I was super excited to be going to my very first Formula 1 race in Montreal. I had been to Montreal several times before on business trips and I had always wanted to see it properly, so I decided to turn my Montreal Grand Prix trip into a 5-day visit. This gave me the opportunity to go to all three days of the Grand Prix, plus a day for Montreal sightseeing on either end.
This guide to visiting the Montreal Grand Prix is focused on you making the most of your trip, before, during and after the Formula 1 race. If you’d like specific advice on making your Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve experience the best it can be, check out my Tips for First Time Visitors to the Montreal Grand Prix.
Here is what I got up to during my 5-day trip to Montreal for the Grand Prix:
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Day 1: Arrive in Montreal and Explore Before Race Weekend
I began my guys trip to Montreal when my flight landed at 7:20 am. After collecting my bag, I took the 747 airport bus to Gare Central in downtown Montreal. It was too early to check into my hostel, so I used the Bounce app to find a place to store my luggage for the day.
Walk Up Mount Royal for City Views
After a quick breakfast I walked north to Mount Royal, a small mountain just outside downtown Montreal. Whenever I am somewhere new, I like to get up to a viewpoint to help me get the lay of the land. To do a complete lap of Mount Royal, I followed this walking trail.
What a beautiful park just outside of downtown Montreal. In May during the Grand Prix weekend, the leaves were fully out, and some trees had beautiful flowers on them. A Thursday morning, locals were out jogging and walking their dogs. This felt like a great way to say hello to Montreal.
Soon the trail led me past Lac aux Castors (also known as Beaver Lake) which is a beautiful lake in Mount Royal. It was fun watching the ducks and Koi swim around the peaceful lake.
I really enjoyed that the walking trail I chose led me to all the highlights of Mount Royal, but also to less visited areas of the park. With such a crazy weekend ahead I tried to savour these pockets of quiet.
The stairs into the inner upper loop are long and hard, and lots of locals were running the stairs for exercise. At the top, the views of downtown Montreal, the St. Lawrence River and beyond from Kondiaronk lookout are worth every step.
On the final stretch of the upper loop you get a view of where the Montréal Alouettes play at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. It’s a beautiful stretch of trail on a side slope, with great views of downtown through the trees.
“The Pit Stop” – F1 Events at Eaton Centre
After a few hours of hiking in Mount Royal I made my way to the Eaton Centre for “The Pit Stop”, which is a series of fun Formula 1 displays and activities for racing fans. A benefit of visiting the Pit Stop at Eaton Centre on a Thursday is that the lineups weren’t too bad.
Some of the exhibits at the Pit Stop in Eaton Centre were a 1976 F1 Ferrari, a Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve store, some fun F1 photo ops, and one of those reflex games where you need to hit the lights on the wall as fast as you can.
The biggest line was for the F1 racing simulator where you actually get to sit in an F1 race car with a double wide monitor for a windshield. The line took 80 minutes, and the simulator only lasted 3 minutes, but it was totally worth it. The simulator was so fun!
Centre Bell Tour
Whenever I go on a sports road trip, Whenever I go on a sports road trip, I always try to tour the stadium, especially when it’s an iconic team in an iconic building. Montreal certainly fits that bill. When it comes to hockey, there’s no more famous team than the Montréal Canadiens. I couldn’t pass up a chance to go take a tour of the Bell Centre.
The tour begins in the Tricolour store (the official store for the Canadiens) inside the Bell Centre. After your tour you’ll enjoy a 15% discount off of anything by showing your ticket.
The tour itself begins with a couple of fun stops. The first is to Youppi!’s house, the mascot for the Canadiens. A fun fact about Youppi! is that he used to be the Montréal Expos mascot before becoming the Canadiens mascot. This makes him North America’s first dual-sport major-league mascot.
The next stop was the Air Canada Club, home to some of the most exclusive seats inside the Bell Centre. The first thing we saw was the scoreboard production studio. It was truly amazing to see the amount of work and the size of the team that goes into producing the show on the scoreboard. Who knew?
Then we got a chance to sit in the Air Canada club seats themselves. These seats are pretty incredible. They are big, they’re wide and they are cushy. I’ve been to many hockey rinks around the NHL and these are some of the nicest NHL seats I’ve ever seen.
Next we took the elevator up to the highest floor to take a look at some of the most unique seats in the Bell Centre, the Renaissance Hotel bar. These seats are the highest seats in Bell Centre. They are so high, they even look down on the press box.
From the very top, we went to the very bottom. Our first stop on ice level was the Canadiens Alumni Lounge which was super cool. The alumni lounge is a place for any player who’s ever played for the Montréal Canadiens. As you’d expect, the Canadiens alumni lounge had some great memorabilia in it, plus an impressive collection of paintings of all the former captains.
And we ended our Bell Centre tour with a visit to the iconic Montréal Canadiens dressing room. The room itself is in the shape of the Canadiens logo “C” and was all decked out in home jerseys. Even though we couldn’t actually go in, it was a pretty cool thing to see.
