The 11 History Walking Tours in Canada to Book First

1.Vancouver: Gastown Historical Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 539 reviews · 3 hours · from $113Our pick

Start at Waterfront Station and follow an English-speaking guide such as Sean, Kate, Rachel, or Connor through Gastown. You’ll visit eight restaurants for six food tastings, two desserts, and four beer or wine samples, with non-alcoholic choices available. Expect cobblestones, local history, stairs, and enough food to reshape your dinner plans.

“Chirag was an amazing guide who kept us entertained with both local knowledge and fun narratives. The food stops were delicious , even tasting the local staple of Poutine. We would highly recommend this your tour to anyone wishing to have an immersion experience of food, drinks and history.”

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2.Old Quebec Historical Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 409 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

Follow a French or English-speaking guide in colonial costume through Old Quebec for two hours. You’ll see Château Frontenac, Dufferin Terrace, Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica, and Place Royale while hearing stories about settlement, religion, politics, and daily life. Guides such as Pierre, Sylvain, Alex, and Marie-Anne Barbel bring the past to life with humor and personal anecdotes.

“great tour with fascinating history. I highly recommend it and the tour guide was awesome! We were able to see areas of Quebec City we probably never would have seen. Thank you so much for a wonderful time!!”

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3.Pete’s Historic Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 321 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $33Top rated

Pete Ferguson leads a two-and-a-half-hour walking tour through uptown Saint John, from Water Street and Market Square to King’s Square, Trinity Church, Prince William Street, and the Marco Polo cruise terminal. Expect local stories, rare photo copies, architecture, fire history, immigration tales, and personal memories from Pete’s years running a Saint John pub.

“Small tour size combined with him projecting his voice well makes it very easy to hear him. The tour is well paced, with frequent stops where he would tell us about the history of the place we were in front of. Utilizing the walkway system from one area to another made what could have been a grueling hill climb into an easy walk. Escalators and an elevator does all the hard work. We skipped the last point of interest to eat at a pub. We mentioned our tour with Pete and the waitress said "fish and chips, right?" Everybody seems to know him. The tour was informative, giving insight about…”

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4.Toronto: Dark History Nighttime Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 273 reviews · 1h 15m · from $20Best value

Choose a 75-minute Toronto night walk through the financial district, Old Town, the University of Toronto, or the Distillery District. A cloaked English-speaking guide such as Cass, Dev, Jeff, or Cole leads you through ghost stories, hangings, wartime accidents, and unsolved mysteries. Expect an outdoor walk, live storytelling, and plenty of history, but no filming or indoor tour access.

“Jeff did a fantastic job leading us through Toronto! So many great facts and ghoulish stories, we had the perfect night for it. I only wish it was longer! I also appreciate Jeff leading people back to the original space which was very kind and went above and beyond expectations. It was our first night in Toronto and it was a great way to walk about the city, get a lay of the land and get some history and facts before the rest of our trip.”

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5.Toronto: Distillery District Historic Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 267 reviews · 1 hour · from $20

Spend one hour walking Toronto’s Distillery District with an English-speaking guide such as Erik, Nicole, Devin, or Tom. Hear how Gooderham & Worts became one of the world’s largest distilleries, see historic buildings from inside and out, and learn how the waterfront changed. The easy route suits most visitors age 10 and up.

“Knowledgeable guide with interesting facts and humour. We really enjoyed our tour with David.”

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6.Walking Tour Through Quebec City’s History

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 263 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24

Spend about two hours walking Old Quebec with an English-speaking guide in period costume. See Dufferin Terrace, Notre-Dame de Québec, Place Royale, Petit-Champlain, and the Breakneck Steps while learning how the city grew from Champlain’s 1608 settlement. The route ends at Place Royale and includes steep streets, cobblestones, and stairs.

“A very interesting and informative tour with a costumed guide that was very knowledgeable and helpful many thanks”

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7.Historic Walking Tour of Charlottetown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 211 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $21

Join a small-group, English-language walking tour through central Charlottetown with local guide Jamie Kelly. In about two hours, you’ll see St. Dunstan’s Basilica, Province House, Confederation Centre, All Souls’ Chapel, Governor’s House, Victoria Park, and the harbour. Expect family stories, Canadian history, church interiors when open, and a short refreshment break.

“Our guide, Jamie, was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. We got a lot of information about Charlottetown and PEI in an enjoyable way. Charlottetown is an easy place to walk around since it is not hilly and we really enjoyed the whole experience. Thanks, Jamie!!”

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8.Charlottetown: Historical Architecture Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 2 hours · from $21

Join Jamie of Walk The Walk Tours PEI for a two-hour stroll through historic Charlottetown. You’ll see St. Dunstan’s Basilica, Province House, Confederation Centre of the Arts, All Souls Chapel, and notable homes while learning how PEI shaped Canada. Jamie’s family has lived in the area for generations, so expect local stories alongside the main history.

“This was the perfect start to our week in PEI. Jamie was a great guide, very knowledgeable with interesting stories. Highly recommend this tour with a local whose family has lived on the island for generations.”

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9.Historical Walking and Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 70 reviews · 3 hours · from $87

Spend three hours walking Old Quebec with an English-speaking guide such as Jonathan, Yves, or Chantal. Visit four tasting stops for Quebec cheeses, sausage, vegetables, drinks, seafood or vegetarian alternatives, and maple treats. The route centers on the upper town near Place d'Armes and blends early New-France history with local food.

“Our tour and guide was great! Very unique food tasting. They offered a lot of fish/shellfish dishes. I do not like either so they were able to offer a substitute dish for those. This tour was around the upper part of the city around the Fairmont Hotel. Be sure to go to the lower part on your own.”

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10.Banff: Paranormal History Walking Ghost Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 46 reviews · 1h 45m · from $29

Walk Banff’s historic streets after dark with an English-speaking guide such as Jack, Jen, Mike, or Max. Hear stories of haunted hotels, ghost towns, unsolved mysteries, and strange encounters while seeing familiar landmarks from a darker angle. The 105-minute tour suits adults, older children, skeptics, and anyone who enjoys local history with a spooky twist.

“The guide has a lot of passion for what she does and it shows! A very good spooky tour! 👻”

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11.Kingston: Historic Downtown Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 24 reviews · 1 hour · from $23

Walk Kingston’s historic downtown with Arthur Milnes, a local historian, former Canadian Prime Ministerial speechwriter, and celebrated storyteller. In about an hour, you’ll see Market Square and City Hall while hearing stories about Sir John A. Macdonald, Molly Brant, Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, and Arthur’s own unusual encounters.

“Arthur is great, lovely guy, knows so much about the area and wider history of Canada, great to get the chance to spend time with people who can share so many interesting stories and facts. Our kids, aged 13 and 10, enjoyed it too!”

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