Montreal is the third best city to visit in the world, Lonely Planet says

For the top 10 cities in the 2024 edition of Lonely Planet's "best in travel," Montreal is surpassed only by Nairobi, Kenya and Paris, France (guess they haven’t heard about the bedbugs).

If you’re trying to decide what to do with your next week off, consider a staycation — Montreal was just voted the third best city to visit by Lonely Planet for its 2024 edition of “best in travel.”

The guide referenced the city’s all-season festivals, diverse restaurants, galleries and quirky shops as reasons Montreal “has long been one of Canada’s coolest destinations.” What pushed it over the edge for this year’s best cities category, however, is new museums, revamped attractions, the vibrancy of the restaurant scene and — Mayor Valérie Plante will be happy to hear this — transit options.

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“Lonely Planet is one of the most prestigious and recognized authorities in tourism worldwide,” Yves Lalumière, president and CEO of Tourisme Montréal, said in a statement. “Being among the world’s 10 best cities of this special 50th anniversary edition is a real crowning achievement for Montreal, which speaks to the city’s truly distinctive appeal for visitors from around the world.”

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This is isn’t the first time the guide has included Montreal in its list of 10 best cities, the last being 2013, Tourisme Montréal said. This year, it’s surpassed only by Nairobi, Kenya and Paris, France (guess they haven’t heard about the bedbugs).

The cities that follow Montreal on the list are: Mostar, Bosnia; Philadelphia, U.S.A.; Manaus, Brazil; Jakarta, Indonesia; Prague, Czech Republic; Izmir, Turkey; and Kansas City, U.S.A.

Lonely Planet’s Montreal page includes tips on the best time to visit the city depending on your interests, and top 11 things to do.

“Head to bilingual Montréal to enjoy a taste of French culture in a North American city that’s in love with festivals, the arts, good food and enjoying life to the hilt,” the web page reads (don’t tell Premier François Legault about that first part).

“Must-see” attractions given the best real estate on the page are Mount Royal, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Notre-Dame Basilica.

The Lonely Planet ranking comes about a week after Time Out (somehow) named downtown Montreal Canada’s coolest neighbourhood.

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