Overview
Montreal is No. 77 in Euromonitor International's Top 100 City Destinations Index 2025. Quebec's largest city stands on an island in the St Lawrence River and is the largest mainly French-speaking city in the Americas.
It is known for its food, from bagels and smoked meat to fine dining, for summer festivals such as the International Jazz Festival and Just for Laughs, and for neighbourhoods full of outdoor staircases, cafés and murals.
Best time to go
June to September is warm and full of festivals; September and early October bring autumn colour on Mount Royal.
Winters are long and cold, with snow from December to March, but the city stays lively, with winter festivals and the underground network of passages.
Top sights
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1
Old Montreal
Cobbled streets, 18th- and 19th-century buildings and the Old Port on the river.
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2
Notre-Dame Basilica
A Gothic Revival church with a deep-blue, gold-starred interior on Place d'Armes.
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3
Mount Royal
The park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, with the Kondiaronk lookout over downtown.
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4
The Plateau and Mile End
Colourful neighbourhoods of cafés, shops, murals and the famous bagel bakeries.
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5
Jean-Talon Market
A large open-air market in Little Italy, selling Quebec produce, cheese and maple products.
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6
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The city's main art museum, on Sherbrooke Street, with Canadian, international and decorative art.
Getting there
Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) is about 20 km west of downtown; the 747 express bus runs to the centre around the clock.
VIA Rail trains link Central Station with Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto, and Amtrak runs a daily train from New York.
Getting around
The STM metro, with four lines, and buses cover the city. The centre is walkable, and the BIXI bike-share runs from spring to autumn.
Practical tips
- Currency
- Canadian dollar (CAD). Cards are accepted almost everywhere. Prices usually exclude sales taxes; tipping of 15–20% is customary in restaurants.
- Language
- French is the official language of Quebec; English is widely spoken in Montreal.
- Safety
- Montreal is generally safe. The emergency number is 911.
- Visa & entry
- US citizens need only a valid passport. Most other visa-exempt visitors flying to or through Canada, including citizens of the UK, EU countries and Australia, need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA); apply only on the official site canada.ca. Other nationalities need a visitor visa.
- Power
- 120 V, 60 Hz; plug types A and B.
Official information: Tourisme Montréal (official tourism website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.
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