Private Walking Tour Old Montreal: No Groups, Just History

Walk the streets where Montreal began, with a guide who knows them and time to stop when something catches your eye.

A private walking tour of Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal) with a local guide covers the district's founding history, major squares and landmarks over three hours, starting from Notre-Dame Basilica. The tour includes hotel or city-center pickup and drop-off, an air-conditioned vehicle between stops, and a guide who adjusts the route based on your interests—no fixed itinerary, no other groups. Infants and small children can join; specialized seats are available.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore historical Old Montreal

• Meet private guide at Notre-Dame Basilica
• Walk through Old Montreal's narrow streets
• Visit Place d'Armes and Place Royale
• See Place Jacques-Cartier and monuments
• Pass Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel and City Hall
• Walk along St-Jacques Street and visit Hôtel-Dieu site
• Photo op at Sulpician Seminary
• Learn about Old Port of Montreal

The Experience

You meet your guide at Notre-Dame Basilica and walk into a maze of narrow streets that make up Old Montreal's core. The guide leads you through the district's founding history, which reaches back to 1642, stopping at the major public squares—Place d'Armes, Place Royale, and Place Jacques-Cartier—where you see the external architecture of the courthouses, Château Ramezay, and Bonsecours Market. The pace is yours: you ask questions, linger at a corner, or move on. Because it's a private tour, the route shifts based on what interests you.

Along the way you pass Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel and City Hall, walk St-Jacques Street (once Canada's financial center), and discover the foundation site of the city's first hospital, Hôtel-Dieu, tucked into Cours Le Royer off St-Paul Street. You get a photo stop at the Sulpician Seminary, the oldest building in the historic district. The tour ends at the Old Port, where the guide wraps up the city's long history and you've seen the landmarks that shaped it.

Pickup and drop-off happen at your hotel or a central location, and you travel between stops in an air-conditioned vehicle. The whole experience runs three hours. If you're traveling with infants or small children, they can ride in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available.

What’s included

• A professional local guide fluent in English.
• hotel or city-center pickup and drop-off.
• air-conditioned vehicle for travel between stops.
• three hours of walking through Old Montreal's historic streets and squares.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by taxiGo Limo Airport Service

Is this one for you?Book this if you're arriving in Montreal for the first time or have a free afternoon and want to understand the city's founding without joining a group—the private guide adjusts the pace and route to what you actually want to see, and the included pickup means you start the tour without navigating the district on your own.

Top questions

What's the actual starting point for this tour?

You meet your private guide at Notre-Dame Basilica, where the walking portion of the tour begins. Hotel or city-center pickup is arranged beforehand so you don't need to navigate to the meeting spot yourself.

How does a private tour differ from a group one in Old Montreal?

On a private tour, you walk without other groups around you, so you can ask your guide questions freely and the route adjusts to what interests you. The guide doesn't rush through stops or stick to a fixed schedule.

Which specific landmarks will I actually see on this walk?

You'll see Place d'Armes, Place Jacques-Cartier, Place Royale, the Château Ramezay, Bonsecours Market, Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, City Hall, the Sulpician Seminary, and walk St-Jacques Street and St-Paul Street. The Old Port is the final stop.

Is this tour suitable if I have young children?

Yes—infants and small children can join. They can ride in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available if needed. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels.

What's included in the price?

The tour includes a professional local guide who speaks English, hotel or city-center pickup and drop-off, and an air-conditioned vehicle for travel between stops. The three-hour walking tour covers the historical sights and neighborhoods of Old Montreal.

Can the guide change the route based on what I want to see?

Yes. Because it's a private tour, the itinerary is flexible. While typical sights include the major squares and landmarks, your guide can adjust the route and timing based on your interests and questions.