Old Montreal Walking Tour | Small Group (Max 10) | by MTL Detours
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Montreal, Canada
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
If you’re not familiar with Montreal’s past, it can be difficult to fully appreciate the historical and cultural significance of Old Montreal on your own. Gain a deeper understanding of local history, architecture, culture, food, and art, and take the hassle out of finding your way around the labyrinthine cobbled streets on this small-group walking tour. Get insights from your local guide as well as recommendations on places to eat, drink, and explore.
- Skip the stress of navigating Old Montreal’s non-grid streets
- Perfect introduction to Montreal for first-time visitors
- A small group means more attention from your guide
- Get a comprehensive overview of Montreal's highlights
What's Included
- Multi-year Viator & Tripadvisor "Best of the Best" Awards winner with thousands of 5-star reviews
- Limited to 10 guests, so it never feels crowded and you can hear, follow, and ask questions
- Expert, certified guides holding the mandatory City of Montréal permit, consistently top-rated
- #1 bestselling Old Montréal walking tour. Real stories, not scripts, to truly understand the city.
- Curated handout of local places to eat, see, and explore, selected by MTL Detours guides
- A small local treat and a unique parting gift
- MTL Detours is a 100% local, independent, and proudly woman-owned tour company.
- Gratuities for your guide are optional and are warmly welcomed.
- No hotel pickup/drop-off. Just meet us at the starting point and we'll handle everything from there.
- Minimum age is 12. Each guest requires a paid ticket.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Marché Saint Laurent, Montréal503 Pl. d'Armes, Montréal, QC H2Y 2W8, Canada
Meet on the sidewalk outside Marché Saint Laurent boutique/café, on the edge of Place d’Armes Square. In warmer months, look for the small terrace with red umbrellas. Arrive 10-15 minutes early to check in. Tour starts on time and we do not wait for latecomers. Allow extra time for possible detours.
End point
- Bonsecours Market350 Rue Saint-Paul E, Montréal, QC H2Y 1H2, Canada
Tour will end in the vicinity of Place Jacques-Cartier square and Bonsecours Market.
Itinerary
1
Old Montreal
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Bonsecours Market (Marche Bonsecours) (Pass By)
Rue St-Paul (Pass By)
Place Jacques-Cartier (Pass By)
City Hall (Pass By)
Notre-Dame Basilica (Pass By)
Bank of Montreal (Banque de Montreal) (Pass By)
Chateau Ramezay Historic Site and Museum of Montreal (Pass By)
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel (Pass By)
Pointe-a-Calliere, Montreal Archaeology and History Complex (Pass By)
Rue Saint Jacques (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Minimum age is 12. Each guest requires a paid ticket. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
- Tour operates rain, shine, or snow and takes place mostly outdoors. Please dress for the weather.
- Tour is conducted in English.
- A moderate level of walking is required, including uneven terrain such as cobblestones and stairs.
- Most of the 2-hour tour involves walking or standing, with limited seating available.
- Operated by MTL Detours, a locally owned and operated Montréal tour company.
- Not recommended for travelers with mobility restrictions or difficulty walking at a steady pace.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 2,369 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
suzanne_h, Jul 2026
Jeff was the BEST! We really enjoyed our tour of Montreal because of the lively banter and amazing demeanor of our guide. Thank you for a fantastic intro to Montreal. The love you have for your city was evident in your tour!
Lou_K, Jul 2026
Very knowledgeable tour guide, not too strenuous. Beautiful day and a very nice walk. I highly recommended.
Gary_S, Jul 2026
A comprehensive tour of Old Montreal by Louise, a very knowledgeable and entertaining tour guide. Highly recommended!
Samuel_J, Jul 2026
It was a great two hour tour, thanks mostly to our phenomenal guide, Louise! Easy walking. Learned so much about the history and fun anecdotes of the French and English "friendship" that took some time to cultivate. Ended on St. Paul Street which was great fun. Louise also gave us a wonderful list of restaurants and a sample of maple candy. Also, limiting the tour to 10 people was perfect!
Christine_S, Jul 2026
Our guide gave us a tour of Old Montreal. She showed us historic sights and buildings and talked about the rich history behind both. It was a great way to explore the city and learn a great deal about the area.
betty_N, Jul 2026
We appreciated Amelie’s deep knowledge of Montréal and Quebec. We enjoyed hearing the fascinating stories about the settlement of Montréal. She is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable native guide.
Janet_C, Jul 2026
Excellent! Completely worth the investment of time and money. Amilee was very knowledgeable and answered random questions with intelligence.
NEIL_M, Jul 2026
Historic WalkingTour
We attended a fascinating walking tour of old Montreal today. Our guide was Louise, originally from Belfast, who was friendly, enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable. This was a thoroughly informative tour, with a real focus on the vital part played by the indigenous peoples of the area in making the city what it is today. Thanks to Louise, I now know so much more about Montreal than I did before. Thoroughly recommended. One of the best tours we have ever had around the world.
Karen_F, Jul 2026
Great tour leader, Louise. Very approchable- liked questions and answered them with additional information.
I liked how she divided her lecture into chapters and it was always a nice linear lecture. Very kind to give us gifts. I love maple candies! Louise is a good teacher. The kids must have loved her. My grade A+. Thank you Louise.😁😁
jthackett26, Jul 2026
Really enjoyed the tour. Had a great time and learned so much about the origins of Montréal. Was a great first day activity to orient yourself with the old city/Vieux Port!
