Planning a trip to Montreal, Canada? If you’re thinking of staying in Montreal for 5 days, you’re going to love our recommended itinerary. Let’s see how you can visit Montreal in 5 days.
Day 1 – Old Montreal
To start off your 5 days in Montreal, you’re going to start in Old Montreal, the city’s historic district. One of the best ways to explore the district and learn all about the city’s beginnings is to take a walking tour of the Old Town. Various walking tours are offered, all with the benefit of a knowledgeable guide to give you the most educational and unique experience of the area.
After a walk around the Old Town, it’s time for lunch nearby at Taverne Gaspar. Located on rue de la Commune inside a 19th Century warehouse, Taverne Gaspar offers French-inspired pub food with options for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets.
If you’re desperate to try out the famous Quebecois dish, the poutine, during your stay in Montreal, you’ll want to head over to Montreal Poutine on rue Saint-Paul. Also located in Old Montreal, Montreal Poutine specializes in the famous dish, complete with cheese curds and gravy, as well as providing many variations to suit everyone. Alongside poutine, this restaurant also offers a range of classic burgers and hot dogs.
For your afternoon activity, it’s time to head to the Pointe-à-Callière Museum of Archaeology and History to learn even more about Montreal’s origins and foundations. Not only a fantastic resource for learning about Montreal’s history, but the museum is also built on the very spot that the city was founded on, making it a very significant historical site.
Alternatively, if the morning tour of Old Montreal was enough for you, the Bota Bota spa is located nearby at the Old Port, offering a variety of packages alongside the gorgeous views of the district. Perfect for solo travelers, couples, and small groups, the spa boasts a range of facilities, including saunas, steam rooms, hot and cold pools, relaxation rooms, and a variety of soothing treatments.
For dinner in Old Montreal, head over to Saint-Paul Street, where you’ll find Modavie. Modavie is a jazz bar and bistro specializing in French and European cuisine and, while you’re there, you’re likely to experience the sounds of a local Montreal band. The restaurant’s specialty is lamb, though imaginative vegetarian options are also available.
For an evening out in Old Montreal, head to the Coldroom on rue Saint Vincent to experience a prohibition-style speakeasy, perfectly fit for this historic district. Hidden behind a black door, the Coldroom can be easily missed by those not looking for it (follow the duck!). As a reward for your detective skills, the Coldroom offers excellent gourmet cocktails and an atmosphere to make your legal drinks feel that little bit prohibited.
Day 2 – City Centre and Plateau Mont-Royal
To start off your second day in Montreal, we’re heading off to Mount Royal, the famous mountain overlooking Downtown Montreal. If traveling to Montreal during the winter, ice skating on Beaver Lake should be an activity at the top of your list.
Located at the top of the mountain, Beaver Lake is Mount Royal’s outdoor refrigerated skating rink, with free access and skate rental available from $10 per 2 hours. If visiting Mount Royal with children, activities such as snow tubing down the hill overlooking Beaver Lake, and is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Daily passes and equipment for this activity are available at the equipment rental counter.
If your trip to Mount Royal is during the summer, Beaver Lake is still a top attraction. Not only is the surrounding park the perfect spot for a picnic or morning read, but rowboats can also be rented for use on the lake at $12 per half hour. For anyone who would rather not get in the water, remote-controlled sailboats are also available for use on Beaver Lake for $10 per half hour, perfect for kids and adults alike.
For lunch on the mountain, you have the option of several restaurants and cafes offering soups, sandwiches, and snacks: Mont-Royal Chalet, the Pavillion du Lac-aux-Castors (adjacent to Beaver Lake), and Maison Smith. Alternatively, head into Plateau Mont-Royal for lunch or brunch at Restaurant L’Avenue.
Offering vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options over a creatively-designed backdrop, Restaurant L’Avenue is the perfect example of dining in the artsy Plateau neighborhood. If poutine is still on your mind, take a seat nearby at La Banquise or PoutineVille, both of which are among the best restaurants to try the classic dish.
