After completing the pick-up, we'll begin our tour through the fascinating Old Port region (Vieux-Montréal), where we'll make our first strategic stop for a complete immersion in the city's rich history. During this special moment, our guide will share captivating stories, fascinating facts, and highlight the main attractions as we stroll through the charming cobblestone streets of Old Montreal. This initial stop will allow you to connect with over 375 years of history, discovering architectural secrets, local legends, and the transformations that have shaped this historic district into one of North America's most enchanting destinations.
Saint Laurent River at Old Montreal
Bonsecours Market at Old Montreal
During our route, we'll pass by the charming Place Jacques-Cartier, one of Old Montreal's most picturesque and vibrant squares. This sloping plaza, built in the 19th century over the ruins of the former Château de Vaudreuil, serves as the beating heart of the old city, filled with street artists, outdoor cafés, and welcoming restaurants. During summer, its cobblestone streets come alive with flower markets, musical performances, and a unique European atmosphere. At the top of the square stands Nelson's Column, one of Montreal's first public monuments, offering a panoramic view that connects the colonial past to the city's vibrant present.
During our tour, we will pass in front of the Bank of Montreal, founded in 1817 as Canada's first and oldest bank, established at this historic location on Place d'Armes since 1847. This majestic neoclassical building, with its impressive Corinthian columns and limestone façade, represents over 175 years of Canadian financial history. The building houses not only banking operations but also a fascinating museum that tells the story of currency and banking system evolution in the country. Its privileged location in the heart of Old Montreal makes it a symbol of the city's prosperity and commercial tradition.
This historic site in Old Montreal features three significant landmarks: the magnificent Notre-Dame Basilica with its stunning Gothic Revival architecture, the prestigious Bank of Montreal headquarters building, and the beautiful Place d'Armes square. At the center of this charming cobblestone plaza stands the monument commemorating Montreal's founders, Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve and Jeanne Mance, who established the city in 1642.
Stop and historic explanation.
During our route, we'll pass in front of the prestigious McGill University, one of Canada's most renowned academic institutions and globally recognized. Founded in 1821, this historic university houses over 40,000 students from around the world and is known for its excellence in research and teaching. Its iconic limestone buildings and neoclassical architecture beautifully contrast with the modernity of downtown Montreal. The university has produced 12 Nobel Prize winners and continues to be a symbol of academic prestige in the heart of the city.
During our route, we'll pass by the renowned Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal), Canada's oldest art museum, founded in 1860. This impressive museum complex houses one of the country's most important art collections, featuring works ranging from Canadian and international art to contemporary pieces and world-class temporary exhibitions. Located on the elegant Sherbrooke Street, the museum stands out for its architecture that harmoniously combines historic buildings with modern glass and steel structures. Its galleries have hosted exhibitions by masters such as Picasso, Van Gogh, and Monet, establishing Montreal as an important international cultural center."
We'll make a special stop at the iconic Chalet du Mont-Royal, located in the heart of Parc Mont-Royal, a true symbol of Montreal. This privileged observation point offers one of Canada's most spectacular panoramic views, where we can contemplate the entire majestic expanse of downtown Montreal, the mighty Saint Lawrence River winding through the landscape, and a breathtaking view of the entire metropolitan region. The Chalet, built in 1932 and recently renovated, serves as the perfect lookout point to capture unforgettable photographs and appreciate the harmony between the mountain's preserved nature and the urban modernity that extends to the horizon. This special moment allows visitors to truly understand Montreal's unique geography and its strategic position in the heart of Quebec.
We will visit the majestic Saint Joseph's Oratory of Montreal, one of the most important and impressive basilicas in North America and one of the world's most visited Catholic shrines. Built between 1924 and 1967 on the slopes of Mount Royal, this religious monument is dedicated to Saint Joseph, patron saint of Canada, and was founded by Brother André, who was canonized in 2010. The basilica impresses not only with its grandiose architecture, featuring a dome that rises 129 meters high - the second largest in the world after Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican - but also for its rich history of miracles and healing. Visitors can explore the original crypt, the museum dedicated to Brother André, the beautiful gardens, and contemplate the panoramic views of Montreal. This sacred site attracts millions of pilgrims and tourists annually, offering a unique spiritual experience and breathtaking architecture."
Gustavo was a wonderful guide to Montreal. He was so knowledgeable about the city and its history as well as current events. He was willing to customize the tour for us to stay longer in some places and skip others that are close to our hotel. Definitely book a private tour with him if you come to Montreal - he is worth every penny!
Gustavo is knowledgeable about Montreal and professional in his approach. He is well spoken, well traveled, and is able to tune into his clients. He is flexible with the time adapting to the client’s personal preferences.
Gustavo was so knowledgeable. The time flew by we learned so much about Montreal had a great lunch and he completely personalized the experience. I wish we could’ve spent more time.
