Montreal 3-Day Itinerary

This plan assumes a stay in or near downtown and works from spring to autumn. For winter swaps, see the note at the end.

Day 1: Old Montreal and the river

9am: The Notre-Dame Basilica when it opens, before the groups arrive.

10am: Our Old Montreal walk: Rue Saint-Jacques, Rue Saint-Paul, Place Jacques-Cartier and the Bonsecours chapel.

12:30pm: Lunch in the old town, then Pointe-à-Callière for the city's origins underground.

4pm: Along the Old Port quays to the Clock Tower.

Evening: Dinner in Old Montreal, then the AURA show back at the basilica, booked in advance.

Day 2: The mountain and the Plateau

9am: Walk up Peel Street to Mount Royal and the Kondiaronk Belvedere.

11am: Across the mountain and down the path to the George-Étienne Cartier monument. On a summer Sunday, stay for the Tam-Tams.

1pm: Smoked meat on Boulevard Saint-Laurent, the Main, the old dividing line between the city's English and French halves.

3pm: Wander the Plateau's side streets towards Parc La Fontaine, then north to Mile End for a hot bagel from St-Viateur or Fairmount.

Evening: A bring-your-own-wine restaurant on Rue Prince-Arthur or Avenue Duluth, a Plateau tradition. Buy a bottle at the local dépanneur (corner shop) or SAQ, the provincial liquor store.

Day 3: Markets, gardens and the east

9am: Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy. Breakfast from the stalls and a coffee on Boulevard Saint-Laurent.

11am: Metro to Pie-IX for the Botanical Garden and the Insectarium, or the Biodôme if the weather's poor. The Olympic Stadium is next door.

3pm: Back downtown for the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, or rent a Bixi and ride the Lachine Canal to Atwater Market.

Evening: Poutine, then the Quartier des spectacles for whatever festival is on.

In winter, keep days one and two but add skating at Beaver Lake, use the underground city to link sights downtown, and spend day three at the Biodôme and the museums. With a fourth day, head to Quebec City, ideally for a night.