Ideas for solo travel in Montréal

In Old Montréal, Crew Collective & Café  is a former bank turned coworking space and an ideal place to sit and sip a latte, especially on a rainy day. At the heart of Mile End, Café Olimpico has a spacious patio where socializing is the standard, and a sister location at the Hôtel William Gray. You’ll find plenty of talkers at old-school coffeeshop Café Italia, in Little Italy. Dispatch offers regular tasting events, perfect for learning about coffee while mingling (check their Instagram for announcements).

As one of the most important art institutions in North America, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is the premier stop for any art aficionado. For more modern tastes, visit Canada’s leading museum dedicated exclusively to contemporary art: the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. For archaeology and history, check out Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex. The McCord Stewart Museum holds collections of costumes, decorative art, aboriginal objects, paintings and prints. Finally, the Phi Centre showcases the arts in all their glorious forms—check out the event schedule for a listing of live performances.

One of the best ways to savour the city is to visit one of the local public markets. With a wide range of regional products and readymade foods to munch as you explore, Jean-Talon Market—located in the heart of Little Italy—is the largest and most culturally diverse market in Montréal. For a smaller yet equally mouth-watering option, the art deco-style Atwater Market offers an array of specialty products and delicatessen treats. (Plus, it’s located in the picturesque Quartiers du canal.)

Take the guesswork out of navigating the city with Spade & Palacio. They offer non-touristy thematic walking tours that focus on less-visited neighbourhoods, perfect for the young and young at heart. For an architectural slant, opt for the cycle excursions by Montréal On Wheels. Choose your own adventure with TourBird - audio walkings tours, which offers a series of curated self-guided audio walking tours that will help you explore Montréal’s eclectic and colourful neighbourhoods at your own pace. Each tour is sectioned so if it starts to rain or snow, you can just hit pause and pick it up again later!

The wintertime fat bike tours of Mount Royal led by Fitz Montréal Bike Tours will introduce you to a magical side of the city, but their summertime tours are also enlightening. Whatever the season, try Local Montréal Food Tours for tasty gourmet tours through the Mile End and Old Montréal districts, or discover even more food tour options here. Finally, Guidatour offers personal tours available in 21 languages!

Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead (the same landscape architect behind New York’s Central Park), Mount Royal Park—the “mountain” at the heart of the city—is Montréal’s most iconic landmark, and the most popular place to snap a selfie. Ranked among the most beautiful urban circuits in the world, the Lachine Canal is a stunning linear park, ideal for cycling. In the heart of the Plateau neighbourhood, Parc La Fontaine is the type of place to sit on a blanket and observe locals in their natural environment. If you’re really ambitious, here are a dozen other green spaces in Montréal.

From haute couture to vintage threads to home décor, Montréal offers unlimited options for shopping. For years, Saint-Paul Street was the city’s main street and many of the renovated 19^th century buildings continue to serve as designer shops, art galleries, and artist studios. Mile End is great for well-curated vintage and local designer ware, while the Plateau will offer lots of handsome unique boutiques. Otherwise, connect to the malls in the underground network. For more mainstream shopping, Sainte-Catherine Street West (and its various shopping malls) offers the perfect place for retail rehabilitation. Find out more here.

One of the best options for dining alone is to find restaurants where you can eat at the bar. Local favourites such as Pizzeria Magpie, Restaurant Leméac, L’Express, Brasserie Harricana, Pamplemousse, Hoogan et Beaufort and Nora Gray are just a few that offer great bar seating. Of course no Montrealer would bat at eyelash at anyone settling in at a table alone, so the city is your oyster. Here’s a longer list to get you inspired. If you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, take a cooking class from Ateliers et Saveurs or the Chocolate Academy. You’ll make food and friends.

When it’s time to mingle, Montréal cocktail bars offer picture-perfect backdrops. Join the handsome crowd in Old Montréal at The Coldroom, where the cocktail menu is all hits. On the Main, aka Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Big in Japan may be hard to find (the door is unmarked), but once you’re in you’ll feel instantly at home. Le Mal Nécessaire, in Chinatown, offers a Tiki-inspired menu and a friendly (and hipster) crowd. Almost every bar will welcome you in typically warm Montréal fashion, whether your thing is fancy cocktail bars, dance clubs, show bars, sports bars, or hidden gems. Happy exploring!