Gustavo went out of his way to make this tour a great experience despite the rainy weather. He picked us up at the cruise terminal, confirmed the plan for the tour to match our interests, and dropped us at our hotel at the end of the tour. He was very friendly and knowledgeable about Montreal.
Gustavo was very knowledgeable about Montreal. He made sure we understand everything he was talking about and was always asking if we had any questions. My husband has some issues walking long distances and with steps and he was very considerate of this and helpful.
Our guide was very knowledgeable of area and gave us a lot of tips to enhance the remainder of our time in Montreal. Overall, the tour was exactly what we were looking for.
Gustavo was excellent. Very Knowledgeable and cordial. He was really responsive to our group and flexible with itinerary as we had seen some attractions on a walking tour. He arranged to drop us at the airport after the tour.
My husband and I had the joy of taking a three hour private tour of Montreal with Gustavo Trindade. Gustavo is charming and intelligent and so knowledgeable. He made the time go by quickly but let us linger at spots where we needed more time. our tour ended at saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal. Magnificent. The only negative of our tour is that it was over! We could have spent the entire day w Gustavo. Do yourself a favor and book a tour w him. You won’t regret it. Joanie snyder
If you want to get a feel for Montreal other than just the old town this is the tour for you. You get to see areas well away for the normal tourist hot spot. The guide, Gustavo, was extremely knowledgeable and prepared to modify the tour to fit your needs/wants. He was an extremely pleasant gentleman.
This was the best tour of Montreal. Our guide gave us so much of the history of Montreal; he tailored the tour to our interests; we would never have had a total immersion in the culture had we not booked this tour. St. Joseph's Oratory was unbelievable as we arrived just as the sun was setting.
We really enjoyed our time with Gustavo. His insight into both the past and current aspects of Montreal really made the trip informative. I would not hesitate to recommend Gustavo to anyone. Thanks again!
My family was in Montreal for 3 days and this was the perfect tour for us! Gustavo was wonderful and provided such detailed history and cultural insight into the city as he drove us around to the key sights. He also asked our preferences on which places to spend more time and how much walking we were comfortable with which was much appreciated. We learned so much and were able to get out and walk around at the stops for some great pictures too! I highly recommend this tour.
Best and most comprehensive informative tour balance of culture, history and parks/plazas. We visited museums and popular pedestrian areas where Montreal people have fun. Mont Royale, the Oratory, the views, the amazing underground. Kudos and attaboys to Gustavo. Very engaging and knowledgeable, tailoring to our interests.
Wonderful experience. We were picked up right at our AirBnb. They brought a car seat for our toddler as well, which was very helpful. Gustavo, our guide was very knowledgeable, friendly, patient and personable. The trip was also flexible allowing us to move at our pace, which was helpful especially with a toddler. Highly recommend!
Gustavo was very kind, accommodating, and knowledgeable about the city. He helped us get acclimated to Montreal so when we explored the next few days, we felt well oriented to the city. We also appreciated his recommendations. Highly recommend Gustavo!
Gustavo was a great guide. Very knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. He had the inside track to ensure we were able to see everything on our list. I highly recommend his services and would book with him again.
Gustavo is a knowledgeable tour guide who prepared us for each stop point with pertinent information. He is very personable and courteous. We appreciated his interest in us and how he related personal experiences in Montréal to the tour. Thank you Gustavo for a delightful tour!
Excellent tour of Montreal! Gustavo was the perfect host and driver for our 3 hour driving tour of Montreal. With only a few days to explore the city, Gustavo gave our group the overview of Montreal we were looking for. He is very knowledgeable of the city and the history of Montreal. Highly recommend this tour, or any tour offered by Gustavo!
Gustav was prompt and maintained a very clean car. He provided us with a good understanding of Montreal's history and layout. He pointed out sites based on our interests and answered all of our questions. Definitely recommend.
Gustav is great. Friendly and knowledgeable. He mentioned that he is looking into a different vehicle that would allow more visibility, which we think is a great idea.
I travelled with my mom and aunt who are both elderly and unable to walk far. I found this tour last minute and decided to give it a shot. It was the best decision I could have made. Gustavo was amazing! He was friendly, attentive to my mom and aunts needs, and made every attempt to make any walking easier on them. He gave us great recommendations and even dropped us off close to a restaurant for dinner. I would highly recommend this!
Gustavo is an excellent guide and a very kind person who gives a lot of information, history and scenic views in Montreal. The vehicle that he has at this time is a Toyota Corolla.
Gustavo is very knowledgeable and really easy to spend time with. Like traveling with a best friend.
Our guide was knowledgeable, personable, and considerate. We are so glad we found him. He customized the tour to our interests. It was so much more pleasant to be driven in his car than in a tourist bus of 40 as our cruise excursion would have been. Also, much less expensive!
