Montreal Private Tour: Highlights & Hidden Gems with a local
Description
Discover Montreal like a local on a private, personalized walking experience tailored entirely to your interests. This isn’t a typical tour—it’s a flexible, immersive introduction to the city that blends iconic landmarks with hidden gems known only to locals. From historic Old Montreal to the creative corners of Mile End, your host will design a route that reflects your pace and passions. After booking, you’ll receive a short questionnaire to share your preferences. Based on your answers, you’ll be matched with a like-minded host who will connect with you directly to plan your experience. With a relaxed approach and real local insight, you’ll explore Montreal through an authentic, insider lens.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Begin your personalized experience with an introduction to Montreal’s unique character—where old-world charm meets vibrant local culture. Your host will shape the route based on your interests, offering a seamless blend of highlights and hidden gems. Whether you're curious about architecture, local flavors, creative communities, or just want to get a feel for the city, this walk is designed to match your style and pace.
Wander through the cobblestone streets of the city’s historic heart, where 17th-century buildings and storied landmarks reflect Montreal’s European roots. With your host, uncover tucked-away courtyards, charming boutiques, and quiet corners that bring the past to life beyond the guidebook narrative.
Trace the footsteps of early French fur traders at this waterfront district, now a lively hub of activity. Enjoy a leisurely stroll along the river, watch street performers, or explore food stalls and pop-up art installations—your host will point out local favorites along the way.
Known for its artsy, multicultural vibe, Mile End is where creativity and community collide. From Montreal’s best-loved bagel shops to colorful murals and quirky record stores, this neighborhood has a distinctly local rhythm. If it aligns with your interests, your host may guide you through its hidden alleys and indie cafés.
Dive into the flavors of Quebec at this bustling market, a favorite among locals since 1933. Surrounded by stalls of fresh produce, cheeses, pastries, and artisanal goods, you’ll experience Montreal’s culinary culture up close—with recommendations from your host on what to sample and where.
End your walk on a relaxed note at one of the city’s most beloved microbreweries. Known for its creative brews and warm, welcoming atmosphere, Dieu du Ciel! is the perfect spot to pause and reflect. Your host can share their go-to pint or simply let you soak in the local vibe.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- After booking, you'll receive a short questionnaire to share your interests, preferences, and must-sees. Your guide will personally reach out to craft a fully customized itinerary that suits your style—whether you love history, food, hidden gems, or cultural experiences.
- This private tour is a walking experience. A private vehicle is not included.
- Public transportation or local taxis may be used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with your host after your reservation is finalized.
Reviews(12)
Despite being asked to fill out a questionnaire in advance of the tour sothe tour could be customized for our interests it would appear that none of this information was absorbed or used as the tour was just a standard tour totally unrelated to our interests. In addition a last minute switch of tour guides resulted in our tour only lasting 2 hours for what was apparently her standard tour whereas we had paid for a 3-hour tour.
Hello Jan, Thank you for sharing your feedback, and we sincerely apologize that your experience did not meet your expectations. We understand how important it is for the pre-experience questionnaire to be used in customizing the experience, and we’re sorry it felt like a standard experience rather than one tailored to your interests. We also regret any confusion caused by the last-minute change. We have reached out to you directly via email, and we hope you'll consider giving us another chance in the future. We take your concerns seriously and will be reviewing this internally to ensure better communication and planning in the future. Your feedback helps us improve and maintain the quality our guests expect. Warm regards, Sheenah and the City Unscripted team.
Connie was the best! Super knowledgeable about the local area and historical sites. She was friendly and kind. I strongly recommend booking with her.
Thank you for your kind words! We're so glad you had a great experience with Connie. Her deep knowledge and warm personality truly make her tours special. We appreciate the recommendation and hope to welcome you back again soon!
The guide was knowledgeable about the history of the city he take his time to explain things very friendly
So glad to hear your guide made the experience friendly, informative, and unhurried. It sounds like the perfect way to explore the city’s history! Can't wait to welcome you back for another adventure!
This was a fun tour and we saw a good deal of old Montreal. Guide took us mostly to out of the way shops we never would have found on our own. We really enjoyed visiting the native art shops.
We’re so glad to hear you had fun exploring Old Montreal and discovering those hidden gem shops, especially the native art boutiques, which are such a unique part of the city’s charm. We hope you left with wonderful memories, and we can't wait to welcome you back for another adventure!
Patrick did a great job tailoring our tour to our diverse group, including children. Highly recommended!
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're glad to hear that Patrick was able to tailor the tour to suit your diverse group. We appreciate your recommendation!
Shubham was a wonderful tour guide. He was very knowledgeable with the history of Montreal. We visited various sites to ensure I had well-rounded experience in the city. He was personable, considerate and patient with me. I thoroughly enjoyed spending the day seeing sites. My favorite was the Habor and the underground city.
Exploring the diverse sites and attractions sounds like a memorable adventure, especially visiting the vibrant Harbor and the fascinating underground city. We hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future!
My issue is with communication, or lack thereof. I attempted to contact my guide (website ‘contact your guide’) BEFORE booking, to ask a question. With some effort, I was able to message the guide (indirectly - everything appears to have to go through the company). I received 1 reply, informing me she was able to accommodate my requirements for pick up and drop off. I could NOT do the walking tour as advertised. Based on the reply, I booked the 2 hour tour of Montreal for Oct 30 on Oct 28. I attempted to contact Withlocals, both the company AND the guide using their website links on numerous occasions, to confirm my questions regarding luggage (we were coming off a cruise). The only reply was confirming the payment and the booking. No other response to all my repeated questions. By afternoon Oct. 29, I gave up and cancelled the booking. Their cancellation policy is no refund within 7 days of tour. There was virtually NO customer contact/service/answers after payment/booking and little interaction BEFORE booking.
Hello curious traveller, I understand your concerns, but I believe there might be some confusion. The issues you've mentioned, such as the website 'contact your guide,' and interactions with Withlocals, do not correspond to City Unscripted. We do not have a 'contact your guide' feature on our website, nor are we affiliated with Withlocals. It seems there may have been a mix-up in your review. I recommend reaching out directly to Withlocals and providing them with your feedback and concerns regarding the communication. They should be able to address your issues and assist you accordingly. If you booked with City Unscripted, please let us know, and we will do our best to assist you in resolving any outstanding matters. Warm regards, Ruslan and the City Unscripted Team.
We had a delightful tour of Montreal with Germaine who highlighted the historical and architectural history of Montreal Old Town and moved on to downtown, McGill University and Mont Royal for a wonderful view of the city.
Our guide Pierre was very knowledgeable and fun. I would highly recommend this tour and our guide Pierre.
May was a knowledgeable and charming tour guide. Her knowledge of the history of the area as well as her demeanor made the tour very enjoyable,
