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Planning a winter trip to Montreal? Good choice!
Montreal feels magical this time of year. The historic streets look even prettier with a dusting of snow, and the city has this cozy energy that makes winter feel fun rather than freezing. And I love the fact that the locals don’t hide away inside. They bundle up, get a coffee, and keep on moving – and you should do the same!
Yes, you’ll want warm layers, but the good news is Montreal is built for winter. Between the metro, buses, and the underground city, getting around is easy, and you can warm up whenever you need to. So with that in mind, we’ve put together a three-day itinerary that highlights the best of Montreal in winter.
Don’t Miss Out On Our Top Choice!
The tour we loved the most and suggest booking ASAP is this one!
Our personal FAVORITE thing we did was this Montreal city tour! This made it easy to see the top city sights and learn along the way, and we cruised around in a van, so sightseeing was nice and warm in the winter!
Itinerary Overview
We love visiting Montreal in winter for its warm and cozy energy. At this time of year, the city really transforms, hosting lots of seasonal events to brighten the dark nights. Yes, it does get very cold, but Montrealers handle winter like pros, and the city is designed so you can do the same.
You won’t need a rental car for this itinerary. The metro and buses run frequently, Uber is reliable, and the underground city gives you a comfortable way to walk between key downtown spots. Everything connects surprisingly well, even in the cold – in fact, especially in the cold!
Day 1: Start with a full-day sightseeing tour that covers Montreal’s top neighborhoods and landmarks, then spend the evening exploring Lumino before warming up with a hearty bowl of ramen.
Day 2: Taste your way through Mile End on a winter-friendly food tour, wander the Old Port, soar over the city on a helicopter ride, and finish with dinner and live jazz.
Day 3: Choose between a fat-tire ebike ride up Mount Royal or a guided tour of the underground city, visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and end the day with dinner and a nightcap.
Day 1
Full-day – See Montreal’s top sights with a guide
Joining this full-day small-group tour is the best way to get a feel for the city on your first day here, because it hits all of the key landmarks. You would never be able to fit this many neighborhoods and viewpoints in on your own! It also includes some yummy food, so keep breakfast light this morning.
You’ll start with two of Montreal’s most iconic viewpoints: Saint Joseph’s Oratory and Mount Royal Park. Both places offer sweeping views of the snowy city and give you a sense of just how big Montreal really is.
From there, the tour crosses the Jacques Cartier Bridge to Saint Helen’s Island, where you’ll explore Jean-Drapeau Park and learn a bit about its Expo history. This contrasts nicely with older parts of the city you’ll see later on, like Mile End, Little Italy, and Le Plateau.
But what sets this tour apart from other sightseeing options is that food is a big part of the experience! There’s a stop at Jean-Talon Market, which is one of the largest farmers’ markets in North America. You’ll also get to enjoy a classic Montreal-style bagel for lunch, which is denser and sweeter than the New York variety – and yummier, in my opinion!
The pace is relaxed and never rushed, and hotel pickup and drop-off make everything simple. It’s an ideal winter activity because you get to experience Montreal’s beauty without spending long stretches outdoors. It’s a great introduction to the city and a fantastic way to see the top sights in a single day.
Read HUNDREDS of 5-star reviews and book this top-rated sightseeing tour here!
Evening – Lumino
After your city tour, head out to explore Lumino. This is a city-wide light and art festival that really brightens up the long winter nights. The lights come on at dusk and stay on until 11 pm. During that time, you’ll get to see all of the illuminated artworks and interactive installations dotted around the downtown area. It basically becomes one big open-air gallery – it’s so cool!
Some pieces are outside, while others are tucked indoors, so you will get a chance to warm up along the way! Lumino usually runs from November to March, so it’s a perfect winter activity for a winter’s night. We love to just wander at our own pace and stop whenever a piece catches our eye! It’s a lovely way to experience Montreal’s creative side.
Dinner – Sansotei Ramen Sainte-Catherine
As we wandered between all of the Lumino art installations, we stumbled across this ramen spot and decided to stop here for dinner. Nothing is better than a hot bowl of ramen on a cold Montreal night, and the food here is so delicious. It looks pretty unassuming from the outside, but in our experience, that’s often the case with the best ramen restaurants!
