Montreal is a good city to do alone because its best habits are public and self-paced: three public markets that are open every day, museums that stay open late on set evenings, and a mountain park in the middle of town. In November you spend more time indoors, and the city has plenty of places built for that.
Last checked 2026-11-01.
Three markets, three speeds
Eating alone is easiest where nobody is waiting for a table, and a market gives you that: you walk, taste, buy and leave. The city's public markets are run by Marchés publics de Montréal, and all three below are open every day.
Jean-Talon Market (Little Italy). The official site calls it one of the biggest markets in North America, open year-round, "in summer and winter alike". Hours are Monday to Saturday 8:00 to 18:00 and Sunday 8:00 to 17:00. Get there by metro at Jean-Talon or De Castelnau (Jean-Talon Market). It is the busiest of the three, so go on a weekday morning if crowds make you tense.
Atwater Market (southwest). An art-deco market building from 1933 near the Lachine Canal, open in summer and winter. Hours are Monday to Friday 9:00 to 18:00 and Saturday and Sunday 9:00 to 17:00; the nearest metro station is Lionel-Groulx (Atwater Market). The picnic tables and terrace are part of the summer season, so in November eat inside or take your food for a walk.
Maisonneuve Market (Hochelaga-Maisonneuve). The quietest of the three. Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 18:00, Sunday 9:00 to 17:00, metro Pie IX or Viau (Maisonneuve Market). The Saturday music-and-food afternoons run May to October, so they are over for this year.
For tips on sitting down to a meal on your own, read how to eat alone in public.
The late-night rota
Montreal makes it easy to plan an evening alone because several museums keep fixed late hours. Pick one night and treat it as a standing date with yourself.
- Wednesday: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Open until 21:00. From 17:00 to 21:00 adults aged 26 and over pay $16 instead of $32, and in that slot only the Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles exhibition is open (the permanent galleries are closed). Visitors aged 25 and under are free (MMFA hours and admission). The museum is closed on Mondays.
- Thursday: Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA). From October to May the gallery is open Thursday 11:00 to 21:00, and admission is free for everyone on Thursdays after 17:00. It is closed Monday to Wednesday (CCA visit). A good first pick: a small museum, a free slot and a clear reason to leave.
- Wednesday to Saturday: MEM. The MEM, at the corner of Saint-Laurent and Sainte-Catherine in the Quartier des spectacles, is open until 19:30. Its public areas are free to enter, and an adult ticket for the exhibitions is $15.50. Le Central food court is at street level (MEM visit).
- Cinema in a museum. The Cinéma du Musée at the MMFA shows independent and international films in their original versions, with French or English subtitles (Cinéma du Musée). A seat in the dark is one of the easiest solo formats there is.
Old Montréal, underground
For a rainy afternoon, Pointe-à-Callière in Old Montréal (350 Place Royale) is an archaeology and history museum, open Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 17:00 and Saturday and Sunday 11:00 to 17:00, with tickets sold until 60 minutes before closing (Pointe-à-Callière). A ticketed museum with a clear route through it means you never wonder what to do next.
The mountain in November
Mount Royal Park is run with Les Amis de la montagne, whose programme page lists what is on. Two things suit one person walking: a self-guided sound walk called "At the Root of the Tree", running to 30 November, and a free outdoor exhibition of archival photographs on 150 years of the park, running to 31 December. There are Café des Amis venues at the Beaver Lake Pavilion and the Mount Royal Chalet (programming, visitor services). Check the café hours on the Les Amis page before you go.
Along the canal
The Lachine Canal path is a 13.5-kilometre route between the Old Port and Lake Saint-Louis, according to Parks Canada (Lachine Canal National Historic Site). Start at the Atwater Market, walk as far as feels good and turn round. A path with no fixed end is forgiving: you can stop at any point and nobody is waiting.
Getting around
The STM sells a 24-hour pass valid in Zone A for $11.25 (regular fare), good for 24 hours after first use. You can buy fares online, on the Chrono app, in the metro or at fare vending machines. If you already hold a 3-day, Evening, Weekend or 24-hour pass on your OPUS card you cannot load another (STM 24-hour pass). All three markets above have a named metro station nearby, so a day can be built around the lines.
First solo outings
- Easy: Maisonneuve Market on a weekday morning. Walk the stalls, buy one thing and go.
- Medium: Thursday evening at the CCA after 17:00, free, with an exit when you are ready.
- Bold: Atwater Market and then a stretch of the Lachine Canal path, or a Wednesday-evening MMFA exhibition followed by a film at the Cinéma du Musée.
New to going out alone in a city? See things to do alone in a new city, the solo activities guide and the all-cities hub. Elsewhere in Canada: Toronto and Vancouver.
Solo Era for iPhone
Try a small gallery as a mission
In Solo Era, the culture mission "Visit a small gallery on a quiet weekday." is a level 2 mission. A free Thursday slot at a small museum is one place to do it. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.
FAQ
Is the CCA free on Thursdays?
Yes, after 17:00. The CCA's visit page lists free admission for all on Thursdays after 17:00, and from October to May the gallery stays open until 21:00 that day.
Are Montreal's public markets open in winter?
Yes. Jean-Talon and Atwater are both listed as open in summer and winter, and Maisonneuve lists daily hours. Outdoor extras like the picnic tables at Atwater and the Saturday music at Maisonneuve belong to the warmer season.
Which Montreal museums are open late?
The MMFA is open until 21:00 on Wednesday, the CCA until 21:00 on Thursday, and the MEM until 19:30 from Wednesday to Saturday. The MMFA is closed on Mondays.
Is anything happening on Mount Royal in November?
A self-guided sound walk runs until 30 November, and a free outdoor exhibition on the park's history runs until 31 December, according to Les Amis de la montagne.
What does the MMFA charge on Wednesday evenings?
From 17:00 to 21:00, adults aged 26 and over pay $16, and visitors 25 and under are free. Only the current exhibition is open at that time.
Sources (checked 2026-11-01)
- Jean-Talon Market
- Atwater Market
- Maisonneuve Market
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: hours and admission
- Cinéma du Musée
- Canadian Centre for Architecture: visit
- MEM
- Pointe-à-Callière
- Mount Royal public programming
- Mount Royal visitor services
- Lachine Canal National Historic Site
- STM 24-hour pass
Details change; check the venue before you go.
Solo Era for iPhone
Try it with Solo Era
Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.
