One Day in Montréal: How to Spend an Amazing Day Exploring Highlights

Spending one day in Montréal can certainly allow you to explore the city’s highlights. Over the years, Montréal has become my favourite destination to road trip to from Toronto for either a (long) day trip or a weekend adventure. I tend to spend most of my time in the city eating, drinking, and exploring Old Montréal. The city is extremely picturesque with the old buildings, cobblestone streets, and views of the water. It is an exciting city to visit year round, although it certainly gets cold in the winter!

Continue reading to find out how to spend a perfect day in Montréal by exploring the city highlights and the best things to do!

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Best Time to Visit

Personally, I love to visit Montréal in all seasons. The city has exciting things to do and events all throughout the year.

Spring and Summer: These are great times to visit for events, outdoor patios, hikes, and walking around the city.

Fall: This is a great time to visit if you are planning on hiking in the area and for more comfortably walking throughout the city.

Winter: A visit in winter can be exciting as you can go skating, skiing or snowboarding at Mt. Tremblant, and enjoy the beautiful snowy streets. Beware though, it definitely gets cold!

How to Get There

Montréal is very accessible by driving, train, or flying. I’ve taken all three means of transportation multiple times from the Toronto area. Depending on how much time I want to spent in transit, I lean towards driving or flying.

By Train or Bus: Book your tickets from your closest train station and choose Montréal Central Station as your destination.

By Plane: Book a flight to Montréal – Trudeau International Airport.

Where to Stay

When visiting Montréal for one day, it is definitely best to stay close to Old Montréal where the majority of the attractions are. However, the closer you are to this area the more expensive accommodations will be. If you’re looking to save some money, you can stay a little further away and either enjoy a calming walk or take an Uber to the area.

How to Explore the Highlights of Montréal in One Day

When travelling to Montréal, I definitely recommend arriving at a decent time the night before your full day adventure. This ensures you get a good night’s sleep and can start exploring the best things to do early in the morning!

Morning

Rise and shine! I hope you’re ready to wake up early and take on the city of Montréal. Prepare yourself for a busy, food-filled adventure through the highlights of Montréal!

Order a Montréal Bagel for Breakfast

An amazing way to start your day in Montréal is by ordering a Montréal bagel. These bagels are much thinner and have larger holes than bagels you find at the supermarket or New York bagels. They are also typically boiled in water with some honey, then cooked in a wood-fire oven. This process tends to make the bagels crunchier and great for sandwiches!

You can order one with butter, cream cheese, or opt to try one of the sandwich style options that some shops have. These can range from BLT, grilled chicken, tofu, egg salad, and so much more. Whatever you may choose, it is certainly a great way to start the day!

Visit a Local Coffee Shop

After that filling breakfast, it is definitely advisable to drink some coffee or tea so you stay awake! I love visiting local coffee shops in every city I visit and Montréal definitely has many great spots! Try your best to avoid chain coffee shops that you have in your home city and try local shops

Some great coffee shops around Montréal include:

• Tommy – a trendy coffee shop right in Old Montréal with a beautiful interior
• Café Myriade – a shop with multiple locations serving amazing drinks
• Café de Mercanti – an Italian shop serving up amazing espresso and cannolis

Visit Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral

This extravagant church is nestled between office skyscrapers in the bustling downtown core. It is a National Landmark and a smaller-scale replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy. The architecture is quite incredible and makes for a great tour through the building!

Adventure to Old Montréal

Old Montréal is one of my favourite places in Québec due to the beautiful architecture and cobblestone streets. There are picturesque buildings everywhere you turn! This area definitely has some of the best cafés, restaurants, and things to do in the city.

Visit Place d’Armes Square

This lively square is typically my first stop when I adventure to Old Montréal. Here, local musicians play beautiful music and people relax by the extravagant fountain. At the edge of the square lies Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal. This church boasts incredible architecture and beautiful interiors!

Afternoon

The start of afternoon is definitely my favourite time of the day. By then, the coffee has filled me with energy, and best of all, IT IS LUNCH TIME! And luckily, we are exploring Montréal where there are many incredible restaurants to try.

Order a Crêpe for Lunch

If you haven’t heard of a crêpe, it is essentially a very thin pancake that originated in France. They can be served as either a savoury or sweet dish, often most enjoyed filled with berries. I personally prefer the more savoury crêpes, which make for a delicious lunch!

There are plenty of great places in Montréal for crêpes, but my favourite spots around Old Montréal include:

• Crêperie Chez Suzette
• Muru Crêpe
• Crêperie St. Paul

Visit the Old Port

The Old Port is one of my favourite places in Montréal as the area is always so lively and there’s amazing views of the river. Along the boardwalk, there are plenty of little shops, a rope course, and zip lining! Across the bridge, there is a giant ferris wheel, great spots for drinks, and a cute area where you can rent paddle boats and paddle around the water. During the winter, you can also rent skates here! As there are so many activities in a close proximity, it’s definitely a great place to visit in Montréal if you are only there for a day or a weekend.

Go Shopping at Le Centre Eaton de Montréal

After exploring much of what Old Montréal has to offer, you can check out the biggest shopping mall in Montréal! Here, there are over 175 stores with many well known brands and restaurants. Spend the later afternoon shopping around before heading back to your hotel to get ready for the evening!

Evening

Head Back to Your Accommodations to Freshen Up

By now, you’re probably a bit sleepy due to the busy day you’ve been having! I like to take this time in the evening to head back to my hotel and freshen up. I tend to dress up a little more and prepare to head out on the town for some drinks!

Grab Dinner at One of Montréal’s Amazing Restaurants

The food options in Montréal certainly feel endless. As it is a large city, you’ll find a large variety of cuisine – American, French, Mexican – you name it! I personally try to eat a bit healthier for dinner on my one day visit to Montréal as I am usually eating a lot of bagels, poutine, and crêpes while I’m there. Sometimes, I’m even too full to eat dinner!

You can check out some of the amazing restaurants in Montréal here.

Adventure to Rue Crescent for Drinks

Montréal is definitely a hotspot for party goers over 18 years of age. As the drinking age in Québec is a year younger than Ontario, many people reaching 18 years of age flock to Montréal to experience a true bar scene for the first time. Rue Crescent is known as Montréal’s “Party Central”. The street is lined with different bars and clubs, offering different vibes, prices, and dress codes. This place definitely gets rowdy at night!

Grab a Poutine for a Late Night Snack

While I would typically recommend poutine to eat at all times of the day, it has the tendency to make you really sleepy! If you are only in the city for a day, I wouldn’t suggest eating one earlier in the day to avoid the need for a nap. Plus, poutine makes for some of the best food when you’re drinking in Canada!

Finally, Head Back to Your Accommodations to Relax

Well, what a day that was! By now, I bet you’re exhausted from a very full day of exploring the highlights of Montréal! Hopefully you will get a great sleep and prepare for either travelling home or to your next destination!

What would you recommend doing in Montréal in a one day visit? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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