Notre-Dame Basilica and Old Montréal: AURA, Place d'Armes and a Car Service That Fits the Evening

Notre-Dame Basilica is the anchor of Old Montréal, and it is one of the few major sights in Canada that you can experience twice: once by day, as a place of worship and architecture, and once at night, as a canvas for an immersive light show. A visit takes less time than most people expect, which makes it easy to combine with dinner, a walk through the Old Port or a concert. This guide covers the verified hours and prices, how the AURA evening works, and where a Notre-Dame Basilica Montréal car service helps, with honest notes on when you can simply walk.

Notre-Dame Basilica Montréal car service: what a chauffeur adds

The basilica sits at 110 Notre-Dame Street West, across from Place d'Armes. Old Montréal is compact, but arrival, timing and luggage still need planning. A chauffeur meets you at Montréal-Trudeau airport, Central Station or your hotel, drops you at the right edge of the old district, and collects you after the show. That matters most in the evening, when AURA tickets are time-specific and the last thing you want is to hunt for a ride at 10 p.m. in cold weather.

For most of the day, though, Old Montréal is a walking destination. The honest approach is to use the car for the arrival and the exit, and walk between the basilica, the square and the waterfront.

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Is Notre-Dame Basilica worth visiting by day and by night?

If you only have time for one, choose by temperament. Architecture and history lovers should go by day, when the details are visible and the visit can be quiet. Visitors who like spectacle, or who are in Montréal in the evening, should choose AURA. A combined offer pairs a daytime visit with an AURA performance, listed on the basilica's site from $43.50 for both. Prices vary by ticket, so check the current page.

Hours and ticket prices

The basilica's hours and rates page lists daytime visiting hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Those are visiting hours, so Mass and ceremonies can affect access, and the page does not list closures or holiday schedules. At the time of writing, the sightseeing visit cost $16.00 for an adult, $14.00 for a student aged 17 to 22 and $10.00 for a child aged 6 to 16, plus tax. Children aged 5 and under are free.

AURA was listed at $37.00 for an adult, $31.00 for a student and $22.00 for a child aged 6 to 16, with taxes not included. The basilica's site also noted a 15% AURA discount with an STM transit pass, valid October 1 to 31, 2026, available on the on-site box office only, subject to availability. Prices and offers change, so confirm them on the basilica's hours and rates page.

How AURA works and when to arrive

AURA is an immersive light experience created by Moment Factory, according to the basilica's AURA page. It has three parts: the lit exterior, the illuminated stations inside, and the show itself, told in three acts. The total visit runs 40 to 45 minutes. The show lasts 25 minutes and the stations take 15 to 25 minutes. The schedule varies by season and fixed showtimes are not listed on the page, so book through the ticket page for your date.

Doors open 30 minutes before your ticket time, and arriving more than 20 minutes early is not advised. The basilica's FAQ says evening tickets, those after 4 p.m., are sold only online and demand is high, so buy early. The show features loud music and rapid flashing lights and lasers, and may not suit people or young children sensitive to these effects. That timing guidance shapes your transfer: aim to arrive about 15 to 20 minutes before the ticket time and plan the pickup for 45 minutes after it.

Fares from the airport, Central Station and downtown hotels

Montréal-Trudeau airport is about 15 km west of downtown Montréal, so the run to Old Montréal is a short transfer. All the transfers below fall on the minimum fare. Fares are quoted in Canadian dollars before tax, and the booker shows the exact all-in amount for your address.

For an evening with dinner and AURA, hourly booking keeps the same driver waiting. Spread over four hours, that is roughly $540-$660 in an Executive Sedan ($135-$165 an hour) or $700-$840 in a Luxury SUV ($175-$210 an hour). The two-hour minimum applies to both. Seat counts and luggage space are on the fleet page, with the rate card on limo rates.

Arrivals are covered on the Montréal-Trudeau airport limo page, and rail arrivals on the Central Station page.

What to see inside the basilica

The basilica was built from 1824 to 1829 to a design by James O'Donnell, a New York architect, with Victor Bourgeau overseeing the interior decoration from 1872 to 1880. The site describes it as the first Gothic Revival style church in Canada, designed for 8,000 worshippers and, until St. Patrick's Cathedral was built in 1879, the largest place of worship in North America. The West Tower was completed in 1841 and the East Tower in 1843. Pope John Paul II raised it to minor basilica status in 1982, and it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1989.

