12 Best Things to Do in Montreal (Canada) for First Time Visitors!

September 13th, 2018 by Evan | Tagged in: Canada, Montreal, Winter

Montreal is a vibrant Canadian city with rich culture and heritage. Walking along the pretty streets in this French-speaking city, it felt like we were in a charming European town with beautiful old world architecture and quaint cobblestone roads. Beside its old world charm, this lively city is also known for hosting major festivals, including the largest jazz festival in the world. This trendy city is home to many art galleries, museums and awesome eateries. And even though we are not outdoor enthusiasts, we were still impressed by the beautiful urban parks in the city. There is even a small mountain in the city! Therefore, based on our own experience, we have listed down 12 best things to do in Montreal for tourists visiting the first time, categorised into three areas: Old Montreal, Downtown, and Le Plateau Mont-Royal.

Old Montreal

Old Montreal is our favourite neighbourhood in Montreal. This picture-perfect district is known for its European flair, with many charming historic buildings, cobblestoned streets and quaint narrow alleyways. We also saw many restaurants and boutique shops nestled in the historic buildings. This area is a must-visit for any first time visitor to Montreal.

1. Rue Saint-Paul

Rue Saint-Paul

Bonsecours Market

Place Jacques Cartier

Nelson’s Column

Rue Saint-Paul (Saint Paul Street) is arguably the most iconic street in Old Montreal, with its old world architecture and quaint cobblestone road. There are many popular restaurants, fashion boutiques, souvenir shops and art galleries in this area.

Walking along the street, we saw the Bonsecours Market, constructed in 1847 in the Palladian style (an architectural style based on ancient Greek and Roman architecture). The public “market” has a gorgeous facade, but when we walked inside there were only some souvenir shops and a few restaurants.

We had dinner at L’Usine de Spaghetti, a cozy restaurant along Saint Paul Street that serves delicious Italian food.

We also walked by Place Jacques-Cartier (Jacques Cartier Square), a public square surrounded by cafes, restaurants and shops. In the day, there are street performances as well. Unfortunately, when we visited during the Christmas period at night, the area was quite nondescript with nothing much going on. The Maison Cartier (Cartier House), a historic house / museum, is located in the square. It is the former residence of Sir George Etienne Cartier, one of the Fathers of Canadian Confederation. For a small fee, you can get a guided tour of the Victorian house and learn about the life and work of this historical figure. We also saw the controversial Nelson’s Column in the square. This monument commemorates Admiral Horatio Nelson, a decorated British navy officer 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.

2. Old Port

The Old Port is a historic port located in Old Montreal along the St-Lawrence River. This family-friendly area is known for its fun waterfront activities such as cycling, roller-blading and Segway rentals. It also houses the Montréal Science Centre, an IMAX Theatre, and even a ferris wheel. You can get tickets for the ferris wheel ride here.

The port is over two kilometres long, and we visited the stretch opposite the Bonsecours Market. It was nice to 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.

3. Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal

The Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal (Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal) is a basilica built in the Gothic Revival style. It is located at Place d’Armes, a public square in old Montreal. The church is world-famous for its gorgeous interior design.

Stepping into the church, we were captivated by the overwhelmingly beautiful decor. From the soaring vaulted ceilings and colourful resplendent interior, to the ornate details and beautiful religious objects, the church radiated magnificent splendour like no others. We stood still in the church for a while just to revel in its awe-inspiring beauty.

We paid $6 to enter the basilica, which includes the price for a guided tour. The fee is $6 regardless of whether you attend the tour.

If you have the time, I would highly recommend checking out Aura, a light and sound show that highlights the basilica’s heritage. From its marketing video, I can tell that the show has extremely high production value and will probably give the audience a wonderful experience.

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: https://www.basiliquenotredame.ca/en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Basilique-Notre-Dame-de-Montr%C3%A9al-1894117630829404/

Aura Basilica Montréal
Tickets: https://www.aurabasiliquemontreal.com/en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuraBasiliqueMontreal

4. Centre d’histoire de Montréal

The Centre d’histoire de Montréal (Montreal History Center) is a small museum that gives a good overview of the history of Montreal from the 17th century to the present. There are more than 4,000 artifacts on display in the museum.

Centre d’histoire de Montréal
Address: 335 Place d’Youville, Montréal, QC H2Y 3T1, Canada
Opening Hours: | Wed to Sun: 10am to 5pm | Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays |
Admission Fees: Click here to see the fees.

Downtown

Downtown is home to Montreal’s Central Business District. Therefore, we saw many commercial buildings in this area. There are also many shopping malls and museums. When we first went to Downtown, we wondered why the skyscrapers seemed to be lower than those of other cities. We found out that it is because the city’s buildings are not allowed to exceed the height of Mount Royal, and this is mandated by law! The reason is because the city does not want the iconic mountain to be overshadowed by man-made structures. Interesting. Below are some fun things to do in Downtown Montreal for first time visitors. For a more in-depth list of activities, you can click here.

5. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is a prominent art museum in Downtown. It is the largest museum in Montreal, with a collection of over 40,000 art works. The exhibits range from ancient artifacts to Renaissance Art to Contemporary Art. You will find works by Monet, Warhol, Rembrandt, Picasso, Dali, Rodin, etc. There are also collections of Canadian and Quebec art.

