Living somewhere for more than 15 years should mean you’ve seen it all. But the truth is, Montreal kept surprising us long after we stopped being tourists, usually when we joined a tour we thought we didn’t need. A vintage car ride through streets we walk every week. A private walking tour of Old Montreal that uncovered stories we’d never heard, even after years of strolling those same cobblestones.
That’s the thing about Montreal: there’s always another layer. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or coming back for the tenth, the right guided experience can shift how you see the whole city.
We’re Serge and Eli from Discovering Destinations. The list below includes the two tours we’ve personally done here — and six more we’ve researched carefully, cross-checked against real reviews, and would feel confident recommending to a friend.
Want to see Montreal through our eyes before you book anything?
We filmed both of our tours and added them to our Montreal playlist on YouTube. It is a good way to get a feel for the experience before committing, and honestly, the city looks even better on video.
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Why Book a Guided Tour in Montreal?
Montreal rewards the curious. However, even if you have been here before, certain layers of the city only reveal themselves with a local guide, the story behind a mural, the history hiding behind a stone wall in Old Montreal, or the best smoked meat sandwich tucked in a spot no tourist map shows you.
Furthermore, guided tours in Montreal tend to be genuinely fun rather than stiff or overly scripted. The guides here are usually passionate locals who love what they do, and that energy changes the whole experience. Most tours on GetYourGuide also offer free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, so there is very little risk in booking early.
Here are eight experiences we recommend, starting with the ones we have tried ourselves.
The Tours — From Classic to Unexpected
1. Private Day Tour of Old Montreal with River Cruise
Best for: First-timers, couples, small groups who want a personal experience
This is one we did ourselves, and it honestly set the bar high for everything after. A private tour of Old Montreal gives you the kind of access and flexibility that group tours simply cannot match. Your guide adapts the pace, the stories, and the stops to your group — which makes a real difference when you actually want to linger somewhere.
Old Montreal is one of the oldest urban districts in North America. Walking its cobblestone streets, you pass 17th-century architecture, the iconic Notre-Dame Basilica, and buildings that have been standing since before Canada was a country. The history here is dense and fascinating, and a good guide brings it to life in a way that no audio tour or travel app can replicate.
The river cruise portion adds another dimension entirely. Seeing Montreal’s skyline from the St. Lawrence River gives you a completely different perspective on the city — especially at golden hour when the light hits the buildings just right.
- Duration: flexible, typically half-day
- Group size: private (your group only)
- Includes: Old Montreal walking tour + river cruise
We wrote a full review of this experience on our blog. You can read it here: Old Montreal Private Tour + River Cruise
2. Guided Tour in a Vintage 1930s Convertible Car
Best for: Anyone who loves a great story — and great photos
This one is hard to explain without sounding over the top, but riding through Old Montreal in a vintage 1930s convertible with a knowledgeable local guide is genuinely one of the coolest ways to see the city. We did this tour and it is something you remember.
Your guide narrates the history of Old Montreal while you cruise past the Notre-Dame Basilica, the old financial district’s ornate 19th-century buildings, and the cobblestone streets of Vieux-Port. The 2-hour option extends the experience into Chinatown and then up to the Plateau Mont-Royal — one of Montreal’s most creative and photogenic neighborhoods. The 3-hour option adds even more of the city, covering additional highlights and insider recommendations for food, bars, and hidden gems.
The guides on this tour consistently receive high marks for their knowledge, humor, and ability to make the history feel alive rather than like a lecture.
- Option 1: 1 hour — Old Montreal
- Option 2: 2 hours — Old Montreal + Chinatown + Plateau Mont-Royal
- Option 3: 3 hours — Full Montreal experience
- Private and semi-private options available
Our tip: Go for at least the 2-hour option to reach the Plateau. The murals and Victorian row houses up there are worth the extra time.
Book the Vintage Convertible Car Tour on GetYourGuide
3. Montreal’s Original Mural Walking Tour
Best for: Art lovers, photographers, design-curious travelers
Montreal has one of the most vibrant street art scenes in North America. Estimates suggest the city has enabled the creation of over 3,500 murals — and that number keeps growing. The annual MURAL Festival, held each summer along Boulevard Saint-Laurent, brings international artists to the city every year and has turned the Plateau and Mile End into open-air galleries.
