Montreal explores on foot and by metro/bike. Typical 4-day itinerary:
Day 1 — Old Montreal and Old Port: Notre-Dame Basilica (morning, spectacular blue interior, AURA evening show CAD 30), Place d'Armes and Place Jacques-Cartier, Pointe-à-Callière (archaeology museum, founding of Montreal 1642), Bonsecours Market (1847, Quebec crafts), Old Port (promenade, La Grande Roue Ferris wheel CAD 30, urban beach in summer, MTL Zipline). Lunch Olive et Gourmando (351 Saint-Paul Street West, CAD 15-25). Dinner Old Montreal (Garde Manger, Le Club Chasse et Pêche).
Day 2 — Mount Royal and Plateau: Mount Royal (morning, 1h30 hike or car to Kondiaronk lookout, panoramic view over city and St Lawrence), Beaver Lake, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery (one of America's most beautiful). Afternoon Plateau-Mont-Royal: Saint-Denis Street (indie shops, cafés), La Fontaine Park, iconic spiral staircases (notably Saint-Hubert Street and Mont-Royal Avenue), street art (Bear Alley, Green Alley). Dinner Schwartz's (3895 Saint-Laurent boulevard, legendary smoked meat sandwich CAD 23, since 1928) then cocktails at Big in Japan (4175 Saint-Laurent boulevard, Japanese speakeasy).
Day 3 — Mile End and Little Italy: St-Viateur Bagel (morning, wood-fired bagels 24/7, CAD 1), Café Olimpico (Italian cappuccino, since 1970), indie shops on Saint-Viateur and Bernard Streets. Jean-Talon Market (lunch, North America's largest open-air market, Quebec produce, cheeses, charcuterie, maple syrup). Afternoon Mount Royal North or Atwater Market. Evening: concert at Casa del Popolo (4873 Saint-Laurent boulevard, indie scene) or show at Théâtre Saint-Denis.
Day 4 — Downtown and islands: Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA, one of Canada's largest museums, free 1st Sunday of month), Quartier des Spectacles (Place des Arts, festivals), McCord Museum (Montreal and Indigenous history). Afternoon Jean-Drapeau Park (Sainte-Hélène and Notre-Dame Islands, Jean-Drapeau metro yellow line): Biosphère (environment museum, Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome 1967), Casino de Montréal, Jean-Doré Beach (urban beach, swimming in summer), Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit (F1 race, Canadian Grand Prix in June). Dinner Au Pied de Cochon (536 Duluth Avenue East, gargantuan experience CAD 80-120/person).
Optional excursions: Mont-Tremblant (1h30 north, skiing in winter, hiking and lake in summer), Sucrerie de la Montagne in Rigaud (March-April, traditional sugar shack CAD 45), Outaouais and Gatineau Park (close to Ottawa, spectacular Indian summer), Trois-Rivières (1h30, historic city between Montreal and Quebec).
Read also
- Quebec (region) — The full region: Montreal, Quebec City, Charlevoix-Tadoussac, Saguenay Fjord.
- Quebec City — UNESCO Old Quebec 1985, Château Frontenac, Plains of Abraham — combine with Montreal.
- Canada — Complete country guide: eTA visa, currency, regions, best time to visit.
- Toronto — 5h by VIA Rail train: multicultural metropolis, CN Tower, anglophone alternative.