Paul_W, Jul 2026
The young lady was well versed, detailed audible and sweetly courteous. The talk and choice of places was too plaid, boring. She spoke of the French/english /Indian struggles but never really dug into them. A lot of top tourist deals or bank ceilings I can see in most cities. Again she was doing her best but for extra money I expected more.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Bonjour Paul,
We're glad to hear that you found your guide to be knowledgeable, clear and courteous. The guide you're referring to is one of our certified professionals, with specialized training from the renowned ITHQ (Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec).
Our Old Montreal tour is a 2 hour introduction to the neighbourhood, carefully curated to cover history, architecture, local stories and city development, with questions always welcome throughout to elaborate on topics of interest. It's designed as an introduction rather than a deep dive into any single theme. Groups are capped at 10 guests, giving each guest a personal, small-group experience rather than a much larger, more impersonal one. Both the intimate small group size and the licensed professional caliber of our guides are reflected in our price.
Some architectural styles and details, including the banks you mentioned, can certainly be recognized in other cities too, but we connect them to Montreal's own history and evolution. Old Montreal is one of the most walked and photographed historic districts in North America, and the sites on this route are the highlights that define it. As the old city is a compact area, that won't change much from one tour to another.
We understand that no tour will be the perfect fit for every guest, and we're sorry the highlights of Old Montreal did not resonate with you as you would have hoped.
Merci for choosing MTL Detours.
Cheryl_W, Jul 2026
There is a fair amount of walking but our tour guide Gabriella made sure to stop for breaks to give information in the shade. She was very pleasant and informative on Montreal history. We had a great time!
Nancy_R, Jul 2026
Sylvia was an excellent guide. I really enjoyed the small group which made it easy to move and hear everything she said. If you can do this when you arrive it would give you some tips and ideas for other activities!
Patricia_O, Jul 2026
Our tour guide, Elise was so lovely and she was a wonderful tour guide. She provided us with important historical information without giving us too much and she was very kind and had a great sense of humor. I would highly recommend this tour especially if it’s your first time to Montreal.
Heather_J, Jul 2026
We had a fabulous walking tour of Old Montréal while visiting the city this weekend! A big thank-you to Louise who served as our enthusiastic, warm, and excellent guide! I highly recommend this tour!
Mark_R, Jul 2026
Louise did a fantastic job sharing the history of Old Montreal. The tour was extremely informative and helped bring the city to life in new ways. Absolutely recommend!
DonnaRS, Jul 2026
This is a a comprehensive, history-woven tour to Old Montreal. A great way to begin one’s svizit to Montreal. Francois was knowledgeable, funny, encouraged questions, and found every bit of shade. Thank you for a wonderful introduction and recommendations to a magnificent city.
Steve_P, Jul 2026
Typically I am not a big fan of tours especially walking ones but this two hour tour was phenomenal. Louise knowledge of the city and it's history was oviouse from her first sentence and was able to give us a lesson in history in a detailed but fun manner. I highly recommend the tour and especially Louise. We will return and specifically ask for Louise again.
Xin_T, Jul 2026
We came to visit from US for a weekend and would like to start our trip with a walking tour . Our guide Jeff is very friendly and knowledgeable. We really enjoyed our tour !
Amy_C, Jul 2026
Caroline was so informative but in an engaging way. Her suggestions on other places to visit and eat made the rest of our trip even better than we had imagined.
Kristen_O, Jul 2026
Interesting and enjoyable tour of Old Montreal! Our guide was friendly and funny. Very pleasant walk despite the heat that day.
SHARI_C, Jul 2026
Our guide Martin was very knowledgeable. We learned many interesting things about Old Montreal. It was great that the group size is limited to 10 people.
Heidi_H, Jul 2026
Louise was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We couldn't ask for a better guide. 2 hours was the perfect amount of time for the tour.
Karin_L, Jul 2026
Our host was kind, thoughtful and enthusiastic to provide a meaningful experience.
This tour is worth the investment of time and money to help provide a framework for a traveller to continue exploration. Thanks again.
Franco_M, Jun 2026
Bring your walking shoes! Isabelle was a fun, enthusiastic guide. Loads of information, fun commentary, and food advice!
Highly recommended
Jeff_T, Jun 2026
Our Old Montreal walking tour was one of the highlights of our trip, and Louise made the experience truly exceptional. She was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate about the city's history, bringing the stories behind the beautiful streets and landmarks to life. She was happy to answer questions, making everyone feel included. We discovered so many fascinating details and hidden gems that we would have completely missed on our own. We highly recommend this tour!
Cynthia_L, Jun 2026
Our walking tour of Old Montreal, led by Martin, was the perfect blend of cultural history, architecture, and bon vivant! This tour is well worth the time and money! It served as a great introduction and welcome to Montreal and its people. Merci, Martin!
Amy_K, Jun 2026
Friendly and respectful tour guide! Welcomed all questions. We’re sorry we didn’t see her later at Angine de Poitrine concert but it was very crowded!
Jayanthi_B, Jun 2026
Our guide Gabriella was very pleasant and informative. Enjoyed the walking tour and learnt some history about Montreal.
Randall_S, Jun 2026
Darren is an incredible tour guide. He has encyclopedic knowledge of the history of Montreal and its landmarks. He takes a storytelling approach to imparting his knowledge and there is lots of humor included as well. A thoroughly enjoyable experience!
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From $42.63
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Old Montreal Walking Tour | Small Group (Max 10) | by MTL Detours
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