Montreal Winter Activities: The best things to do in Montreal in Winter

Montreal is a fun city that has a tonne of activities in summer and winter.

There are fun outdoor activities in Montreal in winter and, in fact, all seasons and despite the fact that the winters in Montreal are freezing there are plenty of ways to embrace the cold in Montreal or stay warm while exploring the things to do in Montreal in winter.

The first time I took my now husband to visit Montreal (the city that made me fall in love with Canada), it was winter. And while it was very different from my experience of Montreal in the summer, he still saw why I liked it so much.

If you’ve already checked out the best places to visit in winter in Ontario, and want to go a little further afield, definitely head to Montreal.

And if you’re in Montreal this winter, be sure to check out this guide to what to do in Montreal in winter which includes winter activities like dog sledding in Montreal, and the top places to ski near Montreal too.

Best Montreal Winter Activities

First things first, how cold is Montreal in winter and what is the Montreal winter temperature typically? If you’re visiting Montreal in winter you need to be prepared with plenty of warm layers, a hat and gloves.

Montreal is cold! It’s not unusual for temperatures to be hovering around -15C in winter with plenty of snow on the ground.

While streets and sidewalks are snow-cleared, they’re not completely clear and there’s usually a base of hardpacked ice or snow left behind.

On occasion, there’s freezing rain which coats everything in a layer of ice and makes it almost impossible to walk around.

But, having said that, if you’re prepared and dressed appropriately then you can have so much fun outdoors in the cold and the snow. If you’re not convinced there are plenty of fun indoor things to do in Montreal in winter too.

Play in the snow in Montreal

Playing in the snow is always fun and if you’re coming from somewhere where snow is unusual then it’s even better.

Montreal’s parks are the ideal place for enjoying winter in Montreal since they’re covered in snow for several months of the year.

Jean Drapeau is a great place for watching the ice float by on the St Lawrence River and climbing to the top of Mount Royal gives you great views out over the city and its white rooftops.

Go Snowshoeing in Montreal

One of the best things to do in Montreal in winter is to go snowshoeing! Head out on a trail and explore the beauty of the outdoors around Montreal.

If you don’t have snowshoes, you can rent snowshoes from a couple of places around the city and even book in advance:

• Mont St-Bruno snowshoe rental
• Snowshoe rental at the Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville, Montréal

Visit a Cabane a Sucre

Over 70% of the world’s maple syrup supply comes from Quebec and if you’ve ever been in a Canadian store and noted the number and variety of maple syrup products then you won’t be surprised!

The syrup is harvested between February and April every year from the maple trees and you can visit a Cabane a Sucre to see how it’s done and taste the freshest syrup you’ll ever have.

A unique maple treat is maple taffy where hot maple syrup is poured over ice to cool it down resulting in a sticky treat!

You don’t even need to leave the city as you can try maple taffy at both Atwater and Jean-Talon markets over winter.

Go dog sledding near Montreal

Dog sledding is a super fun experience where you get to hang out with dogs and experience beautiful snowy landscapes. This is without a doubt one of the best winter activities near Montreal.

I’m lucky enough to have been dog sledding in Canada twice and I’ve loved both trips. I’d definitely go a third time!

there are some great dog sledding tours near Montreal which are well worth trying during your trip to the country’s capital

Skating outdoors in Montreal

Another fun Montreal winter activity is to go ice skating. There are both natural and manmade rinks throughout the city with one of the best being the Old Port natural skating rink.

The rink is open every day from mid-December to early March and offers skate rentals. There are fun activities that take place on the rink too from cardio workout sessions to singles events for Valentine’s Day and even karaoke on ice!

One of the best Montreal fun activities is at the Old Port skating rink though is definitely the fireworks as part of the Fire on Ice event. This takes place throughout December and adds an even more magical touch to your skating session.

If you want to try skating on a lake, rather than a manmade rink, try skating at Beaver Lake in Mount Royal or head to Parc La Fontaine. Both parks have rental stands and places to get your own skates sharpened.

When it comes to this idea of what to do in Montreal in the winter, be sure to pack a hot chocolate and warm clothing to fully enjoy it.

Montreal Lights Festival

Lumiere festivals have been taking place across the world for several years now. I’ve visited one in London and one in Toronto when we first moved to Canada back in 2017. Since Montreal is the city of festivals, it only seems right that the city has its own light festival!

This Montreal winter festival – Montreal en Lumiere – lasts for 11 days and adds some special magic to what can be a gloomy and cold winter season.

Many of the events take place in the Place des Festivals during the last week of February and lots of the events are free which is an added bonus!

Cross Country Skiing Montreal

One of the best winter activities in Montreal is x-country skiing! Many of the trails inside Montreal’s parks turn into snowy routes that are perfect for exploring on skis!

Parc Maisonneuve features a peaceful cross-country ski trail that’s just right for those who want to perfect their technique. Parc La Fontaine offers two trails with a total length of 3.9 km, running through the western portion of the park.

If you want to go downhill skiing, check out these awesome ski hills near Montreal!

Go snow tubing in Montreal

Snow tubing is another fun winter activity in Montreal. The main place to try it is in Parc Mont-Royal where you can rent snow tubes through the season.

Tubing usually takes place from mid-December through the first week of March.

Hours are typically from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting.

Warm-up at the spa

Montreal has quite a few spas that are the perfect destination for warming up during winter in Montreal. My pick of the top spas are below.

