What to do in Montreal - Things to see and places to go in Montreal while on a short trip

Here are, according us and our local team, the things to do and see in Montreal in order to get the real vibe, real essence of the city.

 Get Montreal offline audio guide >

1. Of course you could do all of the following or just register to our cultural scavenger hunt!


2. Take a look at this map of the city to have a real idea on how it is built and organized.


3. Mont Royal

 Mont-Royal rises 233 meters above the city and is the green lung near the city center. A stroll through this lovely park enables the visitor to see monuments to Jacques Cartier and King George VI, to spend some time by Lac-aux-Castors, and to have a look at the cemeteries on the western slope where the city's different ethnic groups have rested in peace together for centuries. From the summit, or rather from a platform below the cross, there unfolds a magnificent panorama of the whole of the 51-kilometer length of the Île de Montréal and the St. Lawrence. On clear days, the view extends to the Adirondack Mountains in the United States of America. Get Google maps directions>



4. Old Montreal

 Old Montréal is a remarkable concentration of buildings dating from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The district has the delightful feel of a Parisian-style quarter, situated as it is between the waterfront and the business hub. Its many historic sites, streets, and landmarks are best explored on foot. Those not to miss include the twin towers of Notre-Dame Basilica, the quays of the revitalized Old Port, and the open-air gathering space of Place Jacques-Cartier.
Get Google maps directions>



5. Parc Jean Drapeau

 Île Sainte-Hélène (named after the wife of Samuel de Champlain) and the artificial island of Notre-Dame were the site of Expo '67. They are now known as Parc Jean Drapeau and have many family-minded attractions. A remnant of the 1967 world fair, the Biosphere is now a museum dedicated to ecological issues. The building is designed in the shape of a sphere and is the largest such structure in the world. Other tourist attractions on the islands include the rides and games of La Ronde Amusement Park, the historic 1820 British arsenal at the Stewart Museum, Bassin Olympique (where the Olympic rowing events were held), and race course Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Get Google maps directions>



6. Botanical Garden

Parc Maisonneuve (Pie IX Metro) incorporates the wonderfully imaginative botanical garden. At Jardin Botanique, visitors are drawn in particular to the Japanese and Chinese Gardens, exceptional glasshouses, and displays of orchids and bonsai. There is an interesting Insectarium and huge arboretum on the grounds, as well as ponds supporting a variety of birds.
Get Google maps directions>



7. Rue Sherbrooke

Named after Sir John Sherbrooke, Governor General of Canada from 1816 to 1818, Rue Sherbrooke is probably the city's most elegant thoroughfare. It is the spine of the city and the location of many major museums and institutions. On Rue Sherbrooke, the McCord Museum of Canadian History has an outstanding collection of exhibits on Canada's social history, especially native peoples such as the Inuit and Pacific Coast First Nations. The Musée des Beaux Arts is the oldest museum in Canada and houses vast collections of painting, sculpture, and new media. Not far from the museum is the extensive campus of McGill University. Get Google maps directions>



8. Places Jacques-Cartier

 A gathering point in Old Montréal that's especially lively in summer, Place Jacques-Cartier is a popular tourist spot surrounded by historic buildings, pretty gardens, public services, and restaurants. At the uphill end, there is a Nelson's Column and the impressive Montréal City Hall.
Get Google maps directions>


 
9. Notre-Dame Basilica

 Founded in 1656, Montréal's oldest church, Notre-Dame Basilica, stands in a far grander incarnation than the original. The twin towers of the neo-Gothic façade face Place d'Armes. An intricate and resplendent interior is the work of Victor Bourgeau. Throughout the year, an evening light and sound show retells the story of Montréal's founding. Get Google maps directions>



10. St. Joseph's Oratory

 The Oratoire Saint-Joseph in Montréal, near the western exit from Mount Royal Park, is dedicated to Canada's patron saint. It is a mecca for pilgrims, with its huge Renaissance-style domed basilica dating to 1924. Brother André of the Congrégation de Sainte-Croix had already built a small chapel here in 1904, where he performed miraculous acts of healing for which he was canonized in 1982. His tomb is in one part of the sanctuary in the original chapel. Votive gifts are displayed in a second chapel. A cloister behind the church leads up to Mont-Royal. There is a good northwest view from the observatory over Montréal and Lac Saint-Louis. Get Google maps directions>



11. St. Mary Queen of the World

 The Catholic Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, east of Place du Canada, was built in 1894 as a smaller version of St. Peter's in Rome. The massive statues represent the patron saints of the Archbishopric of Montréal in the 19th century. A series of paintings by Georges Delfosse retell Montréal's tumultuous history. Get Google maps directions>



12. Square Saint-Louis

 Near the Sherbrooke Metro Station, Square Saint-Louis rates as one of Montréal's prettiest old squares and is set in a turn-of-the-century French-Canadian residential quarter. In the little streets around the tree-shaded square, there are still a few attractive Victorian houses. Some now house pleasant restaurants. Get Google maps directions>


13. Rue St-Denis

 Running parallel to St. Laurent, Rue St. Denis is one of the hippest shopping, arts, and dining streets in Montréal. Historic buildings have been converted into boutiques, bistros, and cafés. At one end, St. Denis starts in the student-minded Quartier Latin neighborhood (it's handy to Université du Québec à Montréal and the Grande Bibliothèque) and heads west into the trendy Plateau area with its independent designers and chef-run restaurants. Get Google maps directions>



14. Lachine

Lachine, on the southeast bank of Montréal Island (in Lac St.-Louis), got its name from the first pioneers who, in the 17th century, made their way up the St. Lawrence looking for a route to China (in French, "la Chine"). The Lachine Canal, a way of getting round the Lachine Rapids, was dug in 1825. It is many years, however, since it was last used for shipping and nowadays forms part of a park and offers plenty of opportunities for charming trips along the canal banks.
Get Google maps directions>



15. RÉSO

Le Montréal souterrain ou réseau piétonnier souterrain de Montréal (RÉSO) est le réseau de ville souterraine de Montréal. Ce réseau souterrain couvre 32 kilomètres de tunnels sous la terre. On lui donne depuis l’année 2004 le nom officiel de RÉSO². Le RÉSO est fréquenté par près de 183 millions de personnes chaque année.
Les tunnels et galeries permettent de relier de l’intérieur plusieurs édifices à bureaux, des complexes résidentiels, des centres commerciaux, des universités, des résidences de luxe et des hôtels. Les tunnels contiennent eux aussi une large gamme de restaurants et de boutiques allant du très chic au bon marché. Le Montréal souterrain contiendrait d’ailleurs près de 12 % de tous les commerces du centre-ville. En plus de permettre aux Montréalais de se déplacer en évitant les intempéries de l'hiver québécois, le réseau souterrain de Montréal permet donc de faire du magasinage dans le confort de la ville intérieure Get Google maps directions>


Jennifer is our Montreal local representative, we asked her what an ideal day of leisure in Montreal could look like, what would she'd suggest doing from early morning to late at night?

Here is what she suggests. Don't hesitate to contact Jennifer on Twitter @bigcitychase #Montreal #questionforJennifer if you have questions for her, we may publish your conversation in this blog if she thinks it might be useful to other Montreal visitors.

  Jennifer from Montreal for Big City Chase Montreal : 

"Hello, my name is Jennifer I am from Montreal and I will guide you into spending a great leisure day in our beautiful town :