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Tours in Vancouver |
Walking Tours
The most enjoyable place to walk is the Seawall, which runs around the edge of Stanley Park and continues along False Creek. For guided tours that put the modern city in perspective, Walkabout Historic Vancouver (tel: (604) 720 0006; website: www.walkabouthistoricvancouver.com) offers daily 2-hour walking tours, one of downtown Vancouver and Gastown, one of Chinatown and Gastown, and one of Granville Island.
The Architectural Institute of British Columbia (tel: (604) 683 8588; website: www.aibc.ca) offers a number of free guided tours, from early July to August. These introduce visitors to Vancouver's history through architecture. Tours take 1.5 to 2 hours. Departure locations vary depending on the tour taken; these are listed online. In 2006 TransLink (see Getting Around) launched its SkyTour (tel: (604) 331 0617; website: www.skytour.ca) service, the world's first public transport-based and automated guided tour of a region. SkyTour allows users of the SkyTrain to rent headsets that provide commentary of the SkyTrain journey in six languages. The use of GPS technology means headset users can get off the SkyTrain and take guided walking tours of historic areas like New Westminster and Gastown.
Bus Tours
There are numerous hop-on, hop-off bus tours in Vancouver, averaging 2 hours in length for a whole circuit. Options include Gray Line of Vancouver (tel: (604) 879 3363 or 1 800 667 0882; website: www.graylinewest.com) and The Vancouver Trolley Company (tel: (604) 801 5515 or 1 888 451 5581; website: www.vancouvertrolley.com), which have paired up to make tickets for their hop-on, hop-off Vancouver tours valid on both services. Both offer more extensive tours, as does Landsea Tours (tel: (604) 662 7591 or 1 800 558 4955; website: www.vancouvertours.com). Gray Line and Trolley Company both have numerous stops around the city. The easiest place for tourists to catch one is in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery on Robson Square. Landsea Tours arranges hotel pickup.
Other Tours
Dinner cruises are available from Accent Cruises (tel: (604) 688 6625; website: www.dinnercruises.com). The 3-hour cruise departs from Granville Island. Harbour Cruises (tel: (604) 688 7246 or 1 800 663 1500; website: www.boatcruises.com) is based at the north foot of Denman Street (near West Georgia Street). The company offers trips around the harbour, as well as lunch and sunset dinner cruises. Harbour tours take 1 hour 15 minutes and depart daily from April to October, with additional sailings from early May to late September.
Kayak tours are available from Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre (tel: (604) 689 7575 or 1 888 425 2925; website: www.ecomarine.com) on Granville Island. Introductory tours around English Bay and False Creek are available. Further afield, Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak Centre in North Vancouver (tel: (604) 929 2268; website: www.deepcovekayak.com) offers tours of Indian Arm, an 18km-long (11-mile) fjord.
The most enjoyable place to walk is the Seawall, which runs around the edge of Stanley Park and continues along False Creek. For guided tours that put the modern city in perspective, Walkabout Historic Vancouver (tel: (604) 720 0006; website: www.walkabouthistoricvancouver.com) offers daily 2-hour walking tours, one of downtown Vancouver and Gastown, one of Chinatown and Gastown, and one of Granville Island.
The Architectural Institute of British Columbia (tel: (604) 683 8588; website: www.aibc.ca) offers a number of free guided tours, from early July to August. These introduce visitors to Vancouver's history through architecture. Tours take 1.5 to 2 hours. Departure locations vary depending on the tour taken; these are listed online. In 2006 TransLink (see Getting Around) launched its SkyTour (tel: (604) 331 0617; website: www.skytour.ca) service, the world's first public transport-based and automated guided tour of a region. SkyTour allows users of the SkyTrain to rent headsets that provide commentary of the SkyTrain journey in six languages. The use of GPS technology means headset users can get off the SkyTrain and take guided walking tours of historic areas like New Westminster and Gastown.
Bus Tours
There are numerous hop-on, hop-off bus tours in Vancouver, averaging 2 hours in length for a whole circuit. Options include Gray Line of Vancouver (tel: (604) 879 3363 or 1 800 667 0882; website: www.graylinewest.com) and The Vancouver Trolley Company (tel: (604) 801 5515 or 1 888 451 5581; website: www.vancouvertrolley.com), which have paired up to make tickets for their hop-on, hop-off Vancouver tours valid on both services. Both offer more extensive tours, as does Landsea Tours (tel: (604) 662 7591 or 1 800 558 4955; website: www.vancouvertours.com). Gray Line and Trolley Company both have numerous stops around the city. The easiest place for tourists to catch one is in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery on Robson Square. Landsea Tours arranges hotel pickup.
Other Tours
Dinner cruises are available from Accent Cruises (tel: (604) 688 6625; website: www.dinnercruises.com). The 3-hour cruise departs from Granville Island. Harbour Cruises (tel: (604) 688 7246 or 1 800 663 1500; website: www.boatcruises.com) is based at the north foot of Denman Street (near West Georgia Street). The company offers trips around the harbour, as well as lunch and sunset dinner cruises. Harbour tours take 1 hour 15 minutes and depart daily from April to October, with additional sailings from early May to late September.
Kayak tours are available from Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre (tel: (604) 689 7575 or 1 888 425 2925; website: www.ecomarine.com) on Granville Island. Introductory tours around English Bay and False Creek are available. Further afield, Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak Centre in North Vancouver (tel: (604) 929 2268; website: www.deepcovekayak.com) offers tours of Indian Arm, an 18km-long (11-mile) fjord.
View Our Airport Guides for Vancouver:
Vancouver International Airport
