OVERVIEW

Acquire an enlightening overview of Vancouver by viewing its most alluring attractions and then exploring on your own. Although large and metropolitan, Vancouver has still retained much of its natural beauty in urban oases such as Stanley Park. After pausing there to admire a display of First Nation totem poles and take in the serenity, you will enjoy an entirely different ambiance in bustling Chinatown. Exotic open-air markets, heritage buildings and pagoda-topped telephone booths are staples in this ethnic neighborhood, which dates back to 1890 when Chinese immigrants settled in what was then known as Shanghai Alley. Another historical perspective awaits you in Gastown, an area that developed in the early 1870s. The neighborhood is named for settler “Gassy” Jack Deighton, a saloon owner who was considered full of hot air because he spun tall tales. The cobbled streets of Gastown are now lined with upscale boutiques, galleries and restaurants.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Gain an overall understanding of Vancouver by driving around its downtown.
• Enjoy the tranquility of Stanley Park, North America’s third-largest urban park
• Visit vibrant Chinatown, Vancouver’s most established ethnic community.
• Walk through Gastown, Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood and one of the trendiest

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

It’s all about nature on this tour of downtown Stanley Park and towering Grouse Mountain, where you will ride a tram to the very top. While at the park, which is North America’s third largest, you will be free to stroll the paths, relax on a garden bench and enjoy the tranquility. Don’t miss Beaver Lake at the center of the park, which is usually blanketed with water lilies that attract waterfowl. Next, you will visit Grouse Mountain, which soars 4,100 feet above Vancouver’s north shore. For the ultimate view of the city and beyond, you will take the Skyride tram to the top of the mountain. Free time follows, during which you can walk the nature trails, drop by one of the cafés or perhaps watch a documentary on the mountain’s history and British Columbia’s natural beauty. Back in the city, you will drive through stylish Gastown, a historic area that was Vancouver’s first neighborhood.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy free time in tranquil Stanley Park, North America’s third-largest urban park
• Ride a tram to the top of towering Grouse Mountain on Vancouver’s north shore.
• Spend well over an hour at the top of Grouse Mountain at your leisure, doing whatever you wish.
• Visit Vancouver’s first neighborhood, a now trendy National Historic Site.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Drive through neighborhoods that present the true character of Vancouver and then walk along a suspension bridge in the heart of a coastal rainforest. The urban highlights include seeing the late 19th-century community of Chinatown, the historical architecture in Gastown and serene Stanley Park, a green oasis that’s 10% larger than New York City’s expansive Central Park. On the other side of Vancouver Harbor, you will find a spectacular suspension bridge that spans the deep gorge of the Capilano River. A cable bridge has been at this location since 1903 and this most recent 450-foot version in Capilano Park offers stunning views in every direction, especially down to the roaring river hundreds of feet below. The bridge is surrounded by dense coastal rainforest and wildlife is abundant, so keep an eye out for birds in particular. You might also follow the boardwalks and other suspension bridges through the towering Douglas firs.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Gain an overview of Vancouver by driving through Chinatown, Gastown and Stanley Park.
• Cross the harbor on the wonderfully scenic Lions Gate Bridge.
• Walk across the suspension bridge that spans the Capilano River hundreds of feet below.
• Enjoy a leisurely stroll along boardwalks leading into the forest, if you choose.
• Look for wildlife, especially birds, in lushly forested Capilano Park.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.