Harbour Cruise Boats at Christmas

A great way to see the city from a completely different but spectacular perspective is to take a trip on one of Vancouver’s harbour cruise boats.

Departing from Coal Harbour near the end of Denman Street, there are a variety of boats and tour options to choose from.

Harbour Cruises from Coal Harbour

Different companies offer a range of cruise options in English Bay, around Burrard Inlet or even up Indian Arm towards Deep Cove on the North Shore and beyond. Sunset dinner cruises run from May to Mid-October. They typically cost around $80 per person. One-hour narrated tours of Burrard Inlet cost about $30 and depart daily from the beginning of May until the end of September.

Taking a boat cruise is an excellent way to enjoy the city, and the deck of a boat on a sunny day is one of Vancouver’s best places from which to take photos and admire the views.

Harbour Cruise Boats

SPECIAL CRUISES WITH VANCOUVER BOAT PARTIES

A great company that offers special cruise excursions is Vancouver Boat Parties. Their events are especially popular with adults between the ages of 25 to 40 and take place most years at New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Canada Day, Halloween and during the East Indian festival of Diwali in autumn.

Cruises with Vancouver Boat Parties take place on some of the city’s largest and nicest yachts and involve dancing into the wee hours of the night. If you like night clubs, dancing and beautiful nighttime views, these events are highly recommended.

For more details see our article about Vancouver Boat Parties.

Westin Bayshore Waterfront at Coal Harbour

Tips and Advice

Below are some suggestions to help you make the most out of your Harbour Cruise experience.

TIP #1: Want a cheap way to see Vancouver from the middle of Burrard Inlet? Then simply take the Seabus from Waterfront Station over to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. It’s just a single zone ticket on weekends and after 6:30 pm (so a hair over $3 for an adult) or two zones (a little under $4.50) at regular times. It’s not quite the same, especially if you don’t get a seat at the very front or very back, but it’s an enjoyable way to travel to the North Shore which offers lots of its own places to explore.

TIP #2: Vancouver’s Harbour Cruises is a participant most years in the Kidsworld Program where children ages 4-13 can attend a selection of local attractions on specific days of the year along with an accompanying adult at no additional cost! It’s a fantastic deal, especially if you want to do fun stuff like go on a mini-cruise for cheap!