A Beautiful Three Days in Montreal
Montreal is one of my favorite cities - offering the charms of a beautiful Canadian downtown with the cultural sights that its Quebecois history lends it. It’s a place you can visit year-round, although the winter season I feel is best to get the true Canadian feel. Here’s a three day itinerary that takes the best sights, eats, and adventures that Montreal has to offer!
Day One: See Mont Royal and the shopping area
Start your first day in Montreal with a famous Canadian bagel at Viateur Bagel, which is Montreal’s longest running bagel shop. The bagel is very doughy and is shaped more like a pretzel than a bagel in the states, but it is delicious nonetheless. With a bagel in hand, make your way up Mont Royal either by foot or in your car. This is the mountain that is the namesake for the city, and from it you can get magnificent views of the Montreal downtown and mountains that go far beyond. You can easily spend a couple of hours with the leisurely hike up and views that commence once there.
In the afternoon, head over to McGill University to check out the gorgeous campus of Canada’s most famous college. Nearby there is a Barbie Expo which contains over 1000 historic Barbie dolls that I found very fun to check out! Walking around campus and the expo is a great way to spend the afternoon before heading to Plaza St Hubert, which is the glitzy merchant market area of the city. Near to it is L’Avenue de Mont Royal, a funky shopping area of Montreal. Between these two options, you should be able to shop for clothes, jewelry, and even grab dinner in the city before turning it in for night one!
Day Two: Check out Old Montreal and some Good Eats
Beginning with a nice brunch at Maison Christian Faure Patisserie is a great choice for your second day in Montreal, as they serve up some of the best French pastries I have had. It is also quite close to the Old Montreal area, home to the Notre Dame Basilica. Admission is granted year-round and it is a beautiful structure that encapsulates the architecture of the city.
From there, spend the afternoon exploring the vintage shopping scene that Montreal is famous for. Shops like Eva B and Annex Vintage are great options to find vintage pieces, while if you are more into checking out larger malls, you can find them at Place Ville Marie or Eaton Center. It’s so easy and fun to shop around Montreal so I definitely encourage you to give it a shot.
Reward yourself with a nice dinner at Restaurant Epik, a top-tier French Restaurant in the Old Montreal area. If you’re hungry afterwards, getting some takeout from the famous Schwartz’s Deli or poutine from La Banquise are great options too. Cap off this night at Vinvinvin, a beautiful and popular wine bar in the vicinity.
Day Three: Montreal History and Beautiful Gardens
You may start off slow this morning after a long night, so relax at Happy Cat Cafe, a world-famous cat cafe right here in Montreal. It’s so fun to play with the cats and see them scurry around (safely) the cafe. From there, the Museum of Fine Arts is a walk away and is a beautiful testament to Montreal’s eclectic art history.
In the afternoon, a trip to the Botanical Gardens is a must, as if the weather is good, these are some of the best gardens I have ever seen. They have sculpted specific shrub and trees to look like human faces in a way that was absolutely mind-blowing. This is definitely worth the price of admission, and you can spend a couple of hours here easily taking in the beauty.
By now it should be the early evening, so head on to the Montreal airport or grab your car if you’re driving back home. Hope you have an excellent stay in Montreal!
