Montreal is particularly bustling in the summer, with its many festivals and events. It's also the high season for tourism: tourists flock into the city to see what Montreal has to offer. And, though many tourist activities have Montrealers rolling their eyes (we're looking at you, Old Port zipline), others are actually really worth trying. There's something to be said for being a tourist in your own city. Try one of these more "touristic" activities to get to know the city better and have a genuinely good time. Aura Basilica Where: 110 rue Notre-Dame W. When: 2-3 shows every evening in July, find the full schedule here. Aura Basilica is an amazing lightshow in the Notre-Dame Basilica, one of the city's most beautiful churches. The show uses projections to highlight the beauty of the cathedral: I won't give away too much about the show, but I can tell you that it's amazing. View this post on Instagram Aura: a wonderful immersive luminous experience in the heart of #montreal . Don’t waste time. Run seeing it ! #aurabasilique #aurabasilica #notredamebasilica #montreal #culture #momentfactory #lightandsound #mapping #discovercanada #travelcanada #quebec #discoverquebec #explorequebec #quebec A post shared by Hugo Lavaurs (@hugo_lavaurs) on May 1, 2019 at 2:16pm PDT More information. Cité-Mémoire Where: Throughout Old Montreal. When: Tuesday – Sunday, dusk till midnight. This installation invites visitors to learn more about the city's history through "poetic, dreamlike and occasionally playful" characters. It's a great way to explore the streets of Old Montreal at dusk. After, stop for a drink at Philemon or l'Assommoir. View this post on Instagram Beautiful city sights! • • • • #citememoire #montreal #vieuxport #oldportoldtown #trees #art #artists #creative #night #evening #darksky #summertime #quebec #weekendvibes #homeatlast #justkidding #ontheroad #ferriswheel #faces #lights #perspective #artsy #beautiful #friends #gooutside #canada #itravel #destination #passionpassport A post shared by Magali (@digitalrebelle) on Aug 16, 2018 at 11:35am PDT More information. Throwback Tours Where: 350 rue St-Paul E. When: You can book a timeslot here! Throwback Tours is a company based in Montreal that offers historical tours of Montreal in classic convertibles. It's a new and fun way to see the city! View this post on Instagram #bedriven #66caddy #throwbacktours #grandprix2017 ##stop and take a pic hastag it 😇 A post shared by Throwback Tours (@throwback_tours) on Jun 10, 2017 at 3:13pm PDT Read our article here. Jardin Botanique Where: 4101 rue Sherbrooke E. When: Sunday – Thursday 9 – 6 Friday and Saturday 9 – 7 This locations draws tourists in, and with good reasons. The gardens in the summer time are actually magical: it's amazing how much care goes into tending to the plants. You can spend hours wandering through the gardens, which all have different themes. View this post on Instagram 3 trucs pour une soirée magique à #Jardinsdelumière au #JardinBotanique 🌙 : Réservez votre date et heure de visite, achetez vos billets en ligne et privilégiez le transport en commun ! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ******** ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 3 steps to a magical evening at #GardensOfLight at the #JardinBotanique 🌙: Reserve your date and time of visit, buy your tickets online and take public transit! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #Automne #Autumn #Saisons #Nature #Garden #Fall #feelslikefall #Beoutside #Jardinbotanique #Botanicalgarden #Espacepourlavie #Spaceforlife #Montréal #MTL #Mtlmoments #Quoifaire #TourismeMontreal #GreaterMontreal #Instatravel #travel #discover #travelblogger #lanterns #lanternes #jardinilluminé #illuminatedgarden A post shared by Espace pour la vie (@espacepourlavie) on Sep 17, 2018 at 11:40am PDT More information. Bonsecours Market Where: 350 rue St-Paul E. When: Monday – Sunday, 10 am – 6:00 pm You've definitely already spent a day wandering through Atwater market or Jean-Talon, but have you ever gone inside the Bonsecours market? Despite it being a hotspot for tourists, it's actually a pretty great place to buy local products. View this post on Instagram #montreal #canada #oldportmontreal #travel A post shared by Jorge Mendoza (@georgeberliner) on Jul 2, 2019 at 7:20pm PDT More information. Observatoire Ville-Marie Where: 1 Place Ville-Marie When: Monday to Wednesday, 11:30 am to 10:30pm,Thursday and Friday, 11:30am to 11pm Saturday, 10am to 11pm, Sunday 10am to 10pm. This observatory has hands-down one of the best views in the city: see the city from 185 meters from the observatory itself, or view it as you sip a drink at Les Enfants Terribles. View this post on Instagram Black and white with a splash of sky . . #montreal #quebec #canada #skyline #observatory #blackandwhite #edit #lookout A post shared by Rav Sandhu (@rsandhu0) on Jul 18, 2019 at 9:15am PDT More information. The Clock Tower Where: 1 Quai de l'Horloge When: Saturday – Thursday, 11:00am – 7:00pm The clock tower is another place to get a great view of our city. Plus, climbing up to the top of the tower is a nice little bit of exercise. View this post on Instagram Wat-ter view 😎 A post shared by Merlyn Lobo (@merlzed) on Jul 18, 2019 at 10:04am PDT More information. Îles de Boucherville Where: 55 Île Sainte Marguerite, Boucherville. When: Monday – Sunday, 8:00am – 7:00pm The Parc national des îles de Boucherville is one of Montreal's best-kept secrets. Peaceful nature, fresh air and a number of activities are at the visitor's disposal. The park is the perfect escape on a warm summer day when the heat of the city gets to be too much. View this post on Instagram Bouchraville 🚣🏽♀️ #mtlmoments A post shared by Bouchra (@bouatik) on Jul 18, 2019 at 5:18pm PDT Read our article for more information. Oratoire Saint-Joseph Where: 3800 chemin Queen Mary When: Always open. This amazing church is Canada's biggest. You can see it from quite a distance, but few have ever been inside. It is worthwhile to go and take a peek, as the decor is really impressive. View this post on Instagram A post shared by amélie 아멜리 (@amelielnd_) on Jul 19, 2019 at 10:24am PDT More information. These activities are all really worth trying, though we might gloss over them as "tourist traps," they're actually a super fun way to explore the city.
