Montreal

747 Express bus to Downtown(45-60 minutes)

$11 CAD, runs 24/7 from YUL

Old Montreal evening walk(2 hours)

Cobblestones, 17th-century architecture, Place Jacques-Cartier cafes and street performers. Horse-drawn carriages ($60-80 for 30 min) add atmosphere

Notre-Dame Basilica(45 minutes)

$18 CAD entry. The interior is stunning — deep blue vaulting with gold stars. AURA light show ($30 CAD) is worth it for the immersive projections

Fairmount Bagel vs. St-Viateur Bagel(1.5 hours)

Both open 24/7 and 5 blocks apart on the Plateau. A dozen hot from the wood-fired oven: $8-10 CAD. Try both with cream cheese. The correct answer: there is no wrong answer

Plateau Mont-Royal street art walk(2 hours)

Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Rue Saint-Denis — massive murals on entire building facades. Schwartz's Deli for a smoked meat sandwich ($12 CAD, line moves fast). Mile End sub-neighborhood is the creative epicenter

Mount Royal hike(2 hours)

Frederick Law Olmsted's park. Walk or bus to the Kondiaronk Belvedere for the best panoramic view of Downtown and the St. Lawrence River. Free. Sunday tam-tam drum circle at the Cartier monument is a must (May-October)

Dinner at Joe Beef(2 hours)

On Notre-Dame Ouest — Montreal's most acclaimed restaurant. Foie gras, lobster spaghetti ($38), and steak frites ($42). Reservations drop 30 days ahead and sell out instantly. Call at 5PM for same-day cancellations

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts(2.5 hours)

$24 CAD (free under 30 for permanent collection). Five pavilions spanning Rembrandt to contemporary Quebec art. The Jean-Noel Desmarais Pavilion (Moshe Safdie) is architecturally striking

Lunch at Olive et Gourmando(1 hour)

In Old Montreal — the best sandwiches in the city. Pulled pork panini ($16), pastries ($4-6). Cash only. Opens 8AM, line starts before

Old Port afternoon walk(1.5 hours)

Walk the waterfront along the St. Lawrence. Clock Tower Beach (free, seasonal) and the Science Centre ($24 IMAX). Rent a BIXI bike ($6.25/ride) to cover more ground

Poutine at La Banquise(1 hour)

30 varieties, open 24/7 on the Plateau. Classic ($10 CAD) or La T-Rex with ground beef, pepperoni, bacon, hot dogs ($16). 20-minute line on weekend nights. Must use fresh curds that squeak

Jean-Talon Market(2 hours)

Open-air market in Little Italy. Quebec cheeses (try Oka and Le Riopelle), fresh-baked croissants ($3-4), charcuterie, and seasonal produce. The empanada stands are excellent ($4-5 each). Open daily, best on Saturdays

Mile End walk(2 hours)

Montreal's creative heart. Leonard Cohen's former house (28 Rue de Valliere — view from outside), Drawn & Quarterly bookshop, and vinyl and coffee shops. Cafe Olimpico ($3-4 espresso) is the neighborhood living room

Lunch at Arthurs Nosh Bar(1 hour)

On Rue Saint-Urbain — modern Jewish deli. Smoked meat poutine ($18), Montreal steak spice eggs ($14). A bridge between old Montreal Jewish food and new creativity

Evening at Quartier des Spectacles(2 hours)

Montreal's entertainment district. Free light installations year-round, outdoor stages in summer. Check the festival calendar — something is always happening

RESO (Underground City) exploration(2 hours)

33 km of tunnels connecting malls, hotels, and Metro stations. Free to walk. Enter at Place Ville-Marie, Central Station, or any Downtown Metro. Essential in winter, fascinating in summer. It's a city beneath a city

Dinner at Au Pied de Cochon(2 hours)

Chef Martin Picard's temple of excess on Duluth Ave. Duck in a can ($28), foie gras poutine ($22), and the PDC Cut ($58). Aggressively Quebecois. Book weeks ahead

BIXI bike along Lachine Canal(2 hours)