This guided walking tour takes you through that world with a local expert who knows the stories behind the art — not just who painted it, but why, what it represents, and how it fits into the broader culture of the neighborhood. Travelers consistently praise the guides for their knowledge and enthusiasm, and many note that the tour completely changed how they experienced the city afterward.
Moreover, because the murals are always changing, this tour looks different every season. Even Montrealers do regular this one.
- Duration: approximately 2 hours
- Walks through the Plateau and Mile End
- Small group format
Our tip: Bring a good camera or make sure your phone is charged. You will stop constantly for photos.
Book the Mural Walking Tour on GetYourGuide
4. Old Montreal Award-Winning Small-Group Walking Tour (Max 10 People)
Best for: History lovers, solo travelers, anyone who hates big tour crowds
There is a meaningful difference between a tour group of 30 and a tour group of 10. With a smaller group, you can actually hear your guide, ask questions without holding everyone up, and move through spaces at a human pace. This tour caps at 10 participants for exactly that reason — and it has earned consistently strong reviews as a result.
The focus is Old Montreal’s history, architecture, and culture. You will cover the major highlights — the Basilica, the old port, Place Jacques-Cartier — but also get the layers of context that turn sightseeing into something more meaningful. Old Montreal was founded in 1642, and the stories layered into these streets span centuries of Indigenous history, French colonization, British rule, and the city’s evolution into the bilingual, multicultural metropolis it is today.
- Max group size: 10 people
- Focuses on Old Montreal history and architecture
- Award-winning tour with high traveler ratings
Book the Small-Group Old Montreal Tour on GetYourGuide
5. Old Montreal Food and Drink Guided Walking Tour
Best for: Foodies, first-timers who want history and flavor combined
Montreal’s food scene is one of its biggest draws — and for good reason. The city sits at a unique culinary crossroads, blending French gastronomy, Jewish deli traditions, Québécois comfort food, and an ever-growing wave of international influences. You cannot claim to know Montreal without eating your way through at least a few neighborhoods.
This guided food and drink tour does exactly that. You move through Old Montreal stopping at carefully chosen spots that represent the city’s food identity — from local cheeses and charcuterie to signature poutine, smoked meat, and the kind of hidden pastry gems that only locals know about. In between bites, your guide connects the food to the neighborhood’s history and culture, so it never feels like a purely commercial experience.
Reviewers consistently describe the guides as warm, knowledgeable, and genuinely funny — people who make the tour feel like an afternoon with a friend who happens to know everything about Montreal.
- Duration: approximately 3 hours
- Multiple tasting stops included
- Combines food, drink, and cultural history
Our tip: Do not eat a full meal beforehand. Trust us on this one.
Book Old Montreal Food & Drinks guided tour on GetYourGuide
6. Jet Boating on the Lachine Rapids
Best for: Thrill-seekers, families with older kids, anyone who needs an adrenaline reset
Here is something most people do not realize: Montreal has Class 2 rapids running right through the city. The Lachine Rapids on the St. Lawrence River have been drawing adventurers since the time of the fur trade — early explorers had to portage around them because they were too powerful to navigate. Today, you can charge straight into them on a jet boat.
This is one of the most physically exhilarating things you can do in any major North American city. The boats spin, accelerate, and hit the rapids head-on while your guide gives you the history of the river at full volume over the engine noise. Travelers describe it as exciting, well-run, and completely worth it.
- Duration: approximately 1 hour
- Located at the Old Port of Montreal
- Operates seasonally (May through September)
Our tip: You will get soaked. Bring a change of clothes or embrace it.
Book Jet Boating on the Lachine Rapids on GetYourGuide
7. Plateau Mont-Royal: Explore on Foot or by Bike
Best for: Culture seekers, photographers, repeat visitors who want the “real Montreal”
If Old Montreal is the city’s historic heart, the Plateau is its creative soul. This neighborhood — officially called Le Plateau-Mont-Royal — is where artists, writers, and musicians have lived for generations. Leonard Cohen grew up nearby. Mordecai Richler set his novels here. The Plateau has always been where Montreal’s cultural imagination lives.
