Montreal Shore Excursions
Canada · 11 independent tours
Across Canada — laws, safety & health
National rules and risks that apply anywhere in Canada — relayed from official sources, not our verdict. We pass on what the authority says and leave the judgement to you.
Laws that catch visitors out
- Cannabis is legal for recreational use (rules vary by province), but it is illegal to take cannabis across the Canadian border without a Health Canada permit — you face arrest.
- Other illegal drugs carry a long jail sentence and heavy fines for possession, use or smuggling.
- Carry a copy of your passport for ID.
Drones
Drones are regulated by Transport Canada. A drone under 250g does not need to be registered but must still follow the basic safety rules; a drone weighing 250g or more must be registered, and you must hold a drone Pilot Certificate and carry it while flying. Keep the drone within sight, away from airports and bystanders, and follow Transport Canada’s height and distance limits.
via Transport Canada — flying your drone safely and legally · 28 Jun 2026
Health hazards
On hiking and camping excursions, take all rubbish (including food) away with you to avoid attracting animals, take particular care in areas where bears have been sighted, and keep a safe distance from all wildlife.
via UK FCDO travel advice — Canada · 18 Jul 2026
Relayed from UK FCDO travel advice — Canada · checked 18 Jul 2026
Traffic drives on the right. Look left first when you cross the road.
Docking & terminals in Montreal
Cruise ships dock at the Grand Quai (Grand Quay) on Alexandra Pier — the Iberville passenger terminal of the Montreal Port Authority — in the historic Old Port, within walking distance of Old Montréal. The terminal's roof is a public green esplanade, the Promenade d'Iberville, opposite the Pointe-à-Callière museum.
- Grand Quai — Iberville passenger terminal (Alexandra Pier), Old Port — in Old Montréal, a short walk from Place Jacques-Cartier, Notre-Dame Basilica and the Old Port (walkable; STM metro at Place-d'Armes / Champ-de-Mars, buses and taxis nearby)
Mobility & step-free access
Getting around between the pier and town:
- On foot — The cobbled streets, cafés and squares of Old Montréal — Place Jacques-Cartier, Notre-Dame Basilica and the Old Port — are all within a short walk of the Grand Quai.
- STM metro & bus — The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) network serves the Old Port, with Champ-de-Mars, Place-d'Armes and Square-Victoria–OACI metro stations and buses along rue de la Commune nearby.
- BIXI bike share — BIXI, Montréal's public bike-share, has docks around the Old Port.
- Taxi / rideshare — Taxis and rideshare are available at the Old Port for trips out to Mount Royal, the Plateau and beyond.
Step-free options vary by pier and by the day — confirm the specifics with your operator and the ship’s guest-services desk before booking.
Your berth and all-aboard times are on the ship's daily programme; the Grand Quai is a single terminal in the Old Port, an easy walk into Old Montréal.
Getting around & must-sees in Montreal
Getting around
Old Montréal begins at the terminal gates, so most sights are walkable; beyond that, the STM metro and bus network and BIXI bikes reach the rest of the city, and taxis and rideshare wait at the Old Port.
- On foot — The cobbled streets, cafés and squares of Old Montréal — Place Jacques-Cartier, Notre-Dame Basilica and the Old Port — are all within a short walk of the Grand Quai.
- STM metro & bus — The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) network serves the Old Port, with Champ-de-Mars, Place-d'Armes and Square-Victoria–OACI metro stations and buses along rue de la Commune nearby.
- BIXI bike share — BIXI, Montréal's public bike-share, has docks around the Old Port.
- Taxi / rideshare — Taxis and rideshare are available at the Old Port for trips out to Mount Royal, the Plateau and beyond.
Must-see sights
- Notre-Dame Basilica — Montréal's mother church and the first Gothic Revival church in Canada, raised to a minor basilica in 1982 and designated a National Historic Site in 1989; it draws more than a million visitors a year.
- Old Montréal (Vieux-Montréal) — The historic quarter of cobbled streets and archways along Saint-Paul and de la Commune streets, packed with galleries, boutiques and restaurants, steps from the cruise terminal.
- Mount Royal Park (Parc du Mont-Royal) — The Frederick Law Olmsted-designed park of 1876 on the mountain at the city's heart, with a lookout over downtown and the illuminated 1924 summit cross.
- Jean-Talon Market — One of North America's largest open-air public markets, in Little Italy since 1933, brimming with Québec produce and specialities.
Key facts only — confirm times, fares and seasonal openings locally.
Operator policies we’ve checked in Montreal
Before a tour earns its trust pills, we read the operator’s own site — their terms, cancellation and accessibility pages — and relay what they state. These are the operators’ own terms, not our verdicts; confirm when booking.
