Vancouver late afternoon / evening tour

[gotonana]

We fly into Vancouver in June at 130PM and leave for Ballentine pier before 11:00AM the next day. The hop on and off tours last drop off

would end too early for us to get back to our hotel (not to mention not being cost effective).The group tours I have found do not leave that late.

 

Is the Stanley Park Shuttle definitely not returning next year? We want to see Stanley Park and Gastown that evening. We don't want to rent a car for less than 24 hrs. Walking 2-3 miles is also not in our plan. I thought of a taxi, but a narrated tour is more fun when a first timer in an area. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. :)

[Putterdude]

They did get the Stanley Park shuttle up and running this year but there was a modest fare involved. It is to early to know if it will be available for next year or when it might begin as it is a summer thing. There are horse drawn carriage tours available and you will find a link to same in the Stanley Park website.

In the morning I would recommend the tour offered by Vancouver Tours....it has been specially designed for cruisers, they pick up you and your luggage at your hotel and then drop you off at the pier in time for your cruise. We have had nothing but glowing reports from cruisers about this tour.

 

http://www.vancouvertours.com/tours/vancouver-pre-cruise-city-tour/

[JAMS1]

Stanley Park is amazing, Go right after checking into your hotel.

If your are up to walking, Vancouver is a very walkable city.

Use the Hop On Hop off in Stanly Park and see all you can, get a map of the park and plan what you want to see, try to be at the Point of the Park at sunset, its a beautiful spot

Then do Gastown in the am, take a water taxi over there to arrive earlier. Double check opening times & the water taxi schedule.

Or take a Tour in the am as an easy way to see things and get to the ship in a no worries manner.

Have a great time.

[BCHappyGal]

Check put my list of Fun things to do so you know waht you want to see. However I too recommend the tour, As in June it stays light very late in the evening if it is a nice day you might want to consider going to Capilano Suspension Bridge and then up Grouse Mountain as you can even stay up there for dinner. Very easy to use the public bus system to reach these 2 attractions.

 

Info on Vancouver from a local!

 

My favorite must do attractions are

 

1) Grouse Mountain – http://www.grousemountain.com – this is a wonderful scenic mountain only about 15 mins from downtown Vancouver. Ride the airtram to the top for lots of fun activities that include a loggers show, birds of prey show, 2 movies (1 about the Vancouver area and 1 about the 2 Grizzly Bears who make their home on Grouse Mtn) ride a chair lift and visit with 2 live Grizzly Bears. Enjoy a meal in any of the restaurants. Caveat only spend the money to go up on a clear day.

2) Capilano Suspension Bridge – http://www.capbridge.com – this is Vancouver’s oldest tourist attraction and I still enjoy visiting it! Located on Capilano Road just before you reach the Grouse Mountain parking lot. Walk across a suspension Bridge over the Capilano Gorge, wonder the trails thru the rain forest, walk thru the treetops on the new Tree Top Adventure, visit the trading post for a huge selection of souvenirs, watch native weavers and/or carvers at work.

3) Capilano Fish Hatchery is also located on Capilano Road and is a great place to view salmon jumping up the fish ladders to get around the Cleveland Dam. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capilano_River_Regional_Park

4) Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge is also located in North Vancouver and is much less touristy than Capilano but it also is not as spectacular. The bridge is slightly higher above the water but much shorter in span. Located in a Provincial Park this bridge comes with some nice hiking trails and you will find an ecology centre in the park as well as picnic tables and a food concession outlet. Should you choose to enjoy the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge always cross the suspension bridge first and then hike down the trail to the lower (Twin Falls wooden) bridge to cross back over the Lynn Valley River and return to your car – that way you are hiking downhill rather than uphill. http://www.lynncanyonparkguide.bc.ca It is also free to visit this suspension bridge!

