An authentic experience

All tours presented in this section are conducted by a Montréal Professional Licensed Tour Guide. To take part in these tours, you must make up your own group of 10 to 20 people.

Here’s a way to satisfy your shopping crave! Head to the mecca of Montréal’s downtown stores like Les Ailes de la Mode, the Eaton Centre, Simons and Les Cours Mont-Royal with a professional shopping guide who’s tuned in to the latest trends. Cross over to the array of exclusive shops in Ogilvy’s, a landmark Scottish department store, where you might just catch a glimpse of the bagpiper playing in full regalia in its fifth-floor Tudor Room art gallery. From there, venture out—namely to Sherbrooke Street, Saint-Denis Street, Saint- Laurent Boulevard and Laurier Avenue—to feast your eyes on the myriad boutiques that make Montréal sheer shopping heaven. From upscale to eclectic to trendy to avant-garde, you’re sure to find something perfectly suited to you!

Step off the well-travelled shopping path to visit funky warehouse-style studios and meet the minds behind Québec designs. You’ll talk to Yves Jean Lacasse, a designer who’s been leading the fashion fore at his Envers clothing atelier, and chat with artists and craftsmen of pewter jewellery at the FAF Design Foundry. Wrap your afternoon up with a visit to a group of marble sculptors who will share their passion for their métier with you.

Calling all antique lovers and curio collectors: here’s your chance to check out the three best antique shopping strips in town. Guide and antique specialist Ness Welham will first bring you to Greene Avenue for a look at some regal British collections. Got the itch for kitsch? You’ll love Amherst Street and its truly eclectic pieces from the 50s and 60s. For a piece of history, wind back to Notre-Dame Street, our very own "Antique Alley", for fascinating New France finds.

From the time of the first settlers, fur has been Montréal’s economic force and fashion staple. Here’s an opportunity to meet three people with a definite feel for fur. At the Lachine Fur Trade Museum, a clothing curator will explain its rich history while a modern-day furrier will demonstrate how a coat is made. And at the Harricana boutique, Montréal designer Mariouche Gagné will show you how the fur business is flourishing—with creations made entirely from recycled fur.

Shopping tips don’t come much better than this: get the lowdown on Montrealers’ passion for shopping from one of the best personal shoppers around. Sit back to cocktails as he shares a bit of history on Holt Renfrew, one of Canada’s leading fashion department stores, before you set out for a tour of its exclusive boutiques and gift shops. Drinks and dinner to follow at Il Cortile, a charming Italian restaurant in the upscale and arty Museum District.

Curious to know where Montrealers get their fashion savvy? Let a clothing curator at the McCord Museum peel back layers of history to give you a unique retro on la mode in Montréal. Follow it up with a visit to two Québec clothing stores—the manager of the Kanuk factory/store will let you in on how the clothingconscious beat the cold in style, and just for the fashionista, a foray into the avant-garde collections at Revenge, a boutique showcasing men’s and women’s wear from Québec and Canadian designers.