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If you want to explore Stanley Park on a guided tour, you’re in the right place!
Stanley Park is one of the largest urban parks in Canada, which can make exploring it a little difficult. Trust me—even as a Vancouver local, I’ve been lost in Stanley Park!
Thankfully, there are a ton of amazing guided tours of Stanley Park, and I’ve been lucky enough to join a few. Below, I review my absolute favorite tours so that you can choose the right one for you. And the best part? There is a range of tours available, whether you want to walk, bike, or ride in a horse-drawn carriage!
So, let’s get into it!
Our Favorite Tour: Superstar Tour
Our personal FAVORITE tour is this Vancouver bike tour! Not only does the tour show you around Stanley Park, but you’ll also visit Granville Island. We had the best time on the tour!
But don’t just take our word for it, the tour has over 1,200 5-star reviews that you can check out here!
At just $128 CAD per person, this is the perfect introduction to Stanley Park and Vancouver!
- Our Favorite Tour: Superstar Tour
- Best Stanley Park Tours
- 1. 2-Hour Stanley Park Walking Tour
- 2. Stanley Park Bike Tour
- 3. Stanley Park and Granville Island Bike Tour
- 4. Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour
- 5. Vancouver City Hop-on Hop-off Tour
- 6. Vancouver City Tour by Coach: Granville Island, Gastown, Stanley Park
- 7. Independent Bike or E-bike Tour of Vancouver
- About Stanley Park, Vancouver
- Why Book a Tour Through Stanley Park?
- Is Visiting Stanley Park Worth It?
- Other Things to do While You’re in Vancouver
- Thanks for reading!
- Why We Book Tours with Viator
- Don't Forget Travel Insurance!
Best Stanley Park Tours
1. 2-Hour Stanley Park Walking Tour
One of my favorite parts of Stanley Park is the unique art and history all around. If you don’t know where to look, you can easily miss it. That’s why this two-hour walking tour is a great way to see the sights that are off-the-beaten path!
This tour focuses on storytelling, making for an entertaining way to experience the park. They call this the “secrets” tour because you can uncover some of the unique history of Stanley Park. Your local guide will take you to quirky art installations, historic crime scenes, hidden trails, and secret cemeteries.
The tour weaves through Deadman’s Island to the Lumberman Arch, which is the grounds of the Whoi Whoi village and an iconic spot in the park. It is pretty interesting to explore this area, and this is where having a local guide comes in handy. They will tell the significance of the Whoi Whoi people who continued to reside here even when the area was designated as a park.
This tour is not only informative but also a really fun way to experience Vancouver! It starts and finishes outside of the Vancouver Aquarium, so you can also stop in there before your tour begins at 4 pm.
You can book this tour online for $37 CAD for adults and $33 CAD for children and seniors. It’s only offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so make sure you grab a spot before it fills up!
Check availability and book this walking tour online here!
2. Stanley Park Bike Tour
One of the best ways to explore Stanley Park is by bike! This park is massive, so there’s a lot of ground to cover. This three-hour guided bike tour takes you around the highlights of Stanley Park for a relaxed morning or afternoon outside.
The tour meets here in downtown Vancouver and follows the Seawall around the perimeter of the park. This route gives you great views of the Burrard Inlet, the North Shore Mountains, and the Vancouver skyline. It is honestly one of my favorite biking routes in Vancouver.
Don’t worry, you won’t be riding for three hours straight! Your guide plans plenty of stops along the way to scenic viewpoints to give history and facts about the area.
You’ll pass by one of Vancouver’s best beaches Third Beach (plan to come back here later on your own!) and go all the way to Brockton Point Lighthouse. This is one of the prettiest areas of Stanley Park and it’s also where the famous totem poles are located. These totem poles are intricately designed and help tell the story of the area’s Indigenous people.
This half-day excursion includes your bike rental, helmets, and guide. I love that this tour is small with a maximum of 12 people so you won’t feel lost in a crowd. and only accommodates up to 12 people and is good for all ages. It can be booked online for $103 CAD and is offered daily at 9 am or 2 pm.
Check availability and book this bike tour online here!
Related Read: For more stellar views of the city, check out these boat tours in Vancouver that get you out on the water. The sunset cruise is especially beautiful!
3. Stanley Park and Granville Island Bike Tour
This is our personal favorite tour on this list! What we love about this tour is you get to experience the beauty of Stanley Park and beyond over this five-hour biking tour.
You’ll meet downtown like the previous tour we mentioned. After getting fitted with the proper helmet and high-quality bike, you’ll start your journey in the protected bike lane right outside the shop. Then you’ll spend an hour and a half exploring the beautiful park riding along the famous Seawall path, spotting some wildlife, and having the chance to see the giant 600-year-old cedar trees. These are the biggest trees I’ve seen in my whole life!
After you pass by English Bay, you’ll take your bike aboard the ferry and head towards Granville Island. The Aquabus ferry ride makes this tour a true Vancouver experience, and your ticket is included.
Once you get to Granville Island, you’ll take a break from riding and have a chance to explore the Public Market on your own and find some lunch. This famous market is the second most visited attraction in Canada, so the fact that a visit here is included in this tour is really cool.
The biking continues through Olympic Village, Chinatown, and Gastown. We weren’t kidding when we called this the “highlights tour”! You truly hit the main attractions of Vancouver, all in one awesome day of biking. This tour costs $128 CAD which includes everything you need except your lunch on Granville Island.
