Should I spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Montreal?
Should you spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Montreal?
Many travelers spend at least 3 or as many as 5 days in Montreal during their visit. After all, the cultural city has plenty to explore such as the famous sights and museums, the big city activities, and the nightlife scene.
Montreal is a cultural and vibrant city that is filled with history, music, and fine dining. Visitors will be enthralled by the city's parks, old town, and friendly personality. The tourist areas are in a compact set of neighborhoods that are easy to explore on foot and the setting is diverse and guaranteed to be fun-filled.
Do you have one or two days to visit Montreal? Here's our comprehensive breakdown of how much time you might need for your trip along with some suggestions for things to do.
Is one day enough time in Montreal?
The city of Montreal boasts plenty of sights and attractions, making it a popular destination for tourists. So with one day, you'll probably feel rushed to see the main attractions. You really need more time to appreciate everything that the cultural city has to offer. Many visitors prefer to have at least 3 or as many as 5 days to fully enjoy the city. If you have one day or less, we still have some great ideas for what to do while you're in town.
How to spend a day in Montreal
Montreal is home to renowned museums and iconic landmarks, so dive into the city's famous attractions. The city's historical sites rank among the most awe-inspiring globally. The city is filled with world-class museums and historic sites such as Notre-Dame Basilica, St. Joseph's Oratory, the Biosphere, and the Fine Arts Museum.
A few tour suggestions include:
- Port of Montreal Tower ($13)
- Museum of Illusions Montreal - 70+ Illusions to Explore ($22)
- McCord Stewart Museum - Admission ($15)
The nightlife scene is very popular here. After dark, head out to one of the many venues around town. The city's nightlife scene is centered around its live music scene, which is excellent. There are also many bars and clubs, as well as a young population that keep evenings lively.
A few tour suggestions include:
- Haunted Montreal Pub Crawl ($24)
Montreal is a walkable city and easy to explore on foot. With only a day in the city, you'll have no trouble seeing the local sights. The city is very walkable, particularly in the areas that are popular with tourists.
Is a weekend (two to three days) enough time in Montreal?
Since it's a large city, you'll probably need more than a weekend to take advantage of everything to do in Montreal. Two or three days still gives you a good amount of time to explore, though, as you'll have a chance to experience at least some of the major attractions. In addition to the great museums and landmarks and fun big city activities, visitors can enjoy the live music, shopping, and charming old town by staying for a weekend.
Notre-Dame Basilica
How to spend 2 days in Montreal
With a weekend (two to three days) in Montreal, you'll have a bit more time to enjoy everything that the city has to offer.
Since Montreal is such a large city, you can spend at least a day exploring the many neighborhoods, attractions, and activities found around town. Break up visiting popular landmarks with the more authentic neighborhoods for shopping and dining. It's the second largest city in Canada, and it's also a fun and livable city that is filled with culture and personality.
A few tour suggestions include:
- Jet Boating Montreal's Lachine Rapids ($64)
- City tour; afternoon in Montreal ($100)
- Montreal: Guided Electric Boat Cruise with Onboard Drinks ($27)
Live music is very popular in Montreal, so make sure you spend the evening exploring some of the more popular venues. The music scene is thriving and world class. One of the most unique aspects of the city's music scene is its impromptu nature. You'll find many talented street performers and you'll likely stumble into many high quality performers. There's also a great indie scene as well as hip hop, classical, jazz, and heavy metal at the many live music venues.
The public transit in Montreal is fast and efficient. Over the course of a few days, you should be able to explore the city quite easily and affordably. There's an efficient and reliable metro and bus system.
More Info
If you're looking for more information about Montreal, we have even more advice to help you plan your journey.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
Some of the links on this website are sponsored or affiliate links which help to financially support this site. By clicking the link and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price of your purchase.