Driven: An Evening with Susie and Toto Wolff
The final activity of my jam-packed first day in Montreal for the Grand Prix race was to go see a speaking event by Susie and Toto Wolff. Susie had just released her new book “Driven” and she and Toto put on a one-hour speaking engagement at the MTelus building on Sainte-Catherine Street.
With the help of a moderator asking them questions, Susie and Toto talked to us for an hour about their lives and their careers. It was a really nice chance to see them off camera in a more relaxed setting and you really got a nice glimpse of their personalities. It was an exciting way to start the F1 festivities on my weekend trip to Montreal for the Grand Prix.
Day 2: Friday at the Montreal Grand Prix
Friday was the first day of the Montreal Grand Prix, and I was very excited! I woke up early and was rarin’ to go. It was a beautiful day and I was very excited to walk to the Grand Prix!
If, like me, this is your first time to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, don’t miss my Montreal Grand Prix tips.
Getting to Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
Yes, you heard that right, I was going to walk from my hostel to Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. I love exploring new cities on foot, and the walk was only supposed to take 80 minutes, which wasn’t much longer than taking the metro.
The sun was out, I was listening to a good audiobook and I was enjoying one of the best walks of my life. The day was beautiful and so was Montreal. This all came to a sudden halt when I was stopped by a police barricade near the entry to the Concorde Bridge. They explained that the bridge was closed to the public, but I could hop on a free F1 shuttle bus from there. I was disappointed, but at least I didn’t have to go back.
In fact, this shuttle turned out to be an excellent way to get to and from the Montreal Grand Prix. It leaves from here and takes you to the Casino entrance of CGV. The shuttle pickup location has a BIXI bike sharing station. The shuttle has a second stop for Uber pick-up and drop-off (which are also not allowed on the island).
Even leaving the Grand Prix via shuttle was easy and the most I had to wait for the shuttle was maybe 20 minutes. My shuttle experience sounds way more enjoyable than the stories I’ve heard about taking the Metro to and from the Grand Prix.
Note, that while I had a positive experience with the F1 shuttle, the métro is still the official recommended access option, with Jean-Drapeau station a short walk from the site.
Exploring the Circuit Grounds and Fan Zone
As the least busy day of the three-day Montreal Grand Prix, Friday was an excellent day to explore the CGV grounds. I spent a lot of time in the Fan Zone and even tried the F1 racing simulator, which was so much fun! I used the AMEX Priority Line on a Friday morning and even that took 40 minutes. I can’t imagine how long the normal line had to wait.
When it comes to the Fan Zone, it’s clear you can’t do it all. If you are interested in many of the attractions in the Fan Zone, come as early as you can each day. Otherwise, you’ll have to choose which ones are the most important to you.
Taking Photos of the F1 Cars
Looking back over my very first Montreal F1 race, I learned that taking pictures and videos of the race means you often don’t get to see what is actually happening. That’s why Friday is the best time to take pictures and videos of the Formula 1 action.
Especially at the first F1 free practice session on Friday, this is a low-stakes time to take as many pictures and videos as you can. This will take the pressure off you and allow you to enjoy the action when it counts later in the weekend.
Day 3: Saturday at the Montreal Grand Prix
Feeling more confident about things today, I set out on foot from my hostel and walked to the F1 shuttle pickup spot. It feels good to know what to expect at a major event like the Montreal Grand Prix. It’s one of the top reasons to go all three days as I’d hate to have to figure this all out on Sunday.
Check the Grand Prix App for Extra Events
The Montreal Grand Prix app publishes a schedule of race events and entertainment events. As usual, I got to the grounds early on Saturday and checked the calendar. The F2 Paddock was open to the public!
This was an amazing opportunity to see a real, live working paddock for high-end motor racing. This was no gimmicky tourist opportunity, the mechanics were in there working hard on the cars for later in the day. It was awesome!
Crescent Street Festival
Every year during the Montreal Grand Prix, the Crescent Street Festival is a major event in downtown Montreal. So, on the Saturday night I wandered over to take a look.
I went to the Crescent Street Festival early around 7:30 and it was already jam-packed. The street is lined on both sides with vendor tents, free samples and companies trying to drum up business. Most of it was ignorable, but I loved the free samples of Nerds gummy clusters!
The crowd was intense at times, almost like being in the middle of a crowded nightclub dance floor. There was a DJ booth at the far end, which gave the whole thing a party vibe.
I had fun walking the length of the Crescent Street Festival, but I don’t love dense crowds, so i only walked the length of Crescent Street once. If this is your thing though, the Crescent Steet Festival looks like the place to be on evenings during the Montreal Grand Prix.
