CA · Quebec · 45.51°N 73.55°W

montreal

Old stone streets, bagels, markets and leafy neighbourhoods beneath Mount Royal.

Best time
May–October are best for walking and festivals, with the jazz festival in summer and autumn colour on Mount Royal in October. Winter is long and very cold, though the city has an underground network and its own winter festivals.
How long
3–4 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop, usually via Paris, Istanbul or Doha, about 22–26 hours all in. The 747 airport bus takes 45–70 minutes to downtown. Montreal is 12 hours behind KL, 13 from November to early March. Malaysians need a Canadian visitor visa, or just an eTA if flying in with a valid US visa or a Canadian visa held in the last 10 years.
Save postcard
CA · Quebecmontreal45.51°N 73.55°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Old stone streets, bagels, markets and leafy neighbourhoods beneath Mount Royal.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingMontrealCA, Quebec
KLmontreal
≈ 14,585 km from KL, as the crow flies
The skyline of downtown Montreal, Quebec (pop. 1,762,000). It's the 2nd-largest city in Canada, and 8th-largest in North America.

Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0

1 / 4

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Montreal is French-speaking North America, with old stone streets by the river and a wooded hill, Mount Royal, above downtown. The Plateau and Mile End are for wandering without a plan and stopping whenever something smells good.

Makan

  1. Montreal bagelsSmaller, denser and sweeter than New York's, boiled in honey water and baked in wood-fired ovens.Map ↗
  2. PoutineChips and squeaky cheese curds under gravy. Ask what the gravy is made from.Map ↗
  3. Smoked meatSpiced, smoked beef brisket piled into rye bread with mustard.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Old MontrealCobbled streets, the Notre-Dame Basilica and the Old Port along the river.Map ↗
  2. Mount RoyalPaths through the woods to a lookout over downtown.Map ↗
  3. Jean-Talon MarketA big open-air farmers' market in Little Italy, good for lunch and maple treats.Map ↗
  4. Plateau and Mile EndOutdoor spiral staircases, bagel bakeries and independent shops.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Halal is easy: Petit Maghreb on Jean-Talon Street East and Côte-des-Neiges are full of North African, Lebanese and South Asian places.
  • French is the main language; start with a 'bonjour' and most people will switch to English.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.