Montréal in 5 Days: Old Streets, Markets and Mount Royal

Start inside the basilica for its carved woodwork and colourful interior, then walk east through Old Montréal. A daytime visit and the evening AURA light show are separate experiences; choose the ticket that matches what you want to see.

Walk through the square towards the waterfront, exploring the surrounding old streets on the way. This is a short stop between the basilica, Bonsecours Market and the archaeology museum rather than a separate outing.

Look around the historic market building and its shops, then have lunch in Old Montréal. Continue west along the old streets towards Pointe-à-Callière for the afternoon museum visit.

Pointe-à-Callière explains Montréal’s history through archaeology and exhibitions near the city’s original settlement. Make it the main afternoon visit, then finish with a walk beside the Old Port.

Spend the morning with the collection or an exhibition that interests you, then have lunch downtown. The afternoon belongs to Mount Royal; the McCord Museum is an alternative indoor visit if you would rather have a museum day.

Walk up to the Kondiaronk lookout for views across downtown, then follow the park paths for a longer afternoon outdoors. This is the substantial second half of the day after the art museum, with dinner back at the foot of the hill.

Start in the Plateau around the square and neighbouring Victorian houses. Walk east towards Parc La Fontaine, then return towards Saint-Laurent Boulevard for lunch before continuing north into Mile End.

Spend part of the morning around the park’s ponds and paths after Square Saint-Louis. The park gives this neighbourhood day an outdoor stretch before the food stops and shops farther west and north.

Stop for a Montréal-style bagel while exploring Mile End. Pair it with a walk along the nearby streets around Saint-Viateur and Bernard rather than making a separate trip here for one shop.

Taste bagels, poutine and other neighbourhood favourites on a three-hour guided walk through Mile End. Use the tour for lunch on Day 3 instead of doing both the deli and bagel stops independently; keep the Plateau parks for the rest of the day.

Start the Little Italy day with the produce stalls and breakfast or an early lunch. Browse the surrounding food shops, then visit the nearby church before taking the metro east towards the Olympic district.

See the church and surrounding Little Italy streets after Jean-Talon Market. It is a short neighbourhood stop; continue towards the Biodome for the main afternoon attraction.

Spend the afternoon moving through the Biodome’s different ecosystems inside the former Olympic velodrome. The Planetarium is an alternative in the same district, rather than another long visit to add after it.

Start with breakfast and a browse through the food stalls, then walk east beside the Lachine Canal through Little Burgundy. Visit Arsenal if an exhibition interests you, with Maison Saint-Gabriel as the afternoon history stop.

Choose an exhibition at this converted industrial building beside the canal area. It fits between Atwater Market and the afternoon house visit; if the programme is not for you, spend longer on the canal walk.

Book a guided visit to the historic farmhouse in Pointe-Saint-Charles for a different view of early Montréal. In the regular season, the English tour is at 2pm on weekdays, so keep this day on a weekday and travel from the canal area by bus or taxi.

Choose a booked architectural tour if this housing complex is a particular interest. It is across the river from the central walking routes, so treat it as a separate outing rather than a stop beside Atwater Market.

Swap the Planetarium for the Biodome on Day 4 if astronomy and a projection show appeal more than the animal habitats. They are in the same district, keeping the Little Italy morning and metro journey intact.

Replace the art museum or a longer Mount Royal walk with the oratory if its architecture and religious history interest you. It is on the other side of the hill, so use a bus or taxi instead of adding it to the end of a long downtown walk.

Choose the McCord for social history, photography and stories of Montréal instead of the Fine Arts Museum. Its downtown location still works with the afternoon climb into Mount Royal Park.

Use the Science Centre as the main Old Port visit if you are travelling with children. It can replace Pointe-à-Callière in Day 1, leaving the basilica and old-city walk in the same area.