museum · Downtown
10.McCord Stewart Museum
Opposite McGill University on Sherbrooke Street, the McCord Stewart Museum tells the social history of Montreal and Quebec through costume and textiles, Indigenous objects and the Notman photographic archives, which document the city since the 19th century.
Combine it with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, a few blocks west along Sherbrooke Street.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Market · Old Montreal
11.Bonsecours Market
Topped by a silver dome and opened in 1847, Bonsecours Market was the city's main public market and also served for years as Montreal's city hall. Today it houses Quebec design and craft boutiques and restaurants along Rue Saint-Paul.
Visit the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel next door, the sailors' church, where model ships hang from the ceiling.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Shopping
- Free
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Pointe-à-Callière, Biosphère and Parc Jean-Drapeau and Plateau and Mile End food walk |
| History | Old Montreal, Notre-Dame Basilica, Saint Joseph's Oratory and Pointe-à-Callière |
| Views | Mount Royal Park, Saint Joseph's Oratory, Old Port and Biosphère and Parc Jean-Drapeau |
| Outdoors and nature | Mount Royal Park, Old Port, Lachine Canal and Montreal Botanical Garden |
| Food and markets | Jean-Talon Market, Lachine Canal, Underground City (RÉSO) and Plateau and Mile End food walk |
| After dark | Notre-Dame Basilica, Old Port, Montreal Botanical Garden and La Ronde |
| With children | Old Port, Pointe-à-Callière, Jean-Talon Market and Lachine Canal |
| On a rainy day | Notre-Dame Basilica, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Pointe-à-Callière and Montreal Biodôme |
What to book ahead
- Notre-Dame Basilica: Book AURA show tickets online, especially for summer and holiday evenings.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Montreal?
Old Montreal. Founded as Ville-Marie in 1642, Old Montreal keeps cobbled lanes, stone warehouses and grand bank buildings along Rue Saint-Paul and Rue Saint-Jacques.
+What can you do for free in Montreal?
Old Montreal, Mount Royal Park, Saint Joseph's Oratory, Old Port and Jean-Talon Market. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Montreal when it rains?
Head indoors to Notre-Dame Basilica, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Pointe-à-Callière and Montreal Biodôme.
+What is there to do in Montreal at night?
Notre-Dame Basilica, Old Port, Montreal Botanical Garden and La Ronde are best after dark.