Walking or cycling through the Plateau, you pass iconic spiral exterior staircases climbing Victorian-era row houses, independent cafés with line-ups that start before 9am, vinyl record shops, bookstores, and walls covered in world-class murals. The main arteries — Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Rue Saint-Denis, and Avenue du Mont-Royal — are lined with restaurants, boutiques, and terraces that fill up the moment warm weather arrives.
St-Viateur Bagel, one of Montreal’s most beloved institutions and a multiple award winner at the New York BagelFest, is here. So are some of the best independent restaurants in the city.
A guided bike tour is one of the most enjoyable ways to cover the Plateau and connect it to other neighborhoods. Several options on GetYourGuide combine Old Montreal with the Plateau for a fuller picture of the city.
- Explore on foot or by guided bike tour
- Key streets: Blvd Saint-Laurent, Rue Saint-Denis, Ave du Mont-Royal
- Best visited in the morning or late afternoon for light and energy
Our tip: Pair this with the mural tour (entry #3) for a full Plateau experience.
Book Plateau Mont-Royal Walking tour on GetYourGuide
8. No Diet Club — Mile End Walking Food Tour with Many Tastings
Best for: Foodies, curious eaters, anyone who wants to eat like a local rather than a tourist
The name says it all, and the tour delivers on the promise. No Diet Club was built around one idea: skip the tourist traps and go straight to what locals actually eat. The guides are passionate about Montreal’s food scene in a way that feels genuine — not scripted — and that energy carries through the whole three hours.
The tour moves through the Mile End neighborhood, which is one of the most culinarily interesting pockets of the city. You will taste hand-rolled wood-fired bagels, poutine, smoked meat, pastries, and more — each stop connected to the neighborhood’s history and character. Mile End has been shaped by waves of immigration, and that layered cultural identity shows up directly on the plate.
Travelers consistently describe their guides as knowledgeable, warm, and funny, with several reviews calling it one of the best tour experiences they’ve had anywhere. One recurring note: wear comfortable shoes and arrive hungry. Multiple reviewers have jokingly warned about needing stretchy pants by the end.
- Duration: 3 hours
- Neighborhood: Mile End
- Small group size — intimate experience
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance
What reviewers say: guides introduce you to spots you would never find on your own, and the food quality at every stop is the real deal.
Book the No Diet Club Food Tour on GetYourGuide
Practical Tips Before You Book
- Cancellation Most tours on GetYourGuide include free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. That means booking early does not lock you in — you can secure your spot and adjust later if your plans change.
- Book ahead in summer Montreal’s peak season runs from June through September. The vintage convertible tour and the private Old Montreal tour in particular tend to sell out on weekends. If your trip falls in that window, booking at least a week ahead is a smart move.
- Check what’s included Before you confirm, read the tour description carefully. Most listings clearly outline what is covered — tastings, entrance fees, transportation — and what is not. A few tours list a meeting point that requires a short walk from the nearest metro station, so it is worth checking logistics in advance.
- Language Montreal is a bilingual city, and that carries over to its tours. Some are offered in English only, some in French only, and others in both. Always check the language options on the listing page before booking — especially if you are travelling with non-English speakers or prefer a French-language experience.
- Seasonal tours Jet boating on the Lachine Rapids runs from May through September only. If that one is on your list, plan around the season.
- Dietary restrictions If you are booking a food tour, most operators ask you to flag dietary restrictions at the time of booking. Do not leave this to the day of — some stops require advance notice to accommodate.
- Combine your day A morning walking or history tour paired with an afternoon food tour makes for one of the best full days you can have in Montreal. The city is very walkable between neighborhoods, so back-to-back tours rarely feel exhausting.
Final Thoughts
Montreal keeps surprising us — and we live here. The city has layers that reveal themselves slowly, and the best way to start peeling them back is usually with a guide who genuinely loves the place.
Whether you are visiting for the first time or coming back after years away, the experiences on this list will show you sides of Montreal that a map simply cannot. We have tried some of them ourselves and vetted the rest carefully, so you can book with confidence.
If you have questions about any of these tours — or want to share which one you ended up doing — drop a comment below. We read every one.
