Montreal in 3 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

Montreal is a Canadian city with many contrasts, which you can easily discover during your stay. You just have to plan a route that allows you to visit the main destinations and make the most of every minute in this coastal town.

For example, among the best things to do in Montreal for 3 days, highlights the tour of Old Montreal, the visit to the natural areas of the city such as the Botanical Garden and the Montreal Olympic Park. You can also get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and stroll around Montreal to visit Ottawa or Quebec City.

For your first day in Montreal the plan is very simple, you should walk around Old Montreal and visit as many destinations as possible. Such is the case of the local market, La Fontaine Park, Boulevard St Laurent, Chinatown, Notre-Dame Basilica and the Old Port.

1. Jean-Talon Market

After your transfer from the Montreal airport, you can rest a bit at the hotel to start exploring the city. In this regard, the first day's itinerary can start at the Jean-Talon Market, approximately 15 minutes drive from the city center.

This market has been present in Montreal since 1932, so it is a place with a lot of history and tradition. Here you will find food stalls and a wide variety of fresh produce brought by local farmers, artisans and fishermen. In addition, you can buy cheeses, sausages, wines, flowers, plants and much more.

• Price: free admission.
• Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sunday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Address: 7070 Henri Julien Ave, Montreal.

2. La Fontaine Park

The next destination is La Fontaine Park, located about 21 minutes by public transportation from the Jean-Talon Market (Station Côte-Vertu de Jean-Talon). This is a small natural lung within the city, covering approximately 34 hectares.

In the park you will find trails for walking and cycling. There are also a couple of ponds that connect with each other, a fountain and a playground. And if you visit Montreal in winter, the water will be frozen, providing you with an amazing skating rink.

• Price: free admission.
• Hours: Monday to Sunday from 6:00 am to 00:00 am.
• Address: 3819, avenue Calixa-Lavallée, Montreal.

3. The Boulevard St Laurent

From La Fontaine Park you will have to walk about 23 minutes in the direction of R. Sherbrooke to the Boulevard St Laurent. You can also take public transportation at the Ontario / Atateken stop, about 4 minutes from the park, which will take you to your destination in about 18 minutes.

When you arrive on this street, you will immediately notice that it is quite busy with tourists and locals. It concentrates a large number of stores where you can buy some souvenirs, restaurants with cuisine from all over the world, bars, cafes, among others.

In addition, the Boulevard St Laurent is home to a major display of street art, which is renewed annually, due to the Mural Festival. You will have the opportunity to contemplate these picturesque works, full of creativity and, of course, take a few pictures.

4. Montreal's Chinatown

The next stop on your itinerary is Montreal's Chinatown, which is about a 4-minute walk from Boulevard St Laurent. This is a place with a history dating back to the 19th century, built by Chinese immigrants on the site of a former Jewish quarter. You will find stores, supermarkets, restaurants and cafes.

During the tour of the Chinatown you will see some buildings of cultural importance, some of them being the following:

• The Paifang or Arch Gate, located at the four cardinal points of the neighborhood.
• The Cultural Center of the Chinese Community of Montreal, with origami activities, gastronomic workshops and more.
• Sohuaits Square: with musicians, artistic performances and a lively atmosphere.
• The Montreal Chinese Hospital, built in the 1700s.

You can also take the opportunity to buy fresh produce: mushrooms, vegetables such as lemongrass, roots, spices, fish, curry paste and more. You will also have the opportunity to try traditional oriental food: noodles, pork dumplings, fried rice, tofu, spring rolls, dumpling, steamed buns, etc.

• Price: free admission.
• Hours: every day of the year from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (hours may vary according to each business).
• Address: Rue Gauchetière area, Montreal.

5. Notre-Dame Basilica

Once you finish your walk through Chinatown, you will have to walk along Rue Saint-Urbain, for about 7 minutes, and you will arrive at the Basilica of Notre-Dame. This is a temple inaugurated in mid-1829 and named a National Historic Monument.

This imposing neo-Gothic building is considered the first Catholic place of worship of this architectural style in Canada. There, you will enjoy an important display of sacred art from the 17th century.

During your tour, you can choose between a guided tour of approximately 20 minutes, which is included with the entrance ticket, or simply discover the place at your own pace with an information booklet. In either case, you will be amazed by the stained glass windows, sculptures, wood carvings, domes and frescoes housed in this minor basilica.

• Price: the entrance fee is about €4 per person.
• Hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
• Address: 110 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal.

6. The Old Port of Montreal

Any time of the year is the best time to go to Montreal and visit the Old Port. This resort is located approximately 15 minutes away from the Notre-Dame Basilica.

In Montreal's Old Port you will find a very lively atmosphere. The whole place is dotted with restaurants, bars, stores, art exhibits and much more.

You can explore at your own pace, approaching the pier to see the boats and the scenery. And if you want to enhance the experience, you can purchase tickets for the Montreal cruises for a river cruise on the St. Lawrence River.

• Price: admission to the port is free, but you will have to pay for what you consume or purchase at each location.
• Hours: Every day from 6:00 am to 00:00 am (hours vary according to the policies of each store).
• Address: 333 Rue de la Commune O, Montreal.

During your day 2 in Montreal you can connect with nature without leaving the city by visiting the Olympic Park. You can also stroll through a kilometer-long subway passage, get a privileged panoramic view from a Ferris wheel and even attend a performance of the Cirque de Soleil.

1. Montreal Olympic Park

Approximately 23 minutes away by public transport or 17 minutes by private car, you will find the first destination of the day. It is the Montreal Olympic Park, built in 1976 and composed of several green areas of cultural, scientific and touristic interest.

