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(804)
Our hotel suggested this walking tour during our stay in Montreal; our family was so glad to have taken them up on the suggestion. Our guide was Fred; she did a great job of discussing the history and culture of Montreal. We especially enjoyed the last segment which included viewing learning about some of the murals that can be found in Montreal. Thank you!
Our guide Jesse was fantastic! He was extremely knowledgeable in Canadian history and culture, funny and informative. He kept us all engaged and fed, provided great insight on details of city murals, ethnicities, architecture, and history! He packed so much into 3 hours it was really amazing and enjoyable!
This tour was fantastic. Jesse was our guide and he was awesome, so friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend!
Jesse was a wonderful guide! He has a wealth of information about his city. The pace and distance were thoughtful and we covered a wide variety of topics during the walk. The snack came at the right time and coffee at the end was the cherry on top. Merci Jesse!
I had a wonderful time on this tour! Our guide was very friendly, organized, and shared so many interesting facts. Every stop was well-timed, and we never felt rushed. I learned a lot and would gladly take another tour with them again!
Absolutely amazing tour. My mother and I had Jeff as our guide and he was extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the city he grew up in. He took time to explain what made each neighborhood unique and special. He definitely deserves more than 1 beer for an exceptional job well done.
I booked this tour because it was a small group and included some stops outside of Old Montreal. Our tour guide, Mel, was fantastic and extremely knowledgable. We appreciated the stops for a snack in Chinatown and coffee/iced tea near Mount Royal Park. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to get oriented with a few different areas of Montreal.
Rufus, our tour guide, was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about Montreal. I really appreciated that, as I was hoping to gain some interesting background and history about this beautiful city—and I certainly did. We saw and experienced several different aspects of Montreal, which made the tour both informative and enjoyable. The tour was also just the right length of time. I highly recommend it!
Wonderful Tour. Melanie was a wonderful ambassador to the city. She spoke like someone with the inside scoop who truly loves the city she's in. Everything was a highlight and a delight. The pace was perfect and the variety of sights, explanations, and experiences was ideal.
Wonderful Tour. Melanie was a wonderful ambassador to the city. She spoke like someone with the inside scoop who truly loves the city she's in. Everything was a highlight and a delight. The pace was perfect and the variety of sights, explanations, and experiences was ideal.
