Montreal in 5 Days: everything you need to know

Montreal is a vibrant and exciting city that offers a wide range of activities to enjoy during five days. You will have the opportunity to explore the city' s most elegant and historic neighborhoods, such as Old Montreal and Plateau Mont-Royal. You will also be able to enjoy a variety of restaurants and bars, and experience the city's rich French-speaking culture.

In five days you will have time to visit the Notre-Dame Basilica, take a trip to Montmorency Falls, and explore Parc Mont-Royal. Also, if you are more into activities that have contact with nature, I recommend you sign up to visit the Botanical Garden or simply stroll through the beautiful old port of the city, without a doubt one of the best things to see and do in Montreal.

On the first day of a five-day itinerary in Montreal you will find a wide variety of attractions and activities to choose from. Primarily, you can begin your tour by exploring the historic heart of the city, Old Montreal, which is noted for its beautiful architecture and cobblestone streets that will take you straight back in time.

You can also visit the Notre-Dame Basilica with its impressive stained glass windows and decorations. And throughout the day, you can't miss the opportunity to enjoy the French and Canadian blend of its gastronomy.

Visit Old Montreal

To start your day you will go straight from your hotel or accommodation to Old Montreal, a historic district located in the heart of the city and basically one of the most picturesque and charming areas in all of Canada. You will love strolling through its narrow cobblestone streets, terraced cafes and restaurants, as well as old buildings with a rich architectural heritage.

The starting time for this tour should be around 9:00 or 10:00 to avoid the crowds. In fact, a good way to get to know Old Montreal is to sign up for one of the best Montreal tours, which usually take a few hours. And with this in mind I recommend you to spend at least half a day exploring the place.

Explore the Notre-Dame Basilica

After you have taken a full tour of the city of Montreal and had some special Canadian food for lunch, it's time to move on to the next activity of the day which is to enter the Notre-Dame Basilica, which is located within the Vieux Montreal neighborhood itself. This is an impressive Catholic church famous for its Gothic architecture and detailed interior decoration.

Upon entering the Basilica, the first thing that will catch your attention is its sacred atmosphere and its dim lighting with a very particular acoustics. Inside you will also be able to see the details on the walls, windows and ceilings. In addition, you will see works of art such as paintings, sculptures and magnificent stained glass windows. I recommend scheduling your visit after 2:00 pm, so you can spend the rest of the afternoon admiring its beauty. Just after leaving the church you will have the opportunity to visit the port.

Stroll along the old port and admire the view of the San Lorenzo river

A few meters from the Basilica of Notre-Dame, you will find the port of Montreal, which is located on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, also within the Vieux Montreal and from where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the city. This is without a doubt a perfect place to complete an afternoon full of sightseeing and exploration in Montreal. Doing this tour during the afternoon hours will be ideal to enjoy the tranquility of the harbor while the sun goes down.

With its wonderful views of the St. Lawrence River, the harbor will surely inspire you to sign up for a cruise tour from Montreal. Or if that's not your plan, you'll love the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere of this place, as well as its combination of local tourism and culture, making it a great place to enjoy any time of the year.

For this second day of the Montreal itinerary, you will have the chance to travel outside its borders to visit another of Canada's most interesting cities, which is none other than Quebec, located almost three hours away from Montreal. The experience, which is undoubtedly one of the best excursions from Montreal, will begin with a visit to the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency in Quebec, where you can see the waterfall called Montmorency, which measures 83 meters, being the largest waterfall in the province of Quebec.

Once there you can take the cable car to the top of the waterfall, from where you can see the entire St. Lawrence River and its surroundings, and also feel the power of the falls. After an hour you will continue to the Observatoire de la Capitale to visit its 360-degree observation deck on the 31st floor, from where you will have a panoramic view of the capital.

Free time to visit Québec

During this excursion you will have free time to visit the ancient fortified city of Quebec, which is one of the oldest on the American continent, and where you will be able to discover the city from many different angles, historical, political, military, architectural, among others. Finally, you will have the opportunity to visit the Canyon Sainte-Anne, which consists of three suspension bridges that cross the canyon, an experience if you like nature and its transformation over time.

