Walking Tours

Montreal Mount Royal Self-Guided Audio Walk: Kondiaronk Lookout, the Cross and Beaver Lake

Climb the wooded mountain at the heart of Montreal, on a park laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, co-designer of New York's Central Park
Reach the Kondiaronk lookout and see all of downtown spread at your feet, with no tower allowed to rise above the summit
Stand beneath the 30-metre steel cross paid for with five-cent stamps sold by Montreal's schoolchildren
Hear how the Wendat chief Kondiaronk gave his last strength to the Great Peace of 1701
Wind down past open-air sculptures from 1964 to Beaver Lake, built by Depression-era work crews

Route via Kondiaronk lookout and Beaver Lake
Self-guided English audio tour, 7 stops
Stops at Kondiaronk lookout, cross, chalet, Beaver Lake
GPS map and walking directions provided
Lifetime access to tour, flexible start time

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

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Montreal has a mountain in the middle of the city, and Frederick Law Olmsted designed its park so that nobody would reach the top in a rush. The views arrive one at a time, bend by bend.
Climb from the bronze Cartier Monument to a hairpin on Olmsted's carriage road and learn why it zigzags. Look east over the Plateau from the Camillien-Houde lookout, stand beneath the riveted steel cross that schoolchildren raised money for, five cents at a time, and reach the Kondiaronk lookout with downtown spread below.

Hear why no downtown tower may rise above the summit, and how the Wendat chief Kondiaronk helped make the Great Peace of 1701. Then drift down past the 1964 sculpture clearing to Beaver Lake and its folded concrete pavilion.

Seven stops, about 3.4 km and 90 minutes with a steady climb, in English and at your own pace. Toilets at the chalet and at the lake.

What to bring

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

Phone and earphones: Bring a fully charged smartphone and earphones to follow the audio tour.

Data or Wi-Fi: Use mobile data, or open the tour on Wi-Fi before starting if you will be offline.

Footwear: Wear shoes with good grip, as earth paths and stairs can be slippery in rain and winter.

Winter gear: In winter, wear boots with grip or strap-on ice cleats and allow extra time.

Additional information

Tour access: The self-guided tour opens in your phone browser, so you do not need to download an app.

Best season: The clearest views and driest paths are usually from late spring to autumn.

Sunday drummers: On warm Sunday afternoons, drummers often gather by the Cartier Monument at the start.

Shorter option: If short on time, you can exit from Kondiaronk lookout to Avenue des Pins via stairs to Peel Street.

Chalet facilities: Chalet du Mont-Royal is free, open 8:00 to 20:00, with toilets until 19:30 and a café.

Toilet gaps: There are no toilets between the start and the chalet, so plan ahead.

Beaver Lake pavilion: The pavilion is open 8:30 to 21:00, later on Friday and Saturday, with toilets and a snack bar.

Bus connection: STM bus 11 is listed as serving Lac aux Castors for Mont-Royal metro; check stm.info for current details.

Winter paths: In winter, stairs and the carriage road are packed snow and ice, so walking takes longer.

Icy stairs: The east-face stairs and Peel stairs are icy in winter, so you should use ice grips.

Trail surface: Early sections use unpaved earth paths and steps without handrails, which are slippery when wet or icy.

Carriage road use: The carriage road is shared with runners and cyclists, so you should keep to the side.

Camillien-Houde lookout: Stay on the terrace side of the car park beside the busy road and cycling lane.

At the cross: Stay on marked paths, as ground is uneven and the east face drops away steeply.

Smith House: Smith House is closed for works until spring 2027, with no toilets, café, or exhibition.

Future works: A redesign of Voie Camillien-Houde and its lookout is planned for 2027–2028, so layouts may change.