10 Fun Things To Do On A Spring Break Trip To Montréal

Spring break in Montreal – 10 things to do in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with kids or without – plus tips to help with planning a trip to Montreal.

Beaches and theme parks might be the first places that come to mind when planning a family spring break trip but they are by no means the only option. City breaks, including a spring break in Montréal with my teenage daughter, have been some of our most memorable spring break travel destinations.

Updated March 2023

You might also enjoy: 11 Destinations for Spring Break in Europe

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Montréal, located on an island in the St. Lawrence River, is the largest city in the province of Québec and one of the largest French speaking cities in the world with a rich history dating back to the 17th century. Jacques Cartier first reached the area in 1635 but it wasn’t until 1642 when the colony of Ville-Marie was founded by Paul de Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve – more than 380 years ago!

There is far more to do in Montréal than can easily be fit into a few days so you might find yourself planning a return trip before the first one is over! We had three full days in the city and only managed to scratch the surface of what the city has to offer.

As it was particularly cold during our visit, we focused on indoor activities so we missed some of the highlights of the city such as visiting Mont Royal which will be top of our must-do list the next time we are in Montréal. 

Here are 10 things to do in Montréal (and most of these are suitable for a visit any time of the year and will appeal to visitors of all ages).

1. Learn Through Play at the Montréal Science Centre

An indoor activity that’s both fun and educational, particularly if you are visiting Montréal with kids, is the Montréal Science Centre. The centre has both permanent and temporary hands-on interactive science and technology exhibits as well as an IMAX theatre screening 3D films. If you enjoy learning about STEM then it’s a fun attraction to visit even without kids!

Located in the Old Port of Montreal at 2 rue de la Commune Ouest (at the foot of St. Laurent Blvd). Open Monday to Friday 9 am – 4 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am – 5 pm. Masks are recommended.

A ticket may be purchased for Exhibitions or IMAX individually or a combo ticket for both. 2023 admission fees: Adult $27 for Exhibitions, $12.75 for IMAX, $38.25 for both. Discounted admission for children, teens, and seniors. Under 2 are free.

Travel Tip: Montreal can still be very cold in mid-March so if you are planning to spend time outdoors then you must dress properly in multiple layers. We were in a hurry to head out the night we arrived and didn’t take the time to add a base layer (synthetic or wool is best) under our clothes – a decision we regretted as soon as we stepped outside! If temperatures are expected to be frigid then it wouldn’t hurt to have pocket hand warmers with you as well.

2. Explore the Underground City (RÉSO)

If it happens to be cold or wet during a visit to Montréal then the RÉSO (also known as the Underground City or La Ville Souterraine) is a blessing. Built during the 1960s, the Underground City is a 33km network of tunnels and corridors (parts of the network are actually above ground which I hadn’t been expecting) connecting office towers, hotels, shopping centres, subways and train stations.

RÉSO is the largest underground city in the world used by approximately 500,000 people a day who are able to stay warm and dry by avoiding going outside in a large section of the central business district.

We used the Underground City extensively during our visit because it was so cold outside. It can be very confusing trying to navigate the network at first and we got turned around repeatedly until our last morning when we managed to make our way from our hotel to the Central Train Station without taking a single wrong turn.

The network itself is actually quite interesting to explore as the design of the various sections is unique. We visited during the annual Art Souterrain contemporary art festival which features works by more than 60 artists on display in various buildings in the Underground City (March 18 – April 9, 2023). 

Travel Tip: Ask the concierge at your hotel for a map of the Underground City which shows how the buildings are connected or you will never figure out where you are going (unless your sense of direction is far better than mine!). 

3. Visit the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts

If the weather outside is frightful then head indoors to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts) and spend some time exploring one of the finest art museums in North America including an outstanding collection of historical and contemporary Québec and Canadian art.

The world class museum, founded in 1860, is the most-visited art museum in Canada and one of the largest in North America. The Museum complex encompasses five interconnecting pavilions and includes over 80 exhibition galleries, the Bourgie concert hall, an auditorium and movie theatre, the Boutique and Bookstore, an in-house publishing department, a public sculpture garden and the Michel de la Chenelière International Atelier for Education and Art Therapy.

My daughter and I love visiting art museums so this was one of the highlights of our first visit to Montréal!

