Montreal: Plan the Trip from This Episode of Andiamo Uptown
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Montreal Escape With Andiamo UPTOWN!
Set in the vibrant heart of Montreal, this 7-day city break blends European charm with North American edge. Think cobblestone streets, cutting-edge art, iconic food, and a creative pulse that never quite slows down. This is a lifestyle escape designed for curious minds, food lovers, and urban explorers
In the Montreal episode of Andiamo Uptown, Donna moves through one of Canada's most distinctive cities, taking in everything from centuries-old basilicas to high-speed jet boats on the St. Lawrence River. This package is built around the same highlights, with the difference that you set the pace. Trips are fully customizable, giving you the space to settle into Montreal rather than tick it off a list.
Explore the History of Old Montreal
Old Montreal is the city's oldest neighbourhood, and it rewards time spent wandering. At its centre is Notre-Dame Basilica, a 19th-century landmark whose interior is one of the most striking in North America. The surrounding streets, with their cobblestones and heritage buildings, give the whole area a sense of a city that has held onto its past without freezing it in place.
Notre-Dame Basilica's interior took decades to complete, with craftsmen carving and gilding almost every surface. The blue vaulted ceiling and gold detailing were designed to evoke the night sky over a medieval city.
Visit St. Joseph's Oratory and Olympic Park
Two of Montreal's most recognizable structures sit on opposite ends of the city. St. Joseph's Oratory is a place of pilgrimage and one of the largest church domes in the world. Olympic Park, built for the 1976 Games, is a piece of bold 1970s architecture that still draws visitors for the views from its tower. What connects them is ambition built on belief (one spiritual, one civic) and the sense that Montreal has always been a city willing to build beyond what was strictly necessary.
Discover the World of Circus Arts at TOHU
TOHU is unlike anything else on the itinerary. Built around a mission that connects performance, training, and environmental sustainability, it serves as a hub for the circus arts community and a venue for shows that push the form in genuinely unexpected directions. Donna's visit makes clear this is not a tourist attraction in the usual sense. It's a working creative institution that happens to be open to the public.
See Five Ecosystems Under One Roof at the Biodome
The Biodome replicates five distinct natural environments inside a single building, originally constructed as the velodrome for the 1976 Olympics. Tropical birds, monkeys, Arctic penguins, and Gulf of St. Lawrence marine life all share the space. It's an unusual experience, and a good one, particularly for travelers who want something outside the standard city itinerary.
Eat Well in Old Montreal
Montreal's food culture is serious and varied. Donna's meal at Restaurant Duo, with crab cakes and swordfish, is a good example of what the city does with locally sourced ingredients and French culinary tradition. Old Montreal has no shortage of strong options, and the neighbourhood itself makes for a natural setting for a long lunch or dinner.
Old Montreal on a busy afternoon, where the cobblestone streets fill quickly once the weather turns. The neighbourhood has kept its 18th-century bones while making room for the restaurants and cafes that now spill out onto the pavement each summer.
Take the Jet Boat Through the St. Lawrence Rapids
For a change of pace, the jet boat tour through the Lachine Rapids on the St. Lawrence River is one of the more memorable things you can do in Montreal. It is fast, wet, and genuinely thrilling. Donna's time on the water makes for some of the episode's best footage, and it's the kind of experience that tends to be a trip highlight—even for people who weren't sure about it going in.
Catch a Festival: Jazz or Fireworks
Montreal runs some of the world's best-known festivals, and two are featured in the episode. The Montreal International Fireworks Competition brings elaborate displays over the St. Lawrence across multiple summer weekends. The Montreal Jazz Festival draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year for concerts (many of them free) spread across the city's downtown. Timing your trip around either one adds an experience that's hard to replicate any other way.
Plan Your Own Montreal Adventure
This package is inspired by the highlights of Donna's Andiamo Uptown episode and fully customizable to fit your interests and schedule. Click the offer below and start building your Montreal trip.
Montreal Escape With Andiamo UPTOWN!
Set in the vibrant heart of Montreal, this 7-day city break blends European charm with North American edge. Think cobblestone streets, cutting-edge art, iconic food, and a creative pulse that never quite slows down. This is a lifestyle escape designed for curious minds, food lovers, and urban explorers
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