STATUS: CONFIRMED
Montreal is the second largest city in Canada, a top tourism destination in North America, and it is home to DCers!
As our first official event in Montreal, our goal is to show off Montreal and help DCers connect in a structured way. (Our secret goal is to make sure you’ll want to come back to DCx MTL 2024.)
The main event is Saturday, where we'll be exploring the city, sharing meals, and participating in wonderful conversations.
We'll also have optional meet-ups on Friday and Sunday which we’ll coordinate in the group chat.
Get Your DCx Montreal Ticket. Only 20 Are Available.
Why Montreal est magnifique:
Montreal, the vibrant city where you can hear most conversations in Franglish, has something to please everyone.
It’s a green city where architecture & nature merge beautifully. And no matter when you come, a festival of some kind is happening. During DCx MTL September 2023, just to name two: Piknic Electronic for DJ lovers on Sundays and Garden of Lights at the Botanical Garden will be ongoing.
We’re serious about our food & drinks! From low end to high end, our devotion to brunch, healthy food markets & the most savory poutines… as a bustling multicultural city, anything you want to eat, it’s here!
We also have a lot of speakeasies, so if someone brings you through a fridge door, that’s normal.
Art lovers will be entertained by museums and street art. And AI enthusiasts can also enjoy and flaunt visiting North America’s AI Hub. If you’re still here on September 27-28, there is the ALL IN event that you can look up here.
And so much more…
Bonus: friendly bilingual DCers ready to welcome you by saying: “Bonjour Hi”!
Sounds pretty good, eh?
Join us at DCx Montreal! Only 20 Are Available.
Here’s what we’ll be up to:
We want you to enjoy this city and get to know fellow DCers.
Friday, September 15
Get settled in your hotel and surroundings
5:00 pm: Welcome Cocktail
7:00 pm: Diner (Souper for Quebecers - You’ll learn a few words)
Saturday, September 16
8:00 am: Walk up Mont-Royal Park and Breakfast (1h)*
Meet up point: Monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier (you can say the monument of Mont-Royal parc to a taxi driver)
Don’t worry, people do it with strollers and kids, you can do it!
As a reward, we’ll have breakfast on top with croissants and coffee picnic style (like we so often do)
10:30 am: Going back down the mountain via Downtown*
11:00 am: Break
Go back to your hotel if you want, or do as you please
If you want to explore Downtown, this is the moment to visit and see the “underground city”. We’ll be there to guide you.
12:30 pm: Lunch Roulette ($)
Depending on the number of people, we will be pairing you with 3-4 other DCers at random. We will have conversation prompts and icebreakers to help you go deep and get to know each other.
In the morning, you’ll find out the name of the restaurant we have reserved for you but not the names of your fellow DCers.
Enjoy great Montreal food while meeting new people & talk business (or not. It’s up to you).
3:00 pm: Tour of the old port
5:00 pm: Break
7:00 pm: Dinner ($)
10:00 pm: Bar ($)
* We’ll have a plan B if it rains.
Sunday, September 17
There are no set plans for Sunday, this is an optional day. Take a look at the detailed neighborhood table to see what interests you. Depending on how many people will be around, we can plan some activities.
Where to stay and the main neighborhoods:
Where to stay
There are 2 major areas that we recommend staying in considering our activities.
Downtown Montreal (you’ll find major chain hotels) & Old Port (more boutique hotels)
Montreal offers a fantastic range of accommodations to suit every taste and budget. Here are a few popular options:
1. Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth: Located in the heart of downtown Montreal, this iconic hotel combines a rich history with modern luxury.
2. Hotel Bonaventure Montreal: Known for its stunning rooftop pool and garden, this hotel offers comfortable rooms and excellent amenities.
3. Le Saint-Sulpice Hotel Montreal: Situated in Old Montreal, this boutique hotel offers spacious suites and a charming European atmosphere.
4. Auberge du Vieux-Port: This charming boutique hotel overlooks the St. Lawrence River and offers cozy rooms with a unique historic ambiance.
5. Hotel William Gray: Located in the vibrant Old Port district, this contemporary hotel features stylish rooms, a rooftop terrace (one of our favorites), and stunning views.
Get Your DCx Montreal Ticket. Only 20 Are Available.
The Main Neighborhoods
Montreal has so much to offer, and one interesting thing about this island is that each district has its own “je ne sais quoi”.
And so, here is how we view our city. You can pick and choose where to visit on Sunday or if you are staying in the city longer. For more in-depth, here are some city recommendations.