$21/day unlimited rides. 14 km flat canal path from Old Port to Lachine — former industrial corridor now lined with parks and converted warehouses. Beautiful morning ride

Atwater Market(1.5 hours)

Art Deco market building on the canal. Premiere Moisson bakery ($3-6 pastries), Quebec maple products, and excellent flower stands. Less touristy than Jean-Talon

Lunch at Toque!(1.5 hours)

On Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle — Quebec haute cuisine by Normand Laprise. Table d'hote lunch ($35-45) is the value play. Local ingredients elevated to art

Craft beer at Dieu du Ciel!(1.5 hours)

On Laurier Ouest — Montreal's best brewpub. Peche Mortel (imperial coffee stout, $8) is legendary. 15+ taps, all brewed in-house. The terrace is packed on summer evenings

Hot bagel run(30 minutes)

One last dozen from Fairmount or St-Viateur ($8-10 CAD). They freeze well — take extras home

Last Old Montreal walk(1 hour)

Morning light on the cobblestones is magical. Pick up maple syrup ($10-15 for a can) at any market

747 Express to YUL(45-60 minutes)

$11 CAD. Allow 2 hours for security

747 Express bus(45-60 minutes)

$11 CAD, 24/7

Notre-Dame Basilica(45 minutes)

$18, AURA light show $30

Fairmount vs. St-Viateur bagels(1.5 hours)

$8-10/dozen, both 24/7

Plateau street art(2 hours)

Schwartz's smoked meat $12

Mount Royal hike(2 hours)

Kondiaronk Belvedere views. Free

Dinner at Joe Beef(2 hours)

Lobster spaghetti $38. Book 30 days ahead

Museum of Fine Arts(2.5 hours)

$24 CAD

Lunch at Olive et Gourmando(1 hour)

Pulled pork panini $16. Cash only

Poutine at La Banquise(1 hour)

30 varieties, 24/7. Classic $10

Jean-Talon Market(2 hours)

Quebec cheeses, empanadas $4-5

Mile End walk(2 hours)

Cohen's house, Drawn & Quarterly, Cafe Olimpico $3-4

Lunch at Arthurs Nosh Bar(1 hour)

Smoked meat poutine $18

RESO exploration(2 hours)

33 km underground. Free

Dinner at Au Pied de Cochon(2 hours)

Foie gras poutine $22. Book ahead

BIXI along Lachine Canal(2 hours)

$21/day, 14 km

Atwater Market(1.5 hours)

Premiere Moisson pastries $3-6

Lunch at Toque!(1.5 hours)

Table d'hote $35-45

Dieu du Ciel! brewery(1.5 hours)

Peche Mortel $8

Pointe-a-Calliere Museum(2 hours)

$25 CAD. Built over Montreal's original settlement. Walk through 350-year-old archaeological sites underground. The multimedia show under the actual ruins is immersive

Chinatown lunch(1 hour)

On Saint-Laurent near Viger. Pho at Pho Bang New York ($12), dim sum at Maison Kam Fung ($15-20). The bubble tea shops are excellent

Biodome & Olympic Park(2.5 hours)

$23.50 CAD. Four ecosystems (tropical forest, Laurentian forest, St. Lawrence, sub-Antarctic) under the converted 1976 Olympic velodrome. The Olympic Tower observation deck ($24, 165m) gives city views

SAQ (liquor store) wine shopping(45 minutes)

Pick up a bottle ($15-30 CAD) at any SAQ. Ask staff for Quebec wine recommendations — the Niagara and Eastern Townships regions produce excellent bottles

Little Italy walk(1.5 hours)

Walk Rue Saint-Zotique and Boulevard Saint-Laurent. Italian bakeries (Milano, $3-5 for cannoli), delis, and cafes

BYO dinner at BYOB restaurant(2 hours)

Bring your wine to Le Quartier General ($30-40 CAD prix fixe) or La Colombe ($25-35 mains) — both excellent BYO spots. No corkage, a uniquely Montreal tradition

Sleep in and brunch at Faberge(2 hours)

On Fairmount Est — eggs Benedict with smoked meat ($17), buckwheat crepes ($14). Quebec ingredients, French technique

