The Essential 101 Non-touristy Walking Tour By Spade & Palacio

Varied sites of interest. Our guide, Gabriela, was very knowledgeable and passionate about Montreal.

We took the Beyond the Basilica tour with Dave, and it absolutely exceeded our expectations. Dave was so knowledgeable and friendly and managed to talk honestly about the history of Montreal (the good and bad) while also conveying so much hope for the city's future. His love for the city was really apparent. It was also great to have such a small group, as we got to know everyone on the tour- especially since we were all from different counties. My husband and I both agreed we wish we had done this on our first day in Montreal rather than our last, since we learned so much and found so many places we wanted to explore more! We will definitely recommend this tour to all of our friends/family who are visiting.

Dave was absolutely incredible and he made our experience of Montreal better than expected

This is a fast paced 4 mile (approx) walking tour through various neighborhoods in Montreal. Our guide, Gabriela, was really good, very knowledgeable, and full of interesting facts. We sampled pork bao in Chinatown, and a delicious hot coffee in the Plateau district. Lots of great information. Would highly recommend this tour, but make sure you can walk at a fast pace.

What a lovely walking tour! Our tour guide Amalie (sorry if misspelled) was Great! The max group size of 10 is Perfect! We learned a great deal about the history of Montreal as well as Canada. The pace was just right, and on a brisk day in October, we were inside and outside just the right amount, enjoying a sunny fall day on Montreal. The tour offers a brief snack & Coffee stop (included) with just the right amount of break during the walk. The tour lasts about 3 hours, offering a nice walk, some stairs, but with generally very walkable flat terrain. We would definitely recommend MTL Detours, this Old Montreal Walking Tour, and Amalie as your guide!

Very interesting tour, just as advertised. The tour guide, Amilie, did an excellent job explaining the city's history and the sites we visited. Glad we did the tour.

Could not be more perfect!! Amalie was a wealth of knowledge and extremely pleasant. Great at ensuring all enjoyed the tour. Fee was very reasonable, good value. Time was perfect, great history lesson too. Highly recommend to everyone!

Chris was an awesome tour guide. Great expierience. Learned a tremendous amount about Montreal I would highly reccomend it

I learned info about Montreal that I don't think I could have gotten any other way. Amelia (? Spelling) knew a lot about every stop and offered her own insights as a native of the area even on things we didnt visit. Excellent walking tour- probably about 4 miles beginning to end. I enjoyed it a lot.

I recently took this tour while on a solo trip to Montreal. Jessie was such an great guide! So knowledgable about the history of Montreal but also gave us insights about food, culture and art. The tour itself took us through several areas of Montreal not just the typical tourist spots. Highly recommend!!

Chris was absolutely wonderful! Extremely knowledgeable and friendly, guided the group like a true pro!! Thank you so much for your awesome tour of the beautiful city of Montreal, essential to this memorable trip!

Chris was a great tour guide. This was the first walking tour I’ve ever done of a city (and I’ve been all over the world)—we will be doing more now that we have seen how fun and informative it can be. My wife and I took this tour in October 2026. We’re in our late 20s and she’s pregnant. This was a great way to see the city and learn more about it. Bathroom and snack breaks were built in

We really enjoyed our tour with Mel. We saw & learned so many things about Old Montreal. Our guide was knowledgeable & personable. She paced the tour well based on the make up of the group. Would highly recommend this tour, especially for first time visitors of this historic city.

Chris was a wonderful tour guide. Great tour

Walking through Montreal with our guide was a lot of fun - of course we got to see (and learn about) Notre Dame Basilica, but there was so much more! She told us about the "English Pug" and "French Poodle" statues near the meeting point and about the French/English rivalry they poke fun at; she took us to the Berlin Wall (well, a piece of it), into the RESO, and to Chinatown for bao; we got the story behind the transformation of the Red Light District into the Quartier des Spectacles; we saw Michael Jackson at Eva-B; and much more besides. I never felt rushed or bored - the pace was great. I highly recommend the tour. Come ready to learn about sides of Montreal you wouldn't find on your own!

Probably one of the funniest tour guides I have ever had! Danny was super personable and kind - had a very knowledgeable but down to earth way of explaining Montreal. You’ll have a lot fun!

This was an incredible experience and a highlight of the trip! Our tour guide, Dave, was funny, knowledgeable, welcoming, and an exceptional host showing us around the city. The price was perfect and the length of the tour was just right. We especially like that they keep the tour sizes small for a more personal experience. We highly recommend and can’t think of a better way to see Montreal!

Dave was a fantastic tour guide! We highly recommend requesting him for your tour!

Gabrielle was super! The tour was excellent and informative. We highly recommend it

Chris was an amazing tour guide, very knowledgeable and super funny!!

