Help with must see in Vancouver

[Cincy Gal]

We will be arriving in Vancouver next Tuesday around 1:00pm. I would like to see Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain, and Stanley Park.

 

Can anyone suggest the best way to see all three in an abbreviate tour. We will be cruising out on Carnival Spirit Wed.

 

I for sure want to walk accross the suspension bridge.

 

Can anyone tell me how the Essential B.C. Evening Tour and the barbeque dinner is? Or is the Grouse Sunset Tour better?

 

Thanks for any advise.

[thinfool]

We will be arriving in Vancouver next Tuesday around 1:00pm. I would like to see Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain, and Stanley Park.

 

Can anyone suggest the best way to see all three in an abbreviate tour. We will be cruising out on Carnival Spirit Wed.

 

I for sure want to walk accross the suspension bridge.

 

Can anyone tell me how the Essential B.C. Evening Tour and the barbeque dinner is? Or is the Grouse Sunset Tour better?

 

Thanks for any advise.

 

For two out of three...the bridge and the park, have http://www.vancouvertours.com pick you up at your hotel on Wednesday morning for their wonderful, 4 hour, pre-cruise tour of Vancouver which will include the bridge, the park, Granville Island, and a trip into a tall building with an awesome overlook of downtown Vancouver (sorry, I cannot remember the name of the building). As they pick you up at your downtown hotel, they will also pick up your luggage in a truck and take it to the ship for you. At the end of your tour they will drop you at Canada Place where you can board your ship and be reunited with your bags!

 

We did this last year...it was so smooth!

 

Have a great trip!

 

Oops, just reread your post...this tour will not allow time to walk across the bridge. I am not sure of your impression, but the Roebling bridge in Cincinnati has far more character and ambiance than Capilano. You will, for sure, sail under the bridge when you leave Vancouver.

[Cincy Gal]

Thinfool - thanks for the reply. I have been considering that option also. We are staying at Pan Pacific so would we want to hand off our luggage?

 

I was hoping someone would reply to the evening excursions.

[Sprucetree]

Thinfool, does the pre-cruise sightseeing tour also drop off at Ballantyne Pier?

[thinfool]

Thinfool, does the pre-cruise sightseeing tour also drop off at Ballantyne Pier?

 

I cannot answer for sure, but I believe that they do. You should call them and ask. They are very helpful. The phone number is on their website. http://www.vancouvertours.com

[Putterdude]

I am sure that by now you realize that the Vancouver Tours pre cruise morning excursion does not include the Capilano Suspension Bridge or the Grouse Mountain Skyride. As you are staying at the Pan Pacific it would be no trick at all in the afternoon of arrival to walk next door to the Seabus station and take the Seabus over to the North Shore, transfer to a Capilano bus and get off at the suspension bridge then when finished you can reboard the bus an continue up to the Skyride. You could have dinnner up on the mountain then reverse your bus trip. You can purchase an all day bus pass in the Seabus station for $9 CDN and just tell your transit driver where you want to get off and he/she will be very happy to help you. Just one word of advice though....if it is raining or low cloud is abscuring the top of the North Shore Montains don't bother going, you won't have the views you are going for.

 

All of that said, Vancouver Tours precruise morning tour is a great way to see the highlights of the city.

[Sprucetree]

I have booked a pre-cruise tour. Thank you for telling us about it. They go to both Canada Place and Ballantyne. Until I found out about this I always had it in the back of my mind that I'd be in a great city I've never visited before and I'll only get to see the inside of the hotel room. This is perfect!

[Putterdude]

I hope you have as wonderful time in Vancouver as I have had in Chicago.:)

[Sprucetree]

I hope you have as wonderful time in Vancouver as I have had in Chicago.:)

We live about 1-1/2 hours by commuter train from Chicago. I take the train about 3 times a year and love every minute. Because public transportation is free to seniors in Illinois now, I'll probably go more often.

[WJB]

We will be in Vancouver Sept 09 Sat afternoon and Sunday morning before cruising out-has anyone ever rented a car and did the tour at their own pace? Traffic? Any warnings? While in Alaska we rented a car at every port-best thing we did-saw lots and was able to watch bears playing while the tour buses flew by-hoping to do this on this cruise also. Thanks in advance for any input.

[Putterdude]

You certainly can rent a car and see Vancouver and surrounds on your own. However Vancouver is a large city, about 2.5 people in the metro area and does not have a freeway system so getting around in a rental car can prove to be a bit of a challange. Candidly my first rule of seeing a large city, particularly for the first time is to take a tour bus; something along the lines of a HOHO tour.