Walking Routes in Montreal

October 29, 2026

Walking routes in Montreal

Montreal is flat in the centre and best seen on foot, with the metro to hop between districts. The routes below are self-guided and free apart from any museum stops. Prices are in Canadian dollars, with sales tax added to most of them. A 24-hour STM pass at $11.25 covers the metro and buses between walks.

Old Montreal circuit

Allow two to three hours. Start at Place d’Armes, with Notre-Dame Basilica on one side, then head along rue Saint-Jacques. Turn to Place Royale and Pointe-a-Calliere, then follow rue Saint-Paul to Place Jacques-Cartier. Finish at the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours chapel, which dates from 1655. The cobbles are wide enough for strollers but bumpy, so wear flat shoes. Pointe-a-Calliere is closed every Monday.

Plateau Mont-Royal

The Plateau is known for outdoor spiral staircases, greystone triplexes and green lanes called ruelles vertes. Walk its residential streets and drop into Parc La Fontaine for a rest. Allow about two hours.

Boulevard Saint-Laurent and the murals

Boulevard Saint-Laurent, nicknamed “The Main”, has murals all year round. The MURAL festival added more along the street on 4 to 14 June in 2026, and the permanent works stay. Schwartz’s, at 3895 boulevard Saint-Laurent, is a smoked meat stop on the way.

Mile End bagel walk

Fairmount Bagel at 74 avenue Fairmount Ouest and St-Viateur Bagel at 263 rue Saint-Viateur Ouest are both listed as open 24 hours. Walk between them, about ten minutes apart, and sample a bagel that is boiled in honey water and baked in a wood-fired oven. Bring cash or a debit card, as prices were not confirmed.

Mount Royal loop

Mount Royal rises to 233 m and the park was laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted. A climb from the foot of the mountain to the Kondiaronk Belvedere ends at a free view. Behind it sits the Chalet du Mont-Royal. Beaver Lake is on the mountain and has a refrigerated rink in winter, expected from about 12 December 2026 to 8 March 2027.

Habitat 67 guided walk

Habitat 67 is a private residential complex, so you cannot wander in. Guided tours of about 90 minutes run on weekends through November in 2026, and tickets are released a month ahead. A price near $58 is reported, so confirm it when booking.

Walking in winter

On the coldest January and February days frostbite can set in on bare skin within minutes. Wear boots with grip, layers and a scarf, watch for black ice on stairs and pavements, and use the RESO underground city, about 33 km of indoor corridors linking the metro, malls and hotels, to cross downtown.

Evenings

Cite Memoire is a projection circuit across four sites in Old Montreal, with about nine or ten scenes, Wednesday to Sunday after dark. Use the free Montreal en Histoires app for the audio. Horse-drawn carriages are banned, so the way to see the old streets by night is on foot.

Official pages: Montreal en Histoires , Habitat 67 tours . Search tours: GetYourGuide Montreal walking tours .