Montreal Travel Guide
Weather, best time to visit, and the best food, culture, nature and activities.
Typical prices
- Budget mealCA$16.00≈ $11.31
- Mid-range mealCA$38.00≈ $26.85
- CappuccinoCA$4.00≈ $2.83
- Domestic beerCA$7.50≈ $5.30
- Taxi (per km)CA$2.20≈ $1.55
- Public transport ticketCA$3.75≈ $2.65
- Museum entryCA$20.00≈ $14.13
- Mid-range hotel (night)CA$220.00≈ $155.47
Food & Drink
- Schwartz's DeliDeli · $$
A legendary Montreal institution since 1928, famous for its smoked meat sandwiches piled high on rye.
- Au Pied de CochonQuebecois · $$$$
Chef Martin Picard's celebrated restaurant known for indulgent Quebecois dishes like foie gras poutine.
- Joe BeefFrench-Canadian · $$$$
An acclaimed Little Burgundy restaurant known for hearty, market-driven French-Canadian cooking.
- La BanquiseQuebecois · $
A 24-hour Plateau institution famous for dozens of poutine varieties.
- Olive et GourmandoCafe/Bakery · $$
A popular Old Montreal cafe-bakery known for gourmet sandwiches and pastries.
- Toqué!Contemporary Quebecois · $$$$
One of Montreal's top fine-dining destinations, pioneering Quebec's farm-to-table movement.
- St-Viateur BagelBakery · $
A historic Mile End bagel shop baking wood-fired Montreal-style bagels since 1957.
- Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill
An intimate downtown jazz club hosting local and touring musicians nightly.
- Le Mal Nécessaire
A tiki-themed cocktail bar in Chinatown known for creative rum drinks in a kitschy setting.
- Stereo Nightclub
A legendary after-hours electronic music club renowned for its high-end sound system.
- Else's
A cozy Plateau neighborhood bar with a laid-back, artsy crowd and rotating local beer taps.
Culture & History
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Canada's oldest museum, spanning multiple pavilions on Sherbrooke Street with major international and Quebec art collections.
- Pointe-à-Callière Museum
An archaeology and history museum built over the city's original 17th-century founding site, with underground excavated ruins.
- Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
Canada's leading contemporary art museum, showcasing Quebec and international modern works.
- Biosphère
Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome from Expo 67 on Île Sainte-Hélène, now an environmental museum.
- Cinéma du Parc
A well-loved independent cinema near McGill showing arthouse, foreign, and repertory films.
- Cinémathèque québécoise
A film archive and screening venue dedicated to preserving and presenting Quebec and world cinema.
- Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
One of the world's largest jazz festivals, filling downtown streets and Place des Arts with free and ticketed concerts.
- Just for Laughs Festival
The world's largest comedy festival, featuring stand-up shows and street performances across the Quartier Latin.
- Osheaga Music and Arts Festival
A major multi-genre music festival held on Île Sainte-Hélène's Parc Jean-Drapeau.
Nature & Outdoors
- Plage Jean-Doré
A man-made freshwater beach on Île Notre-Dame within Parc Jean-Drapeau, with filtered lake water for swimming.
- Mont Royal
The forested hill at the city's heart, designed in part by Frederick Law Olmsted, with the Kondiaronk lookout offering skyline views.
Active & Fun
- Nautilus Plus Complexe Desjardins
A major Quebec gym chain location in downtown Montreal's Complexe Desjardins.
- Piscine du Parc Jean-Drapeau
Olympic-standard pools originally built for the 1976 Montreal Olympics rowing basin area, open to the public seasonally.
- La Ronde
Quebec's largest amusement park, located on Île Sainte-Hélène, featuring the Goliath roller coaster.