Check rates and reviews on TripAdvisor

The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts is located at 1380 Sherbrooke Street West. Open 10 am – 5 pm. Closed on Mondays.

2023 Admission Fees: Ages 20 and under are free. Age 21-30 – $16, Age 31+ – $24.

4. Experience Nature at Space for Life

Space for Life Montréal is a unique museum complex in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood that brings together the city’s four family-friendly natural science museums (Biodôme, the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, the Botanical Garden and the Insectarium). The overall mission of the four institutions is to increase awareness of our planet’s biodiversity and encourage people to better protect it. The Biosphère is also part of Space for Life but is not located within walking distance of the other institutions.

At the Biodôme which was originally the velodrome in the 1976 Summer Olympic Games held in Montréal, visitors can take a self-guided tour through reproductions of five ecosystems of the Americas (Tropical Rainforest; Laurentian Maple Forest; Gulf of St. Lawrence; Labrador Coast; and Sub-Antarctic Islands) to experience the climate, landscape, wildlife and vegetation of each ecosystem.

Next door to the Biodôme, space enthusiasts can visit the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium to learn more about the universe through interactive exhibitions and shows screened in 360° domes.

The city was in the midst of a blizzard the day that we visited so we skipped the Botanical Gardens and Insectarium and headed back to Old Montréal so that we would be within walking distance of our hotel as the storm worsened.

We were both disappointed to miss the Botanical Gardens so promised ourselves that we would return sometime in the spring or summer when we could thoroughly enjoy a walk around the gardens which have 22,000 plant species and cultivars, 10 exhibition greenhouses, and more than 20 thematic gardens spread out over 75 hectares.

I’m not much of a fan of bugs but apparently children love the Insectarium which is home to some 250,000 specimens of living and naturalized insects, an anthill and many other exciting vivariums.

Travel Tip: If you plan to visit all five museums then it is more cost effective to purchase the Space for Life passport. Family rates are also available. Regular 2023 Adult Admission Fee is $22.75 for each museum. Free for children under 4. The Space for Life Passport for one adult is $83 and is valid for 12 months at all 5 museums.

The Insectarium and the Botanical Garden are on the same site (Sherbrooke East) and the Biodôme and the Planetarium are about a 10 minute walk away (avenue Pierre-De Coubertin). The Biosphère is about a 35 minute metro ride away. It is recommended to allow 5-6 hours to visit the four Space for Life museums. We took an uber back and forth from Space for Life because we were short on time but it is also easily accessible by subway (located at the Viau station).

5. Wander the Streets of Old Montréal

If there is one absolute must when visiting, it has to be spending some time walking around Vieux-Montréal (Old Montréal). This is the oldest neighbourhood of the city and it has the European feel to it and old world architecture that you have likely heard so much about. Even though it was brutally cold during our visit we still spent part of an afternoon wandering the streets with frequent breaks in shops to warm up again.

Highlights include Rue St. Paul which is the oldest street in the city, Place Jacques Cartier, Montréal’s City Hall, Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, the Marguerite-Bourgeoys Museum, the Sir Georges-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site, Notre-Dame Basilica, the Pointe-à-Callière Museum and the Château Ramezay Historic Site and Museum.

There are many tourist shops along the streets but if you are in the mood for shopping then be sure to visit Marché Bonsecours, a heritage building that first opened as a public market in 1847 and now houses restaurants and boutiques.   

6. Admire the Beauty of Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal

Another must for me was visiting Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal so I was very disappointed when the concierge at our hotel told me that it was not open for tours at the moment. We decided to walk over and take photos outside anyway and discovered that it had reopened for tours just a few days earlier.

An original church was built at this location late in the 17th century but when a larger church was needed the Gothic Revival style church we know today was built between 1824 and 1829. If you have visited Sainte-Chapelle in Paris then the interior will look familiar as that church served as a source of inspiration for the architect who designed Notre-Dame.

The incredible beauty of the interior of the basilica will take your breath away when you enter. Take a seat in one of the pews and appreciate the beauty that surrounds you and then spend some time walking around the church to admire the craftsmanship, paintings, sculptures and the exquisite stained glass windows which depict the religious and social life of the 17th century Ville-Marie settlement.

Aura, presented in the evenings at Notre-Dame, offers a four-act multimedia display of dynamic light, orchestral music, and expressive architecture. This is a separate ticketed event but a combo ticket can be purchased for a sightseeing visit during the day and the Aura experience in the evening.