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AML Cruises
- Cancellation policy — The operator's terms of sale state that no refunds or date/time changes can be provided — check the booking platform's cancellation terms before booking.
- Accessibility — Guests with functional limitations are asked to book by phone; the operator states it makes every effort to offer cruises accessible to people with reduced mobility (operator site).
Checked 24 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Bateau-Mouche au Vieux-Port de Montréal
- Cancellation policy — The operator's own policy states no refund on cancellation ('Aucun remboursement en cas d'annulation'), with full payment required at booking — check the booking platform's cancellation terms before booking.
Checked 24 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Gray Line Montreal
- Free cancellation — verified on the operator’s own site
Checked 24 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Guidatour
- Free cancellation — verified on the operator’s own site
- Accessibility — The operator notes the places visited are generally accessible but not always perfectly adapted to all needs — for example Old Montreal's cobblestones (operator FAQ).
Checked 24 Jul 2026 · covers 2 tours listed on this page
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JUSST
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: The operator states you can cancel anytime without fees — no notice window or cancellation mechanism is specified on their site.
Checked 24 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Le petit navire
- Free cancellation — verified on the operator’s own site
- Accessibility — The dock is reached by a ramp but boarding means stepping over two steps, and the boat's narrow width rules out a wheelchair ramp; the operator can store equipment on the dock (operator FAQ).
Checked 24 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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MTL Detours
- Free cancellation — verified on the operator’s own site
- Accessibility — Tours are not wheelchair accessible (operator FAQ).
Checked 24 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Saute-Moutons Jet-Boating Montreal
- Cancellation policy — No customer cancellation or refund policy is published on the operator's own site (its FAQ answers the cancellation question with 'rain or shine' operations only) — confirm the booking platform's policy before booking.
- Accessibility — The operator requires participants of any age to be in good health — free of heart, neck or back issues and not pregnant (operator FAQ).
Checked 24 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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See Sight Tours (8177201 Canada Ltd)
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Full refund with at least 24 hours' notice by email or phone; cancellations with less notice incur a $50-per-person fee rather than losing the full amount (operator FAQ).
Checked 24 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
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Throwback Tours Inc.
- Free cancellation — verified on the operator’s own site
- Accessibility — No specific health requirements apply; guests with mobility limitations, health conditions or special needs are encouraged to contact the operator before booking (operator terms).
Checked 24 Jul 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
Local know-hows in Montreal
Money
- Currency
- Canadian dollar (CAD)
- Cards
- Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere — a contactless bank card or phone works for nearly everything.
- ATMs
- ATMs are widely available across the city.
- Tipping
- Tipping is customary in Montréal — around 15% of the pre-tax bill for restaurant servers, taxi drivers and similar services.
Local etiquette
Montréal is a bilingual, easy-going city; a word of French is a courtesy, and English will carry you through the visitor areas.
- Montréal is a French-speaking city; opening with a bonjour is appreciated, though English is widely spoken at restaurants, hotels and the main attractions.
Practicalities
- Language
- Montréal is a French-speaking city, but English is widely spoken in restaurants, hotels and at all the major attractions.
- Tap water
- Montréal's municipal tap water is treated and closely monitored and is generally safe to drink; as in many older cities the City notes lead can be present in the plumbing of some older buildings, and it runs a programme to replace lead service lines.
- Plugs
- Type A / Type B sockets, 120 V, 60 Hz (North American standard); visitors from the UK or Europe will need an adapter.
Key facts to know before you step off — confirm anything time-sensitive locally.
Port busyness in Montreal
Moderately busy
Montréal is a large city that absorbs cruise-day crowds easily; the ships that call are mostly small to mid-sized, and passengers disperse quickly into the wide Old Port and downtown.
Peak pattern: The cruise season runs from late April to the end of October, with the September–October autumn-foliage weeks on Canada/New England itineraries the busiest.
- Large city that absorbs cruise crowds
- Mostly small-to-mid-sized ships
- Autumn (September–October) is the peak
This shows a typical day for the time of year — actual crowds vary on your date, and it isn’t a guarantee.
What we’ve checked in Montreal — and when
We last checked the facts on this page on 24 Jul 2026. Live travel advisories refresh automatically from the official sources.
- Docking & getting ashore
- Verified by The Excursion Edit · 24 Jul 2026
- Getting around
- Verified by The Excursion Edit · 24 Jul 2026
- How busy it gets
- Verified by The Excursion Edit · 24 Jul 2026
- Operator policies
- From each operator’s own site and terms · 24 Jul 2026
- Travel advisories
- FCDO (GOV.UK) & US State Department · refreshed automatically