Candace Campo from Talaysay Walking Indigenous Tours leads a walking tour in Stanley Park. Photo: Destination Vancouver/Kindred & Scout
Discover the details that make Vancouver unique when you slow down and take it all in on a walking tour. We’ve got options for both guided and self-guided tours.
Self-Guided Walking Tours
If you like to explore at your own pace, take a self-guided walking tour. You’ll get an expert-curated itinerary that highlights key stops. As a bonus for those on a budget, self-guided tours are often less expensive (or even free!)
Civic Walking Tours
The City of Vancouver has a collection of free self-guided walking tours as part of its Walk Vancouver initiative. Each route includes a map and step-by-step walking directions. The tours also include info on important buildings and public art. You can choose from neighbourhood tours, architecture tours, art tours, and nature-focused tours in parks.
Discover neighbourhoods like the Olympic Village on a self-guided walking tour. Photo: Destination Vancouver/Kindred & Scout
Walking Tours with an App
Let the VanWalks app show you around Vancouver. Choose from seven different routes across the city. Each route includes an interactive map and walking directions as well as lots of fun stops where you will learn about local history and modern events. The app is web-based so it works on any phone or tablet and you don’t have to download anything.
Photo: VanWalks
Walking Tours for Birders
Explore nature and watch spectacular birds without leaving Vancouver. The BC Bird Trail‘s free self-guided Vancouver itinerary gives you step-by-step instructions for exploring Stanley Park, Granville, Island and Pacific Spirit Park. The Bird Trail includes birding spots, cafes, restaurants, shopping, and accommodations.
Birding in Vanier Park near Granville Island. Photo: BC Bird Trail
Walking Tours for Adventurers
If you’re looking for a self-guided walking tour that will take you to places you never expected, try out one of the experiences from Vancouver Mysteries. Akin to an escape room, but played outdoors on the streets of Vancouver, these games come with instructions so you can collect clues and solve mysteries while exploring the city. Choose from several different themes including a murder mystery in Gastown, a spy game in downtown Vancouver, and a family-friendly superhero adventure in Coal Harbour.
Photo: Vancouver Mysteries
Guided Walking Tours
Let a local guide show you the Vancouver that they know and love. Guided tours give you an insider’s perspective on the city, complete with stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Your guide can also answer questions about the places you visit and recommend other Histoplaces they think you’ll like.
Walking Tours for Foodies
Vancouver is famous for food from around the world. Experience it all on a guided food tour. Taste Vancouver Food Tours will take you on a trip across the globe without leaving Gastown. Or double down on Asian eats on Robert Sung’s A Wok Around Chinatown tour. It includes stops at several specialty food shops and a dim sum lunch. You can also try “forest to table” cuisine on a tour of Stanley Park’s forests and beaches with A Taste of Nature. And finally, Vancouver Foodie Tours offers walking tours with stops to eat in Gastown, Granville Island, and Richmond.
Photo: A Wok Around Chinatown
Walking Tours That Explore History
Dive into Vancouver’s fascinating past on a historical walking tour. Join a local history for an in-depth look at Vancouver’s first Chinese neighbourhood on the Historical Chinatown Tour. Or sign up for one of Forbidden Vancouver‘s historical walking tours. Their signature Forbidden Vancouver Tour explores Prohibition-era Gastown. They also have Taltours of Stanley Park, a spooky after-dark tour of Gastown, and an LGBTQ+-focused tour of Davie Street Village.
Photo: Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours
Walking Tours That Connect with Indigenous Culture
Sign up for an Indigenous walking tour in Stanley Park with Talaysay Tours, owned and operated by members of the Shíshálh (Sechelt) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nations. Take a nature walk on the Talking Trees Tour to learn how Indigenous people use local plants for food and medicine. Or listen as your guide shares the Indigenous oral history of Stanley Park and the Vancouver area on the Spoken Treasures Tour.
Candace Campo from Talaysay Tours leads a tour in Stanley Park. Photo: Destination Vancouver/Kindred & Scout
Walking Tours for Film and TV Buffs
Countless movies and TV shows have been shot in Vancouver over the years, earning the city the nickname “Hollywood North”. Join your guide from Vancouver Film & TV Tours for a walking tour that visits filming locations from Deadpool, The X-Files, and more. During the tour you will view clips of scenes from hit movies, shot from the exact spot you are standing! You can also learn industry secrets from your guides, who are all working actors.
Photo: Vancouver Film and TV Tours/Instagram
Free Walking Tours
If you’re on a budget, take a free guided walking tour. Vancouver Detours offers walking tours of downtown Vancouver and Gastown with a focus on architecture, public art, and local history. Or sign up for the Vancouver Free Walking Tour from Toonie Tours. You’ll walk 5 km over 3 hours and explore landmarks in Gastown and downtown Vancouver. Note: While these tours are free, tipping your guide is customary.
Photo: Vancouver Detours