District
What’s special about it
What you should see there
Old Port
Explore the unique architecture of the Old Port by foot or bike. History, culture, artisan boutiques and food trucks on the menu. Rooftop terrasses, gastronomic restaurants, spas and street entertainment are on the top of the list.
Architecture
Place Jacques-Cartier
Rue de la commune & Saint Paul
Museum of archeology and science center
Zip line & labyrinthe (2km long)
La Grande Roue
Cruise on the Canal
Canal Districts (Griffintown, Petite-Bourgogne & Saint-Henri)
Gastronomy, music, history and vast green space come together in the southwest neighborhood of Saint-Henri and its neighbors, a prime destination for upscale living, recreation and fine dining.You’ll find a long path for cyclists and pedestrians alike along the canal to enjoy the scenery. Stop by the Atwater Market or any of the great restaurants on Notre-Dame street. City proposed itinerary.
Marché Atwater
Walk along the canal (old railway)
Brewery 4 Origines
Terrasse St-Ambroise & the pink house
Brewery Messorem
Outside rock climbing on silos
Downtown
Museums, bars and good food. Stop by Chinatown to see the traditional gates and get a bubble tea. Explore the “Underground City” while shopping.
Museum Hopping (Museum of Fine Arts and McCord)
Underground city
Shopping
Mont-Royal Park
Mont-Royal Park offers a great view of the city. Walk to the View Points to enjoy nature and take in the scenery.
Highest view point of the city
Plateau Mont-Royal
A great area for coffee shops or bar hopping, or both ;) The streets of Plateau Mont-Royal are full of charming townhouses and casual local restaurants. Stop by Ma Poule Mouillée to get tasty Portuguese chicken or La Banquise for a Poutine treat. Order to go for a picnic at Parc Lafontaine.
Parc Lafontaine
Breakfast at Beauty’s dinner
Lunch at Schwartz's Deli
Thrift shops on Mont-Royal Street
Saint-Denis street
Mile-End
Where jewish orthodox and hipsters meet. Go get 2 bagels: one at St-viateur, one at Fairmount, the 2 most famous bagel shops in the city. Then walk on St-Laurent towards downtown and enjoy the great murals repainted every year. Stop at boutique shops along the way.
Walk in the Mile-End and Plateau Mont-Royal following this map to see the most impressive murals in the city.
Villeray, Little Italy & Parc-Extension
Start at the Jean Talon Market (outdoors) & take a walk on De Castelnau pedestrian street and grab a coffee (Ferlucci for a Nutella coffee or Larue for more traditional). Go relax next to the fountain at Jarry Park or see some cricket if you’re lucky. You can continue to Parc Ex, one of Montréal’s most multicultural neighborhoods and rarely visited by tourists, but that’s where you’ll find great Indian restaurant lunches for 8$. You can move on to Little Italy for any food, but the staples are Napoletana (pizzeria in Montreal and BYOB) and Pasticceria Alati-Caserta for the cannoli.
Marché Jean-Talon
Dinette Triple Crown
Parc Jarry
Pasticceria Alati-Caserta
Napoletana
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
The Olympic district of Montreal. Visit the botanical Garden, the Biodome and walk by the Olympic Stadium. If you stay until October 6th, make sure to hit the Montreal street food festival - food truck event.
Botanical Garden (at night, you have the Garden of Lights event we mentioned)
Olympic Stadium
Biodome
Ile Sainte-Hélène
Ile Sainte-Helene is our expanded man made island for the 1967 world Expo. It is mainly for attractions and so few people actually live there. Want to go back to childhood? Then go to La Ronde amusement park. You can also enjoy the casino or do a bike ride along our F1 track. Paddle board, beach, gardens… enjoy.
Piknic Electronik if you want to dance. Make sure to purchase a ticket.
Montreal Biosphère
Casino of Montreal
La Ronde
Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
Beach
Paddle board
Food Guide
No matter where you go, you will find good food. And if you can, Sunday = BRUNCH DAY. One of your hosts (aka Elizabeth) is obsessed with the Montreal food scene, and so you can consult her Restaurant / Bar / Cafe Google spreadsheet (it’s a franglish and a constant work in progress) just filter where you are, what you’re looking for and enjoy.
Getting Around the City
Public transport is very accessible, clean, and easy to use. You can put your destination in Google Maps and transport (buses and metro) is tracked in real-time in the app.
Note: To use a bus, you need cash or a public transit card that can be purchased in any subway station with a credit card or cash.
You can also use Uber & Taxis (they take credit cards, and you’ll find them everywhere).
From/to the airport: There is the 747 bus that goes directly downtown or you can also take a taxi or Uber.