Day 2
Mid-day – Taste your way around Mile End
One of our favorite things about visiting Montreal is enjoying the city’s legendary food scene, and there’s no better way to do that than with this walking food tour! Take it easy this morning and enjoy some chill time, then book this tour for 11 am. It lasts for 3 hours, so this will be your lunch today.
If you’ve only got a few days in Montreal, you really don’t want to risk eating at subpar spots. It’s so worth having a local guide to lead the way and show you all of the best spots that only Montrealers know about! Plus, doing this tour in the winter is great because you won’t be outside for long stretches. The route is designed with frequent indoor stops, and the hearty food will surely warm you up.
Mile End is undoubtedly the coolest part of Montreal, and we loved eating our way around this area. It has a super interesting, Bohemian history and remains a hipster hotspot to this day. Plus, our guide, Dominique, made it feel like we were exploring the city with a friend in the know!
We got to try everything from flaky Alsatian tarts to poutine (of course!) and decadent hand-piped cannoli. We also loved the “secret dish” at the end, but we won’t spoil the surprise for you. Still, we left absolutely stuffed and full of local food knowledge we wouldn’t have picked up on our own.
Read 2,500+ 5-star reviews and book this excellent food tour here!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
Afternoon – Explore the Old Port
The food tour wraps up at 2 pm, so if you have some extra time between activities, the Old Port is the perfect place to wander. The cobblestone streets feel especially charming in winter, and the area has lots of shops and cafés to check out, as well as scenic viewpoints where you can snap some photos. It’s an easy place to explore at your own pace, and the mix of historic buildings and snowy streets gives it that classic Montreal feel.
Since the timing of today’s activities is flexible, you can swap things around as needed. Whether you’re waiting for your next tour or just want a break, the Old Port is a relaxed and scenic spot to fill the afternoon.
Late Afternoon – See the city from above on a helicopter tour
Seeing Montreal from a helicopter flight is one of the most memorable ways to experience the city, especially in the winter when the landscape is covered in snow! The flight gives you a perspective that you simply can’t get on the ground, and it’s a fun way to understand how the city fits together.
Book it for 4:30 or 5:30 pm, depending on how much time you’d like to wander the Old Port. It’s a 20-minute drive from Old Montreal, and Uber is definitely the easiest way to get here.
The flight lasts for around 25 minutes, and you can choose between two routes! The Montreal tour takes you over Old Montreal, the Olympic Stadium, and Mount Royal, while the Saint-Laurent Circuit gives you sweeping views of Jean-Drapeau Park and the St. Lawrence River. Both options offer incredible scenery, so you can’t go wrong – it just depends on what you’re most interested in seeing.
The whole experience feels smooth and personal from the moment you arrive. Your pilot walks you through what to expect and points out landmarks along the way. Plus, the flight is private, so you’ll get plenty of space and uninterrupted views the entire time!
Winter makes the city look even more beautiful from above. You get striking contrasts between the white snow and the dark river. If the weather is shifting, the operators often do their best to adjust the timing so you can still get into the air safely. That’s why we’ve built lots of free time into today!
This tour is likely to sell out during winter, so we recommend booking ASAP!
Dinner – Le Majestique Montréal
Le Majestique is a lively, easygoing spot that works well after a full day out. The energy is fun without feeling too busy, and they’re known for a great happy hour if you arrive a little earlier. Seafood is the highlight here, but the menu has plenty of variety if you want something different. It’s a good place to settle in with a drink and share a couple of plates as you enjoy the upbeat vibe – cheers!
Evening – Diese Onze
After a busy afternoon, Diese Onze is the perfect spot to wind down with some live music. Tucked into a cozy basement on Rue Saint-Denis, this intimate jazz bar offers live performances every night and stays open late (until 1 am), making it an ideal post-dinner hangout.
It’s about a 4-minute cab ride from tonight’s dinner spot, or you can even walk over if you’re bundled up well against the cold. Once you get here, you’ll get to enjoy some of the city’s best musicians taking the stage.
Day 3
Breakfast – Ben & Florentine
We started our final day in Montreal with a hearty sit-down breakfast at Ben & Florentine, and we suggest that you do the same. This hearty spot is well known locally for serving big portions, and though it’s not flashy, it opens early and always hits the spot! We love the crispy breakfast potatoes and the stacks of pancakes, and you can wash it all down with a strong coffee, which you might need if you stayed late at Diese Onze last night.
