Montreal ranked high among Canada's best cities but a smaller Quebec spot stole the show
Montreal may be a foodie paradise and festival capital, but it still couldn't edge out its historic sibling when it came time for Travel + Leisure readers to pick their favourite city in the country.
The publication just dropped the results of its annual World's Best Awards for 2025, using the results to narrow down their readers' five favourite cities in Canada in 2025 five favourite cities in Canada in 2025. Rankings were based on things like landmarks, culture, food, friendliness, shopping, and overall value. The final scores were averages of all those categories.
While Montreal landed in a very respectable second place, Quebec City held onto its title — again. For those counting, that's 10 years straight that the capital has claimed the crown, making it not just a local favourite, but an international one too.
According to T+L, readers were particularly charmed by Quebec City's "French architecture and winding streets, excellent food and shopping, and the evocative historic atmosphere of Vieux-Québec." The old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was singled out as a must-see, especially in winter, when the Saint Lawrence River freezes and the city takes on a storybook feel.
"If you can't get to Paris, go to Quebec," one reader said.
That's not to say Montreal didn't impress. The city was praised for its culture, cuisine, and value, and actually climbed one spot higher than last year. From arts festivals to late-night eats to a nightlife scene that doesn't really sleep, Montreal continues to leave a mark on visitors, even if it's not quite first-place material.
Quebec's one-two punch didn't go unnoticed either. With both Montreal and Quebec City earning top-tier scores, the province is clearly holding its own against heavyweights like Vancouver, Halifax, and Victoria — all of which rounded out the top five.
So, the next time someone asks which Canadian cities are worth the hype, just tell them two of the best are only a train ride apart. And neither of them is Toronto.
Here's the full 2025 list from Travel + Leisure:
- Quebec City, QC – Score: 86.79
- Montreal, QC – Score: 82.93
- Vancouver, BC – Score: 82.79
- Halifax, NS – Score: 82.26
- Victoria, BC – Score: 80.70
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