Walking tours are a big help when you are visiting a new place, especially when they’re free! You can find a free walking tour in almost any popular tourist destination. Sandemans is a good company who offers free walking tours in Europe, the Middle East and in New York City. There are loads of other free walking tours available, just Google “free walking tour” for the city you will be visiting and I’m sure a few will pop up!
A walking tour is a good introduction to a new city. I recommend doing a walking tour before you go sightseeing. This will not only familiarize yourself with the layout of the city center, but your tour guide can give you an inside scoop on where the locals like to eat, background information about the sites and so on!
When we were in Montreal, we took a free walking tour and were able to see the city’s highlights in one afternoon. For instance, without the tour we never would have known that a piece of the Berlin wall was donated to Montreal in 1992 and available view at Montreal Underground.
We booked a tour in advance online with Free Montreal Tours. Some walking tours have meeting points and times where you can just show up – the guide will usually have an umbrella or shirt with the company’s logo. You will see many of these in Europe especially. Free Montreal Tours is a walking tour of Old Montreal that is offered Monday to Thursday afternoons. The guides are friendly and knowledgeable about the city’s rich history. Booking is easy and will be the best tour you will ever take in Montreal!
Chateau Ramezay is a historic building as well as a museum. This historic site was chosen by UNESCO and listed as one of the 1001 historic sites you must see before you die. It was built in the 18th century and was the first building in Québec to be classified as a historic monument.
Notre-Dame de Bonsecours Chapel, also known as the “Sailor’s church”, is another must see on the tour. Inside, you will see beautiful art and replicas of ships hanging from the ceiling. There is an amazing story to be told about the dedicated sailors and the chapel’s history.
The Old Port of Montreal is gorgeous! It stretches along the historic St-Lawrence River and hosts many outdoor activities, cruises and restaurants. The port also has a man-made beach named Clock Tower Beach. Located at the foot of the Clock Tower, the beach offers sand, umbrellas, chairs and a bar for refreshing drinks. The beach is free and open during the summer.
Place d’Armes, Quartier International and Montreal Underground are also a few of the many sites you will see on this tour.
Our guide, Mark was a local and he knew the city inside and out. He even told us where we could find Montreal’s best fish n’ chips for dinner after the tour. It was so delicious! I’ll do a Brit n’ Chips post later.
Have you been on a walking tour before? If so, where and who did you use as your guide?
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