Montréal is a city where old and new mix marvellously! Just a jump, hop and skip away from the action downtown, you will find yourself in a felted New France atmosphere, where you can explore old cobblestone streets, with restaurants, cafés and boutiques found alongside magnificent historic and heritage sites. Are you ready for a trip through time?

1. Begin your trip at the heart of Montréal’s cultural activity, at the Quartier des Spectacles! In this quadrilateral area, majestically crowned by the Place des Arts, there are also 80 other sites diffusing culture. Additionally, you will find the Musée d’art contemporain, which is the first museum in Canada to be entirely dedicated to this form of art. The Quartier is also where major events are held in Montréal, such as the Festival international de Jazz de Montréal.

2. By going down Saint-Urbain Street, you will enter Chinatown with its small, narrow streets and many colourful Middle Kingdom boutiques. At the corner of Viger and Saint-Urbain streets, you can admire the Montréal Convention Centre and its architecture based on transparency and light. From there, you can continue towards Old Montréal.

3. After your short climb up Saint-Urbain Street, you will find yourself at the heart of Place d’Armes around which modern and heritage buildings are well established. In the middle of the square, you will find the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal, shining in all its luminescent glory. Modelled after the famous Notre-Dame de Paris, this is truly a neo-Gothic architectural masterpiece, and the rich interior decoration has no reason to envy its Parisian cousin. In the evening, the sound and light show And then there was light! emphasizes the building’s beauty and explores the history of the Basilica and Montréal.

4. Next, you can go down Notre-Dame Street in an easterly direction, towards City Hall, which can be explored during guided tours. Just across the street, you will find yourself at the summit of Place Jacques-Cartier, where the streets of Old Montréal converge, leading to other most interesting attractions, like Marché Bonsecours or Château Ramezay. At the square and in nearby streets, you will find boutiques, restaurants and cafés where you can take a break. After recharging your batteries, go to the lowest section of Place Jacques-Cartier to enjoy a walk along Commune Street or explore the Quays of the Old Port in Montréal to the west, alongside the river.

5. The Quays of the Old Port of Montréal make up a huge 2.5 km (1.5 mi) recreational tourist park, a site offering a wide array of activities that welcomes many huge events. It is also the departure point for many river cruises. Additionally, you will find the Montréal Science Centre, a museum and science complex where interaction a key element of exhibitions. Likewise, here you will find an IMAX® Cinema.

6. The last part of your tour will be at Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History. This is the only museum in North America built over authentic remains that takes visitors on a lively animated underground archaeological tour. At the beginning of your visit, a multimedia show telling six centuries of history is projected above the remains.