Neighborhood 48H guide
Old Port & Place Jacques-Cartier: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
The waterfront, the big wheel and Place Jacques-Cartier.
The Old Port runs along the St. Lawrence below Old Montréal, with promenades, the Montréal Science Centre and La Grande Roue; Place Jacques-Cartier climbs from the water to City Hall, lined with terraces.
Photo gallery
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: СССР · CC BY-SA 2.5 ca · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Riverside promenades and Old Montréal at the door.
Who it's for: Families and waterfront walkers.
Pros
- Waterfront
- Family attractions
- Lively squares
Cons
- Busy in summer
- Touristy dining
- Windy in winter
48H in Old Port & Place Jacques-Cartier
The waterfront, the big wheel and Place Jacques-Cartier.
10:00 – Montréal Science Centre
Hands-on exhibits on King Edward Quay.
16:00 – La Grande Roue
Ride the wheel over the river.
18:00 – Place Jacques-Cartier
Terraces and street performers.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
See / do
See / do
Montréal Science Centre
King Edward Quay
Interactive science museum on King Edward Quay.
Official site / map →
Sunrise / sunset
Sunrise / sunset
La Grande Roue de Montréal
362 rue de la Commune Est
Observation wheel at the Old Port with enclosed, heated or cooled gondolas; open year-round.
Photo: СССР · CC BY-SA 2.5 ca · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Hotel William Gray
Rue Saint-Vincent
Design hotel joining two historic houses beside Place Jacques-Cartier.
Check rates on Expedia →Hotel · Expedia
Hotel St. Paul
Rue McGill
Design hotel in a Beaux-Arts building on the western edge of the old city.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Old Port & Place Jacques-Cartier.
In Montréal, short-term rentals of a host’s principal residence are allowed only from June 10 to September 10, and the host needs a city permit plus a CITQ registration number from Quebec, which must appear on the listing; most other whole-home rentals for 31 days or less are not permitted. Before booking on Vrbo, check that the listing shows a valid CITQ number.
Browse vacation rentals in Old Port & Place Jacques-Cartier on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Montréal
- Old Montréal — Notre-Dame Basilica and the city’s birthplace.
- Downtown — Sainte-Catherine Street, the Underground City and the cathedral.
- Golden Square Mile — The Museum of Fine Arts, the McCord and Mount Royal.
- Quartier des Spectacles — Place des Arts, festivals and the symphony.
- Quartier Latin & the Village — Students, cinema and the Village on Sainte-Catherine Est.
- Plateau Mont-Royal — Staircases, Parc La Fontaine and Schwartz’s.
- Griffintown & the Lachine Canal — Canal-side cycling and Atwater Market.