Ville Marie in Montreal

Park at 361 Place d'Youville (paid parking) or on an adjacent street. Parking is highly regulated and paid everywhere.

(S/E) Depart from Pointe à Callières, at the entrance to the Grand Quai du Port de Montréal (200 Rue de la Commune Ouest). Walk along the quay to see the Tour du Port de Montréal.

(1) Walk around Place de Commencements at the end of the quay and return to the entrance. The Port Tower is open to visitors and features a suspended glass cage. Take the alleyway back to the starting point. From there, enjoy a magnificent view of the buildings.

(S/E) Cross Rue de la Commune and turn left, walking alongside the Archaeological Museum. At the end of the museum, turn left onto Place Royale (historic site). Walk to the end of the square and turn left onto Rue de Saint-Paul Ouest. Then turn left onto Rue de Saint-Sulpice. You will reach the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal.

(2) Walk along it, then turn right onto Rue Notre Dame and walk up to the intersection with Boulevard Saint-Laurent.

(3) Continue straight ahead to reach the intersection with Rue Saint-Gabriel.

(4) Turn left onto the small Allée des Huissiers just after the Palais de Justice and before the Lucien-Saulnier building, then turn right and walk past the building, crossing the Champ de Mars.

(5) Turn right and continue to the end of Place Vauquelin.

(6) Turn left onto Rue Notre Dame Est. Pass the city hall on your left and Château Ramezay on your right. Continue on Rue Notre Dame. At the second intersection, turn right onto Rue Bonsecours and continue to the Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Secours Chapel, where the remains of Sainte-Marguerite Bourgeoys are buried.

(7) Walk past the chapel, then along its left side and turn left onto Rue de la Commune. Cross the street to Rue du Quai de l'Horloge (WC). Follow the road to the left along the Old Port. Turn right and head towards the Clock Tower.

(8) Turn 90° to the right to walk along the St. Lawrence River. Take the footbridge on the left that overlooks the river. Follow this promenade and descend at the first footbridge to the Vieux-Port de Montréal dock.

(9) Take the shuttle to Île Sainte-Hélène (ticket must be purchased online).

(10) Turn onto the first path on the right and follow the riverbank. Then take the stairs on the left. Cross the esplanade (toilets) in front of the swimming pool. You will come to a crossroads between the swimming pool and the biosphere.

(11) Turn left, then right, and cross at the pedestrian crossing. Pass the first path, which runs alongside the road, and take the second path on the right, following it into the wooded area. At the next intersection, turn right, then left to reach the Lévis Tower.

(12) Walk past the base of the tower and continue to the Blockhaus Belvedere. Take the path on the right. At the intersection, take the^{second path} on the left and cross the footbridge to reach the Poudrière.

(13) Turn left and walk along the pond. Continue to the Plaine des Jeux and the chalet.

(14) Walk along this plain, turn left onto Chemin du Tour de l'Isle, then right to reach the pier.

(10) Take the river shuttle again. Disembark at Quai Jacques Cartier.

(9) Walk up the quay and then leave it by turning left onto the Promenade du Vieux Port. Once you have passed the Bassin Jacques Cartier, find a street on the right.

(15) Cross it and go up Boulevard Saint-Laurent. Reach the crossroads of Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, which you passed earlier.

(3) Turn left and continue to the intersection with the basilica, which you also passed on the way there.

(2) Turn left onto Place d'Armes, then turn left at the end onto Rue Saint-Jacques. Turn right onto Rue Saint-Pierre, cross Rue Saint-Antoine Ouest and continue straight ahead to Place Jean-Paul Riopelle, located opposite the Palais des Congrès.

(16) Continue straight ahead until you reach the intersection with Rue de Bleury.

(17) Turn right onto Rue de la Gauchetière Ouest, turn right and continue along this street to reach Chinatown, ending at Rue Clark.

(18) Return in the opposite direction on Rue de Bleury.

(17) Continue along Rue de la Gauchetière Ouest until you reach the intersection with Rue Saint-Alexandre, then turn right. You will arrive at St. Patrick's Basilica.

(19) Walk along it and continue on Rue Saint-Alexandre until you reach Rue Sainte-Catherine, then turn left. Walk past Phillips Square.

(20) Start of the Underground Walkway (RESO), at the corner of Union Avenue and Sainte-Catherine Street. Head towards the Eaton Centre in Montreal (which you can visit, of course). After wandering through this underground network, exit onto McGill College Avenue if possible (otherwise, you will have to find your way there). Head southeast on this avenue towards Place Ville Marie.

(21) Place Ville Marie, cross the square and turn right onto Boulevard René Lévesque Ouest. Continue to Mary Queen of the World Cathedral (free to visit), walk past it and turn left onto Rue de la Cathédrale, then right onto Rue Mansfield. You will then reach Rue Saint-Jacques.

(22) Turn left onto Rue Saint-Jacques. Continue straight ahead and turn right onto Rue McGill, then left onto Place d'Youville. At the end, turn right onto Rue de Callière to return to the car park (S/E).

Toilets are indicated in the description. While parking is paid, the toilets are free and clean.

You can visit the monuments you encounter during this walk as you wish. This walk takes place in the heart of Old Montreal, where there are many shops and restaurants. There are lots of souvenir shops of all kinds on Rue Notre-Dame.