5) Stanley Park – http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks/stanley/ - is the crown jewel of Vancouver's parks. As one of North America's largest urban parks, covering over a 1000 acres and offering an abundance of activities. Enjoy the totem pole collection near the Brockton Point Light House, hiking trails, beaches, water parks for the kids (young & old), rose gardens, miniature train, petting zoo, aquarium –http://www.vanaqua.org – many view points, and several restaurants. During the summer months there is a free shuttle bus that you can ride around the park on.

6) Gas Town – the location where Vancouver originated. The name is derived from a very colorful character named Gassy Jack who was one of the first settlers in the area and a salon keeper – while in Gas Town don’t miss your photo op with the statue of Gassy Jack and by the Steam Clock.

7) At the start of Gas Town is the Harbor Centre Tower http://www.vancouverlookout.com a great spot to start your tour of Vancouver with a birds eye view of the city. Either take the elevator up to the lookout level or go to the top and enjoy a meal in the revolving restaurant.

8) China Town is only about 6 blocks over from Gas Town and is the largest China Town north of San Francisco. While in China Town enjoy a visit to the Dr Sun Yat Sen Classical Gardens http://www.classicalchinesegarden.com and also make sure you visit the world’s thinnest building it is only 6’ wide!

9) Granville Island – http://www.granvilleisland.com – is a huge public market area which not only sells fruit & veggies but you can also buy frozen fish to be shipped to your home. May artists make this their home and you can watch them at work in their studios – making this a great place to buy unique souvenirs. The Granville Island Brewery is also located here and you can stop in for a free tour & tastes. There are theatres for live performances and many fine restaurants. A fun way to get to Granville Island is via the Aquabus – http://www.theaquabus.com

10) Burnaby Village Museum – http://www.city.burnaby.bc.ca – is an open air museum with over 30 restored homes, shops, school, church and a 1912 carousel situated on 10 acres

11) Gulf of Georgia Cannery – http://www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.com – is a restored fishing cannery located in the historic fishing village of Steveston (part of Richmond). Here you see exhibits that showcase the history of the fishing industry in British Columbia. Once finished in the museum it is great fun to walk along the fishing docks and see the fishing boats which are selling their catch. There are also some excellent restaurants located here.

12) The Vancouver Maritime Museum located on the shore of English Bay is fun for the whole family with lots of hands on exhibits for the kid in all of us. Here to you will find the ship St Roch which the RCMP sailed from Vancouver to Halifax via the Northwest Passage and then completed the return journey in 1944. You actually get to tour this ship. http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com

13) Queen Elizabeth Park – http://www.greatervancouverparks.com/QEPark01.htm -The 130 acre (52 hectare) park is one of the most beautifully maintained public parks in the world. Second only to Stanley Park in annual visitations, it receives nearly 6 million people a year who marvel at its superior standard of garden plantings.

The park was originally quarried for its rock which served to build Vancouver's first roadways. In 1929 the Board proceeded to acquire the property which had become an abandoned eyesore but still served as the site for two holding reservoirs for the City's drinking water. Dedicated as a park by King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth (the present Queen's mother) on their much lauded visit to Vancouver in 1939.

14) Fort Langley is the restored wooden fort built by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post. It is the origin of British Columbia and was the first capital. This Fort is operated by the Federal Parks Board. http://www.pc,qc.ca/fortlangley

15) If you are a wine lover you might want to rent a car and spend a day visiting a few of the many excellent wineries located in the Fraser Valley only about a 1 hour drive from your hotel. Almost all of the wineries offer free tastes & tours.

16) If you are a real animal lover than don’t miss “Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Centre” It is located in Fort Langley about an hour drive from downtown Vancouver. Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Centre is a leading non-profit Canadian facility that breeds endangered species in family groups for re-introduction back into their natural habitat in Canada and around the world. This facility is not a zoo their goal is to breed rare and endangered wildlife and re-introduce these animals back into their natural habitats. Presently Mountainview hosts over 50 species of the world’s most threatened animals and birds. See animals such as the spotted dog from Africa, Giraffes, and much much more. Here you do not wonder around as in a zoo rather you are given a guided tour with commentary on each animal group. Check it out at http://www.mtnviewconservation.org

17) VanDusen Botanical Garden is a scenic 55- acre garden of international renown – a living museum of plants collected from around the world and artistically displayed amidst rolling lawns, woodlands and five tranquil lakes, all in the heart of Vancouver and just 15 minutes from downtown.

