Activities To Enjoy Alone In Montreal

Montreal is a fun and dynamic city to explore, whether you’re with friends and family or travelling solo. Especially during the summer months, there’s always something interesting happening – from festivals to free outdoor concerts. Here are some classic Montreal activities that can easily be enjoyed alone.

Shop in the Underground City

Also referred to as RÉSO, the Underground City is a network of office towers, hotels, shopping centres, performing arts venues, metro stations, and more, which are all interconnected by mostly subterranean pathways and networks. Altogether there are around 32km of tunnels that cover 12sqkm through the most central business district of Montreal. Here, you can spend hours browsing and shopping in around 2,000 stores.

Spend a few hours in a café

Walk or cycle along the Lachine Canal

The Lachine Canal is a popular destination in southwest Montreal, comprising a 14.5km waterway that stretches between the Old Port and Lake Saint-Louis and is characterised by five locks. A linear green urban park runs along the banks, and you’ll find people wandering, walking, or cycling during the warmer months. Bring a book and soak up the sun while enjoying this historic site.

Wander through Mont Royal Park

The most prominent of Montreal’s green spaces, Mont Royal is the central “mountain” that gives the city its name. A popular daily spot for runners, cyclists, and dog walkers, you’ll also find people relaxing and picnicking throughout the park. You can also catch the Tam-Tams – a weekly informal and free festival that draws hundreds of drummers, dancers, vendors, and visitors every Sunday afternoon during the warmer months. Even alone, you’ll blend right in with the eclectic characters you’ll find there.

Enjoy Montreal’s museums

Montreal is home to a number of world-class museums and art galleries, which can be extra enjoyable when you’re able to spend time in them at your own pace. You won’t want to miss the Musée d’art contemporain (Montreal’s contemporary art museum), or the Pointe-à-Callière Museum of Archaeology and History. There are also a number of smaller museums around the city that offer glimpses into other areas of the city’s rich history, such as the McCord Museum of Canadian History, the Maison Saint-Gabriel, and the Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal.

Take a tour of the Old Port

The Old Port of Montreal is the city’s most popular tourist destination, with its historic architecture and variety of restaurants, galleries, boutiques, and shops. If you’re in the city alone, taking a tour of the area can be a fun way to learn about the city in a relaxed context. There are a variety of tours available, including free tours and food tours, along with different kinds of cruise tours. You can also explore the district on your own, taking your time to absorb the fascinating sights.

Indulge in some of Montreal’s best eats

Montreal is increasingly recognised as an international destination for foodies, and there are certain dishes that must be tried while you’re in the city. The good thing about the city’s classic eats is that most of them are take-out or grab-and-go options, which can be easier than sitting alone in a restaurant.

There’s Schwartz’s on St Laurent with its infamous smoked meat sandwiches, as well as the historic rivalry between St. Viateur and Fairmont for the title of best Montreal-style bagels. There are a number of artisanal ice cream shops to visit as well, including Kem Coba in Mile End and La Diperie in the Plateau.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.