Some of them are the following:

• The Biodome, in this natural space you will find replicas of four important ecosystems belonging to the American continent. Such is the case of the subpolar region, the tropical forest, an estuary and the Laurentian forest.
• The Botanical Garden, with a beautiful greenhouse, Japanese garden, Chinese garden, Canadian plant garden and some high mountain plants.
• The Insectarium, an educational museum where you will learn all about the world of insects.
• The Leaning Tower; this is a 165 meter structure, considered the tallest leaning construction in the world.

This route could be one of the best tours of Montreal on your own, to enjoy nature and breathe fresh air without leaving the city.

• Price: the price of tickets for the Biodome, the Botanical Garden or the Insectarium has an individual price of about 22€ per adult, about 20€ for seniors over 65, about 11€ for children from 5 to 17 years old, and free for children under 4 years old. Meanwhile, access to the Leaning Tower has an average cost of € 15 per person.
• Hours: the Biodome, the Botanical Garden and the Insectarium are open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Meanwhile, the Leaning Tower is open from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Monday) and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Tuesday to Sunday).
• Address: 4545 Pierre-de Coubertin Ave, Montreal.

2. The subway city of Montreal

After enjoying Montreal's Olympic Park, your next destination is the Underground City. You will have to take a bus from the Viau stop to McGill, a route of approximately 18 minutes. There, you will have to walk a maximum of 2 minutes and you will be in the city's famous network of subway passages.

You can walk freely through this series of tunnels that connect an area of approximately 30 kilometers, considered one of the largest subway complexes in the world. You will find restaurants, bars, various stores, galleries, shopping malls, among others.

Undoubtedly, this is a good option that like visiting the best museums in Montreal, guided tours or other activities, will allow you to explore the city and get a different perspective of it.

3. The Montreal Ferris Wheel

At the end of your passage through the subway city of Montreal, you will have to walk about 30 minutes in the direction of the Sainte-Catherine O and Boul. Saint-Laurent. In this way, you will arrive at the city's Ferris wheel. This is a very popular attraction among locals and tourists.

Once you climb into one of the air-conditioned cabins of the Montreal Ferris Wheel, you will begin to see the city from a bird's eye view. You will reach a height of approximately 60 meters, getting a 360º view of the entire city, the St. Lawrence River and its surroundings.

With this experience you will not only enjoy the view, you can also take amazing pictures to show off on your social networks. And, if you go up to the Ferris wheel after sunset, you will see how the sun merges with the horizon and little by little the city is illuminated with artificial light.

• Price: the approximate price of admission is 30 ¤ per adult, about 28 ¤ for seniors over 65, about 23 ¤ from 3 to 17 years old, and free for children under 2 years old.
• Hours: daily from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm.
• Address: 362 de la Commune Street East of Montreal.

4. The Cirque de Soleil

The last destination of the day could be the Cirque de Soleil, which is about a 3-minute walk from the Montreal Ferris wheel. You will enjoy acrobatics, mind-blowing visual effects and a soundtrack that will take your breath away.

According to the season of the year you can choose between Soleil Crystal and Soleil Echo, as they are the two resident shows of the circus in the city. Both are ideal for the whole family, so if you are looking for things to do in Montreal with children you can be sure that the little ones will have a great time.

• Price: general admission starts at 57€ per person.
• Hours: Schedules change yearly, but there is usually one show a day from Wednesday to Thursday and two shows from Friday to Sunday.
• Address: Vieux-Port de Montreal.

For your third day in Montreal you can join a guided excursion to some nearby cities. Such is the case of Quebec or Ottawa, which are only a couple of hours away.

Option 1: Join an excursion to Quebec from Montreal

If you don't know how to get to Quebec from Montreal, the fastest and safest option is to join a guided tour to Quebec. This is definitely a good option to incorporate into the itinerary of your third day of travel.

This adventure, considered one of the best day trips from Montreal, starts with a pick-up at the door of your hotel or at a pre-arranged location downtown. In either case, you will connect with your driver-guide and travel by van to Quebec for about 2 hours and 30 minutes.

You will travel through the wooded area surrounding the St. Lawrence River and finally arrive in the walled city of Quebec, where your first stop will be the Montmorency Falls. It is a drop of about 83 meters high that connects directly with the waters of the aforementioned river. You will be amazed by the natural beauty of this place.

Afterwards, you will go to the old town of Quebec and you will feel like you have traveled back in time as you walk along the cobblestone streets and observe the historic buildings in medieval style. The guide will tell you the history of the place and give you free time to explore the restaurants, cafes, stores, etc. at your own pace.

• Duration: the activity usually lasts one day.
• Price: the cost of the tour is about 91€ per person.

Option 2: Take a one-day guided tour of Ottawa from Montreal

Visiting Ottawa from Montreal through a guided activity turns out to be another thing to do during your stay in the city. You will discover the history of the Canadian capital through its monuments, landscapes and architecture.

Once you meet your driver-guide in downtown Montreal or at the door of your hotel, you will depart for Ottawa on a route of approximately two hours by minibus. Upon arrival in the city, you will embark on a panoramic tour of the city's main tourist attractions.

Some of the places to visit on this tour include the following:

• The Parliament of Canada, this is a complex of buildings including the famous Peace Tower. All of them, raised in the center of Ottawa, known locally as "the hill".
• The ByWard Market; this is a picturesque open-air market with local products.
• The Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area has walking trails from where you can contemplate the calm waters of Montreal's canals in summer. And, if you visit in winter, you will enjoy an amazing ice rink.
• Price: the average price of this activity is approximately 207€ per person.
• Duration: the excursion lasts one day.