We had the best day in Montreal with our guide Gustavo. He was prompt, friendly, and very knowledgeable about the city. We saw everything we wanted to see and more. He was especially helpful with my husband who has limited mobility. He always found the closest parking spots And even dropped us off so he wouldn’t have such a far walk. At the end of our tour, we asked him for a bagel shop recommendation and he dropped us at a great little spot in the Jewish quarter. Thank you Gustavo for a great tour.
Gustavo was excellent! His pre planned tour was so interesting and informative. He is a very warm and pleasant person who “ puts his all “ into his tour. Very flexible and accommodating - we had to reschedule at the last minute
Gustavo drove us through a number of different neighborhoods and filled us with many nuggets of information. This was a good introduction to Montréal and helped us decide where we wanted to spend more time.
A wonderful introduction to Montréal with Gustavo. He is very knowledgeable and attentive..Our experience was magnificent. Merci.
Gustavo provided a wonderful tour of Montreal for our group of six. He modified our tour to accommodate those of us with mobility issues while still allowing us to see the sights of Montreal. He was responsive to inquiries prior to the tour, which made a very nice day to explore Montreal. Highly recommend this tour.
Great introduction to the city of Montreal. Our guide Gustavo was excellent. Well paced and informative.
Our guide was so knowledgeable. All of our questions were answered and further information was given throughout the ride. I am not able to walk very much so this was addressed before we even started. I was so pleased to get to see so much of Montreal from a very comfortable vehicle. Our guide showed such love for his city. Nothing proforma about the experience. We had a bit of a personal emergency and our guide stayed so calm and helpful throughout. Next time we are in Montreal we will definitely do an extended car tour, hopefully with our same guide.
Gustavo was very flexible, informative, knowledgeable, in all areas of the tour. He was also very sensitive to my physical limitations.
Gustavo is knowledgeable about Montreal, its history and current events. Gustavo is extremely helpful and does extra to assist.
Gustavo picked us up at our hotel exactly when he said he would. He drove us all over the city with stops at several wonderful locations. He filled us in on the history of the city throughout our trip. He was very friendly and personable. Would highly recommend him. We all had a wonderful time.
Gustavo is the most wonderful guide. It was a searing hot day in Montreal, so we decided on a car tour so as not to suffer from the heat. We usually prefer walking tours as these tend to be more in depth and can take the distraction away from the driver who can also be the tour guide. Gustavo acceded very graciously. He thoughtfully prestarted the car and cooled us down whenever we returned from a short walk. The view from Mont Royal is indeed stupendous. The story he gives of the Oratoroire and Frère André lends a deeper depth to the space. Gustavo drove us through the French and British neighborhoods, laying out the subtle differences. Montreal is a schizophrenic city of two cultures living in symphonic harmony. The different universities in Montreal, the Downtown, the streets that divide the city in east and west, the MOMA and Fine Arts, the Vieux Montreal which is our favorite, these speak of the varied facets of this cosmopolitan city. Gustavo is quite personable, we shared our different views of the city as well as of life, and he adjusted his tour to our interests and needs. Montreal is lucky to have guides like Gustavo who loves this town, and shares it with its visitors.
Gustavo was an absolutely fantastic guide!! He is so knowledgeable and pleasant to be around! He took us to so many places that we would not have seen otherwise. We are really glad that we chose this car tour so we could see the whole city!! We would highly recommend this tour!
A great intro tour of Montreal. Our guide Gustavo gave us a snapshot of Montreal’s top attractions and shared very useful info about the city, its history, culture, dining places, people and even recommendations on other places to visit. He was also kind enough to extend the tour and take us to where our dinner reservation was. Montreal itself is such a charming city with old Europe architecture. Wish we had another day to explore other attractions.
Gustavo showed up on time and was friendly and knowledgeable about the city of Montreal. He drove safely and kept the conversation flowing.
Gustavo did a fantastic job and was very flexible. I would recommend him for sure. We covered all the major areas in Montreal
The tour was very profitable for the little time we had in town. Our guide, Gustavo, was extremely friendly and competent, leading us to incredible places, with comfort and safety, with extensive experience and knowledge of the place and its history.
The chauffeur guide, very prepared and very friendly, in three hours we managed to have a very broad look of the city
It was a great experience, Gustavo is an excellent guide. With much calm and extensive knowledge he brought us to know and explained the most important points of Montreal, and the history behind each one. He was always very patient and with good attitude, we never felt that he was rushing us or was watching the clock as other guides do. It helps you with family photos, gives you courtesy water, is prepared for rain if you forget your poncho or umbrella, your car is very comfortable and clean, gave us a list of recommendations of places to eat depending on what we were looking for, in short the experience was wonderful, we recommend it 100% for those who are interested in knowing Montreal on a personalized tour.
The 3-hour tour is especially interesting for visiting the Royal Mount and the Oratory. The visit allows you to walk a little in a beautiful natural setting. Previously we have an overview of Montreal and the historic center. Gustavo is a cosmopolitan, sensitive and open guide. He has worked well on the history of a city and a country from which he does not come but on which he brings an original look.
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