The Essential 101 Non-Touristy Walking Tour by Spade & Palacio
Description
We start our Montréal walking tour by skipping the line at the Notre-Dame Basilica before wandering Vieux-Montréal. We’ll pop into some historic and architecturally gems to get an understanding of the district before heading out and leaving the tourist crowds behind. We stroll through a segment of our interior or underground city. It’s the largest indoor network on the planet and lets us make our way to Chinatown for a quick snack as we get the skinny on the area. Then it’s off to our old Red Light District, turned entertainment Mecca to see where the biggest festivals take place. We pop into a whacky often missed institution for a visit. Up Saint-Laurent boulevard, we check out half a dozen impressive works of art from Montréal’s MURAL Festival in the borough that is home to the highest concentration of artists in Canada. With a coffee from a local third wave shop in hand we walk the hip parts of the lower Main before leaving you with a custom list of recommendations!!
Tour Options
Itinerary
We meet here to start the tour and learn about the eclectic architecture that surrounds the square before we enter the Basilica!
We learn about the beauty and history of the country's most ornate church and leave our guests some free time to take it all in on their own.
We walk the elegant streets, visit the old Wall Street of Canada and point out cool cultural events in the area as well get an idea of the history of the foundation of our city
From the World Trade Center to Chinatown we walk a stretch of the world's largest interior network.
We pop in for a snack to go at a local bakery and walk the pedestrian mall of our Chinatown!
We visit a bunch of street art from a massive festival. We visit a crazy thrift store and art gallery. We learn about this historic boulevard and its many waves of immigration. We walk through the old Red Light now entertainment district.
We visit this crazy thrift store for free time. 3 floors, a wild interior and a chance to check it out before returning on your own for free time!
We visit the borough home to a high concentration of artists. We see about a dozen murals and works of art. We point you in the right direction of cool shops and stuff to see when you are on your own and sit down at a coffee shop for a locally roasted coffee and hand you a list of recommendations.
Intro to the tour, your guide before skipping the line at the basilica!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- A moderate amount of walking is involved, please be ready for that and to be wearing comfortable shoes.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Minimum age is 5 years
Reviews(789)
Great intro to Montreal. Gabby our guide was outstanding. Tour included entry fee to Notre Dame. A $15 value.
Gabriela was extremely personable and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend for first time visitors who want an overview of Montreal.
Excellent tour for first-time visitors to the city. Small group and our guide was super friendly and knowledgeable
Fred is the best tour guide we have ever had! She was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, easy to talk to, gave excellent insight and local type perspective. The pacing of the tour was perfect. The Bao buns we ate on tour were sooo good. Perfect tour for adults and parents of tween/teens traveling together.
Loved our walk with Jesse today. He brings alive the beginnings of the city and shares so many insights into Montreal's growth over several hundred years. This was a fun and engaging way to cross a section of Montreal we wouldn't have seen.
Great food off the beaten track and excellent guide (Danny)
This was a great tour and introduction to Montreal for my family! Chris was amazing: knowledgeable, friendly and great with our two kids. We saw a nice balance of sights: some historic, some quirky, and all great. The bao buns and coffee stop were perfectly timed. Chris was also mindful about the walking pace and keeping us in the shade on a hot day. So glad we booked this tour!
This tour is great for anyone who wants to get off the beaten path and explore the lesser known parts and facts of Montreal. Jesse was very friendly and knowledgeable especially about the artists of Montreal and their art pieces scattered throughout Montreal including the many beautiful murals scattered about the city.
Hands down - one of the best walking tours we’ve ever booked! Chris showed us sites, murals, and behind the scene spots we definitely would not have seen on our own. He even kept our teens’ attention (which is no small feat!) with his stories, historical facts, and not staying in one location too long. We stopped twice to have a delicious dim sum and refreshing peach tea!! Awesome experience!
Fred was our guide and she was wonderful! She was very enthusiastic and animated throughout the tour, sharing about the history of the city and taking us around Montreal. She was very nice and kept a good pace. I didn’t realize this tour price included admission to notre dame (we had ten min to walk around and take pictures) and a bao from Chinatown and tea from plateau Mont Royal. We walked a lot but also got to see a lot of Montreal. This tour was well worth the price and we’d recommend this tour to others.
