Vancouver Sightseeing Tours

Seeing Vancouver on a sightseeing tour is a great way to explore the city, and there are exceptional boat, walking and bus tours to choose from.

There are also ferry boat travel opportunities and whale watching tours.

This article includes information about the following topics:

Vancouver Walking Tours | Whale Watching Excursions | Sightseeing Bus Tours | Other Information

Click on any of the above links to jump to specific information, or continue reading to learn all about Vancouver’s various sightseeing opportunities.

Vancouver Tours and Tour Companies

Below is a list of some of Vancouver’s best boat, walking, bus and whale watching tours.

Vancouver Walking Tours

A number of companies offer walking tours around Vancouver. One of our favourites with a selection of routes in different parts of the city is Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours. We also really like Fort Langley Tours, Historical Chinatown Tours and Orpheum Theatre Public Tours.

Walking Tours in Downtown Vancouver

Forbidden Vancouver offers the Forbidden Tour, Lost Souls of Gastown, Monumental Scandals Tour, and Dark Secrets of Stanley Park Tour. The first three happen in downtown Vancouver. The last one takes place in Stanley Park. The same company also offers a Really Gay History Tour in the city’s West End.

Click Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours for more information.

Vancouver Gastown Walking Tour — Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tour in Gastown

Walking Tours in Fort Langley

Fort Langley is a historic village on the Fraser River in the Fraser Valley. It’s a charming spot with Old West colonial-style buildings and the Fort Langley National Historic Site. It’s also where you can explore the area with Fort Langley Tours. The tours are both fun and educational. Since the summer of 2023, they run a few days a week for much of the year.

Walking Tours in Chinatown

Another good guided walking tour company is Historical Chinatown Tours. Its tours are hosted by Chinese-Canadian expert Judy Lam Maxwell. Her tours take place in Chinatown and they often involve food. Similar to the tours offered by Forbidden Vancouver, these tours get rave reviews and are highly recommended.

The tours by the above two companies have different price points and explore different neighbourhoods. Forbidden Vancouver has set times and routes. The tours with Judy cost more and can be customized to meet the preferences of her guests.

Orpheum Theatre Public Tours

The Orpheum Theatre is a historic building in Vancouver. It’s the home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and it also hosts many other shows throughout the year. The building opened in 1927. It has a rich history as well as impressive architecture and design.

During the summer, the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame offers free guided tours of the Orpheum Theatre. Participants get to hear stories and appreciate the history of the venue.

Whale Watching Tours

A number of companies offer whale watching excursions out to Howe Sound, the Strait of Georgia and other destinations. Click Vancouver Whale Watching Tours for more information.

One of our favourite whale watching tour companies is Prince of Whales. They have a great reputation and get exceptional reviews.

In addition to offering whale watching trips, Prince of Whales also has sightseeing tours where you can see the city from the water. One of the tours also goes up Indian Arm which is home to waterfalls and some of the Lower Mainland’s most spectacular scenery.

To learn more about tours with Prince of Whales, visit their website at princeofwhales.com.

Prince of Whales Tour Boat — Whale Watching with Prince of Whales

Sightseeing Bus Tours

Vancouver has a couple of sightseeing bus companies including Westcoast Sightseeing and the Vancouver Trolley Company (both of which are part of the same organization).

Bus and trolley tours include hop-on, hop-off tours of the city and Stanley Park, as well as day trips to Grouse Mountain, the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Whistler.

Click Westcoast Sightseeing for details.