Guided tours
The best way to discover Montréal is with someone who knows it inside and out. These professional tour guides can give you the inside scoop on the city, from history to shopping and from cuisine to architecture and more. By bus, bike, boat, foot or carriage — you choose how you want to explore. You will find a list of all the guided tours and activities on the Tourisme Montréal website.
French phrases-to-go
Your starter kit to the local lingo…
Hello……………………….. Bonjour
Goodbye…………………… Au revoir
Please……………………… S’il vous plait
Thank you………………… Merci
See you soon!…………… À la prochaine!
Fun Facts
• John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their legendary Bed-In in Montréal at Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth hotel from May 26 to June 2, 1969.
• A popular local snack is “poutine” (French fries with cheese curds topped with gravy) – absolutely delicious!
• Our “underground city” has over 30 km (18 miles) of pedestrian walkways, indoor areas and tunnels linking 10 metro stations, 2 train stations, 2 bus stations, 62 buildings, 7 major hotels, 1,615 apartments, 200 restaurants, 1,700 boutiques, 37 movie theatres and exhibition halls, 2 universities, 1 college and 10,000 indoor parking spaces.
• The legal drinking age in Montréal is 18. Bars and restaurants can serve beer and alcohol from 11 a.m. to 3 in the morning.
• What others call “pastrami”, we call “smoked meat” (By the way, our smoked meat sandwiches are to die for!).
• An entrée here is actually an appetizer.
• “Gourmet Magazine” dedicated an entire issue to Montréal (March 2006)
• In total, 80 languages are spoken in the Montréal region, including French, English, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Greek, Chinese, German, Portuguese, Creole and Vietnamese.
• Montreal ranks second to Halifax for the number of Titanic victims buried in its cemeteries (12 in all).
• Eye contact in Montréal differs from that in other major cities. Whereas discretion is the order of the day elsewhere, Montréalers do not shy away from making eye contact with strangers.
• With the highest number of tango dancers and dance halls on the continent, Montréal is the tango capital of North America.
• Greeting a French person from Montréal can be confusing for visitors. The customary way to greet friends in Montréal is to kiss them on both cheeks, starting with the right, whereas Canadians in other provinces tend to keep their distance and simply shake hands.