Due to Vancouver’s mild climate, plants bloom at the Garden year-round. This same climate creates a unique environment where plants from varying climate regions thrive and grow – at VanDusen you will see plants from the southern hemisphere, tropical areas and the high Arctic tundra along side native species. The Elizabethan Maze (one of only six in North America) provides year-round fun.

18) UBC Botanical Garden located at the University of British Columbia covers 110 acres and includes an Alpine, Asian, Native, Food, and Japanese Gardens. http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org

19) Dazzle your senses when you visit Minter Gardens nestled against 7000 foot Mt. Cheam in beautiful 'Super Natural' British Columbia. One of the most spectacular show gardens in the world! Eleven themed gardens are designed to dazzle the senses with massive displays of artistic floral designs.

Minter Gardens is located 90 minutes east of downtown Vancouver just off the Trans-Canada Hwy. #1 at exit #135. http://www.gardeningbc.com

[gotonana]

Putterdude and BC Happygal- I checked into the AM tour that would take us to the pier that you both recomended, but we are boarding early and the tour ends at 12:30PM. I liked the tour alot. I also checked into a private tour (Alfred's Guest Services) that I saw on the message boards. They would pick us and our luggage up at the airport and tour Vancouver until 6PM. It will be a long day, so the other 3 members of the group voted for the shorter Stanley park carriage tour. Since the hotel has a drop off shuttle, we have transportation to Stanley Park but no pick service.

I would like to go to Gastown briefly to see the steam clock and browse the shops before returning to the hotel. Since there are mobility issues within our group, I am thinking a taxi would be better than the skytrain/bus system (long periods of standing/walking/waiting for the next bus or skytrain). Is there a phone in Stanley Park where a taxi can be called? We will be unable to use our cell phones in Canada. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks also to JAMSI for Aqua bus suggestions. Our hotel is near there and we hope to fit it in.

Blessings,

________

Linda

[Putterdude]

Good question about a pay phone. I checked the map of Stanley Park and and there seems to be a few locations....the cel phone has been the demise of the pay phone. However if you are planing to be near the Aquarium I am certain that you could have some at the desk phone a cab for you....in fact I rather suspect that you could almost anyone with a cel phone to do it for you, I know that I would.:)

http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/Stanley/pdf/stanleypark_printable.pdf

[gotonana]

Putterdude,

Sorry for the late reply. I have just recovered from the flu and I forgot

had not answered your reply. I down loaded the Stanley park map. Thank you so much for the link. My DH and I visited New England and Nova Scotia last year ( car trip and CAT). The people in Nova Scotia were wonderful! You, Dennis and the other Vancouverites(?) have been so helpful I migghhttt be able to have the nerve to ask a stranger in a large city to use their cell phone. :rolleyes: Although, walking to the Aquarium to use the phone is looking very good to me right now! :)

 

Thanks Again,

Linda

[gotonana]

Hi All,

 

After constantly looking for an alternative to an organized tour of Vancouver (taxi tour, taxi and horse carriage tour), I found a tour that meets our needs (if our flight is not delayed). West Coast Sightseeing has a 3:30PM tour! The cost is $69 pp total. This will be the most inclusive tour we would be able to do with our walking limitations and our limited time. The three stops I wanted to see are included and I will be able to at least see the downtown area. This tour may be too long for our two friends who are traveling with us but it will meet our needs so I made reservations for us this morning.

 

I hope I am not breaking the forum rules by mentioning a tour name. Maybe it will help someone who has an afternoon arrival and wants to see this great city also.

 

Thanks to everyone for your input. You are the greatest!:)

 

Linda