10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Montreal That You Shouldn't Miss

June 30, 2021 Kandra Bartel

Montreal, c’est si bon! This French-speaking city is considered the cultural capital of Canada, and is a cosmopolitan celebration of Québécois style. A horse-drawn carriage ride around the cobblestone streets and grand buildings of Vieux-Montréal will give you a taste of European flavor. The Basilique Notre-Dame is a confection of stained glass, and the Plateau Mont-Royal district will delight you with its quaint boutiques and cafés. Dig in to a massive plate of poutine to fuel up for a tour of the epic Olympic Park.
Restaurants in Montreal

1. Japanese Garden

4101 Rue Sherbrooke Est, Montreal, Quebec H1X 2B2 Canada +1 514-868-3000 http://www.espacepourlavie.ca/jardin-japonais
Excellent
69%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 359 reviews

Japanese Garden

Part of Montreal's huge Botantical Garden, this specialized 15-acre section includes a tearoom, an art gallery and a Zen Garden.

Reviewed By DeirdreO288

This is a lovely part of the Botanical Gardens but the most interesting part about the Japenese Gardens are the bonsai trees, they range in age from 25 years to 300 years old and are a sight to behold, it gives you the background behind growing / training them also.

2. Pointe-a-Calliere, Montreal Archaeology and History Complex

350 Place Royale, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 3Y5 Canada +1 514-872-9150 [email protected] http://pacmusee.qc.ca/en/
Excellent
57%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
3%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,943 reviews

Pointe-a-Calliere, Montreal Archaeology and History Complex

Pointe-a-Calliere, the birthplace of Montreal and a National Historic Site, offers visitors the opportunity to explore history through an original underground circuit leading through archaeological excavations. At the start of their visit, an immersive multimedia show presents a high-speed view of the city's history, the remains come to life and the count down begins! The museum also offers year-round temporary local and international exhibitions. For Montreal's 375th anniversary in May 2017, Pointe-a-Calliere inaugurated a new pavilion highlighting Fort Ville-Marie.

Reviewed By brusso2017 - Union, United States

Wonderful way to spend several hours admiring the history and architecture of Montréal. Great exhibitions both permanent and temporary. Plenty of hands on fun stuff for kids and big kids ???? We loved the memory collector and the multi media show. Exploring the history while basically being emerged in the actual structures was very cool. Plenty of excellent sounds and sights and “ real life “ experiences! Very reasonable on the US dollar at the moment and even the Canada rates seemed fair

3. La Fontaine Park

1619 Route 138 (Parc Lafontaine east to Papineau), Montreal, Quebec H2L 3A7 Canada +1 514-872-2644 [email protected] http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page
Excellent
53%
Good
39%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 448 reviews

La Fontaine Park

This downtown park has a mixture of French and English design as well as a lake used for ice-skating during the winter.

Reviewed By jenniferbmtl - Montreal, Canada

Designed by the same guy who did New Yorks Central Park, this park is full of well-planed zones, the perfect ratio of grass to mature trees for shade, water features and sports fields. As soon as the first bud emerges on the trees, the park begins to swell with jugglers, musicians, picnickers, joggers, cyclists, families, friends, hammock-nappers, slack-liners, circus performers, yoga groups, birthday parties, bbq's meetups and more. It's a fantastic place to pause and enjoy the day, people watch, feed the ducks, maybe smoke a joint or share a bottle of wine with friends, whatever you do to enjoy summer this is the place to do it. No matter how many people are there, there always seems to be a free place to sit and soak in some sun or rest in the shade - it's so great to see a public space taken advantage of so well. Plus there seems to be a great symbiosis of people who collect bottles and cans for the deposit $ so the park is pretty immaculate too. There is a good level of respect for the park, and everyone seems to enjoy doing activities in their appropriate zone ( theres a more athletic section for baseball, tennis, basketball etc and a more loungey / picnic/ hippie area , and lots of big open spaces for kids to run around safely, there's also a designated dog park area if you want to let your pup off the leash without getting into other peoples lunches - though plenty of people have pets at their picnics, just depends on your dog and what you are there for).

4. Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal

1380 Sherbrooke W, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1J5 Canada +1 514-285-2000 [email protected] http://www.mbam.qc.ca/
Excellent
65%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 4,492 reviews

Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal

The MMFA is one of Canada’s most visited museums and the eighth-most visited museum in North America, boasting more than 1.3 million visitors. The MMFA's original temporary exhibitions combine various artistic disciplines – fine arts, music, film, fashion and design – and are exported around the world. Its rich encyclopedic collection, distributed among five pavilions, includes international art, world cultures, decorative arts and design, and Quebec and Canadian art. The Museum has seen exceptional growth in recent years with the addition of two new pavilions: the Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion, in 2011, and the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace, in 2016. The MMFA complex includes Bourgie Hall, a 460-seat concert hall. The Museum also houses the Michel de la Chenelière International Atelier for Education and Art Therapy, the largest educational complex in a North American art museum, enabling the MMFA to offer innovative educational, wellness and art therapy programmes

Reviewed By David-KevinB - Washington DC, United States

Located in a historic section of Rue Sherbrooke known as the Golden Square Mile, the Musée des Beaux-Arts Montreal, or Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, is the city's largest and one of the most widely regarded in Canada, if not all of North America. Adjacent to the building is the Avenue du Musée, a public street that is sometimes the site of large-scale art installations. The campus is composed of a number of pavilions, each one dedicated to specific disciplines, i.e., ancient art; archaeology; decorative arts and design; modern and contemporary art; and Quebec and Canadian art.

