Canada, North America
The best time to visit Montreal
A city that spends winter underground and summer in the street, and throws a festival for both.
- Best months
- Jun to Sep
- Think twice
- Apr and Nov
- Quietest
- January
- Cheapest
- January
The straight answer
The best time to visit Montreal is June through September, when the terraces are open, the festival calendar is packed, and the weather is warm without Quebec's winter; September is the single best month for weather, prices, and crowds.
Go June through September. Montreal's summer is short and the city lives it at full volume: the Montreal International Jazz Festival takes over downtown streets in late June and early July, Osheaga fills Parc Jean-Drapeau in early August, and every neighborhood seems to have a street party, a market, or a terrace scene going most nights. September keeps the warmth, drops the prices, and adds the first fall color on Mount Royal.
Winter is long, cold, and serious, with January highs around 22F (-6C). The city copes brilliantly: tens of kilometers of indoor walkways link metro stations, malls, and office towers, and winter festivals like Igloofest and Montreal en Lumiere give you a reason to be outside after dark. It is a good, cheap trip if you pack for it.
The months to skip are the gray bookends: November, when fall color is gone and snow has not made things pretty, and March into April, when melting snowbanks turn the sidewalks to slush. Montreal stays fully open, but these are the least rewarding weeks of the year.
Montreal, month by month
Every month gets a verdict. Tap one for its own page: weather, crowds, prices and what is on.
- 01JanuaryTradeoffsFrigid, highs near 22F (-6C), snow and windDeep winter, cheap hotels, and Igloofest's outdoor dance parties on the Old Port. Fun if you dress for it, miserable if you do not.CrowdsPrice
- 02FebruaryTradeoffsFrigid, highs near 25F (-4C)Montreal en Lumiere's food and light festival runs late in the month. Skating in the Old Port and on Beaver Lake; bitter cold snaps are common.CrowdsPrice
- 03MarchQuiet valueThawing, highs near 36F (2C), slushSugar shack season begins outside the city. The streets are gray and wet as the snow melts.CrowdsPrice
- 04AprilThink twiceCool and damp, highs near 52F (11C)The awkward thaw: dirty snowbanks, bare trees, and terraces not yet open. Sugar shacks are the main reason to come.CrowdsPrice
- 05MayGoodMild, highs near 66F (19C)Terraces reopen and the city exhales. The Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix now falls in late May, and hotel prices spike that weekend.Hotels for May →CrowdsPrice
- 06JuneBestWarm, highs near 75F (24C), long eveningsFestival season opens, including the Francos in mid June and the Jazz Festival late in the month. June 24 is the Fete nationale.Hotels for June →CrowdsPrice
- 07JulyBestWarm and humid, highs near 80F (27C), thunderstormsPeak summer, the tail of the Jazz Festival, and fireworks at La Ronde. July 1 is Canada Day and moving day in Montreal.Hotels for July →CrowdsPrice
- 08AugustBestWarm, highs near 78F (26C)Osheaga opens the month and the terrace season rolls on. Humid spells happen, but evenings are ideal.Hotels for August →CrowdsPrice
- 09SeptemberBestMild, highs near 69F (21C)Warm days, cooler nights, and summer prices easing. The Botanical Garden's Gardens of Light lantern event begins.Hotels for September →CrowdsPrice
- 10OctoberGoodCool, highs near 56F (13C), fall colorMount Royal and the Laurentians blaze with color, usually peaking in the first half of the month. Pack layers.Hotels for October →CrowdsPrice
- 11NovemberThink twiceCold and gray, highs near 42F (6C)The bleakest stretch of the year. Museums and restaurants carry the trip; nothing outdoors shines.CrowdsPrice
- 12DecemberQuiet valueCold and snowy, highs near 28F (-2C)Holiday markets and the first real snow. Quiet and cheap outside Christmas and New Year.CrowdsPrice
Book Montreal for June.
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- Hotels for June
Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in MontrealOpens a hotel search for Montreal in June, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
- Rentals on Vrbo
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in MontrealWhole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
- Tours and tickets
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in MontrealTimed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Montreal for June. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Why go to Montreal
A true bilingual city
One of the largest French-speaking cities in the world, with a European feel, a North American grid, and no transatlantic flight.
The festival capital of Canada
Jazz, comedy, electronic music, film, food and light: Montreal has a major festival in almost every month, most of them partly free and outdoors.
Food with a point of view
Bagels from wood-fired ovens, smoked meat, the Jean-Talon and Atwater markets, and a bistro scene that punches far above its prices.
Easy pairing
Quebec City is three hours away, the Eastern Townships and the Laurentians are closer, and Vermont is just across the border.
