Montreal is home to vibrant neighbourhoods, French colonial and gothic architecture and an abundance of group-friendly attractions.
Built on an island in the Saint Lawrence River, Montreal is the largest city in Canada’s French speaking province of Quebec and combines old European charm with a modern north American metropolis, offering history, indoor and outdoor activities and a melting pot of cultures.
When to visit the city
Montreal can be reached from from Heathrow via a direct flight in around 7.5 hours, flying into Montreal-Trudeau which is located just 12 miles from Downtown Montreal and can be reached by bus, car or train.
The changing seasons offer something different for visits to the city. Summer has long days and vibrant events including Jazz Fest and the Canadian Grand Prix, fall offers comfortable temperatures and fewer tourists, costs are lower and crowds are smaller despite mild weather in spring and winter transforms the region with snow, Christmas markets as well as the Montreal in Light winter festival.
Discover Old Montreal
Spend a day exploring enchanting Old Montréal and the Old Port. Home to the city’s most historic attractions and new additions, Old Montréal’s beautiful buildings and riverside pathways are popular with visitors and locals.
Explore the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal which dates back to the 1600s and offers sightseeing visits for groups, along with AURA - an immersive light experience which transforms the walls and ceilings with lights and colours, or head to Pointe-à-Callière, a museum and national archaeological and historic site built in the place where the city was founded in 1642.
The museum explores the evolution of Montreal, from from Indigenous occupation to the construction of the city’s first French settlement. It also hosts a multi-sensory experience inside a sewer built in the 1830s to collect water under the city. Visitors can walk along a 110-metre section with light projections on the walls.
Montreal Observation Wheel provides views over the city skyline and St. Lawrence River from 60 metres in the air. Cabins are heated and exclusive rates and access to a private terrace are available for groups.
Located on Edward Pier, Montreal Science Centre is home to interactive exhibitions exploring topics including human evolution, life on Earth and beyond and the Great Canadian North. Groups rates are available for 15 or more people.
Tuck in to Canadian classics
A visit to Canada would not be complete without a serving of poutine and the city has a variety of options, from casual dining to gourmet takes on the classic combination of French fries, cheese curds and gravy. Open 24 hours a day, La Banquise has been serving up the dish for 48 years and has a variety of takes, including La Reggae which features ground beef, guacamole, diced tomatoes and chilli peppers.
Alternatively, Au Pied de Cochon serves “French-inspired cuisine with excess” including duck foie gras poutine. The restaurant takes group bookings and has a group menu tailored to suit different budgets.
Another dish that Montreal has become known for is smoked meat. Made from beef brisket served on rye bread with a dash of mustard, this deli staple is served across the city, with some of the go-to options including Schwartz’s Deli and Jarry Smoked Meat.
Ideal for eating on the move, another local favourite is the Montreal bagel. Handmade and soaked in honey-sweetened water before being wood-fired, the Montreal bagel is best eaten still warm and can also be topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon, tomato, and onion.
Looking to buy fresh local produce?
For another local flavour head to Marché Jean-Talon (Jean-Talon Market). Located in Little Italy, the market is home to local fruit and vegetable producers, butchers, bakers and other food stands, along with restaurants and artisan producers.
Take a guided tour
Explore the city and find out the secrets, stories and culture of the city with a local guide. Explore on foot with 16/42 tours and take in the different neighbourhoods that make up the city, with private tours available.
Guidatour has been running for 37 years and has a range of private themed tours, including Montreal Ghosts, exploring the city’s dark past and the ghosts that haunt Old Montreal with a professional actor leading the group. MTL Détours take groups for private tours of the city to discover the sites through the eyes of a local.
Enjoy festivals & live events
In late February, experience Montréal en Lumière, one of the largest winter festivals in the world featuring special menus and themed dining, live performances and free outdoor activities, or in the summer, catch Jazz Fest with 150 indoor concerts and more than 350 outdoor shows.
Just For Laughs Montréal takes place in July and brings renowned comedians, rising stars and emerging talent to the city. Performances take place at venues across downtown Montreal, including free open-air performances. The 2026 festival will take place from 15th to 26th July.
Ice Hockey is a must-see spectacle when in Canada and the Montreal Canadiens, (Club de hockey Canadien) is the city’s biggest team. The NHL side play at the Bell Centre and groups of 20 or more can enjoy benefits including reduced prices and group seating for matches. The season runs from mid-October to April.
Guided tours of the arena are available for groups and include access to the arena, press gallery, dressing room, Alumni Lounge and Air Canada Signature Club.
Jump into nature
Montréal has several large parks where you can forget that you are in the heart of a big city. Explore Mount-Royal Park where group activities include snow tubing and snowshoeing in the winter and walking routes during the rest of the year, or Parc Jean-Drapeau which is home to the Floralies Gardens featuring thousands of flowers and numerous species of trees and shrubs, and Mont Boullé, featuring a network of trails through wooded landscapes offering views of the city.
Another way to experience nature is to visit one or all of the museums that make up Espace pour la vie (Space for Life), the largest natural sciences museum complex in Canada.
The site is made up of the 75-hectare botanic garden, state-of-the-art Planetarium, Insectarium, Biodôme, housed in the former Velodrome built for the 1976 Montréal Summer Olympic Games and now home to more than 4,500 animals, and the Biosphere - a museum featuring exhibitions exploring the environment. Groups can visit the museum at a discounted rate.
For more inspiration for things to do in Montreal, visit www.mtl.org/en.
