Top things to do near Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
A mountain of fun
Mount Royal Park is one of Montreal’s most expansive green spaces and is famed for its year-round beauty. Scaling all 764 feet (233 meters) of Mount Royal, the park’s lush forest was deliberately planted so that it would glow emerald green throughout the summer and then turn a fiery orange in the autumn before the winter sets in.
The park includes hundreds of foot and bike paths through its 470 acres (190 hectares) as well as an artificial lake, a toboggan run, cross country skiing trails, a sculpture garden and an innovative interpretation center, so there’s always something to see and explore whatever time of year you visit.
Visit Bessette's big basilica
Just half an hour from YUL, St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal is the biggest church in Canada and the 27th-biggest in the world. Built in 1904, it has since become one of Montreal’s most iconic buildings, regularly welcoming over two million visitors a year.
The Oratory is particularly famous for its association with Saint André Bessette, who originally campaigned for the chapel’s construction. Reputed to have miraculously cured and healed thousands of local people in his lifetime, Bessette is just as treasured as his church and was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.
See a majestic Montreal museum
Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts is the largest museum in the city and holds one of the oldest, most significant art collections in Canada. Currently spread across four expansive pavilions, the permanent collection consists of over 42,000 works and includes rotating exhibitions of international works from medieval to modern art, archeology and ancient artefacts, Canadian art and special galleries dedicated to the legacies of some of Montreal’s most prominent creative families.
Whether you’re an admirer of the classics or a fan of contemporary works, the Museum of Fine Arts is bound to have something to keep you captivated before or after the airport calls.
Climb into the cockpit
Montreal has been the home of the prestigious Canadian Grand Prix since 1978 and in celebration of the city's proud motoring history, Vortex Racing brings you the chance to experience sitting behind the wheel of a Formula 1 super car (without any tires having to touch the road).
Using state-of-the-art simulation technology, Vortex Racing’s cockpits recreate the thrill of the race with a full range of motion and up to 2.5 Gs of force feedback.
Suit up, start your virtual engines and prepare to race your family and friends, just a five-minute drive away from the airport.
Take the boardwalk
Much of Montreal's rich and intriguing history has been lovingly preserved in Old Montreal, with some remains dating back as early as the late 16th century. One of the most fascinating districts is the Old Port of Montreal, which stretches for over 1.2 miles (two kilometers) along bank of the St. Lawrence River. The Old Port was redeveloped in the 1970s, but still retains its heritage as a popular recreational and historical area, featuring the Montreal Science Centre, an IMAX cinema and the famous Montreal Clock Tower.
As well as riverfront access for walking, cycling and even pedalo routes, the Old Port even has its own urban beach so you can soak up some sun before check-in.
Feel the force of nature
Montreal’s Space for Life is a downtown district just 30 minutes’ drive from YUL that brings together the city’s four most prominent natural science museums: the Montreal Biodome, the Montreal Insectarium, the Montreal Botanical Garden and the striking Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium.
Describing itself as a vast project based on citizen participation and visitor co-creation, Space for Life is the largest natural science museum complex in Canada and is hugely popular with locals and visitors alike. Its unique, family-friendly experience turns the traditional museum inside out and ensures that you take what you learn about the world back home with you.
Take a trip to the underground
Situated at the very heart of Montreal’s downtown district, RÉSO is a collection of shopping centers, entertainment complexes and performing arts venues more commonly known as the Underground City.
The name refers to the 20 miles (32 kilometers) of subterranean walkways that run between the buildings and integrate with the city’s underground Metro rail network. The largest underground complex in the world, the Underground City is climate-controlled and well lit, which makes it especially useful during Montreal’s long winters. So, if you’re looking for something to eat or treating someone to a souvenir or two, follow the locals underground to explore a whole new world of Canadian culture and cuisine.
