Montreal Attraction Tours and Cruises
Attraction tours in Montreal
Most of Montreal’s paid attractions sit within walking distance of each other in and around the Old Port, so it is easy to string two or three together in a day. All prices are in Canadian dollars, and sales tax of 14.975% is added to most of them at the till. Check the official site for current rates before you go.
Notre-Dame Basilica and the AURA show
Notre-Dame Basilica on rue Notre-Dame Ouest, opposite Place d’Armes, has a deep blue vault dotted with gold stars. A daytime visit takes about an hour, and an adult ticket is listed at about $16. In the evening the basilica hosts AURA, a light and sound show by Moment Factory that lasts 40 to 45 minutes: a 25-minute show plus illuminated stations. Doors open 30 minutes before your ticket time, and after 5 p.m. tickets are sold online or by phone only. The sound is loud and the lasers and flashing lights are not suited to light-sensitive young children. A day visit combined with AURA is listed from $43.50 on the basilica’s own site.
Pointe-a-Calliere and the founding site
Pointe-a-Calliere, at 350 place Royale, is the city’s archaeology museum, built over the 1642 founding site. Adult admission is $30 with tax included, with lower rates for seniors, young adults, teens and children, and a family ticket at $60. It is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 and on weekends from 11:00 to 17:00, and it is closed every Monday.
Cruises from the Old Port
Le Bateau-Mouche sails from Quai Jacques-Cartier between May and October on 60 or 90-minute daytime trips, listed at roughly $30 to $45 per adult. Croisieres AML runs a Red Carpet Dinner Cruise from the Grand Quai on its 2026 schedule from 16 May to 7 November, boarding at 19:00 for about three and a half hours. Daytime AML sailings were not confirmed, so check the operator’s schedule.
The Grande Roue
La Grande Roue de Montreal stands 60 m high in the Old Port, with 42 climate-controlled cabins that each hold up to eight people. A turn lasts about 20 minutes, and one cabin has a glass floor. It stays open all year, but closing hours are reported as 23:00 or midnight, so check the evening schedule.
Cite Memoire in Old Montreal
Cite Memoire is a night-time projection circuit that tells stories of the city. It runs in a smaller form than it once did, with about nine or ten scenes across four Old Montreal sites, Wednesday to Sunday after dark. The free Montreal en Histoires app supplies the audio, so bring a charged phone and headphones.
Habitat 67
Habitat 67 is a private residential complex, so there is no walk-in access. Guided tours of about 90 minutes run on weekends through November in 2026, and tickets are released about a month ahead. A price near $58 is reported, so confirm it when you book.
What is closed
The Olympic Park tower observation deck is closed until spring 2027. Horse-drawn carriage rides have been banned on Montreal streets since 2020. Montreal has no public aquarium; the nearest living aquatic exhibit is the Gulf of St. Lawrence tank at the Biodome.
Read more: Bus tours in Montreal and walking tours in Montreal .
Official pages: Notre-Dame Basilica AURA , Pointe-a-Calliere rates . Search tours: Viator Montreal attractions .