Best Sightseeing Tours in Vancouver

A hop-on, hop-off tour is one that allows you to hop on at any stop on the route and hop off at any other stop—or, you can stay aboard for the full tour. It's a great way to see a lot of Vancouver in one day and a good way to visit multiple attractions without the need of a car. The top two hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tours in Vancouver both stop at Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, and Chinatown.

• Vancouver Trolley Company lets you tour Vancouver in an old-fashioned streetcar while drivers provide local history and insights. Their tour of Stanley Park is extensive and a great way to see Stanley Park's main attractions.
•  Big Bus / Westcoast Sightseeing lets you tour in an open-air double-decker bus, accompanied by a recorded tour in seven languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin). The tour route includes five stops in Stanley Park, including photo ops at the Brockton Point totem poles and Prospect Point.

From April - October (and especially in the summer), Vancouver boat tours and sightseeing cruises let you experience the city from the water, combining guided tours with incredible nature vistas and city views. You can choose a simple sightseeing tour or make a night of it with a dinner cruise.

In December, there are the holiday-themed Carol Ships Parade of Light cruises.

The non-profit Vancouver Heritage Foundation offers both free and ticketed tours of the city, usually of Vancouver's historic neighborhoods and architecture. These tours are perfect for people who love history and storytelling.

Check the Vancouver Heritage Foundation for current walking tours.

Vancouver is a very bike-friendly city. You can create your own cycling tour or you can take a guided cycling tour of downtown Vancouver or Stanley Park. (For the guided tours, bike rentals are included in the price of the tour.)

• Cycle City Tours (They also have bike rentals 
• Vancouver Bike Tours

If you want to see a different side of Vancouver, these tours offer a unique look at the city's seamier side:

• Forbidden Vancouver offers walking tours of Vancouver that focus on the seamier side of the city. Tour the infamous ​Penthouse strip club with owner Danny Filippone, or tour Gastown's gothic (and bloody) history. Must be 19+ for the Penthouse tour.
• Sins of the City Walking Tour from the Vancouver Police Museum takes you on a historic tour of Vancouver's bawdy past. Must be 16+.
• Ghostly Vancouver Tours offers walking tours of both Gastown and Downtown Vancouver.