After lunch, head downtown to Sherbrooke Street to visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the largest art museum in Canada by exhibition space. Alongside collections featuring Picasso, Rembrandt, and Goyam the museum often showcases special exhibitions. Examples of past exhibitions have centered around the Egyptians, Napoleon, Pompeii, and Chihuly glassworks.
For dinner in Downtown Montreal, head over to Robert-Bourassa Boulevard and take a seat at Restaurant Zibo. Offering Californian-inspired Canadian cuisine, Zibo caters to vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets with their extensive menu. Zibo also boasts an impressive beer, wine, and cocktail menu to complement your meal.
To round off your second day in Montreal, take a walk down to 3 Brasseurs microbrewery on Saint-Catherine Street. Alongside beer brewed in-house, 3 Brasseurs offers wine and cocktails, as well as a food menu that pairs beers with certain dishes and their flavors.
Day 3 – Rosemont
In the morning, we’re heading to Rosemont for a trip to Montreal’s Botanical Gardens (Jardin Botanique), which is a part of the Montreal Space for Life science complex. To get the most out of your experience at the Botanical Gardens, guided tours of the exhibition greenhouses are offered free with your admission ticket.
Alongside an impressive collection of plant species and exhibition greenhouses, the Garden is also home to various thematic cultural gardens. The Japanese Garden features a spectacular arrangement of bonsai trees, ranging from 20 to 100 years old, all within a specially-arranged serene environment.
The Chinese Garden was created with materials shipped from Shanghai and built by 50 Chinese craftsmen. The result was a living exhibition of the Chinese art of landscape design, creating a sense of harmony using the four major elements: plants, water, stones, and architecture.
Finally, the First Nations Garden is designed to evoke the close bonds between the natives and the natural world, serving to promote the sharing of knowledge and culture between native and non-native Quebeckers.
For lunch, head to Little Italy, a small neighborhood north of Mile End that was heavily influenced by a wave of Italian immigration in the early 20th Century. Corneli is an Italian restaurant located on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, serving meat, fish, pasta, and pizza authentically cooked in their wood oven.
While in Little Italy, head on over to the Jean-Talon Market for the afternoon. Jean-Talon is Little Italy’s famous food market and is one of the oldest public markets in Montreal, dating back to 1933. The market provides a unique produce shopping experience, even for those not looking to buy. Nearby are various cafes, such as the Cafe Saint-Henri, which serves fantastic coffee and sweet snacks. Alternatively, Rosemont is also home to Montreal’s Olympic Village, which is a perfect visit for sport-lovers.
While a perfect trip can be made out of a simple walk around the village, various tours and events are made available by the Olympic Park. Open most of the year, the Montreal Tower Observatory is open to visitors, offering a panoramic view of the city from the world’s tallest inclined tower. Guided tours for the Tower are also available, as well as the Since 1976 exhibition that showcases the history of the park. Alongside this, the Stadium is also open, with regular guided tours and a seasonal events schedule.
For dinner, head to rue Beaubien Est for a seat at Il Bazzali, a quaint Italian restaurant serving European and Mediterranean cuisines. If you’re lucky, you might even get to experience the famous “singing chef”. The restaurant is a BYOB but, luckily, there are plenty of wines to choose from le Marche des Saveurs du Quebec (the Quebec Flavor Market) in Jean-Talon Market.
At night time, head to La Succursale on rue Masson. La Succursale specializes in craft beers and ciders, within a friendly contemporary interior. If visiting during the summer, La Succursale also features an outdoor terrace, perfect for sipping on your drink during the warm evenings.
Day 4 – Quartier des Spectacles and Chinatown
For our fourth day in Montreal, we’re going to be checking out the Quartier des Spectacles (the Entertainment District) and Chinatown. For your morning activity, head into the Quarter and make your way to Saint-Catherine Street to find the Montreal Contemporary Art Museum (Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal), Canada’s first museum devoted entirely to contemporary art.
Inside, you will find contemporary collections of over 7,000 works of art featuring Quebecois, Canadian, and international artists. Unique exhibitions are constantly running, currently featuring the work of artists such as Arthur Jafa, Ron Moppett, and Kathleen Graham. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults, $4 for teenagers, and free for children under 12.