Even better, it’s just a 5-minute walk from the meeting point for the underground city tour! And if you’re doing the fat e-bike tour, it takes 20 minutes on the bus or 12 minutes in an Uber. Either way, it’s best to get here just before 9 am so you have time to enjoy your breakfast without rushing before you need to head off to the next activity.
Morning Option 1 – Fat tire ebike up Mount Royal
Exploring Mount Royal on this fat e-bike tour is such a fun way to experience Montreal in the winter. Most people don’t realize you can even do a bike tour once the snow arrives, but these electric fat-tire bikes are built precisely for it!
The tour starts at 10:30 am, and it meets in the city, close to Mount Royal Park. We think it’s a great option for those who like to be a little more active, but the cycling itself is easy. It wraps up around 12:30 pm, just in time for lunch.
The wide tires grip snowy paths, and the powered assist takes the effort out of the hills. This way, you get to enjoy the park without feeling cold or worn out. It’s a great option for beginners because the pace of the tour is relaxed and the bikes do most of the work for you.
The tour covers Mount Royal Park, which is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Montréalers call it their “mountain,” even though it’s technically more of a forested hill, and it’s a beautiful place to visit at any time of year. The ride takes you up to the summit lookout, where you get one of the best skyline views in Montreal. Seeing the city from above, with everything covered in white, is pretty special.
Along the way, your guide shares stories about Montreal’s architecture, history, and neighborhoods. You’ll move between bike lanes and easy paths, so it’s a safe and straightforward ride even if you’re new to winter riding.
All in all, you want a fun winter adventure that mixes fresh air with incredible city views. This fat e-bike tour is a fantastic choice. It’s a really fun outdoor adventure, and we love that the bikes make cycling so easy, even when there’s snow on the ground!
Read the glowing reviews and book this fat eBike tour here!
Morning Option 2 – Explore Montreal’s Underground City
If you’d rather stay warm indoors, we recommend opting for this Underground City tour instead! It begins at 10 am and lasts for 2 hours, and it shows you around the unique network of tunnels, shops, and passageways that connect much of downtown Montreal. It’s one of the best winter-friendly activities in the city because you can cover so much ground without ever stepping outside.
Your guide will lead you through some of the most interesting sections, pointing out art installations and sharing stories about how this unique system came to be. It’s a fantastic introduction, as knowing your way around the Underground City will certainly come in handy throughout the rest of your visit!
There are a few stops above ground, too, such as Saint-Catherine Street and Dorchester Square, which is home to many of Montreal’s most recognizable buildings. Still, for the most part, you’ll be protected from the elements and moving around Montreal like a local.
And since this is a private tour, you’ll get so much more out of your guide! You’ll be able to ask as many questions as you want and gain a unique insider insight into the Underground City. Plus, you can focus more on the elements of the tour that interest you the most. What’s not to love?
Book this private walking tour here, before it sells out!
Lunch – Café Parvis
After surfacing from your underground adventure or wrapping up your e-bike adventure, head to Café Parvis for lunch. The menu here is seasonal, so in winter you can expect warming, hearty dishes. We loved the pizzas and the rustic decor, which feels really cozy at this time of year. Take your time here and relax after an active morning!
Afternoon – Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is about a 4-minute drive or a 20-minute walk from lunch, and it’s one of our favorite places to warm up for a few hours! This is the city’s most popular museum, and it has an impressive collection that spans centuries, from European classics to Canadian works and rotating contemporary exhibits.
It’s open until 5 pm, so you’ll have plenty of time to explore. There’s no need to rush! And winter is a great time to visit because the galleries feel calm and uncrowded, so you can take your time admiring the art and enjoy a break from the cold.
Dinner – Garde Manger
For your final night in Montreal, head back into the Old City for a special dinner at Garde Manger. It’s an 8-minute drive from the art museum, or roughly twice that via public transport if you’re not in a rush.