Things to do, and when to do them
Old Montreal and Notre-Dame Basilica
Cobblestones, the Old Port, and the basilica's blue and gold interior. The evening AURA light show inside is worth a booking.
Mount Royal
Walk up to the Kondiaronk lookout for the city view. Sunday afternoon tam-tams by the George-Etienne Cartier monument in summer are a local ritual.
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
One of Canada's leading art museums, spread over five pavilions on Sherbrooke Street.
Jean-Talon Market
One of North America's largest open-air markets, open year-round. Visit in late summer for the Quebec harvest.
Space for Life: Botanical Garden, Biodome, and Insectarium
Big, family-friendly, and great in any season. The Gardens of Light lanterns run in fall.
Parc Jean-Drapeau
The island park of Expo 67 and the Grand Prix circuit, with the Biosphere, a beach, and summer festivals.
The Plateau and Mile End
Walk for bagels, murals, and outside staircases. The best neighborhood walking in the city.
Events and seasons worth planning around
Igloofest
Weekend nights from mid January into early February
An outdoor electronic music festival at the Old Port in subzero cold. Snowsuits are the dress code.
Montreal en Lumiere
Late February, sometimes running into early March
A winter food and light festival with free outdoor installations and chef events across the city.
Canadian Grand Prix
Late May on the current Formula 1 calendar
Formula 1 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. It long ran in June; hotel rates spike citywide whichever weekend it lands.
Montreal International Jazz Festival
Late June into early July
One of the world's largest jazz festivals, with hundreds of free outdoor shows in the Quartier des Spectacles.
Osheaga
Early August
A major three-day music festival at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Book hotels early for that weekend.
Gardens of Light
Early September to late October
Illuminated lanterns in the Botanical Garden's Chinese Garden and other gardens, with timed tickets.
Beat the crowds
- Visit Old Montreal early in the morning or on weekday evenings; weekend afternoons and cruise days fill Place Jacques-Cartier.
- Check the festival calendar before booking: the Grand Prix weekend and the Jazz Festival push hotel rates sharply higher, while the weeks around them are much cheaper.
- Go in September for summer weather at shoulder-season prices once the festival rush has ended.
- For winter trips, use the indoor city and the metro to move between neighborhoods and save the outdoor time for the festival nights.
Open or closed
- July 1 is Canada Day and also Quebec's traditional moving day, when leases turn over. Streets fill with moving trucks, and some businesses close.
- June 24, the Fete nationale, is a public holiday in Quebec with some closures and big free concerts.
- Terraces, the Old Port attractions, and many seasonal activities run roughly May to October. In winter, the Old Port turns to skating, and the indoor city keeps shopping running.
- Sugar shacks outside the city are seasonal, mostly March and April, and popular ones need reservations.
With kids in tow
- The Biodome, Insectarium, and Botanical Garden are a full day for kids, and the Montreal Science Centre in the Old Port covers a rainy day.
- La Ronde amusement park on Ile Sainte-Helene runs in the warm season, and the Old Port adds a zipline and Ferris wheel.
- In winter, skating at the Old Port rink and Beaver Lake on Mount Royal is the classic family outing; tubing and sledding are nearby.
- For homeschool families, Pointe-a-Calliere, the city's archaeology and history museum, built over the founding site, is an excellent history lesson in either language.
Getting there
- Montreal-Trudeau (YUL) has nonstops from many US hubs, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and Florida; the 747 express bus runs to downtown around the clock.
- Amtrak's Adirondack connects New York City to Montreal on a scenic, slow ride of about 11 hours; the drive from New York is roughly six hours.
- VIA Rail links Montreal with Quebec City, Ottawa, and Toronto, making a Montreal and Quebec City pairing easy without a car.
Packing? Packing cubes and the airport kit.
Montreal for the holidays
Holiday and school-break weeks where Montreal makes our ranked list.
Montreal timing, quick answers
What is the best month to visit Montreal?
September: warm days, fewer crowds than July, and falling hotel rates. July is best if you want the full festival scene and do not mind the heat and prices.
What is the cheapest time to visit Montreal?
January, February, and November. Hotel rates are at their lowest, and winter festivals make January and February better value than November.
How cold is Montreal in winter?
January highs average around 22F (-6C), and nights often drop well below 0F (-18C) with wind chill. The indoor city and the metro make it manageable.
When is the Montreal Jazz Festival?
Late June into early July, for roughly ten days. Hundreds of the shows are free and outdoors in the Quartier des Spectacles.
When is Montreal most crowded?
Late June through early August, especially during the Jazz Festival, the Grand Prix weekend in late May, and Osheaga in early August.
Is April a good time to visit Montreal?
Not usually. It is the thaw month, with dirty snowbanks and terraces still closed. The upside is sugar shack season and low prices.
Weighing alternatives
Similar trips, with their best months.
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