Located at 110 Notre Dame Street West. Sightseeing visits available Monday to Friday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm; Saturday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm; and Sunday 12:30 – 4:00 pm. The admission fee to Notre-Dame Basilica includes a self-guided tour that takes approximately one hour. Adult admission (2023) is $14. Reduced rates for students and children. Free admission for children 5 and under.

7. Explore the City’s History at Pointe-à-Callière

The Pointe-à-Callière museum near the port of Old Montreal is one of the most interesting museums that I have ever visited. The museum is located on a national historical and archaeological site which has been recognized by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada as “the site where Montréal was born”.

The museum which opened in 1992 on the 350th anniversary of the founding of the city presents centuries of history from indigenous settlements until present day and is home to incredible architectural ruins. The museum has several permanent exhibitions which showcase the city’s history and archaeology and also hosts a variety of temporary exhibits.

The permanent exhibition Building Montréal is a fascinating multimedia installation that explains the history of the city and the museum’s archaeological crypt. We also enjoyed the permanent exhibition Crossroads Montréal on the lower level of the building which is a walk through the city’s history that includes viewing the ruins of Ville-Marie’s first Catholic cemetery dating from 1643, and continues to the foundations of the Royal Insurance Building (1861-1951).

Families with young children will particularly enjoy the Pirates or Privateers? exhibit which is a creative area designed for kids to learn through play.

Located at 350 Place Royale. Open Tuesday to Friday 10 am – 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday 11 am – 5 pm. Closed Mondays. 2023 Admission fees: Adult (31 – 64) $26; Young Adult (18 – 30) $17; Senior (65+) $24; Teenager (13 – 17) $13; Child (5 – 12) $8; Child (0 -4) Free.

8. Take a Self-Guided Tour Using Cité Mémoire

My daughter and I both love history so we were looking forward to Cité Mémoire – Montréal en Histoires, a self-guided tour in the Old Montréal district that uses projections on buildings to relate the history of the city. All visitors have to do is download the free Montréal en Histoires-Cité Mémoire app on their smartphone or tablet, choose and download a circuit, connect to the free WIFI network, pop in a set of earphones and go.

The app features narrated points of interest and augmented reality experiences and there are daytime and evening routes available. We didn’t end up trying this because it was too cold for us to stay out in the evening for a significant time but I am recommending it anyway because it is such a unique and interesting way to learn about the city’s history – and FREE. I was so disappointed that we weren’t able to do this that it will be the first thing that I do the next time that I’m in Montréal!

9. Indulge Your Sweet Tooth at Juliette & Chocolat

When it’s time to take a break from sightseeing, coffee and a sweet treat usually hit the spot. I may frequent Starbucks but I also appreciate visiting local spots as well and Montréal has many charming cafés to choose from.

When I was planning our trip, a friend recommended Juliette & Chocolat, a “dessert restaurant” which has several locations in the city. I had a look at their website and discovered that Juliette is an actual person and that “ever since she was small, she always thought dessert should come first!” and I knew immediately that we had to visit one of these restaurants.

After our visit to the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, we stopped by the location on Rue St. Catherine as it was a reasonable distance walk from the museum. Juliette & Chocolat is known for decadent hot chocolate but, after perusing the extensive menu, I opted to have a latte along with Juliette’s Tiramisu and my daughter enjoyed a “Brookie” (a brownie/chocolate chip combo) – all were delicious! 

10. Get a Birds-Eye View of the City

For a great view of Montréal, head down to the Old Port for a ride on La Grande Roue de Montréal — the tallest observation wheel in Canada! You can see 28 kilometres away on a clear day from the 60 metre (196 feet) high observation wheel and the views of the city are breathtaking! The attraction which opened in 2017 has 42 ventilated gondolas and is open year-round.

Located in the Old Port of Montréal, Bonsecours Basin. Open Monday – Sunday 10:00 am – 11:00 pm. Ticket Prices in 2023: Adult: $30.47; Seniors (65+): $25.87; Student with ID: $25.87; Children 3-17: $23.00; Children 0-2 are free.

Where To Stay in Montréal

On our spring break trip to Montréal, we stayed at Le Westin Montréal, a luxury hotel with a convenient location on Rue St. Antoine Ouest (at the corner of Rue St. Pierre) at the edge of downtown (across from Le Palais de Congrès) and Old Montréal.

