Montreal

Travel Guide

Old Montreal featuring a city, street scenes and an administrative buidling
Montreal showing a high rise building, a city and a bay or harbor
Downtown Montreal showing heritage architecture, a city and street scenes
Ville-Marie
Ville-Marie

Montreal Travel Guide Video

The City of a Hundred Steeples charms with its French identity, year-round festivals, and one of the most lovingly preserved historic city centers in North America.

Montreal is a proudly French city. It began as a French fur trading post. Its official language is French, and many Montrealers insist on speaking it. Even the way the city looks and feels is often described as Parisian. Montreal’s colorful townhouses, bohemian lifestyle and love of dining and the arts all mirror the French capital. Check out the cafés and bookstores of Plateau-Mont-Royal in the city’s northeast for the purest taste of Montreal’s Parisian spirit.

Thanks largely to its Old Port, Montreal has historically been a wealthy trade city and much of the city’s elegant architecture was built on a grand scale. Step inside massive churches like Notre-Dame Basilica, where Celine Dion was married, and St. Joseph’s Oratory, the largest church in Canada. Head for the glistening silver dome of the Bonsecours Market, which was built to show off the city’s grandeur to visitors. Explore and shop in the extensive Underground City, which is the largest subsurface complex in the world.

Montreal is a city of festivals and features a year-round calendar that peaks in the summer months. Festivals dedicated to jazz, fireworks and stand-up comedy annually attract millions of visitors from across the world. Many are held in the Quartier des Spectacles among the skyscrapers of Downtown. Thanks to Montreal’s world-class concert halls and outdoor stages, many of these festivals are considered the best of their kind.

Montreal is located in the very south of the Canadian province of Quebec, only 45 miles (72 kilometers) from the U.S. border. The city rests on an island between the St. Lawrence River and the Rivière des Prairies with a hill at its center, called Mount Royal.

Though Montreal is spread wide across the island, an excellent public transportation system makes it easy to navigate without a car. The metro is the most convenient option, with 68 stations throughout the city and cheap visitor deals like three-day or weekend passes available. Montreal’s creativity is clear even on the metro: each station was designed by a different architect in a distinct style, so the metro is as vibrant as the city itself.

Where to stay in Montreal

Downtown Montreal featuring a city, a square or plaza and art

Downtown Montreal

4.5/5(3,189 area reviews)

Central business district with numerous skyscrapers, Downtown Montreal offers an underground mall, high-end retail stores, and various museums. Enjoy convenient transport options, including Central Station and Montreal Metro.

Downtown Montreal
Notre Dame Basilica which includes interior views, religious elements and a church or cathedral

Old Montreal

4.5/5(1,366 area reviews)

Explore preserved colonial mansions and cobbled streets, while visiting notable sites like Notre-Dame Basilica and Bonsecours Market. Easily accessible, enjoy waterfront dining at Les Terrasses de la Marina and convenient supermarket options.

Old Montreal
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel showing a monument, a bay or harbor and a city

Ville-Marie

4.5/5(31 area reviews)

Explore cultural gems like Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Pointe-à-Callière Museum, or stroll through historic Old Montreal and Quartier des Spectacles. Easily accessible via Montreal Metro, enjoy parks like Mount Royal and Parc Jean-Drapeau.

Ville-Marie
Plateau Mont Royal showing street scenes, shopping and a city

Plateau Mont-Royal

4.5/5(161 area reviews)

Boasting a vibrant arts scene, the Plateau is home to numerous parks, including Jeanne-Mance Park and La Fontaine Park. Upscale restaurants, trendy clothing stores, and the famous Schwartz's Deli line Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Saint-Denis Street.

Plateau Mont-Royal
Saint Joseph\'s Oratory showing a statue or sculpture and a park

Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

3.5/5(149 area reviews)

Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce is well-liked for its churches and live music. If you're hoping to get in some sightseeing, Saint Joseph's Oratory and Saint Jacques Street are top spots, and you can jump on the metro at Cote Sainte Catherine Station or Snowdon Station to get around.

Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Latin Quarter showing signage, street scenes and a city

Quartier des Spectacles

4/5(210 area reviews)

Great live music, charming cafes, and jazz venues are just a few top things to explore in Quartier des Spectacles. A visit to Complexe Desjardins or Place des Arts might round out your trip, and you can jump aboard the metro at Place des Arts Station or Saint Laurent Station to get around town.

