Guides · Montreal
Montreal in October: Fall Foliage, Gardens of Light and Weather
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Montreal in October is the city's colour season. Maples blaze red across the island and the hills around it, the air turns crisp, and the Montreal Botanical Garden lights up after dark for Gardens of Light. This guide covers 5 things to do in Montreal in October that go beyond the sights in our main Montreal guide: Gardens of Light, peak colour at Mont-Tremblant, the old-growth forest and orchards of Mont Saint-Hilaire, the Morgan Arboretum and harvest season at Atwater Market. Each entry includes the exact address, transit or driving time and a Pro Tip.
On Montreal weather in October: highs fall from about 17°C (63°F) at the start of the month to around 10°C (50°F) by the end, with lows near 3°C (37°F) and the first frost often arriving late in the month. Rain falls on about ten days, totalling roughly 90 mm. Layers are essential, and a warm jacket, hat and gloves are worth packing for evenings.
Montreal fall foliage moves from north to south. The Laurentians around Mont-Tremblant usually peak from late September to early October, Mont Saint-Hilaire in the first half of October, and the trees on Montreal Island, including the Morgan Arboretum, from mid to late October. Gardens of Light usually runs until the start of November, and Atwater Market's harvest stalls last all month.
1Gardens of Light - Lanterns at the Montreal Botanical Garden
Gardens of Light is one of Montreal's signature fall events, held after dark at the Montreal Botanical Garden, one of the largest botanical gardens in the world. The event usually runs from early September to the start of November and leads visitors through three illuminated cultural gardens, with light, sound and lanterns built around the rhythms of nature: wind, water, the changing seasons and life itself.
The route begins in the Japanese Garden, softly lit in a contemplative style inspired by the Japanese idea of yūgen, and continues to the Chinese Garden's silk lanterns. A recent highlight is the Indigenous Peoples Garden, formerly the First Nations Garden, which marked its 25th anniversary with a completely reimagined immersive circuit called Resonance. Arrive before dark to see the Japanese Garden maples by daylight first.
Pro Tip: Book the earliest evening slot on a weekday and dress warmly, as October evenings can drop close to freezing. Pair the visit with the Biodôme or Insectarium next door during the day.
2Mont-Tremblant - Peak Colour in the Laurentians
Mont-Tremblant, at 875 m one of the highest summits in the southern Laurentians, sits beside Quebec's oldest national park, created in 1895. Its forests of sugar maple, red maple and birch turn scarlet, orange and yellow from late September to early October, earlier than in Montreal, making the area the classic fall foliage day trip from the city.
In the national park, the La Diable sector has short trails such as La Chute-du-Diable to a waterfall and the steeper La Roche viewpoint over Lac Monroe. Outside the park, the Tremblant resort's panoramic gondola climbs to the summit for views across the colour, and the pedestrian village at the base has restaurants for lunch. Autumn weekends are very busy, so weekdays are far easier.
Pro Tip: Check Quebec's fall colours map the week before, buy national park entry online, and leave Montreal early to beat Saturday traffic on Autoroute 15.
3Mont Saint-Hilaire - Old-Growth Forest and Apple Orchards
Mont Saint-Hilaire rises abruptly from the flat St Lawrence plain, and its slopes hold one of the largest remaining tracts of old-growth forest in southern Quebec. The mountain is protected as the Gault Nature Reserve, owned by McGill University and designated Canada's first UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1978, with around 25 km of hiking trails open to the public.
In October the sugar maples and red oaks put on one of the best displays near Montreal, usually peaking in the first half of the month, and the Pain de Sucre summit trail rewards a climb of about 1.5 hours return with views across the Richelieu Valley. Below the mountain, the town's orchards make Mont-Saint-Hilaire a centre for apple picking, with farms selling cider, pies and pick-your-own bags into October.
Pro Tip: Arrive early on weekends, as reserve parking is limited and can fill by mid-morning, and stop at an orchard on the way back for warm cider doughnuts.
4Morgan Arboretum - Late-October Colour on the West Island
The Morgan Arboretum is a 245-hectare forest reserve on McGill University's Macdonald Campus at the western tip of Montreal Island. It holds one of the largest collections of native Canadian tree species in the country, from sugar maples and beeches to oaks and conifers, laid out along more than 25 km of trails.
Because it sits within the Montreal area, the arboretum usually peaks from mid to late October, after the Laurentians, which makes it the best choice for travellers who arrive later in the month. Trails range from short loops to longer forest walks, with chances to spot deer, woodpeckers and owls. A small admission fee supports the arboretum, and the riverside village of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue nearby has boardwalk cafes and restaurants.
Pro Tip: Pick up a trail map at the entrance and follow the maple-heavy loops, which turn the brightest red, then eat on the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue boardwalk overlooking the canal lock.
5Atwater Market - Harvest Season by the Lachine Canal
Atwater Market opened in 1933 in an Art Deco hall topped by a clock tower beside the Lachine Canal, and in October it is at its most colourful. Outdoor stalls overflow with pumpkins, squash, Quebec apples, late corn and chrysanthemums, while the indoor hall holds butchers, cheese shops, bakeries and producers selling maple syrup and maple butter.
The market makes an easy base for an autumn afternoon in Saint-Henri. The Lachine Canal path runs right past it, so you can rent a bike and ride along the water under changing trees, or picnic on the canal banks with cheese and bread from the hall. The surrounding streets have cafes, restaurants and craft breweries in former industrial buildings.
Pro Tip: Go on a Saturday morning for the liveliest stalls, taste Quebec apple varieties such as Cortland and Spartan, and buy a bottle of Quebec ice cider to take home.
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Montreal in October: Fall Foliage, Gardens of Light and Weather - FAQ
October in Montreal is crisp and changeable. Highs fall from about 17°C at the start of the month to around 10°C by the end, and nights drop to about 3°C, with the first frost common late in the month. Expect roughly 90 mm of rain over ten or so days, and pack a warm jacket, hat and gloves for evenings at Gardens of Light.
Colour reaches the Laurentians and Mont-Tremblant first, usually from late September to early October, then moves south. Mont Saint-Hilaire typically peaks in the first half of October, and the trees on Montreal Island, including the Morgan Arboretum, peak from mid to late October. Quebec's tourism board publishes a fall colours map that is updated through the season.
Yes, in three or four days. Atwater Market and Gardens of Light fit into one day in the city, the Morgan Arboretum is a half-day trip to the West Island, Mont Saint-Hilaire is a half day south-east of Montreal, and Mont-Tremblant needs a full day or an overnight stay in the Laurentians.
Book Gardens of Light in advance, as evening time slots sell out on October weekends. Mont-Tremblant National Park and the Gault Nature Reserve on Mont Saint-Hilaire charge daily entry fees that are easiest to pay online, and the Morgan Arboretum charges a small admission at the gate. Atwater Market is free to wander.
Expect around $25 CAD (about €16) per adult for Gardens of Light, roughly $10 CAD (about €6.50) each for Mont-Tremblant National Park and the Gault Nature Reserve, and a small fee at the Morgan Arboretum. Apple picking near Mont Saint-Hilaire is charged by the bag, and a rental car for the three day trips is the largest cost.
Montreal in October is also a good time for the sights in our main Montreal guide, such as Old Montreal, Mont-Royal Park, Notre-Dame Basilica, Jean-Talon Market and the day trip to Quebec City. Other options in Montreal in October are Halloween events at La Ronde on Île Sainte-Hélène, the Eastern Townships wine route and the river islands of Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville.
