Montreal Sightseeing Highlights

October 29, 2026

Sightseeing in Montreal

Montreal’s main sights cluster in four areas: Old Montreal by the river, Mount Royal in the middle of the island, the museum district downtown, and the Olympic Park in the east. Prices below are in Canadian dollars and many have sales tax added at the till, so check the official page before you go.

Old Montreal

Start at Place d’Armes and walk down to the river. Notre-Dame Basilica, finished in 1829 to a design by James O’Donnell, has a Gothic Revival interior with a deep blue vault covered in gold stars. A daytime visit takes about an hour, and an adult ticket is listed at about $16. It is a working church, so keep voices low and respect any services.

Nearby are Place Jacques-Cartier, rue Saint-Paul, the silver-domed Marche Bonsecours (1847), the small Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours chapel (1655) and City Hall, where General de Gaulle made his “Vive le Quebec libre” speech in 1967.

Pointe-a-Calliere

Pointe-a-Calliere at 350 place Royale is an archaeology museum on the site where Montreal was founded in 1642. Adult entry is $30 with tax included, seniors pay $27, young adults aged 18 to 30 pay $20, and a family ticket is $60. It is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 and weekends from 11:00 to 17:00, and it is closed every Monday.

Mount Royal

Mount Royal rises to 233 m and the park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The Kondiaronk Belvedere, in front of the Chalet du Mont-Royal, is free and gives the classic view across downtown. Beaver Lake, on the mountain, has rowboats in warm months and a free refrigerated skating rink in winter, expected from about 12 December 2026 to 8 March 2027.

Museums downtown

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts at 1380 rue Sherbrooke Ouest is free for visitors aged 25 and under. Adult prices are reported inconsistently, so check the museum’s own page for the current fare.

Saint Joseph’s Oratory

The Oratory at 3800 chemin Queen-Mary is a national shrine and minor basilica with one of the largest domes in the world. Entry is free, and hours are about 06:30 to 21:00 daily. This is a place of pilgrimage, so dress modestly and keep quiet. The wooden central steps are used by pilgrims who climb on their knees; leave them clear. The museum charges a separate small fee.

Olympic Park

The Montreal Tower observation deck at Olympic Park is closed and is set to reopen in spring 2027, depending on the building schedule. The tower is a separate project from the Olympic Stadium. Space for Life’s Biodome and Planetarium stand beside the stadium and are open; a single adult ticket is about $25.50 in 2026.

Getting around

An STM 24-hour pass costs $11.25, a 3-day pass $21.75 and the weekend pass $17. The metro has four lines and is not fully step-free. From the airport, take the 747 bus, because the REM line does not yet reach it.

Seasonal tips

Summers are humid, so carry water and look for shade, as the Old Port cobbles get hot. In January and February, frostbite can strike in minutes on the coldest days, so cover skin and use the RESO underground city between stops.

Official pages: Pointe-a-Calliere rates , Olympic Park tower . Search tours: GetYourGuide Montreal sightseeing .