Montreal Guided City Bus Tour

Mont Royal Park and the view of the city

Mont Royal is the green hill in the middle of Montreal that gave the city its name, rising to about 233 metres and laid out as a park in the 1870s by Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of New York's Central Park. From its lookouts the tour shows you the downtown towers, the St Lawrence River and, on a clear day, the distant hills beyond the city.

It is the best place for photographs, and it gives your guide a chance to explain Montreal's layout, neighbourhoods and history. If you are wondering what the best view of Montreal is, this is it, and it makes a good orientation before you explore on your own.

Old Montreal and the Old Port

Old Montreal is the historic heart of the city, with cobbled streets, stone buildings and the Old Port beside the river. The Notre-Dame Basilica, opened in 1829, faces Place d'Armes and is famed for its blue and gold interior. Place Jacques-Cartier and the surrounding streets are lively with artists and cafés.

Your guide explains how the city grew from a French settlement founded in 1642 to a major port. Because this is a bus tour, you see the district from the road with commentary, and it helps you decide whether to return on foot for a longer visit.

Place Ville Marie, Chinatown and downtown

Place Ville Marie is a cross-shaped tower designed by I. M. Pei and opened in 1962, and it sits above part of Montreal's underground city, a network of tunnels and shopping galleries used in winter. The tour passes downtown streets, Dorchester Square and the tall office buildings around it, then continues to Chinatown, one of the city's oldest cultural neighbourhoods.

The commentary helps explain the mix of French, English and international communities that make Montreal distinctive. The bus tour is a good choice in cold or wet weather because you see the sights from a warm, comfortable seat.

The Olympic Park and other landmarks

The Olympic Park was built for the 1976 Summer Olympics and includes the stadium known as the Big O, with its tall inclined tower that leans out over the site. It stands in the east of the city, beside the Botanical Garden and Insectarium, and it is one of the city's most recognisable structures.

The route also passes other landmarks, and the guide points out neighbourhoods and monuments as you travel. The tour departs from 1001 Dorchester Square, and you should arrive at least fifteen minutes before departure. There is no hotel pickup, and the tour lasts about three and a half hours.