Canyon Lights at Capilano Bridge

One of the best times of the year to visit Vancouver’s Capilano Suspension Bridge is during Canyon Lights in the Christmas season. The lights are amazing!

The evening holiday illuminations are up between mid-November and January 19th in 2025.

Click Capilano Suspension Bridge for the event’s official website.

(TIP: The price for a single day ticket to Capilano Bridge is the same as an annual pass for residents of BC. If you live in British Columbia and you get an annual pass, you’ll be able to come back at no extra charge!)

This article contains the following information about Canyon Lights:

Christmas at Capilano Bridge

With close to 500,000 lights and decorations, the illuminations at Canyon Lights are bold and enchanting. The winter holiday decorations at Capilano Suspension Bridge are also tasteful, unique and exquisitely Christmas in so many ways.

The lights dazzle even before you pass through the turnstile. Standing in line to buy your ticket, you catch a glimpse of the multi-coloured lights thread among trees.

In our opinion, Canyon Lights gets first prize as the most romantic place to take a date to see Christmas illuminations! It really is quite magical!

Canyon Lights Video

Below is a video about Canyon Lights at Christmas. It includes footage of the attraction from 2019, plus one or two scenes from the year before. There have been a few updates added to the event since then.

The video begins with the area at the park with First Nations totem poles. Next are scenes of live musicians and the area just outside the gift shop. This is followed by a walk along the Cliffwalk at around dusk, and then the crossing of the suspension bridge at night.

In the video, on the far side of the canyon, you can see people walking along the bridges high up in the air from tree to tree, and then a scene of the Christmas ornament-like light displays over the pond. The video finishes with a scene of the attraction at its entrance on Capilano Road.

As you’ll see from the video, the place looks magical during the Christmas season! Visiting the attraction in the evening in December is highly recommended!

Where is Canyon Lights?

Canyon Lights takes place at Capilano Suspension Bridge which is less than a five-minute drive from the Cleveland Dam and the base of Grouse Mountain. The venue’s address is 3735 Capilano Road in North Vancouver.

The attraction is on the west side of the street. Pay parking lots are across the street on the west side of Capilano Road. Parking costs $8 for three hours. There is also a limited amount of free street parking in the area, including a block away on Capilano Crescent just off Ridgewood Drive a block down the hill from the attraction. Time your visit to the attraction around an hour before it gets dark. This way, you’ll find parking in the parking lot and you get to see the lights as the daytime crosses into the night.

When is Canyon Lights?

Canyon Lights runs from mid-November until later January. In 2024/2025, the event runs from November 22nd to January 19th. Except for when it’s closed on Christmas Day, the park is open from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm daily. The lights and Christmas activities usually start at around 4:00 pm.

Click Capilano Suspension Bridge for the event’s official website.

Admission Rates at Canyon Lights

Tickets to Canyon Lights in the evening are the same as tickets to Capilano Suspension Bridge during the day. Both are good for all day and evening.

Online rates (excluding taxes) from the 2024/2025 season are listed below. Tickets at the gate usually cost a few dollars more. Annual passes for residents of British Columbia are the same price as a single day ticket.

Adults (ages 18 to 64) – $71.95
Seniors (ages 65 and over) – $66.95
Students (ages 18 and over with valid ID) – $59.95
Youth (ages 13 to 17) – $42.95
Children (ages 6 to 12) – $24.95
Little Kids (ages 5 and under) – Free

Since Canyon Lights admission prices are the same as the regular rates for Capilano Suspension Bridge, and the tickets are valid all day, having all the Christmas lights and festivities in the evening is a valuable bonus!

See the Capilano Suspension Bridge website for tickets and full details about the Christmas attraction.

What to See at Canyon Lights

There is a fair bit to do and see at Canyon Lights. There is a lot to enjoy at Capilano Suspension Bridge any time of the year, but especially at Christmas.