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Address: 1380 Rue Sherbrooke O, Montréal, QC H3G 1J5, Canada
Opening Hours: | Tue: 10am – 5pm | Wed: 10am – 9pm | Thurs to Sun: 10am – 5pm | Closed on Mondays |
Admission Fees: https://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/information/admission-fees

6. Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral

Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral is a minor basilica in Downtown Montreal. It is located at Dorchester Square, a small manicured park with several statues and memorials. Interestingly, the basilica is a replica of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, and is about one third of the original size. The architecture has an impressive facade, and looks beautiful on the inside as well. Stepping into the church, we were impressed by the high vaulted ceiling along with the large stained glass windows and intricate details. Admission is free.

Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral
Address: 1085 Rue de la Cathédrale, Montréal, QC H3B 2V3, Canada
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 7am – 7pm | Sat & Sun: 7.30am – 7pm |

7. Underground City

Complexe Desjardins – one of the shopping malls in the underground city

Montreal’s Underground City is essentially a network of hotels, shopping malls, office buildings and residences connected to each other by 33 kilometres of underground corridors. This is not really an attraction, but we were just curious to see what it looks like. And because we visited during winter, it was a great place to seek refuge from the cold for a while.

8. Quartier des Spectacles

Quartier des Spectacles (District of Shows) is Montreal’s arts and entertainment district, with plenty of performance halls, museums, street performances, restaurants and food trucks. It is famous for being the site of major festivals and events such as the Montreal Jazz Festival, Just for Laughs, Grand Prix Weekend, etc. In total, it hosts about 40 festivals per year! You can check out the many festivals and events going on in Quartier des Spectacles first before going down.

Le Plateau Mont-Royal

Le Plateau Mont-Royal is a trendy enclave in Montreal where we saw many hip cafes, coffeehouses, restaurants, bars, boutiques, and book stores. The area is known for its charming Victorian houses with their characteristic wrought iron staircases. It is also home to Mount Royal, a small volcanic mountain.

9. Mount Royal Park

Mount Royal Park – bad visibility due to fog

Kondiaronk Belvedere – Visibility was really low due to the fog

Chalet du Mont

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 hiking, picnics, barbecues, and other outdoor activities. The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed the famous Central Park in New York City. You can check out this useful website to plan your trip to the top of Mount Royal.

Because we are not outdoor enthusiasts, we decided to take a bus up the small mountain to enjoy the view from the top (don’t judge). Soon, we reached the Chalet du Mont Royal, a large cabin at the top of the mountain. Based on what we had read online, we were supposed to get knock-out views of downtown Montreal from the chalet’s Kondiaronk Belvedere, a spacious outdoor platform. Read: “supposed to”. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t in our favour that day, and all we could see from the belvedere was the thick fog surrounding the mountain. The visibility was probably about 100 metres or less.

The Chalet du Mont Royal has a large interior space with some chairs, toilets and vending machines. It has a high vaulted ceiling and the walls are lined with old-school oil paintings and some insignias plaques. Other than that, the cabin is curiously empty and does not offer anything else. Nonetheless, it’s a good place to rest after hiking (or taking a bus) up the mountain.

10. Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal

Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal is a minor basilica located on one of Mount Royal’s 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. There are four smaller angel statues around the pedestal, each symbolising the values of Church, Knowledge, Labour, and Fatherland respectively. The whole sculpture stands at about 9 metres tall.

It took us quite a while to walk the long pathway. After reaching the end of the path, there was a flight of steps leading up to the entrance of the church. By the time we finally reached the church, we were already out of breath.

The basilica had a beautiful facade. While its interior did not quite match the grandeur of the other Montreal cathedrals we had seen, it was still quite impressive with 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

11. Mile End

Mile End is an artsy neighbourhood known for its art galleries, trendy boutiques, great restaurants and hip cafes. The Victorian houses here is the area’s iconic feature with their pretty architecture and unique wrought iron staircases.

We enjoyed exploring this trendy enclave, but perhaps because it was winter the area wasn’t as happening as we had expected it to be. We had lunch at the famous Beauty’s Luncheonette, a classic diner that serves delicious Eastern European comfort food. The pancakes here were awesome! Mile End is also know for its two renowned bagel shops located near each other: Fairmount Bagel and St-Viateur Bagel.

12. Jean-Talon Market

The Jean-Talon Market is the largest farmer’s market in Montreal. It has a wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, food stalls, cheese shops, oyster bars, baked goods, and more. Visiting the market is a great way to interact with the locals and buy delicious fresh produce. (Technically, Jean-Talon Market is not located within Le Plateau Mont-Royal. Rather, it is located in the adjacent neighbourhood of Little Italy.)

Conclusion

Montreal is a charming city in Canada, and I’m very glad we visited it. However, when we went during the Christmas period, many of the places were not as lively as we had expected them to be. And we didn’t really get fantastic photos because of the fog and rain. Don’t get me wrong though, we still enjoyed visiting the beautiful attractions and eating the awesome food. But that said, it is probably best to visit during other seasons, when there should be even more exciting and fun things to do in Montreal, such as attending an outdoor festival or visiting an open-air farmer’s market. And that’s it! The list above should be useful if you are visiting Montreal for the first time. We hope you have a wonderful time and feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below.

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?

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