Montreal (Montréal) is Quebec's largest city and the second-largest in Canada, home to about 1.76 million people on an island in the St. Lawrence River. This guide covers Old Montreal, Mount Royal, museums, neighbourhood food, transit and practical costs for visitors.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Quebec maple syrup
Pure maple syrup in tins or glass from Quebec, which produces most of the world's supply; also maple butter and maple taffy.
Price: CAD 10-30 (about USD 7-21) per container
Where: Marché Jean-Talon, Marché Atwater, Old Montreal shops on Rue Saint-Paul
Quebec ice cider (cidre de glace)
Sweet dessert cider made from frozen apples, a Quebec invention, sold in 375 ml bottles.
Price: CAD 20-40 (about USD 14-28) per bottle
Where: SAQ liquor stores, Marché Jean-Talon specialty shops
Montreal-style bagels
Hand-rolled, honey-water-boiled bagels baked in wood-fired ovens; they keep for a day or two or can be frozen.
Price: CAD 15-20 (about USD 10.50-14) per dozen
Where: St-Viateur Bagel, 263 Rue Saint-Viateur Ouest; Fairmount Bagel, 74 Avenue Fairmount Ouest
Inuit and First Nations art
Soapstone carvings, prints and crafts; look for the Igloo Tag authenticity label on Inuit art.
Price: CAD 40-2000 (about USD 28-1400)
Where: La Guilde, 1356 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts boutique
Montreal Canadiens gear
Jerseys, caps and souvenirs of the Canadiens (the Habs), the NHL's most decorated franchise.
Price: CAD 30-250 (about USD 21-175)
Where: Tricolore Sports at the Centre Bell, 1909 Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal
Quebec cheese
Artisanal cheeses such as Oka and raw-milk varieties from small Quebec dairies; ask for vacuum packing for travel.
Price: CAD 8-30 (about USD 5.60-21) per piece
Where: Cheese shops at Marché Jean-Talon and Marché Atwater
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Marché Jean-Talon
Year-round public market in Little Italy, one of North America's largest open-air markets, with produce stalls, cheese, maple and Quebec specialty shops.
Where: Little Italy (Petite-Italie)
Hours: Monday to Saturday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Sunday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Marché Atwater
Public market in a 1933 Art Deco hall beside the Lachine Canal, with butchers, cheese shops, bakeries and outdoor produce stalls.
Where: Saint-Henri
Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Marché Bonsecours
Domed 1847 landmark in Old Montreal that briefly housed the Parliament of the Province of Canada, now home to about 15 boutiques selling Quebec-made design, crafts and accessories.
Where: Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal)
Hours: Boutiques generally Monday to Friday noon to 6:00 PM, Saturday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Sunday noon to 5:00 PM; hours vary by season
Marché Maisonneuve
Neighbourhood public market in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, near the Olympic Park, with butchers, bakers and summer produce stalls beside the Beaux-Arts former market hall.
Where: Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Sunday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Mile End and Rue Saint-Viateur
Creative neighbourhood of independent boutiques, record shops and cafés centred on Rue Saint-Viateur, home of the 24-hour St-Viateur Bagel shop at number 263.
Where: Mile End
Hours: Shops typically open about 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, many until 9:00 PM Thursday and Friday, and close around 5:00 PM on weekends
Rue Notre-Dame Ouest (Antique Alley)
Stretch of Rue Notre-Dame Ouest between Atwater Market and Lionel-Groulx metro, long known as Antique Alley, mixing antique and vintage dealers with design shops and restaurants.
Where: Saint-Henri and Little Burgundy
Hours: Shops typically open about 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, many until 9:00 PM Thursday and Friday, and close around 5:00 PM on weekends
Boulevard Saint-Laurent (The Main)
Historic boulevard dividing east and west Montreal, lined with fashion boutiques, delis such as Schwartz's, and vintage and design stores through the Plateau.
Where: Plateau-Mont-Royal
Hours: Shops typically open about 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, many until 9:00 PM Thursday and Friday, and close around 5:00 PM on weekends
Avenue du Mont-Royal
Plateau shopping street around Mont-Royal metro with Quebec designer boutiques, bookshops, thrift stores and cafés; partly pedestrianised in summer.
Where: Plateau-Mont-Royal
Hours: Shops typically open about 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, many until 9:00 PM Thursday and Friday, and close around 5:00 PM on weekends
Rue Saint-Paul, Old Montreal
Cobbled street in Old Montreal, among the oldest in the city, with art galleries, Quebec craft shops, fashion boutiques and souvenir stores.
Where: Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal)
Hours: Shops typically open about 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, many until 9:00 PM Thursday and Friday, and close around 5:00 PM on weekends
Shopping districts
Neighbourhoods known for retail.
Malls & modern shopping
Air-conditioned, international brands, and food courts.
Centre Eaton de Montréal
Downtown mall of close to 125 boutiques with direct access to McGill metro and the RÉSO underground network, plus the Time Out Market food hall.
Hours: Typically weekdays 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM and weekends until about 5:00-6:00 PM; verify holiday hours on the website
Complexe Desjardins
Office and shopping complex around a large atrium in the Quartier des Spectacles, connected underground to Place-des-Arts and Place-d'Armes metro stations.
Hours: Typically weekdays 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM and weekends until about 5:00-6:00 PM; verify holiday hours on the website
Les Cours Mont-Royal
Upscale mall in the restored 1920s Mount Royal Hotel building on Rue Peel, linked to Peel metro and the underground city.
Hours: Typically weekdays 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM and weekends until about 5:00-6:00 PM; verify holiday hours on the website
Place Montréal Trust
Downtown mall at Avenue McGill College and Rue Sainte-Catherine with mid-range fashion and home brands, connected to the RÉSO network near McGill metro.
Hours: Typically weekdays 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM and weekends until about 5:00-6:00 PM; verify holiday hours on the website
Holt Renfrew Ogilvy
Luxury department store in the historic Ogilvy building on Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, between Peel and Guy-Concordia metro stations.
Hours: Typically weekdays 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM and weekends until about 5:00-6:00 PM; verify holiday hours on the website
Carrefour Laval
One of the largest malls in the Montreal region, in Laval north of the island, with department stores and major fashion chains; reachable from Montmorency metro by STL bus.
Hours: Typically weekdays 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM and weekends until about 5:00-6:00 PM; verify holiday hours on the website
Bargaining tips
Negotiate like a local.
Prices are fixed in stores and malls; haggling is not customary except with independent antique and vintage dealers.
At antique shops on Rue Notre-Dame Ouest a polite request for a better price on several items is acceptable.
Sales tax of 14.975 percent (GST plus QST) is added at the register, so budget about 15 percent above the shelf price.
Customs & restrictions
What you can and can't take home.
Quebec adds GST (5 percent) and QST (9.975 percent) at checkout on most goods; Canada has no tourist sales-tax refund scheme., Signs, labels and service are in French first; staff in downtown and Old Montreal shops usually switch to English when asked., Montreal restricts single-use plastic shopping bags; carry a reusable bag., Quebec law limits weekend retail hours, so many shops close around 5:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday., Visitors returning to the US can usually bring home duty-free goods up to their personal exemption; check US CBP rules for alcohol, cheese and plants., Credit and contactless cards are accepted nearly everywhere; some market stalls prefer cash.