The Ultimate Montreal Two Day Itinerary for First Timers!

Montreal is a vibrant French-speaking city in Canada. When I was planning my holiday here, I realised that there are so many attractions in the city that it can be quite confusing for first time visitors. Therefore, I decided to create this Montreal two day itinerary to help you plan your trip! This article was last updated on 17 December 2019.

Day 1 Map (Click to enlarge)

Day 1 Morning

“La Dany” Luxury Old Port Boutique Apartment (Airbnb)

We arrived at Montreal in the afternoon after a three-hour train ride from Quebec City. We checked in at our pretty airbnb in Old Montreal, washed up, and then quickly went out for lunch as we were feeling famished. If you are planning to stay at an Airbnb too, click here to get a $45 Airbnb coupon.

Day 1 Afternoon

Olive et Gourmando

Our first meal in Montreal was at Olive & Gourmando, a popular cafe known for its delicious sandwiches, pastries, and other brunch items. We had the Le Gustavo ($11.95), a seasonal panini made with grilled chicken breast, portobello mushrooms, and sautéed red onions covered with balsamic vinegar and melted cheese. It was delicious! The thin crispy bread went perfectly with the hot grilled chicken, savoury mushrooms, and luscious melted cheese. We also drank a hot bowl of Soupe du jour (Soup of the Day) for $6. It felt really good to drink the hot soup in the cold winter weather.

Olive & Gourmando
Address: 351 Saint-Paul St W, Montreal, QC H2Y 2A7, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 8am to 6pm (brunch items available on weekends only)
Website: http://oliveetgourmando.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/olivegourmando

Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal

After satisfying our tummies, we walked along the beautiful cobblestone streets of Rue Saint-Paul (Saint Paul Street) to Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal (English: Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal), a historic basilica built in the Gothic Revival style. As we went into the church, we were blown-away by its captivating beauty. Everything was just perfect, from the starry vaulted ceilings and colourful resplendent interior, to the ornate details and beautiful religious objects. We literally stood still for a while just to revel in the awe-inspiring beauty. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to check out Aura, an amazing light and sound show that showcases the church’s history. The church is located in Place d’Armes, which is an interesting public square because it is surrounded by buildings representing different periods in Montreal architecture.

Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal
Address: 110 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, QC H2Y 1T2, Canada
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 8am – 4.30pm |  Sat: 8am – 4pm |  Sun: 12.30pm – 4pm |
Website: www.basiliquenotredame.ca/en
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Basilique-Notre-Dame-de-Montr%C3%A9al-1894117630829404/
Aura Basilica Montréal
Tickets: www.aurabasiliquemontreal.com/en
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuraBasiliqueMontreal

Place Jacques-Cartier

From the basilica, we continued walking along Saint Paul Street to Place Jacques-Cartier, a public square with many cafes, restaurants and shops. Unfortunately, because we visited during the Christmas period at night, there was nothing much going on. We got to see the controversial Nelson’s Column in the square. This monument commemorates Admiral Horatio Nelson, a British navy officer who won several naval battles during the Napoleonic Wars. This is a controversial monument because it can be seen as a monument celebrating British victory over France in French-speaking Montreal.

Bonsecours Market

After a short while, we left the square and continued walking along Saint Paul Street to check out Bonsecours Market. This beautiful historic architecture was constructed in 1847 in the Palladian style. It is supposed to be a public “market” but we only saw some souvenir shops and restaurants inside.

Day 1 Evening

Old Port of Montreal

Next, we continued walking to the Old Port, which is just a short three-minute walk away. This is a historic port located along the St-Lawrence River. Today, it is known for its many fun waterfront activities such as cycling, roller-blading, etc. The area even has a Science Centre, an IMAX Theatre, and a ferris wheel! We didn’t manage to check out these attractions though.

Instead, we took a nice stroll along the river. There were many old buildings and shipping containers-turned shops along the promenade, but these were closed as it was winter. I could imagine that this area must be quite vibrant during other seasons.

We walked across a short bridge to reach the ice skating rink, which was lighted up with beautiful Christmas lights. Unfortunately, the rink was closed on the day we visited.

L’Usine de Spaghetti

And it was time for dinner! We had an early dinner at L’Usine de Spaghetti,a cozy Italian restaurant that serves homely Italian food in a tavern-like space. It is located along Saint Paul Street, beside Place Jacques-Cartier which we had visited earlier. We ordered the Le Grand Feu ($17), which is spaghetti with tomato sauce, paired with chicken parmesan and added with fresh tomatoes and basil toppings. It was delicious! This was a good place to enjoy authentic Italian food in a great ambience.

L’Usine de Spaghetti
Address: 273 St Paul St E, Montreal, QC H2Y 1H2, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am to 9pm
Website: www.lusinedespaghettimtl.com/welcome

Quartier des Spectacles

Before ending the night, we went to Quartier des Spectacles, which is Montreal’s arts and entertainment district. This is the site where many world-famous festivals are hosted, including the largest Jazz festival in the world, the Montreal Jazz Festival. As it was getting late, we took a Lyft ride to Place Émilie-Gamelin instead of using public transport. Place Émilie-Gamelin is a public square within Quartier des Spectacles that is the site of many events and performances. You can check out the festival and events going on in Quartier des Spectacles before going down.

Day 2 Map (Click to enlarge)

Day 2 Morning

Tommy Cafe

The next morning, we woke up early and went to Tommy for breakfast. This artisan cafe is famous for its delicious coffee and pastries. We had the Chocolatine ($3.50) and Chocolate Cronut ($4). I ordered a cup of hot Mocha ($4), while Raevian had the Cappuccino ($3.50). We sat at a window bar table to slowly savour our pastries and coffee while people watching. It was the perfect way to spend the morning.