Sunday tam-tams (if Sunday)(2.5 hours)

At the George-Etienne Cartier monument on Mount Royal. Hundreds of locals drumming, dancing, slacklining, and picnicking. Medieval sword fighters in the adjacent field. Free. The most Montreal thing imaginable. May-October only

Free exploration(3 hours)

Parc La Fontaine (free, the Plateau's beloved park with a lake and summer concerts), or revisit a favorite neighborhood

VIA Rail or drive to Quebec City(3 hours)

Train $50-80 CAD from Gare Centrale. Or rent a car and drive Highway 20

Old Quebec walk(3 hours)

Walk through Porte Saint-Louis into the walled city. Rue du Petit-Champlain (North America's oldest commercial street), Place Royale, and the Chateau Frontenac (free to walk through the lobby). The Dufferin Terrace boardwalk overlooks the St. Lawrence

Lunch at Chez Boulay(1.5 hours)

Nordic-inspired bistro on Rue Saint-Jean. Game meat, foraged ingredients, Quebec wines. Table d'hote $30-40

Plains of Abraham(1 hour)

Free. The battlefield where France lost Canada to Britain in 1759. Now a vast park with views over the river. The Citadelle ($18) offers fortress tours

Drive to Eastern Townships(1.5 hours)

Highway 10 East toward Sherbrooke. The countryside is gorgeous — red barns, covered bridges, and the Appalachian foothills

Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser(45 minutes)

In Noyan — award-winning Quebec cheeses. Tasting ($8-10). Buy a block of Le Douanier ($8-12, washed rind, incredible)

Ciderie Michel Jodoin(1 hour)

Apple ice cider ($15-25/bottle) — Quebec's answer to ice wine. Tours and tastings $10-15. The orchards are beautiful in autumn

Lunch at Les Faux Bergers(1 hour)

In Sutton — farm-to-table Quebecois ($16-28). The village is charming with art galleries and a covered bridge

Drive to the Laurentians(1.5 hours)

Highway 15 North. The mountains rise quickly from the flat St. Lawrence lowlands

Sugar shack (cabane a sucre)(2.5 hours)

March-April only: traditional maple sugar shack feast — pea soup, tourtiere, oreilles de crisse (fried pork rinds), beans, and tire sur neige (hot maple syrup on snow). $30-45 per person. Year-round options at Sucrerie de la Montagne ($65 with horse-drawn sleigh/wagon ride). Book ahead

Mont-Tremblant village walk(2 hours)

Colorful pedestrian village at the base of Tremblant ski resort. Gondola ride to the summit ($25 CAD, summer/fall). In winter, skiing from $100/day. In fall, the foliage is extraordinary

Late brunch at L'Express(1.5 hours)

On Rue Saint-Denis — Montreal's quintessential French bistro since 1980. Steak tartare ($18), duck confit ($24). No reservations, classic zinc bar. The embodiment of Montreal's French soul

Free afternoon(3 hours)

Revisit the Plateau, Old Montreal, or a market. Or visit the Musee d'Art Contemporain ($14, contemporary Quebec art in the Quartier des Spectacles)

Farewell dinner at Damas(2 hours)

Syrian fine dining on Outremont. Kibbeh ($14), lamb shoulder ($38). One of Canada's best Middle Eastern restaurants. Book at damas.ca

Last bagel run(30 minutes)

Take a dozen home from Fairmount or St-Viateur. They freeze perfectly

Last Old Montreal walk(1 hour)

Morning cobblestone light. Maple syrup at any market

747 Express to YUL(45-60 minutes)

$11 CAD

747 Express(45-60 min)

$11 CAD

Notre-Dame Basilica(45 min)

$18, AURA $30

Museum of Fine Arts(2.5 hours)

$24

Pointe-a-Calliere(2 hours)

$25

Biodome & Olympic Tower(2.5 hours)

$23.50 + $24 tower

BYO dinner(2 hours)

Le Quartier General $30-40 prix fixe

Tam-tams (if Sunday)(2.5 hours)

