Montreal Private Walking Tour to Downtown RESO and Old Montreal

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1860, is Canada's oldest art museum featuring collections from ancient to contemporary art across multiple pavilions on Sherbrooke Street. It's internationally renowned for high-quality exhibitions and diverse cultural programming.

McGill University, founded in 1821, is one of Canada's most prestigious research universities located in downtown Montreal, consistently ranking among the world's top institutions. The bilingual university attracts international students from over 150 countries and has produced numerous Nobel Prize winners.

Montreal's Underground City (RESO) is a 33-kilometer underground pedestrian network connecting metro stations, shopping centers, and buildings throughout downtown. This climate-controlled subterranean system allows year-round navigation while avoiding harsh winter weather.

The Ring is a 30-meter diameter stainless steel sculpture suspended above Place Ville Marie's esplanade, installed in June 2022 as part of Montreal's downtown revitalization. Designed by Claude Cormier + Associés, this illuminated art installation serves as a symbolic gateway framing the historic visual axis from Place Ville Marie to McGill University and Mount Royal.

Phillips Square is a historic downtown Montreal park established in 1842, featuring a bronze monument of King Edward VII at its center. Recently renovated in 2022, this green oasis at Sainte-Catherine and Union serves as a cultural hub surrounded by historic commercial buildings.

Christ Church Cathedral is a Neo-Gothic Anglican cathedral built between 1857-1859, serving as the mother church of Montreal's Anglican Diocese. Located on Saint Catherine Street above an underground shopping mall, this National Historic Site is renowned for its choral tradition and architectural beauty.

Place des Arts is Canada's largest cultural and artistic complex founded in 1963, located in Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles with six venues seating nearly 8,000 people. Home to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Opéra de Montréal, and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, it serves as the main venue for major festivals including the International Jazz Festival.

Complexe Desjardins is a mixed-use complex in Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles featuring over 110 boutiques, restaurants, office towers, and the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel around a large public atrium. Connected to two metro stations and Montreal's underground city, it hosts over 200 days of events annually and serves as a major downtown hub.

The Palais des congrès de Montréal is the #1 international convention center in the Americas, opened in 1983 in Montreal's Quartier international. Located with Place-d'Armes metro station inside the building, it's committed to sustainable development and generates significant economic benefits for the city.

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal is a Gothic Revival masterpiece built between 1824-1829, located in Old Montreal facing Place d'Armes. Designated a National Historic Site in 1989, it attracts 11 million visitors annually and is famous for hosting state funerals, notable weddings, and the immersive AURA light show.

Place d'Armes is a historic square in Old Montreal dating from 1693, anchored by the Maisonneuve Monument honoring Montreal's founder Paul de Chomedey. As Montreal's second oldest public site, it's surrounded by architectural landmarks including Notre-Dame Basilica, the Bank of Montreal, and buildings representing major periods of the city's development.

Rue St-Paul is Montreal's oldest street, laid out in 1672 and named after the city's founder Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve. This narrow cobblestone street in Old Montreal features renovated 19th-century buildings housing boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, and historic landmarks like the Bonsecours Market.

Bonsecours Market, inaugurated in 1847, is one of Canada's ten finest heritage buildings that served as Montreal's main marketplace for over a century and city hall from 1852-1878. This imposing neoclassical building with its distinctive silver dome now houses 15 boutiques featuring "made in Quebec" creations, restaurants, and exhibition spaces in Old Montreal.

This tour explores Vieux-Montreal (Old Montreal), Montreal's historic heart founded in 1642, featuring cobblestone streets and French colonial architecture. You'll visit key landmarks including Place d'Armes, Notre-Dame Basilica, Place Jacques-Cartier, Rue Saint-Paul, and Bonsecours Market, culminating in this well-preserved area where centuries-old buildings house modern boutiques, galleries, and restaurants, showcasing Montreal's unique European charm.

Place Jacques-Cartier is the liveliest square in Old Montreal, a gently inclined cobblestone plaza featuring street performers, artists, and the 35-meter Nelson Monument erected in 1809. This car-free summer zone is lined with restaurants and cafés offering Parisian-style terraces, serving as Old Montreal's central meeting place near the Old Port.