Tommy
Address: 200 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, QC H2Y 1T3, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 8am to 8pm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TommyCafeMontreal

Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal

After breakfast, we took public transport to the Saint Joseph’s Oratory. The total trip took about 40 minutes including transfer. Luckily we transferred at the correct stops and did not get lost along the way. You can click here to see our route.

Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal is a minor basilica built on one of Mount Royal’s three summits. It is the largest church in Canada. At the start of the pathway leading to the basilica, we saw a beautiful statue of Saint Joseph carrying a young Jesus, perched on top a white granite pedestal. We then proceeded to walk along the long pathway. After reaching the end of the path, we were dismayed to see that there was another flight of steps leading up to the church entrance. By the time we finally climbed up, we were pretty much out of breath. The basilica had a very beautiful facade and the interior was quite impressive too with pretty stained glass windows and a high domed ceiling.

Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal
Address: 3800 Queen Mary Rd, Montreal, QC H3V 1H6, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 6am to 9pm

Mount Royal Park

Because we are not outdoor enthusiasts, we took public transport to go up Mount Royal, a small mountain in Montreal (don’t judge). The trip took about 30 minutes including transfer. You can click here to see our bus route. If you prefer to hike up the mountain instead, you can click here to see the various trails.

Mount Royal Park is a large beautiful urban park in Montreal. It is home to Mount Royal, an extinct volcanic mountain.This is a great place for outdoor activities. The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed the famous Central Park in New York City.

After alighting from the bus, we walked for about two minutes from the bus stop to Chalet du Mont Royal, a large cabin at the top of the mountain. We were feeling pretty excited because we were looking forward to seeing the beautiful city views of downtown Montreal from Kondiaronk Belvedere, a spacious outdoor platform outside the chalet. Sadly, the weather was not in our favour that day and all we could see was the thick fog around us. The visibility was probably about 100 metres or less.

Feeling disappointed, we walked back into the Chalet du Mont Royal. This cabin with a high vaulted ceiling had a large interior space with some chairs, toilets and vending machines. Other than that, it was curiously empty and even felt a little desolated. Nonetheless, it’s a good place to rest after hiking (or taking a bus) up Mount Royal.

Day 2 Afternoon

Beauty’s Luncheonette
After a short rest in the chalet, we took the bus downhill to Beauty’s Luncheonette for lunch. This classic diner has been serving delicious Eastern European comfort food since 1942! We ordered the Superbeautys 2 ($13), which comprised two eggs, pancakes, bacon and sausages, fries and bagel. This was very delicious, especially the pancakes which tasted wonderful with the sweet maple syrup.

Beauty’s Luncheonette
Address: 93 Mont-Royal Ave W, Montreal, QC H2T 2S5, Canada
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fr: 7am – 3pm | Sat: 7am – 4pm | Sun: 8am – 4pm |
Facebook: www.facebook.com/beautysluncheonette

Mile End

After lunch, we explored the surrounding Mile End neighbourhood for a short while. This artsy enclave is known for its boutiques shops, art galleries, and great eateries. We also checked out the Victorian houses with their characteristic wrought iron staircases. The area has two famous bagel shops near each other: Fairmount Bagel and St-Viateur Bagel.

Jean Talon Market

As it was getting a little late, we took a Lyft ride to Jean Talon Market. We wanted to get there early before it closed at 6pm. This is the largest farmer’s market in Montreal, with a wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, food stalls, cheese shops, oyster bars, baked goods, and more. This was a great place to experience the local culture and buy delicious local produce.

Jean-Talon Market
Address: 7070 Henri Julien Ave, Montreal, QC H2S 3S3, Canada
Opening Hours: | Mon to Wed: 7am – 6pm | Thurs & Fri: 7am – 8pm | Sat: 7am – 6pm | Sun: 7am – 5pm |
Website: www.marchespublics-mtl.com/en/marches/jean-talon-market

Day 2 Evening

Underground City

From the market, we took the bus to Montreal’s Underground City. This mythical-sounding city is basically just a network of hotels, shopping malls, office buildings and residences connected to each other by 33 kilometres of underground corridors. Raevian wanted to see if she could squeeze in any shopping here before the end of our trip in Montreal. Luckily for me Unfortunately, there wasn’t really much here except for some restaurants and shops, though it was a good place to hide from the cold winter weather for a while. After a while, we went back early to our Airbnb to rest as we had to catch a super early train to Washington DC the next morning.

Itinerary Summary

Time	Day 1	Day 2
Morning	Train to Montreal	Tommy Cafe
Morning	Train to Montreal	Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal
Morning	Check in Airbnb	Mount Royal Park
Afternoon	Olive & Gourmando	Mount Royal Park
Afternoon	Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal	Beauty’s Luncheonette
Afternoon	Place Jacques-Cartier	Mile End
Afternoon	Bonsecours Market	Jean Talon Market
Evening	Old Port	Underground City
Evening	L’Usine de Spaghetti	Rest
Evening	Quartier des Spectacles	Rest

Conclusion

Thanks for reading our Montreal two day itinerary! As you can tell, this is a charming city with beautiful old world architecture, quaint cobblestone roads, exciting events, art galleries, trendy boutiques, and awesome eateries. Unfortunately, because we went during the Christmas period, the city wasn’t as lively as we had expected it to be. Many of our photo ops were also affected by the fog and rain. Montreal still has many great attractions in winter, as well as many awesome eateries, but it is definitely more vibrant during other seasons. And that’s it! I hope our two day itinerary above will help you plan an amazing holiday in Montreal.

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Montreal Travel Guide for First Timers. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?