5. Old Montreal

Montreal, Quebec H2Y 3Y8 Canada +1 877-820-2453 http://www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca
Excellent
62%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 13,577 reviews

Old Montreal

Stroll, bicycle or take a horse-drawn carriage through the narrow cobblestone streets of Montreal's famous Parisian-style historic district, filled with cultural landmarks, museums, boutiques, sidewalk cafes and restaurants.

Reviewed By indranis2014 - Princeton, United States

Absolutely loved this part of Montréal! So well maintained and lovely to listen to proud tourist guides narrating the history of the beautiful buildings the river the port the churches the restaurants the streets- there were sculptures murals and art galleries all over Rue St Paul- a must visit for everyone!

6. Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal

3800 Queen Mary Road, Montreal, Quebec H3V 1H6 Canada +1 514-733-8211 [email protected] http://www.saint-joseph.org
Excellent
63%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 5,275 reviews

Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal

Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount-Royal, founded by Saint Brother André in 1904, is a catholic sanctuary and the largest shrine dedicated to Saint Joseph in the world. It receives over 2 million visitors yearly. We welcome everyone to partake in panoramic views, music concerts and special religious celebrations; come discover natural, cultural and spiritual treasures in the heart of the city. You will marvel at the votive chapel containing 10,000 candles, the Oratory Museum featuring nativity scenes from around the world, the Original Chapel, the spectacular Garden of the Way of Cross, the Crypt Church and the largest domed Basilica in North America.

Reviewed By SanjayB101 - Vadodara, India

A beautiful,enchanting,calm,peaceful place for prayer is Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal.A must visit place of Montreal.and by seeing its beauty from outside ,u r spellbound.A well heighted green dome which gives you a feeling that its moving -when u see the Dome from down and clouds are moving-a beautiful feeling,moreover from there u can see most of the Montreal and if its evening may be a nice sunset also.Its a place of prayer but now designated as National Historic Site of Canada. so many visitors are coming every day to see its marvel inside and outside both.The Basilica is dedicated to Saint Joseph and herein Brother Andre -who had miraculous healing power which helped so many pilgrims-heart of Brother Andre is well-kept in Church museum .inside also a decorated big altar and peaceful surrounding.just like Notre Dame Basilica this Basilica has also got big harmonica which is played every time. a worth and must visit Basilica in Montreal.

7. Cathedral of Marie-Reine-du-Monde

1085 de la Cathedrale (René-Lévesque W. and Mansfield), Montreal, Quebec H3B 2V3 Canada +1 514-866-1661 [email protected] http://www.cathedralecatholiquedemontreal.org/
Excellent
58%
Good
35%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,262 reviews

Cathedral of Marie-Reine-du-Monde

This Catholic church dedicated to Mary, Queen of the World, was modeled after Rome's St. Peter's Church.

Reviewed By thedowntowngirl2

They have services 3 times a day so check that out before you go visit. I live downtown, so I attend mass here weekly.

8. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal, Quebec H3C 6A1 Canada +1 514-872-6120 [email protected] http://www.parcjeandrapeau.com/fr/circuit-gilles-villeneuve-montreal/
Excellent
56%
Good
32%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 802 reviews

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

Located on Ile Notre-Dame, the 4.361 km-long Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve hosts the Grand Prix du Canada, as well as biking, in-line skating, jogging and walking enthusiasts! PARTIAL CLOSURE The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will be partially closed to cyclists, pedestrians and inline skates enthusiasts from May 15 to September 4, 2017 due to the mounting, the hosting and demounting of major events, to maintenance work done on the circuit in preparation for the Grand Prix du Canada, and to the STM bus circuit to Jean-Dore beach. This partial closure means two things: • The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will be accessible to cyclists, pedestrians and inline skates enthusiasts for only 43 non consecutive days this summer, from May 15 to September 4, 2017. Visite the Parc Jean-Drapeau website for the detailed schedule. • A portion of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the "Hairpin" area, will be inaccessible at all time time from May 15 to September 4, 2017.

Reviewed By 464MichaelL464 - Ottawa, Canada

Firstly, great idea by them to have a 30kph speed limit with the threat of fines, because there's no way without that in place I wasn't heading into that last chicane and seeing just how close I could get my Corolla to the Wall of Champions. Maybe I'm just that much of a nerd, but a free trip around an F1 track. Thanks!

9. Mount Royal Park

1260 Remembrance Road, Montreal, Quebec H3H 1A2 Canada +1 514-843-8240 http://www.lemontroyal.qc.ca/en
Excellent
65%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 10,495 reviews

Mount Royal Park

Inaugurated in 1876, the Mount Royal Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the highly skilled designer behind New York's Central Park. It is an ideal site for admiring a wide variety of plants and birds or for enjoying outdoor activities. Les amis de la montagne offer a variety of services and activities that provide wonderful opportunities to discover the beauty and wealth of resources that the park has to offer, including the new permanent exhibition at the Maison Smith and interactive terminals and map.

Reviewed By M1386KBmikes - Montreal, Canada

As a Montreal Native, it is my 'Go to' place to Hike, Bike, Snowshoe and just be active and be a part of this great city Approach it my car or walk up via staircase or Bridal path to the top for great city views And if you would like a personal guide... please contact me to see if I'm available [email protected]

10. McGill University

805 Sherbrooke St. W. (At McGill College), Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B9 Canada +1 514-398-6555 http://www.mcgill.ca/
Excellent
48%
Good
41%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 933 reviews

McGill University

Canada's oldest university, home to nearly 30,000 students, is filled with a variety of interesting architectural styles.

Reviewed By 452cynthiam

We enjoyed exploring the campus of McGill University. We went to their museum of interesting displays and also had a delicious lunch in the school cafeteria.

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