At the end of this full day tour, your tour guide will take you back to Montreal, where you can find a place to have dinner and then go to rest at your hotel or accommodation, to continue the next day with other incredible experiences.

The third day of this five-day Montreal itinerary promises to be full of culture and diversity. You'll get to know Plateau-Mont-Royal, one of the city's most vibrant and multicultural neighborhoods. You will also visit the Parc du Mont-Royal, an iconic park that offers breathtaking views of the city, outdoor activities and tree-filled trails.

Another place you will visit during this day is the Montreal Botanical Garden, a place where you can enjoy a wide collection of plants and gardens of all designs. In addition, you will visit the city's public market to taste some of the quintessential Canadian flavors.

Explore the Montreal Botanical Garden

To start your day, you will visit the Montreal Botanical Garden. The Botanical Garden is open between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. every day of the week, so it would be perfect for you to enter during the early morning hours.

Among the attractions you'll love to see are the Japanese Garden, home to bridges and koi-filled ponds, as well as the Morgan Arboretum, a space dedicated to exploring different species of trees.

I recommend you dedicate at least two hours to enjoy the entire Botanical Garden in its splendor, which is why around 11:00 you should be out of this place to continue your tour. To get to the garden, I recommend you to sign up for a sightseeing bus tour of Montreal, which will take you to visit the most interesting places in the city, including the botanical garden.

Visit the multicultural neighborhood of Plateau-Mont-Royal

After leaving the botanical garden around 11:00, it will be time to immerse yourself in the diverse and vibrant culture of Montreal, which is only found in the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood, about 15 minutes away from the Botanical Garden. This place will please you mainly for its vintage stores, international food restaurants and small cafes.

As the Plateau-Mont-Royal is such a lively place, I recommend spending at least two or three hours to explore it and experience its atmosphere. The main activity to do in this place is to walk around its cobblestone streets, full of street art and local stores, where you can buy souvenirs to remember your trip. I recommend using the rest of the morning, between 11:00 and 13:00, to explore this neighborhood that represents the creativity, modernity and multicultural spirit of Montreal.

Visit the Marché Jean-Talon, a public market

After visiting the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood, it will be time to go to the next point on your itinerary, which is none other than the Marché Jean-Talon, one of the largest public markets in North America, located about 20 minutes from the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood. Here you will find a wide variety of fresh food and local products, so it will be a good place to have some lunch before walking around.

You will arrive around 13:00, to eat something first and then enjoy the spaces around and like the rest of the places you will have visited during the day, I recommend you to spend at least a couple of hours to know the market. You will see numerous stalls selling fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, handmade breads and chocolates, as well as a wide selection of restaurants offering traditional Canadian foods.

Visit Parc de Mont Royal

For this third day you will leave Parc de Mont Royal last on the list because it is a must-see tourist destination if you like to enjoy nature and urban views at the same time. What stands out the most about this park is its wide terrain with trails surrounded by nature, so it is a good place for hiking, biking or just strolling outdoors.

The park is open to the public every day of the week, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. You also have to know that to go to this place you will have to pay a minimum fee of approximately 5 euros per person.

The plan inside the park is basically to get lost in the trails and get carried away by the natural beauty that surrounds you. In addition, you will be able to see an incredible panoramic view of the city from the top of the park, of which you will surely want to take many pictures to remember the trip. At the end of the day you have the option to go and enjoy the nightlife in Montreal, or go straight to your hotel or accommodation to rest and get ready for your fourth day in the city.

During your fourth day in Montreal, you can go explore two iconic attractions of the city, one of them is the vibrant Chinatown, where you can experience the historic Chinese culture, as well as taste some of its most outstanding dishes. You will also go to see the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, where you can view its extensive collection of Canadian and international art.

Visit Chinatown

This day you can go straight to Chinatown, which is the second largest of its kind in North America. A good tour of Chinatown should start around 11 o'clock, which is when the commercial activity starts to pick up.

