Montreal is full of secrets and interesting history. I’m a strong believer that walking tours are the best way to start any trip They introduce you to the city, teach you the history, and the guides share amazing tips and tricks that make you’re the whole visit better. I’ve been on guided walking tours in almost every city that I’ve traveled to! In a city like Montreal, there are so many little details to discover.

Montreal is a walkable, bike-able, and incredibly safe city if you want to explore on your own. However, if you love discovering city secrets and hearing stories that you won’t hear anywhere else, a guided tour of Old Montreal is the way to go. My visit to Montreal was 3 days, and a walking tour was the first I did!

Reasons to go on an Old Montreal Walking Tour

Discover Hidden Gems

I went on a two-part walking tour of Old Montreal. Eastside, and Westside, with Guidatour. The tour went through some main areas, and to a few spots that I never would have found wandering on my own. Take walking tours early in a trip. Guides have great suggestions! Ours pointed out places with great views and things to do on our visit.

My favorite discovery was the Berlin Wall. Germany has given out pieces of the Berlin Wall to ‘free’ (immigration welcome, embracing diversity, equal rights, etc.) cities around the world, including Montreal 25 years ago. I definitely wasn’t expecting to see a Berlin Wall piece on this trip!

Pssst… are we connected on Instagram yet? Follow for awesome travel photos!

Learn Montreal History That Isn’t In the Books

Cities are full of stories, beyond what the plaques and websites tell you. Many pivotal moments in Canada‘s history took place in Montreal. The city is older than the country by over 200 years, so this includes very formative events.

There’s always a risk of spoiling the fun when you write a blog, so instead of telling you the best stories from the tour, here are a few questions about Old Montreal that you didn’t know you could ask!

• What’s actually in the fish crates?
• What brilliant business strategy did the women who worked in the hospitals come up with?
Advertisement
• Why are so many buildings made with Scottish brick?
• Who seriously thought that introducing a beaver family to the Old Port of Montreal would result in anything other than 4 out of 8 nearby trees being taken down for dam building purposes by the next morning?
• What are the statues talking about?

Get Access to Other Historical Sites

Tours often have arrangements with local companies, or skip-the-line access to different places. I’ve been on a few tours around the world with perks like this.

In Montreal, we got to skip the line for a quick walk through of the Notre Dame Basilica, and our tour tickets gave us free entry for the rest of the day. In addition, the tickets served as 50% off coupons for Pointe-à-Callièr. I’ve been to Pointe-à-Callièr on previous visits to Montreal, and loved it. It’s a historical and archeological museum, and would make a perfect day when combined with a walking tour. These advantages are specific to the tour that I went on!

Old Montreal Walking Tour Info

I went on the Old Montreal East and Old Montreal West tours with Guidatour, which you can book on Viator. Take the East and West Old Montreal Tours separately, or go on both as a combined tour with a one-hour lunch break in between.

The guide was fantastic and the tour organization was great! I loved that there were multiple guides at the meeting point, because it meant nice small groups. Walking tours are, in my opinion, the best way to start a trip, so book it for right near the beginning. I also went on a Food Tour in Montreal, super fun! You might also enjoy a morning at the Montreal Biodome. If you enjoy walking tours, give that a look too.

It was a great way to spend an afternoon, and to get to know Montreal!

By: ninanearandfar.com