The hotel is located in the building that formerly housed the Montréal Gazette newspaper and one of the unique features is a main entrance which allows cars to drive into a grand hall that once housed the printing presses of the newspaper. Guests of the hotel can also access the Underground City without going outside which is a blessing in bad weather and one for which we were truly thankful.

The Westin has 455 guest rooms and suites all featuring the Westin Heavenly Bed, an iHome radio-clock with iPod dock, complimentary high-speed Internet access, an executive working desk with cordless speaker phone, a fridge, safe and 32 inch flat panel LCD HD TV. My daughter and I stayed in a Traditional Room with two Queen beds and there was ample space for the two of us.

Among the hotel’s amenities are an indoor glass-bottom pool, a Westin Workout gym and an onsite restaurant. The on-site gaZette Restaurant named for the newspaper is an elegant restaurant on street level serving delicious Quebec-inspired cuisine. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again on a return trip to Montréal – the hotel is lovely and the location can’t be beat!

Check current rates and reviews for Le Westin Montréal on TripAdvisor.

We have also stayed at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth – a luxury hotel conveniently located in the heart of downtown Montréal. The hotel first opened its doors in 1958 and has hosted royalty, world leaders and celebrities including John Lennon and Yoko Ono who stayed here in 1969 holding their famous “bed-in for peace” and composing “Give Peace a Chance“.

The hotel is also connected to the Underground City which is very convenient during inclement weather. If you are arriving and departing by train you will appreciate that The Queen Elizabeth is located above Central Station and is just a few minutes walk indoors to the hotel.

All of the hotel’s rooms have been recently renovated and are bright, modern and reasonably spacious. There is an elegant restaurant on site, a cafe and Marché Artisans – a lovely gourmet shop which showcases artisanal products.

Check current rates and reviews for Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth on TripAdvisor

Tips for a Spring Break Trip to Montréal

1. Getting there – consider taking the train. We travelled on VIA Rail from Toronto to Gare Centrale in Montréal and were pleased with the convenience. The train station was walkable from our hotel and we didn’t need to worry about driving around an unfamiliar city or in bad weather.

2. Dress for the weather. Depending on the time of your spring break there is a possibility of either winter or spring-like conditions. Ours was mid-March and although the snow had already melted, the weather turned extremely cold for our visit. There was even a blizzard on our last day in the city which resulted in approximately 40cm (15 inches) of snow.

3. Brush up on your French before visiting. Most everyone speaks English but it’s fun and good practice to try getting by in French.

4. Consider purchasing a Metro Pass if you are planning to use public transportation while visiting Montréal. Additional information about getting around the city can be found on the Tourism Montreal website or on the STM (Société de Transport de Montréal) website. Ubers are also popular in Montréal. We used them a couple of times for the convenience of being transported door to door.

5. The Montreal Tourism website is an excellent resource for information when planning your trip to Montréal. Don’t forget to check for deals on hotels and attractions. 

6. Consider purchasing a Montreal Passport for savings. The MTL Passport allows you to choose 5 attractions (3 from one category and 2 from another) from a list that includes the Biodôme, Pointe-à-Callière, La Grande Roue, and the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts. The passport also includes discounts for many other attractions and activities. (Current price for the Fall/Winter 2022/2023 pass is $95 + tax).

7. If you’re a fan of museums then there is also a Montreal Museums Card which will provide access to more than 40 museums. The card is valid for 3 consecutive days starting at the first visit and grants access to one visit for each Musée Montréal member museum. The cost for one adult is $75 (2023)

8. Browse the hashtag #MTLmoments on Instagram to check out photos of Montréal prior to your trip. Instagram is a great source of inspiration and to find attractions to visit.

9. Montréal is known for its bagels so be sure to sample some while you’re visiting so that you can confidently weigh in on the debate as to which are the best! The two best-known bagel shops are Fairmount Bagel (74 Fairmount Ave. W.) and St-Viateur (263 St-Viateur Street West for the flagship store and other locations). And there’s always the option of booking a Montreal Bagel Making Workshop to try your hand at making the best bagel yourself.

Disclosure: I received media passes to visit some of the attractions mentioned in the article. This article may contain affiliate links which help support this site at no additional cost to you.