Day 4: Race Day at the Montreal Grand Prix
Arrive Early for Sunday Crowds
Finally, the big day had arrived! Again, I was so excited to go to the Montreal F1 race that I got there before the gates even opened. It was interesting to arrive at this time as there was a massive lineup at the gates. These were likely the General Admission ticket holders hoping to get in early and claim the best spots. I was grateful for having a reserved grandstand ticket in my pocket.
Stay Close to Your Grandstand on Race Day
The crowds were intense at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Sunday and aside from getting to my section, I didn’t do a lot of exploring. You can’t walk at a normal pace anywhere at CGV on Sunday, so getting from place-to-place takes much longer than you think.
I didn’t want to risk missing out on any of the Sunday racing action, so I didn’t venture far from my grandstand. It made me grateful that I was able to get the full Montreal Grand Prix experience on Friday and Saturday.
Day 5: Self-Guided Tour of Montreal
I had signed up for a pretty cool e-bike tour of Montreal for the Monday morning following the Montreal Grand Prix. But the forecast was for steady rain, so unfortunately I had to cancel.
Instead, I’m sitting in my hotel room writing this up for you. Since accommodations are such a big part of planning a Grand Prix trip, I’ll also mention that if you want a cheap place to stay during the Montreal Grand Prix, check out my review of the Grey Nuns Residence. Had I not found this place, I’m not sure this trip would have happened at all. The normal hotel prices during the Montreal Grand Prix are insane!!
Once the rain stopped, I went out and saw the best sights in the city on a self-guided walking tour of Montreal.
F1 Hub Store
My first stop on my self-guided walking tour of Montreal was the F1 Hub store, a pop-up store across the street from Centre Bell. I was hoping that they would have some sales on the day after the race. Sadly, everything was still as expensive as during the race weekend. Oh well, it was worth a shot!
Montreal Canadiens Store
Keeping up the sports gear shopping, I hopped across the street to the Tricolore Sports store in Centre Bell. This is the official store of the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. My son is a huge hockey fan, so I wanted to grab him an iconic Montreal Canadiens hat. If you want a good souvenir from your trip to Montreal, some Canadiens gear is a great idea.
Walk Rue Saint-Paul in Old Montréal
From the Bell Centre, I made my way to Rue Saint-Paul, one of the oldest streets in Montreal. It has a distinct European feel, with old buildings and cobblestone streets, but today it’s also a lively shopping street. It was fun that they still had lots of racing decorations out from the Formula One weekend.
Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal
From Rue Saint-Paul, I made my way to the Notre-Dame Basilica, one of the most famous landmarks in Montreal. It certainly is a beautiful church from the outside and it was enjoyable walking around the plaza to admire it. I admit that I find churches a little boring so I didn’t pay the admission charge to go in.
Place d’Armes
There’s a public plaza just outside Notre-Dame called Place d’Armes. It’s a fun and lively plaza with buskers playing music, tourists taking pictures and locals going about their business. With many beautiful, historical buildings around, it’s worthwhile coming here even if you don’t want to go into the Notre-Dame Basilica.
Place Jacques-Cartier
After Notre Dame, I jumped back to Rue St. Paul and was happy to see it change to a pedestrian-only street. As a tourist, pedestrian-only streets are so nice as you have tons of room to walk with no worries about traffic.
Before long I reached Place Jacques-Cartier, which is a buzzing little plaza with restaurants up and down. This is the point where Old Montreal joins the Old Port of Montreal. It’s a good place for a quick stroll up and down the cobblestone street and checking out the action.
Bonsecours Market
I made a quick pitstop at the Bonsecours Market as it was a beautiful historic building from the outside. I didn’t stay long as the inside was just a bunch of boring old shops. If there’s any guys out there looking for a nice gift to bring home to the wife, this might be a good place to come.
Old Port Montreal
The next stop on my self guided walking tour through Montreal was the Old Port. This is a highly touristy area of Montreal, but it’s fun. It’s a nice setting along the water with plenty of shops and attractions, including the La Grande Roue de Montréal (the giant Ferris wheel) and the Tyrolienne MTL Zipline.
While in the Old Port area, I took the opportunity to walk to the Clock Tower. It was worth the extra walking for some great views of the mighty St. Lawrence River. Across the water, I could even see parts of Île Notre-Dame, which hosted the Montreal Grand Prix over the weekend.
Sainte-Catherine Street
From the waterfront, I made my way through Chinatown on my way to Sainte-Catherine Street. Chinatown was nothing special, you can easily skip it.
I’ve walked along Sainte-Catherine Street several times so far during my trip to Montreal, but I had never seen it during the day. It’s still a pretty interesting place to walk during the day, but it lacks the electricity that it has at night.
I think I’ll return tonight when the Canadiens play game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The energy during Canadiens games is amazing!
Final Thoughts: Montreal Grand Prix Itinerary
As you can see, there’s plenty of reason to come to Montreal for the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend. If you have the time and budget, spending a day or two in Montreal on either side of the Grand Prix will be a rewarding experience. I hope my 5-day Montreal Grand Prix itinerary helps you have the best trip possible!