Mount Royal. Free. May-Oct

VIA Rail to Quebec City(3 hours)

$50-80

Old Quebec walk(3 hours)

Petit-Champlain, Chateau Frontenac, Dufferin Terrace

Sugar shack(2.5 hours)

$30-65 with feast

Mont-Tremblant village(2 hours)

Gondola $25

Brunch at L'Express(1.5 hours)

Steak tartare $18. Classic bistro since 1980

Drive to Ile d'Orleans via Quebec City(3.5 hours)

Or combine with an overnight in Quebec City. The island is 20 minutes past the city

Island farm tour(3 hours)

Drive the 67 km loop road past strawberry/raspberry farms (pick your own, $5-10/basket), Cassis Monna & Filles (black currant liqueur, tastings free), and Chocolaterie de l'Ile ($3-5 truffles). Six villages, each with a church steeple

Lunch at Le Moulin de St-Laurent(1 hour)

In a converted 1720 flour mill. Cretons (pork spread), tourtiere, maple pie. $16-24. Pure habitant cuisine

Bota Bota Spa(2.5 hours)

A floating spa on a converted ferry in the Old Port. Hot-cold-rest circuit $65 CAD. Saunas, steam rooms, and outdoor hot tubs with city views. Open year-round

Evening walk in Griffintown(1.5 hours)

Montreal's newest neighborhood — former industrial zone now full of condo towers, craft cocktail bars (Atwater Cocktail Club, $14-18), and restaurants (Foxy, wood-fired $16-32)

Abbaye d'Oka(1 hour)

Trappist monastery that originated Oka cheese. The monastery shop sells cheese, chocolate, and cider. The grounds and chapel are peaceful

Oka National Park beach(2 hours)

$9 CAD entry. Sandy beach on Lac des Deux Montagnes. Hiking trails through forest and marshland. The Grande Baie beach is the best

Lunch at Rotisserie Saint-Hubert(1 hour)

Quebec's beloved rotisserie chicken chain ($14-18 for a quarter chicken dinner). Not gourmet, but a genuine Quebec cultural experience

Guided street art tour(2 hours)

Montreal Mural Tours ($35 CAD). Behind-the-scenes stories of the MURAL Festival artists. Or self-guide along Boulevard Saint-Laurent from Sherbrooke to Jean-Talon

Lunch at Patati Patata(45 min)

Tiny counter on Boulevard Saint-Laurent — best burgers ($9 CAD) and fries in the Plateau. 8 seats. Cash only

Record shopping at Aux 33 Tours(1 hour)

On Mont-Royal — Montreal's best vinyl shop for Quebec music, jazz, and electronic. The city produced Arcade Fire, Leonard Cohen, and a massive electronic scene

Live music at Casa del Popolo or Sala Rossa(2.5 hours)

On Boulevard Saint-Laurent — sister indie music venues. $10-20 cover. The heartbeat of Montreal's indie scene. Check listings at casadelpopolo.com

French conversation class(1.5 hours)

Drop-in at Atelier de conversation (free, Bibliotheque et Archives nationales du Quebec). Practice your French with locals and other learners

Jean-Talon Market shopping & home cooking(3 hours)

Buy ingredients at Jean-Talon — Quebec duck, seasonal vegetables, fresh bread — and cook in your Airbnb or hotel kitchen. Or take a Les Ateliers et Saveurs cooking class ($85-110, lesambiancescuisine.com)

Metro to Parc Jean-Drapeau(10 minutes)

Yellow Line to Jean-Drapeau station. Two islands connected by paths

Biosphere Environment Museum(1.5 hours)

$16 CAD. Inside Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome from Expo 67. Interactive environmental exhibits

Plage Jean-Dore beach(2 hours)

$9 CAD entry. Filtered lake beach with views of the Montreal skyline. Lifeguards in summer

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve walk(1 hour)

Walk or bike the Formula 1 track (free when not in use). The Grand Prix of Canada is held here each June

Farewell dinner at Damas(2 hours)

Syrian fine dining. Kibbeh $14, lamb $38

Last bagel run(30 min)

Freeze a dozen for home