Read more on the basilica's history and heritage page. On the practical side, the FAQ says visitors may take photographs and videos, no food or drink is allowed, and pets are not permitted except service animals. Saturday and Sunday Masses are accompanied by the organ. Dress modestly and quietly as a courtesy, since it remains an active place of worship.

Place d'Armes and the Old Port

Place d'Armes sits directly across from the basilica, and a statue of Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, inaugurated in 1895, stands opposite the church. The basilica's history page also notes that the city was founded in 1642 and that the Sulpicians have shaped the parish since 1657. A short pause in the square gives the church its proper context.

From there, the Old Port is a short walk toward the river. Opening times, attractions and seasonal activities there change throughout the year, so check the Old Port's own site before you plan around a specific attraction. Many visitors link the basilica to a meal in Old Montréal, then walk the waterfront before or after the light show.

A sample evening itinerary

This plan assumes an AURA ticket for around 7 p.m. and works in most seasons.

1. 4:00 p.m. Hotel pickup or airport arrival. Drop bags and rest.
2. 5:30 p.m. Early dinner in Old Montréal, within walking distance of the basilica.
3. 6:30 p.m. Walk to Place d'Armes and look at the lit exterior.
4. 6:40 p.m. Arrive at the basilica entrance with your QR ticket on your phone. Doors open 30 minutes before your ticket time.
5. 7:00 p.m. AURA begins. Plan 40 to 45 minutes for the full experience.
6. 8:00 p.m. Your car waits nearby, or take a short walk along the Old Port before pickup.
7. 8:30 p.m. Return to your hotel.

For a daytime visit, start at 9 a.m. when the basilica opens, spend 45 minutes inside, then continue to the square and the waterfront before lunch.

Where the car waits in Old Montréal

Old Montréal's streets are historic and often narrow, and some blocks are closed to vehicles during events and festivals, so your driver will choose a drop-off at the edge of the district or near the basilica's entrance, depending on the night. The basilica sits on Notre-Dame Street West, across from Place d'Armes, and pickups are simpler if you agree a street corner rather than the church door itself.

Do not plan on a long wait at the curb. For a smooth exit, send your driver a message as the show ends, and they will approach from the agreed direction. On festival weekends, add 10 to 15 minutes to every leg.

Families, groups and accessibility inside the basilica

Children aged 5 and under enter free, and the basilica notes that a person who needs assistance during the visit is admitted free. Kéroul rates the basilica as partially accessible, the main entrance has a wheelchair ramp, and the AURA page says it is certified for visitors with reduced mobility, with a companion card giving the companion free admission. AURA's loud music and flashing lights may not suit young children or those sensitive to such effects.

Booster and child seats are free on request when you book. A Luxury SUV seats six with five or six large bags, which suits a family arriving from the airport. An Executive Sprinter carries 12 to 14 passengers, and the basilica offers group bookings for parties of 15 or more.

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What to wear for the evening

Montréal winters are cold, and the walk between the car, the square and the basilica entrance is outdoors. Wear a warm coat, boots and gloves from November to March. In summer, bring a light layer for the cool stone interior. Carry a phone with your QR ticket ready, since tickets are scanned from the app or the confirmation email. Leave bulky bags in the car or at your hotel.

Honest alternatives: metro, bus and walking

If you are staying in or near Old Montréal, walking is the best option. From the airport, STM route 747 links YUL with the city centre, as listed on the STM's 747 page; check the STM site for the schedule and fare. Taxis and rideshare are available, and private cars are a convenient option for groups.

If you arrive with one bag and are staying in Old Montréal, take the bus or a taxi. A car makes sense when you have luggage, a late arrival, an evening show or a group.

Combining the basilica with more of Montréal

The basilica works as a half-day on its own or as part of a longer stay. Our Montréal weekend guide places it among Old Montréal, the Plateau, Mile End and Mount Royal. In late June the Montréal Jazz Festival guide explains the city's biggest music weekend, and in March the St. Patrick's Day parade guide covers a downtown day. If you are heading north to the Laurentians, see the Mont-Tremblant village guide.

Booking around your ticket time

In the booker, enter your pickup and either the basilica or your hotel, then pick a transfer or an hourly evening. Airport pickups come with flight tracking and a free wait of 60 minutes after an international landing or 30 after a domestic one, and a name-board greeting in the arrivals hall is $100-$150.

Charges for cancelling are measured from the scheduled pickup time: nothing with more than 72 hours' notice, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show. The basilica's tickets are generally non-refundable, so confirm yours before booking the car.