Walking Tours

Montreal Plateau and Mile End Self-Guided Audio Walk: Bagels, Smoked Meat and Outside Staircases

Eat your way through Montreal's most famous food streets: Schwartz's smoked meat, a Wilensky Special and bagels from two legendary wood-fired ovens
Discover why Montreal's houses wear their staircases on the outside, and you will never see the city the same way again
Stand across from Leonard Cohen's front door, beside the little Portuguese park he lived by for four decades
Follow the Main, the boulevard that splits Montreal east from west and welcomed wave after wave of newcomers
Finish in the Mile End with a bagel fresh from the oven at St-Viateur

Self-guided English audio tour, 9 stops, 3.6 km, 1.5 hours
Stops at Carré Saint-Louis, Schwartz's, Parc du Portugal
GPS map and walking directions in browser, no app needed
Lifetime access to the tour, start anytime

Live guide
Fixed start time
Museum and monument tickets
Food and drinks
Gratuities

Tyto vstupenky můžete zrušit až 24 hodin před začátkem zážitku a získat plnou částku zpět.

Montreal's Plateau and Mile End wear their staircases on the outside: wood and iron stairs climbing the fronts of brick and stone houses, one door for every flat. Once you know why, you can read the whole neighbourhood.
Start in Carré Saint-Louis, a reservoir turned poets' square, then cross the Main, the street that splits the city's addresses east and west and welcomed wave after wave of newcomers. Hear how Portuguese families restored these streets, and how a burned fairground became the classic Montreal triplex. Along the way, stop across from Schwartz's smoked meat counter, pass Leonard Cohen's front door on Parc du Portugal, walk a block of outside staircases, and cross into the Mile End for Wilensky's, Fairmount Bagel, a Byzantine dome and the wood-fired oven at St-Viateur Bagel.
Nine stops, about 3.6 km and 90 minutes, in English and at your own pace. Start whenever you like and stop to eat on the way.

What to bring

Ticket code: Enter your ticket code on the Roamer redemption page from your confirmation before you set off.

Phone and data: Bring a charged phone; use mobile data or open the tour on Wi-Fi before starting if you lack data.

Earphones: Bring earphones so you can listen to the audio clearly while you walk.

What's not allowed

Private homes: Do not climb outside staircases, sit on steps, or photograph residents at private homes.

Church etiquette: Do not speak loudly inside churches, especially during services.

Additional information

Tour access: The tour opens in your phone browser and does not require you to download an app.

Best time to go: Any daylight works; late morning brings you to the bagel ovens around lunchtime.

Seasonal note: Spring to autumn is most comfortable; in winter stairs can be icy and daylight is shorter.

Festival crowds: During the MURAL festival in early June, the Main is pedestrianized and very crowded.

Food stops: You can eat along the way at spots like Schwartz's, Wilensky's, and the two bagel bakeries.

Restaurant waits: Schwartz's does not take reservations; if the line is long, continue the walk and return later.

Opening hours: Wilensky's and Fairmount Bagel set their own hours, so check schedules before you start.

Bagel bakery hours: St-Viateur Bagel on Saint-Viateur was open daily 6 a.m. to midnight when last checked.

Street safety: Boulevard Saint-Laurent and nearby avenues are busy, so use traffic lights and cross with care.

Side streets: Take extra care at quieter side streets, some of which have unmarked crossings.

Church visits: If you step into churches on the route, keep noise low and respect ongoing services.