Jeff was awesome. His history knowledge was evident. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Coffee at end was epic

The tour could not have been any better. Chris was wonderful. We had taken a food tour a couple days before with a different company and there was just no comparison. This is the company to use.

Perfect day to learn more about Montreal. Captured many of the places we were hoping to learn more about including Notre Dam and the underground pedestrian system.

Melanie Renoud was terrific We heard and understood every word! A+ recommendation! Complete essentials and even more details!

The tour was extremely interesting and Mel, our tour guide had a great way about sharing her knowledge with a nice sense of humor.

Loved this walking tour through several parts and neighborhoods of Montreal. Gabrielle was cordial, pleasant, informative and fun. Lots of walking but that was the plan. Highly recommend.

Enjoyed the tour and liked the “non - touristy “ parts . Our guide Chris was great and the size of the group was perfect 🙂

We had a fabulous walking tour experience in mid-July with Dave, a Montreal native who loves his city. There were some of the typical spots, including an inside stop at the remarkable basilica, but the real value of the tour is getting to see spots NOT in the tourist guide, and places that Dave (as a local) recommends (including the best poutine). Our group appreciated Spade & Palacio's focus on locally-owned businesses, sites in the real neighborhoods, and an honest description of history and current events. This was the first of two tours we booked, and BOTH were terrific. Highly recommended, and Dave was 5-star awesome!

Beyond the Basilica was the perfect tour for my BFF and I to be oriented on arrival to Montreal. We got the perfect amount of historical perspective and current insights with helpful recommendations too. Group size made us feel we were making new friends. Our guide Amelie was amazing in every way. Caring, humorous and setting the perfect pace. Merci beaucoup, Amelie! 💖 I have taken a lot of these tours, and this was one of the very best!

Excellent tour of the city. Our tour guide Danny was actually one of the owners and was very insightful and passionate about Montreal. This is a great way to start off visiting Montreal.

Tour group was small, as I like and prefer. The guide was informative, great knowledge, and very approachable. Very animated too. Quite happy with the experience. I will recommend to others. Amelia was wonderful.

Very fun experience, and got to learn not just history but about some murals as well and a little taste of the city! Thank you

We Jad Jesse (and his mom;), for a tour guide which made the entire experience unforgettable. He was not only very knowledgeable, put personable, and funny. This tour was an extreme delight and the food was amazing!!!! Would do it again!! Highly recommend.

I definitely recommend. David was insightful and entertaining. It was great tour with a small group. It was easy to get questions answered and to hear & be heard.

Took the Beyond the Basilica tour. Very informative walk through Old Montreal, Le Quartier des Spectacles, and the Plateau-Mont Royal. Jeff was a very amiable host and taught us much about the past and present of these areas. Highly recommend!

This was a great tour to provide context to the city of Montreal and the diversity it has to offer. Amelie was knowledgeable of the history and culture of this city as a great tour guide. The small group format was an exceptional way to see a diverse side of the city. There were unique surprises around the route.

This is a fabulous experience to do on your first day. It really helps you get oriented and introduced to Montreal. Our guide, Amelie, was knowledgeable and personable. We really enjoyed the time we had with her highly recommend this walk tour.

Really enjoyed Chris as our guide. Saw so much of Montreal!! Be ready to walk a lot. We highly recommend.

Great walking tour led by Chris. Includes admission to the basilica, a snack, and a beverage. 2.5 hours long and did not get bored. Chris relayed great info at all our stops. Highly recommended.

Chris was a terrific guide. We enjoyed it immensely. Stops for snacks and bevis were a plus. Recommend!

Great guide very informative, saw some different sites and more unusual sides to the city. Lots of walking but at a good pace.

Melanie was an amazing guide who both knew so much history and was also an incredible storyteller. Great tour with the cathedral, underground, downtown Montreal, chinatown and le plateau- would definitely recommend.

Mel was a great tour guide! It's a well curated tour that allows you to see a few different sides of Montreal in 3 hours. Would recommend!

Gabriella was an excellent you guide with interesting stories about Montreal’s history and knowledge about the different areas of the city. The snack stop & later coffee stop were a bonus! We thoroughly enjoyed our tour & highly recommend this tour.

This tour was not what we expected. Definitely more about the neighborhoods and history of Montreal than seeing the sights. Do not take this tour if you want an introduction to Montreal. However our guide was great, interesting and informative. There is a lot of walking far distances in the tour FYI. We were left near Mount Royal and our guide said the only way to the top from the end of our tour was to walk up the mountain. You can actually take bus #11 for free and there are many stops on the north side of the park.

Our guide was energetic and knowledgeable.

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!