Bota Bota Spa

Bota Bota Spa is a spa that’s on a boat floating on the river in Montreal’s old port area.

The spa is family run and each floor of the boat offers different kinds of spa treatments. Plus, there are hot tubs outside so you can stay warm while soaking up the old town. And, if you’re feeling brave, you can take a dip in the plunge pools too!

Scandinave Spa Montréal

If you’ve ever been to Scandinave Spa in Whistler, you’ll know you’re in for a treat! The Montreal spa is in the heart of Old Montreal and is, as to be expected, beautifully designed. It’ll leave you feeling completely relaxed on your trip to Montreal and is undoubtedly one of the best Montreal indoor activities.

Explore Montreal’s neighbourhoods

Montreal is a pretty city and just going for a walk to soak up the sights and sounds is one of the best Montreal outdoor activities!

If you prefer to have more of an aim to your walking, you can book one of these Montreal walking tours:

• Old Montreal Walking Tour
• Self-guided scavenger hunt

Montreal’s Christmas Markets

If you want to embrace the European feel of Montreal during your trip, be sure to time your winter visit to the city around Christmas.

In Montreal in December Montreal’s Christmas markets are open and it’s the perfect time to explore them.

The markets usually open up in late November and continue until the end of the year. You’ll find sugar shacks, handmade gifts, mulled wine and everything you’d expect from a Christmas market.

Take a Montreal food tour

When it comes to travelling, one of my favourite things to do is explore the cuisine and this is without a doubt one of the best activities to do in Montreal.

Rain or shine, snow or sun, doing a food crawl in Montreal’s Mile End neighbourhood is always a good idea.

Not only are two of Montreals’ famous bagel shops in Mile End (St-Viateur Bagel and Fairmount Bagel – I’ll let you choose which is best), but there’s $5 gnocchi and sauce from La Drogeria Fine, huge chicken sandwiches (Serrano Bar-B-Q) and cheap falafel pitas (Falafel Yoni).

Outside of Mile End, make sure to get yourself some Montreal poutine, more bagels (of course) and pay a visit to Time Out Market in Montreal to taste some of the city’s best food.

Watch a hockey game

If you’ve never watched an (ice) hockey game, then make sure you add this to your list of Montreal winter activities!

Watching hockey is super fun even if you don’t know the rules. It’s fast-paced and there’s usually loads of entertainment during the game too that adds to the fun.

Montreal’s local team is The Canadiens and you can get hockey tickets here or on sites like StubHub.

The winter sports festival: Barbegazi

Throughout March, the winter sports festival – Barbegazi – takes place in Montreal and is one of the best Montreal activities in winter.

It’s a celebration of all things winter sports and gives you the opportunity to try, or watch, a variety of unique and fun sports!

Go coffee shop hopping

One of the things I love most about Montreal is the number of cute cafes across the city.

In addition, there are a lot of them that are open to people working in them which is perfect if you need to also do some work while you’re away.

Some of my favourites include:

• Café Chato: Cute cat cafe
• Lili & Oil: there are a couple of these cafes and they’re great if you need to do some work while also having coffee
• Dispatch Coffee: Arguably some of the best coffee in the city
• Crew Collective & Cafe: Beautiful coffee shop and co-working space in Montreal’s Old Bank
• La Finca Cafe: A super cute cafe that’s laptop friendly

Check out the indoor food markets & Montreal’s Underground City

On a rainy day in Montreal, we stumbled across some fun indoor food markets that reminded me of being back in London (it’s something Vancouver is seriously missing!).

Some of these make up what’s known as Montreal’s Underground City which, similar to Toronto’s PATH network, means Montrealers can wander around the city without getting too cold. It’s one of the coolest places to visit in Montreal in winter.

In these markets, you’ll find wine bars and food stalls and they make a great place if you’re looking to try lots of different foods or just can’t decide where to go for food!

Getting lost in this maze of underground walkways is a fun idea of things to do in winter in Montreal.

Some of our favourites were:

• Time Out Market Montreal
• Le Central: Rue Clarke & Sainte Catherine West
• Montreal’s Underground City

Enjoy the light show in the Notre Dame Basilica

Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal’s old town is a beautiful building from the outside, but it’s even more impressive on the inside.

What makes it even more special is the Aura light show taking place most evenings at 6 pm throughout the year! It’s a super unique idea of things to do in Montreal winter season and so cozy too!

Party at Igloofest in Montreal

One of the best things to do in Montreal in the winter is to attend a festival and Montreal’s Igloofest claims to be the coldest music festival in the world and brings electronic music and dancing to the streets of Montreal in winter.

If you’re an electronic music lover or are looking for a unique way to stay warm, this is one Montreal winter activity you must try!

The festival usually takes place at the end of January/early February and typically has some big names in the lineup!

Final thoughts on the best things to do in Montreal in winter

These winter activities Montreal has to offer go to show that just because it gets cold, doesn’t mean it’s not worth visiting Montreal in the winter.

For what to do in Montreal in winter, I recommend wrapping up warm, filling a flask with a hot drink, and heading out to the parks or checking out one of the city’s museums. If you’re a skier, be sure to get some cross-country ski rentals or check out the ice skating rinks in Montreal!

If you’re visiting Montreal in the summer too, this guide might be useful.

Last Updated on February 18, 2024 by Hannah