I recommend staying about three hours, at least to visit as many places as possible and get to know in depth the Asian culture in Montreal.

A place you have to include in your visit to Chinatown is the Monastery of the Discalced Carmelites, a place dedicated to experience an atmosphere of tranquility and peace in the city, at the same time you know the universe of oriental culture and spirituality. You can't leave Chinatown without having eaten an Asian dish for lunch.

Explore the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

After three hours in Chinatown, it's time to continue to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, which is located about 10 minutes from Chinatown. You will enter this place around 2:00 p.m. to see some of the most important European and American collections. With the exhibition of these works, this is one of the best museums in Montreal.

I recommend you to dedicate a little more than two hours to visit this place, to know each of the galleries and exhibitions, which is ideal considering that the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is open from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10:00 and 17:00, but closes on Mondays, so you will visit this place between 14:00 and 16:00. Inside the museum's website you will be able to get the works that are being presented, so you will know what you are going to see when you go.

Walk around the Quartier des Spectacles neighborhood

Once you leave the Museum you can continue your tour to the Quartier des Spectacles neighborhood, which is one of the most vibrant and exciting places in Montreal. Among its streets you will be able to get to know its rich cultural scene and its wide variety of attractions and events. What I recommend is to dedicate the rest of the afternoon to getting to know this place, so it will take you about two hours to walk the whole place.

Since the Quartier des Spectacles neighborhood, which is a 10-minute walk from the Museum of Fine Arts, has a lot to offer, you'll love spending the evening and the rest of the night here. After dark, the neighborhood transforms into an exciting place with numerous bars, clubs and live entertainment venues to enjoy high quality music and entertainment, so it's a good place to find some of the best things to see and do in Montreal at night.

To finish off your five-day Montreal itinerary, you'll have a fifth day full of exciting adventures that include some of the most breathtaking panoramic views of the city. During the day you are going to enjoy a nice experience at the Montreal Observatory, but you will also have the opportunity to explore the biodiversity of the Biodome.

Being this way, your day is going to start not so early, considering that you enjoyed a lot the night before and maybe it is a bit exhausting to be on the street so early in the morning. So you would be having breakfast around 9:00, to continue with your tour of the city.

Enjoy a panoramic view from the Montreal Observatory

After breakfast, it will be a good time to enter the Montreal Observatory, which is one of the most popular attractions in the city thanks to its breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding cityscape. The observatory is located on the 46th floor of the Place Ville Marie building and is considered to be the highest point in Montreal, at a height of 185 meters.

The Montreal Observatory is open daily between 10:00 and 18:00. Every day of the week you will have the opportunity to enjoy breathtaking views of the city and appreciate the unique architecture that characterizes it. You can stay as long as you want enjoying the views and taking pictures of the skyline, but I recommend that you stay for at least two hours to contemplate the whole city and its nuances, in total tranquility.

Visit the Biodome, a place that recreates four different ecosystems

You will leave the Observatory around 12:00, so it will be a good time to grab some lunch before continuing to the second place on your fifth day tour, which is no less than the Montreal Biodome, an impressive attraction that recreates four different ecosystems inside and gives you the opportunity to observe and learn about the flora and fauna of each one. It is located about 20 minutes from the Observatory.

The Biodome is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., while it is closed on Mondays and certain holidays. If you like nature and the environment, you will love this place full of wonders. You'll be able to see at least four ecosystems inside, including the rainforest, the deciduous forest, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Arctic. Each environment is meticulously recreated inside the Biodome, so you'll gain in-depth and accurate knowledge of each.

I recommend spending at least two hours visiting the Biodome, or the rest of the afternoon, because this is a park that is always full of activities to do. You will leave the Biodome at closing time, around 17:00, to leave some free time to explore the city of Montreal at your leisure and then go to your hotel or lodging place to rest. To go back home the next day, I suggest you to book your transfer to the Montreal Airport in advance.

Your visit to the Biodome ends your five-day itinerary in Montreal, so after this activity, you just have to wait for your flight back home.