With three days you can see the landmarks and still have time for other things. Spend day three on whatever you’re most into.
Day 1: Historic Montreal
Explore Old Montreal and the Old Port. Include one major interior attraction and leave time for the streets themselves.
Getting there: Place-d’Armes and Champ-de-Mars Metro stations (orange line) both put you at the edge of Old Montreal. Morning: Place d’Armes and Notre-Dame Basilica; the official self-guided visit takes around an hour. Afternoon: walk east along Rue Saint-Paul to Place Jacques-Cartier and down to the Old Port. Evening: eat in Old Montreal or take the Metro to the Plateau.
Day 2: Mountain + neighbourhoods
Visit Mount Royal, then spend the rest of the day in the Plateau and Mile End.
Getting there: on foot, the stairs from the corner of Rue Peel and Avenue des Pins lead up to the Kondiaronk lookout. Or take bus 11 west from Mont-Royal Metro to the Remembrance/Chemin du Chalet stop. Afternoon: walk down the east side of the mountain into the Plateau, then north to Mile End for bagels, cafés or a late poutine. Mont-Royal and Laurier stations (orange line) are handy for getting back.
Day 3 option A: food + markets
Start at Jean-Talon Market and Little Italy, or choose Atwater Market, the canal and Saint-Henri.
Jean-Talon Market is a few minutes' walk from Jean-Talon and De Castelnau Metro stations. Atwater Market is next to Lionel-Groulx station, and the Lachine Canal path runs right behind it. Both markets are open year-round; see our market comparison for hours.
Day 3 option B: museums
For art, history or poor weather, build around Downtown museums and connected indoor spaces.
Day 3 option C: family
Families can devote the day to Space for Life, the Science Centre or another major child-friendly attraction.
The winter version
From December to March, keep the same order but shorten the outdoor stretches. Do Old Montreal in daylight, use the Metro between areas, and swap a long Mount Royal walk for the lookout and Beaver Lake, plus skating if conditions allow. Downtown’s underground walkways help on very cold days; see Montreal in winter and the rainy-day guide.