We saved Garde Manger for last because it’s definitely the type of restaurant where you go to treat yourself. It’s a seafood-forward spot from celebrity chef Chick Hughes, and the amazing food combined with the effortless cool vibe has made this one of Montreal’s hottest dining spots. It’s very popular, though, so be sure to make a booking!
The must-order dish is definitely the lobster poutine. It’s rich and over the top, and it’s so worth the splurge. We also split a few smaller plates like oysters, scallops, and drinks that didn’t disappoint. Between the food, the energy, and the location, this place is sure to make your last night in Montreal feel special!
Evening – Go for a nightcap
If you’ve got some energy left, end the evening with a nightcap. After Garde Manger, we stopped by Philemon Bar, which was just 2 minutes away on foot. There, we found a great vibe and some deceptively strong cocktails, so it’s a fun place to end your evening. Alternatively, if you feel like a little more mystery, you can venture just a little further over to The Coldroom, a hidden speakeasy that offers craft drinks and an intimate, low-lit setting.
Related Read: Looking for more seasonal ideas? Our guide to the best things to do in Montreal in winter covers experiences worth adding to your three-day itinerary.
Where to Stay in Montreal
Montreal is packed with fantastic places to stay, whether you’re after upscale luxury, a comfortable mid-range suite, or a fun, budget-friendly hostel. From stylish boutique hotels with rooftop pools to cozy spots with kitchenettes and communal vibes, there’s something for every travel style and budget.
To make planning easier, we’ve put together our top picks for where to stay in Montreal so you can focus on enjoying the city!
Luxury – $$$
Set in the heart of downtown Montreal, the Honeyrose Hotel blends vintage-inspired glamour with modern comfort and top-tier service. With an Art Deco aesthetic, stylish restaurants, and rooms featuring walk-in showers, plush robes, and sweeping city views, this boutique stay feels indulgent and welcoming. Guests rave about the rooftop pool, spa, and standout location just steps from Place des Arts and Saint Catherine Street’s shopping scene.
Room rates typically range from $400–$700 CAD, depending on room type and season. Explore your options and book your stay on Booking.com.
Mid-range – $$
L’Appartement Hôtel is a reliable and well-loved mid-range pick right in the heart of Montreal. Located just two blocks from McGill University and a short walk from the Place des Arts, it’s a practical base for exploring downtown. The spacious suites come with kitchenettes, dining areas, and private balconies—ideal for longer stays. Guests also enjoy a rooftop indoor pool, fitness center, self-serve laundry, and daily breakfast.
Rates typically start around $220 CAD per night. Check your travel dates and reserve your suite on Booking.com.
Budget – $
For budget-conscious travelers visiting Montreal, Auberge Saintlo Montréal Hostel is a top pick. Set just steps from Lucien-L’Allier Metro Station, this lively, modern hostel offers a mix of clean dorm beds and private rooms—all with en-suite bathrooms. Guests enjoy free breakfast, coworking spaces, a shared kitchen, and a welcoming on-site bar with fun daily activities. The friendly vibe and unbeatable downtown location make it a favorite among solo adventurers and backpackers alike.
Dorm beds typically start around $51 CAD, and private rooms are also available starting around $150 CAD. Check availability and book your stay on Booking.com.
For more options, see all of Montreal’s hotels listed here!
Related Read: For a full breakdown of Montreal’s best areas and hotels, have a look at our where to stay guide here!
Renting a Car or Camper in Canada
One of the best ways to experience Canada is by hitting the road. Some of the best things to do and attractions are located in remote areas between destinations. For that reason, we highly recommend getting your own wheels!
- Rent a car – To simply rent a vehicle, search on Discover Cars where they compare tons of different rental companies near you. This way you can easily compare prices, features, policies, and more!
- Rent a campervan or motorhome – Motorhome Republic is great for finding a motorhome or campervan to rent in Canada. With your own home on wheels, you can camp in beautiful places and save money on accommodation!
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Visiting Montreal in the winter is a completely different experience. It’s one of those cities that I actually prefer in the winter, with its charming streets and plenty of snow-friendly activities! Follow our recommendations, and I know that you’ll enjoy Montreal as much as we did.
Before you go, see all of our Canada blogs! We have even more itineraries, where to stay guides, and lists of things to do to help you plan a memorable trip. Here are a few related blogs to help get you started and inspire your next destination. Cheers!
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