After a morning of cultural exploration, take a short walk to Eggspectation Complexe Desjardins on Saint Catherine West for some lunch or brunch. As the name suggests, Eggspectation specializes in eggs and breakfast food, but there truly is something for everyone. With imaginative variations on classic breakfast and brunch food, as well as non-breakfast food, you won’t be disappointed.
In the afternoon, head over to Chinatown, a small district within the Quartier des Spectacles, for a little exploration. One of the oldest Asian communities in North America, Montreal’s Chinatown started to emerge around the 1890s and was first recognized as a tourist attraction in the late 1960s.
The main attractions of Chinatown include its many shops and food vendors (try the bubble tea!). Make a stop at one of the many souvenir shops, or venture inside one of the Asian grocery stores for some authentic products. And be sure to make a stop at the corner of René-Lévesque and Saint-Laurent by the north gate to see a gorgeous mural produced by MU, one of the many examples of Montreal’s street art scene.
While in Chinatown, head to Ruby Rouge for some authentic Chinese cuisine. Their key dish is dim sum, which is continuously being wheeled around for customers to pick from, alongside a variation of Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine. And if you’re looking for a fun evening activity in Chinatown, look no further than CEO Karaoke, which is conveniently situated in the basement of Ruby Rouge.
If karaoke isn’t your thing, head back into the main part of the Quartier and you’ll find the Theatre Sainte-Catherine Cafe-Bar. This unique bar is also an independent theatre, hosting musical performances, film screenings, and comedy all throughout the week. What better way to enjoy a drink within Montreal’s renowned Entertainment District than with some independent theatre?
Day 5 – The Village and Quartier Latin
With the university nearby, Montreal’s Quartier Latin is known to be a student-friendly district within the city, bustling with art, indie cinemas and theatres, and a vibrant nightlife. As such, Quartier Latin is highly focused on education and history, making this neighborhood the perfect spot for those that are beyond their university years but still love to learn.
In the morning, head into the Quartier Latin and make your way to la Galerie de l’UQAM, an art museum located within the University of Quebec in Montreal. As the gallery is primarily focused on student enrichment, many of the works on display are by students of visual arts, art history, and museology, making this gallery a highly unique and contemporary way to experience art created in the heart of Montreal.
For lunch in the Quartier Latin, head to Resto Végo, a vegetarian and vegan buffet located on Saint-Denis Street. Alongside an extensive buffet selection to suit anyone, Testo Vego also has a gourmet counter, stocked with prepared sandwiches, pizzas, and salads for those looking for something a little different from the buffet range.
Alternatively, if you’re hankering for something sweet, head over to Juliette et Chocolat, a French dessert cafe also located on Saint-Denis Street. Offering a plethora of desserts and hot chocolates, Juliette et Chocolat also has savory meals and brunches to suit everyone.
To really understand Montreal as an all-inclusive cosmopolitan city, visitors need to take a trip to the Village, which is where we’re headed for the afternoon. Located near the Quartier des Spectacles, Montreal’s Gay Village is the largest in North America, receiving consistent investment and promotion by all three levels of government as the heart of Montreal’s LGBT community.
It is often recommended to treat the Gay Village as an open-air museum, due to the large number of public art installations, including an outdoor gallery (Galerie blanc) and the mural by Cecile Gariepy. Unfortunately, the iconic large-scale installation comprising 180,000 hanging rainbow-colored balls has recently been taken down, but will soon be replaced with another fantastic installation. Keep an eye out!
For dinner, head to Grenade on Ontario Street East for some contemporary Asian food within a beautifully designed Asian-inspired interior. Grenade also features a cocktail bar, with a menu that’s jam-packed full of Asian-inspired and imported drinks. If visiting in the summer, the restaurant’s rear terrace is opened up for you to enjoy the balmy air.
To round off your evening in Montreal’s Village, a visit to Cabaret Mado is essential. A testament to Montreal’s vibrant drag scene, Mado is a great spot to catch a glamorous show (and maybe even see some famous faces) while enjoying a good drink. There is always a show on, interspersed with special events, so check out the website for upcoming shows!
Final Thoughts On 5 Days In Montreal
Wondering where to stay during your trip to Montreal?
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