During Canyon Lights there are the site’s usual historical, geological and nature educational displays, beautiful First Nations totem pole art, and bridges throughout the trees. There is also the Cliffwalk, the fancy gift shop, the Cliff House Restaurant that serves classic West Coast meals, Loggers’ Grill for quick food like burgers, hot dogs, and fries, places to buy hot chocolate from, and, of course, the famous and very wobbly (but perfectly safe) suspension bridge.

Capilano Christmas Lights

What makes Capilano Suspension Bridge so special at Christmas time are all the magical lights and festive decorations. The light displays are done more tastefully and artistically than some of the Lower Mainland’s other Christmas light venues – there are fewer lights per square foot than at various other places, but they are equally impactful.

At Capilano Suspension Bridge, over the Christmas season in the evening, don’t forget to look down and admire the illuminated river in the canyon far below. The lights there are constantly changing colour, from blue to effervescent green. It looks likey dye cast into the gushing waters. Make sure to admire the waterfall too.

Christmas Crafts

There are a number of craft activities for children at Canyon Lights. Examples from recent years include children being able to make ornaments and greeting cards for no additional charge. Items like gingerbread cookies can also sometimes be bought for a donation benefiting the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.

Canyon Lights Owls

A fun addition to the park is the Snowy Owl Prowl, which first made its appearance in 2021/2022. There are light decorations in the shape of owls hidden around the property. Count them as you go, guess how many there are and then enter to win a prize.

In the past, the grand prize for winning the Snowy Owl Prowl has been a family getaway to the Canadian Rockies, so it’s a sizeable prize! Most of the owls are easy to spot, but a few are more challenging.

See the Capilano Suspension Bridge website for tickets and full details about the Christmas attraction.

Raising Funds for the Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund

A number of Metro Vancouver Christmas attractions raise money for charities. Two venues with festive illuminations where admission is by donation to the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund are Bright Nights at Stanley Park and the Holiday Hi-Light Festival in North Vancouver (both of which are just a 15-minute drive from Canyon Lights in good traffic).

Capilano Suspension Bridge also generously supports the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. Admission to Canyon Lights isn’t free as it normally is at the other two venues, but the attraction does collect donations and gives partial proceeds from admission sales at Christmas to the charity. As of 2024, Capilano Suspension Bridge had donated over $450,000 to the Burn Fund over the years.

Tips & Advice

Below are some tips and things to know to help you make the most of your visit to Canyon Lights.

TIP #1: Consider going to Capilano Suspension Bridge in December later in the afternoon, before it gets dark, so you can see the sights while the sun is out and you can still see the river below. Then stick around for nightfall (around 4:30 pm or so) to see the place all lit up with Christmas lights and looking completely different.

TIP #2: Expect to spend between 90 minutes and two hours at Canyon Lights, plus or minus depending on your interest level, the weather, the crowds and if all areas are open at the time of your visit. Take your time, though, and enjoy the amazing experience!

TIP #3: Canyon Lights gets especially busy on weekends and during the week just before Christmas. Be merry and have patience with the crowds, especially if relying on public transit or the free shuttle bus service when waiting to go home.

TIP #4: Many areas at Capilano Suspension Bridge are not wheelchair accessible. However, visitors in wheelchairs do usually receive free admission. Also, if dogs are on leash and under control, they can accompany their owners to the venue.

TIP #5: The suspension bridge gets quite wobbly when there are lots of people crossing it. If you’re not quite steady on your feet as you cross the bridge, take your time and hold onto the side to steady yourself as you walk. Making it into the forest to see the dazzling light displays is worth the wobbliness.

Tips about Annual Passes

TIP #1: For BC residents, an annual pass is about the same price as single admission, which then makes the cost a great deal.

TIP #2: If you purchase an annual pass in December, you can visit just after Christmas one year, come again in the summer, and then take in the lights one more time just before Christmas the following year. Do that and you’ll get more than your money’s worth!

TIP #3: Available at Christmas time are family memberships which make admission even more affordable (and which aren’t normally available at other times of the year).