Booking your Montréal walking tour directly with the local company that runs it means more accurate information, easier communication, a guaranteed licensed guide, and better value than booking through a third-party platform. Here is why, and how to do it.
When you are planning a trip to Montréal, it is natural to start on a big travel platform. They are good for browsing, reading reviews, and getting a sense of what is out there.
But once you know the local company you want to book with, there is usually a better way to do it: book direct.
We are MTL Detours, a small, locally owned Montréal walking tour company. We build our tours, run them, and look after every detail ourselves. Book directly on our website and your reservation lands with the actual people behind the experience, which makes everything clearer from the very first step.
Should you book direct or through a platform?
If you have already picked the company you want to tour with, booking direct is the better call. You get the most accurate tour details, you can talk directly to the people running it, you know your guide actually holds a permit, and more of your money stays with the local business. Platforms earn their keep earlier on, when you are still browsing and comparing. But once you know who you want, going direct is simpler and better value. The rest of this guide breaks down each of those reasons.
You get accurate information and a direct line to us
Start with the practical side. Travel platforms show tour details in their own layout, which can bury the things that matter most for a walking tour: where to meet, timing, language, weather policies, accessibility, and what is actually included. It can be confusing.
Book directly and you get the real tour description, real availability, the exact meeting point, and the practical notes before you pay. On a walking tour, those details matter. Montréal means cobblestones, weather that changes its mind, festivals, and busy seasons, so showing up prepared makes the whole day better.
Communication is simpler, too. Got a question before your tour? You reach us directly. Something you need to know before you set out? We tell you directly. That covers what people ask about most: where to meet, whether we run in the rain, how much walking is involved, what to do if you are running late, private options, French or English, mobility concerns. Book through a platform and some of that has to travel through their messaging system, which puts a layer between you and the people actually running your tour.
We are not a reseller. We design the routes, schedule the guides, and set the standard. Our public small-group tours are capped at 10 guests on purpose, because a smaller group means real conversation, a relaxed pace, and none of the crowd-management that comes with a big tour.
Booking direct supports a local business
There is a money side to this too. Book directly with a small local company and far more of your payment stays with that company and the people who actually built the tour. Less of it disappears elsewhere.
For an independent operator like us, that is no small thing. Your direct booking helps pay our guides properly, keeps locally made experiences alive, and keeps Montréal tourism rooted in Montréal. If supporting small, local, independent travel is something you care about, booking direct is one of the most concrete ways to do it.
It is also why we like to thank you for it, and we will get to exactly how a little further down.
Your guide actually holds a permit
Here is something most visitors never realize: Montréal has real rules about who is allowed to lead a tour, and they exist for good reason. A permitted guide is trained, accountable, and knows how to manage a group safely out & about in the city. Booking with a certified guide means the person showing you Montréal genuinely knows their stuff, which is honestly half of what makes a tour great.
Every MTL Detours guide holds the mandatory city permit. No guessing, no hoping the person who turns up is the real deal. You are in good hands, from the first bonjour. Here is how the rules actually work, in case you are curious.
Are Montréal tour guides required to be licensed?
Yes. To lead tours in Montréal, a guide needs a permit from the city. Earning that permit means completing the Montréal Tourist Guide program at the ITHQ (Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec), Québec’s tourism and hospitality institute.
Do you need a permit to give walking tours in Old Montréal?
Yes. A permit is required to guide tours in Old Montréal. Not every operator or person giving a tour respects this mandatory permit regulation, which is exactly why it is worth booking with one who does. Every tour we run is led by a licensed guide with the required permit.
And it is easier if plans change
Travel rarely goes exactly to plan. Flights run late, the weather turns, and yes, people occasionally book the wrong date.
Booking direct does not mean anything goes at the last minute. We have our policies and we stick to them, but we will always do our best to help wherever we possibly can. And when you have booked with us directly, it is clear who to contact and what your options are. No untangling whether you should be messaging a platform, a reseller, or the operator. You are already talking to the source.
Are travel platforms bad? No.
Not at all, and plenty of travellers use them happily. They are genuinely handy for comparing options and reading reviews, and we are glad to have you no matter where you booked.
But if you already know you want to tour with MTL Detours, booking directly on our website is simply the easiest route: a direct line to us, the most accurate information, and a straightforward way to support a local Montréal company.
Already booked through a platform?
No problem at all, and we look forward to having you join us. One thing worth doing: keep an eye on the messages from the platform you booked through. If we need to reach you, our message gets rerouted through their system, so checking it closely means you will not miss anything important from us. While you are there, be sure to read the confirmation and reminder details too, especially the meeting point, start time, cancellation policy, and arrival instructions. Questions about the tour itself? Reach out to us anytime. For payments, refunds, or booking changes, you will need to go through the platform, since those systems are theirs, not ours.
Book direct and save $5 per person
Now for the fun part. Book directly on our site and you save $5 per person on any small-group tour. Just add code DIRECT5 at checkout. Same great tours, same wonderful guides, a little more in your pocket, and a lot more support for a 100% local Montréal business. (Small-group tours only.)
Doing more than one tour? Even better. Get in touch before you book and ask about our special multi-tour discount. It is a great way to see more of the city, and you will be chatting with us directly from the start, which is exactly how we like it.
The best way to book with MTL Detours
The best place to book an MTL Detours walking tour is right here on our official website, where you will find current availability, accurate details, small-group and private options, and notes to help you get ready.
Old Montréal, the Underground City and downtown, the Plateau and Mile End, Montréal’s Dark History, whichever one you are joining us for, booking direct keeps things clear from start to finish. And it means your booking supports a real local business and permitted Montréal guides who know this city inside out and love showing it off.
Ready to join us? Book directly with MTL Detours, use code DIRECT5 to save $5 per person, and come walk the city with a small group and a licensed local guide who knows Montréal inside and out.