Quartier des Spectacles
Hotel Bonaventure Montreal
Hotel Bonaventure Montreal
4 out of 5
900 rue De La Gauchetiere West, Montreal, QC
The price is ¥25,536 per night from Jul 27 to Jul 28
¥25,536
¥32,822 total
Jul 27 - Jul 28
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star family-friendly hotel in Montreal. Enjoy free WiFi, hot springs on site, and a rooftop terrace. Our guests praise the breakfast and the pool ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (4,442 reviews)
"Clean and quiet but pricey. Lack of night life and restaurants in area."

Reviewed on Jul 10, 2025

Hotel Bonaventure Montreal
Best Western Plus Montreal Downtown-Hotel Europa
Best Western Plus Montreal Downtown-Hotel Europa
3.5 out of 5
1240 Drummond Street, Montreal, QC
The price is ¥16,281 per night from Jul 28 to Jul 29
¥16,281
¥19,373 total
Jul 28 - Jul 29
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 3.5-star hotel in Montreal. Enjoy free WiFi, 2 restaurants, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (3,025 reviews)
"Convenient and good value"

Reviewed on Jul 12, 2025

Best Western Plus Montreal Downtown-Hotel Europa
Hotel Le Cantlie Suites
Hotel Le Cantlie Suites
3.5 out of 5
1110, Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC
The price is ¥21,481 per night from Jul 28 to Jul 29
¥21,481
¥25,563 total
Jul 28 - Jul 29
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this eco-certified aparthotel in Montreal. Enjoy free WiFi, an outdoor pool, and 2 restaurants. Our guests praise the pool and the helpful staff ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (3,363 reviews)
"À la reception ils nous ont donné des indications pour un parking mais celui ci etait dur d’acces"

Reviewed on Jul 10, 2025

Hotel Le Cantlie Suites
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Hotel Monville
Hotel Monville
4 out of 5
Montreal
Stay at this 4-star luxury aparthotel in Montreal. Enjoy free WiFi, a rooftop terrace, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff and the ...
9/10 Wonderful! (2,554 reviews)
"I enjoyed our one-night stay here. The room was nice and clean, but small. Perfect for what we needed it for. The bathroom was very small, with an unusual layout. Sliding doors where you could hear everything from the bed."

Reviewed on Jul 9, 2025

Hotel Monville
Hotel Le Cantlie Suites
Hotel Le Cantlie Suites
3.5 out of 5
1110, Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC
Book a stay at this eco-certified aparthotel in Montreal. Enjoy free WiFi, an outdoor pool, and 2 restaurants. Our guests praise the pool and the helpful staff ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (3,363 reviews)
"À la reception ils nous ont donné des indications pour un parking mais celui ci etait dur d’acces"

Reviewed on Jul 10, 2025

Hotel Le Cantlie Suites
Hotel Faubourg Montreal
Hotel Faubourg Montreal
3 out of 5
155 Rene Levesque Boulevard East, Montreal, QC
Stay at this 3-star business-friendly aparthotel in Montreal. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and a 24-hour fitness center. Our guests praise the breakfast ...
8/10 Very Good! (4,892 reviews)
"Good place to stay in Montreal DT, walking distance to old port. Although building is a bit old, room is clean."

Reviewed on Jul 11, 2025

Hotel Faubourg Montreal
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Things to do

Reviews of Montreal

4.5
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
2437
5 - Excellent 62%
4 - Good
1236
4 - Good 31%
3 - Okay
221
3 - Okay 6%
2 - Disappointing
28
2 - Disappointing 1%
1 - Terrible
6
1 - Terrible 0%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Best place to be

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

My favorite town !

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Beautiful and secure place

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

The city is huge and it’s busy. Not a whole lot of places to go close by.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

We love Montreal. It is a livable city and fun to visit. PAID SICK LEAVE for Marriott hotel workers will make it more likely that we will return to this hotel once the PANDEMIC is resolved.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Friendly, easy to get around. Beautiful architecture. Inexpensive. Diverse. Great food. Extremely gay-friendly.

Cities near Montreal