How to Plan the Perfect Montreal Winter Vacation — Luxury Hotels, Snowy Adventures, and Incredible Restaurants Included

Bundle up and bring an appetite for all things artisanal.

The historic streets of Montreal are enticing at any time of year, but they're especially magical under a blanket of winter snow. Between December and March, the city hosts a range of winter festivals and offers endless opportunities to indulge in Québec's comforting local cuisine, from mountains of poutine to sweet maple toffee. As you stroll down the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal and sip mulled wine under strings of twinkling lights, you might feel like you've been transported to a Christmas market in Europe — minus the long flight.

While there's no sugarcoating the weather (temperatures rarely exceed 25 degrees Fahrenheit in January and February), Montrealers have cracked the code to making it bearable: good food, fine wine, and endless events to warm the soul. And with the French Canadian metropolis boasting world-class restaurants and innovative cultural events in addition to its Old World offerings, there's truly something for everyone on a Montreal winter getaway.

What to Do

Attend a winter festival.

The people of Québec love a party. La Belle Province, as it's known, hosts more than 500 festivals every year, and many of its most epic events take place in Montreal. Despite the cold, winter in Montreal is as event-packed as any other time of year, and the season kicks off with Christmas markets — like the massive Christmas Village held each year at Atwater Market.

The fun continues into maple syrup season, which runs from February to April. Cabanes à sucres (sugar shacks) pop up around the city during these months, serving maple taffy and other treats that celebrate Québec's sweetest natural resource. While there's a chance you've had Québec maple syrup before — the province produces more than 60% of the global supply — your trip to Montreal wouldn't be complete without getting a taste of the stuff where it's made.

In January, electronic music lovers flock to the city for Igloofest. As one of the only EDM events held outside in the wintertime, this annual concert calls itself "the coldest music festival in the world." Come February, Montreal trades bumping music for bright lights, courtesy of Montréal en Lumière. This multi-week event illuminates the city's downtown cultural district with an array of interactive light shows, in addition to offering recreational and dining events that range from ice skating to high-end tasting menus. Be sure to visit during Nuit Blanche, the one-night centerpiece of the festival during which more than 200 art installations stay open for viewing all night long.

Get active outdoors.

It would be a shame to visit Montreal without partaking in Canada's favorite winter pastime: ice skating. The city has no shortage of rinks, but one of the best is at Esplanade Tranquille, a public space that opened in the heart of Quartier des Spectacles in winter 2022. Here, you'll find a 16,000-square-foot rink complete with a chalet and skate rentals. For other urban winter sports, head to Mount Royal Park, a tree-lined hilltop space where you can cross-country ski, snowshoe, and even fat bike on snowy trails.

To comfortably enjoy all of these outdoor pursuits, you'll want to dress like a Montrealer. Be sure to pack layers of merino wool or thermals, plus a down jacket, hat, gloves, scarf, and waterproof winter boots.

Warm up inside with arts and culture.

On particularly blustery days, Montreal's museums, art galleries, and historical buildings offer a perfect reprieve from the windchill. The Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal is a must-visit for the French-inspired Gothic Revival architecture alone, but it's also worth attending the award-winning Aura light show, a ticketed immersive-art experience that enhances the basilica's features using light, sound, and video mapping.

Inside the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, you'll find an impressive permanent collection and rotating exhibits, with current highlights including the wide-ranging pop art exhibition "The Pop of Life!" (through July 2024) and "I Let Rhythm Flow" (through February 2024), a retrospective on the painting and choreography career of the Québécois artist Françoise Sullivan.

Where to Eat

Sample Montreal's classic dishes.

Artisanal cheese, wood-fired bagels, and smoked meat sandwiches are just a few of the delights that attract epicureans to Montreal. Cheese lovers often make a beeline to Jean-Talon Market, one of the largest open-air markets in North America, while Schwartz's Deli is the place to go for smoked meat sandwiches and La Banquise boasts endless varieties of poutine. If you still have an appetite after trying out these treats, put your bagel-judging skills to the test at St-Viateur and Fairmount — two establishments that have long battled for the title of best Montreal bagel. They both serve the city's classic style of crispy, golden bagels, which are boiled in honey water before being cooked in a wood-burning oven.

Dine at locally loved restaurants.

With Montreal being one of Canada's most culturally diverse cities, it's quickly becoming a hub for international cuisine. In the hip neighborhood of Griffintown, cozy Italian restaurant Nora Gray serves stick-to-your-ribs pasta dishes, while Tiradito in the nearby business district excels in Japanese-Peruvian fusion. A relative newcomer to the scene is Fleurs et Cadeaux, a sushi bar housed in an old flower and gift shop (don't miss the expertly curated sake list).

You'll want a reservation for hot spots like Toqué, which boasts a delectable seven-course farm-to-table tasting menu (with or without foie gras). Place Carmin, a bold French eatery from the creators of beloved Montreal restaurants Bouillon Bilk and Cadet, has been perennially busy since it opened in 2021. The slow-food mecca Cabaret L'Enfer is another favorite, thanks to its ever-changing menu focused on seasonal Québécois ingredients.

Where to Stay

Housed in two historic buildings in the heart of Old Montreal, Hotel William Gray is perfectly located for those wanting to explore city-center landmarks like Notre-Dame Basilica. With a cool communal library, vinyl collection, and year-round pop-up events, it tends to pull in a creative set. The beloved Montreal coffee-and-pastry spot Cafe Olimpico has an outpost on site, so be sure to stop by to enjoy breakfast like the locals do.

The city's first luxury hotel, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, has been a grand metropolitan hub ever since it opened across the street from the train station in the 1950s. It still drips with mid-century glamour, though its 950 guest rooms were given a modern update in 2017, thanks to a renovation designed by creative agency Sid Lee. Music lovers can even book the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite, which the honeymooning couple stayed in for a week during their famous bed-in for peace.

Since opening in 2019, the Four Seasons Hotel Montreal has become a luxurious destination in Golden Square Mile, a well-heeled central neighborhood filled with Victorian mansions, museums, and designer boutiques. Beyond top-notch service, the property also boasts an in-house restaurant created in partnership with renowned Manhattan-based chef Marcus Samuelsson and Montreal design firm Zébulon Perron. The all-new Guerlain Spa at Four Seasons opened in 2022, making the hotel an ideal spot for a cozy wellness-themed getaway just steps away from the snowy trails of Mount Royal Park.

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