Spread out over 190 acres of culturally thematic gardens, greenhouses and Art Deco pavilions, the Montreal Botanical Garden is one of the world’s most prestigious collections of plant life, notable for its sheer variety of species which hits tens of thousands in number. During your visit, check out the Insectarium museum’s collection of 95 different species, the Japanese zen garden, or the Chinese Garden when the Lantern Festival is happening.

Designed by architect Moshe Safdie and originally built as a pavilion for the World’s Fair in 1967, Habitat 67’s iconic stacked cubes are one of the most recognizable attractions in Montreal. Comprised of 354 concrete forms 12 storeys high and housing over 100 apartments, it is a prime example of Brutalist architecture in the city. After taking a 90-minute tour of it in French or English, watch surfers, bodyboarders and kayakers take to the two-metre-high standing wave nearby in the summer.

A farmers market dating back to 1933, Jean-Talon is a textbook study in how markets are hubs of the city’s gastronomic building blocks. Full of local produce and products from a variety of local growers, fishmongers, butchers, bakers, restaurants and grocers, it’s an open-air space to explore and sample terroir with seasonal pop-up restaurants in the summer and heating in the winter. Try oysters on the half-shell at La Boite Aux Huîtres before tacos at El Rey del Taco or mezze at Le Petit Alep.

This is Montreal’s premier destination for curated collections of contemporary art. Now with over 8,000 pieces from 1,500 artists both national and international, the museum was a first for Canada when it opened in 1964. Now a gathering place for Montrealers and tourists alike to check out works both provocative and contemplative, there are also lectures, workshops and fresh new exhibits every single year. The best time to visit is during the city's Nuit Blanche festival for its amazing parties.

Commonly looked to as the launchpad for some of Montreal’s biggest festivals in the summer and a source of winter activities once the snow falls, Parc Jean-Drapeau h 662 acres of green space and house attractions, a high-speed racetrack and an amusement park spread out across two islands. When you’re not attending landmark annual events like Osheaga and Piknic Électronik or putting it all on black at the Montreal Casino, go hunting for preserved relics of Expo 67 like the Biosphere.

Located inside a heritage building in Old Montreal, the PHI Centre features varied programming in all possible art forms, both analog and technological. Whether it’s aural, visual, tactile, olfactory or gustatory, there’s always something astounding going on from local and international artists alike – past exhibits have featured Jim Carrey, John Currin and Jenny Holzer. Built with sustainability in mind, the centre also sports a green roof, urban garden, and urban beehives.

A 60-metre-tall observation wheel that’s kaleidoscopically lit and equipped with climate-controlled booths running throughout the year, La Grand Roue offers a full view of Old Montreal and downtown. Built to commemorate the city’s 375th anniversary, this illuminated wheel fashioned after similar structures found in Chicago and Hong Kong offers panoramic views unlike any other. Take a ride and get some dazzling perspective on the cityscape, or make it the main event of a romantic night out.

As the city’s premier drink-dine-and-watch destination, this hybrid of an indie cinema and café in the Mile End was the first to offer food and drink alongside curated film selections. No daily screening is the same as the next—and it’s good for the kids, too: As they watch cartoons on weekends, you can kick back with the brunch services that run from 10am to 4pm. Keep an eye on the special events, as Cinéma Moderne has been known to host exhibits like an indooor garden.

Billed as a ‘spa on the water’, this repurposed ferryboat may not physically unmoor and drift down the river, but a day spent there sure feels like it. One of the finest spas in town, Bota Bota offers great views of Old Port and Habitat 67 from relaxing quarters equipped with Nordic water circuits, saunas and baths to enjoy throughout the year, plus gardens to lounge around in during summers. Worth the trip for a massage and/or beauty treatment, followed by wining and dining in the evenings.

A major destination in the downtown core, the SAT is an arts and research centre focused on immersive technologies. If there’s one thing you need to experience here, it’s the Satosphère: A cavernous room with a 360-degree spherical projection screen and 157 speakers that provides wild audio-visual presentations and films. The space also hosts dance parties, video game presentations and virtual reality experiences, as well as local and visiting VJs and DJs strutting their stuff.