Check availability and book our favorite bike tour of Stanley Park here!
4. Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour
While there are so many activities to do in Stanley Park, we love slowing down and partaking in something relaxing! This horse-drawn carriage ride is a great way to see the park in an old-fashioned way.
The one-hour tour takes you to some of the most beautiful parts of Stanley Park in style! You’ll travel down Park Drive overlooking the Seawall, taking in the landscape and wildlife. Your guide will share stories and information about this historic park such as the Rose Garden, the Girl in a Wetsuit statue, and the First Nations totem poles. This is a great chance for you to see the Lions Gate Bridge too and snap a photo!
This tour leaves from the departure station right next to Stanley Park Informational Booth, which overlooks Coal Harbor and downtown Vancouver. The carriages can fit up to 15 people, which could be a whole family activity or a great date idea in Vancouver!
While most activities in Stanley Park are more physical, like walking or biking, we love that this tour is low-key and great for anybody! This tour is $76 CAD per person and comes with free cancellation.
You can easily book online here and take advantage of the buy now, pay later option!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
5. Vancouver City Hop-on Hop-off Tour
There is truly so much to see in the city of Vancouver and one of the best ways to see as much as you can is aboard this hop-on hop-off bus tour. We love this option because you have the convenience of a tour, such as planning all the stops and details, with the freedom of taking as much time at each spot as you want.
How this tour works is you’ll purchase a general ticket that’s good for the whole day. The bus leaves the first stop at 8:45 am during the summer months and 9:45 am during winter in Vancouver – but you can join at any time and at any stop during the day! The bus has 16 planned stops along the route, and you’ll have a nice little map with drop-off/pick-up points to follow.
As you drive through the city, your guide will be giving you all kinds of information. When the bus makes a stop, you can decide if you want to “hop off” and explore the area or keep riding.
If you decide to hop off, you can spend as much time exploring the area as you want, and there will be another bus that will come on a schedule that you can simply “hop on”! While this tour says it will be 90 minutes, you can really take as long as you’d like.
One of the main attractions highlighted on this tour is Stanley Park, where you will be dropped off at Brockton Point to see the totem poles, and if you want to explore the park further, you certainly can.
They also offer 24-hour passes or 48-hour passes, so if you can’t hit all the sites in one day, buy the two-day pass! The one-day pass is $65 CAD and the two-day pass is $80 CAD.
You can easily book this tour (with free cancellation) online here!
6. Vancouver City Tour by Coach: Granville Island, Gastown, Stanley Park
One of the best ways to experience Vancouver is seeing it with a local! So while we can’t join you on your tour, the next best thing is this Vancouver city sightseeing tour! You’ll see the best spots around the city with a local as your guide so you have the chance to really get to know the area.
This tour is great because you’ll have time to get out and explore the areas, but also have the guide do all the planning, and driving, and tell you all kinds of information along the way.
Your half-day tour will start from the Georgian Court Hotel or you can call ahead for pick-up from select hotels in Vancouver, which is always super convenient! First, you will head to Gastown, which is full of cobblestone streets and old brick buildings. Gastown used to be the main downtown of Vancouver and is now celebrated as a historic part of the city. You’ll then head to Chinatown, which is the largest Chinatown in Canada!
The next stop takes you to the iconic Granville Island Public Market. This farmers’ market holds local vendors so you can buy art, vegetables, or other goods from Vancouver. You’ll then head to Stanley Park to see the First Nations Totem Poles and explore the area. The final destination of the tour is Prospect Point, which has been a significant point in Vancouver’s history and is a great place to watch ships go under the Lions Gate Bridge.
This tour is full of stunning sights that make Vancouver truly unique and is really reasonable at $79 CAD. I love that the guide takes the time to show you all these interesting places in Vancouver. This is a really popular tour and tends to sell out, so make sure to book your spot soon!
Check availability and book with free cancellation online here!
Related Read: If you want more time to explore Granville Island, we highly recommend a Granville Island tour. There’s even one that pairs you up with professional chef to find the best places to eat!
7. Independent Bike or E-bike Tour of Vancouver
We love tours because they take care of all the details, but sometimes it’s nice to have the freedom to explore independently. This biking tour combines both, to make for a super fun day of exploring Vancouver!
You’ll be able to rent a bicycle or electric bicycle for eight hours and use maps designed by local experts to take you to the best spots in Vancouver. Vancouver is a great biking city, so this is an excellent way to get around whether you’re spending one day or four days in Vancouver.
Once you have your map, helmet, and bike lock (all provided for you) you are ready to ride! You can set your own pace and spend as much time as you’d like riding. The tour route starts in Stanley Park, which is the best area for biking in my opinion. It will then take you through the city and to Science World, where you can stop and explore this educational and fun museum (admission is not included in the tour).
The bike tour route will lead you back outside to the historic neighborhood of Gastown. You’ll definitely want to make a stop here! Finally, you’ll head to Granville Island to check out the local market and artisans.
We love that this tour is so flexible and gets you outside. You can easily spend a full day biking around Vancouver! This tour can be booked online with free cancellation, and is $103 CAD for e-bikes and $56 CAD for standard bikes.
Check availability and book this self-guided bike tour here!
About Stanley Park, Vancouver
Stanley Park was the first established city park in Vancouver and is one of Canada’s largest parks. It stretches across 405 hectares, which is actually larger than Central Park in New York! Because it’s so big, there’s no shortage of activities to do in Stanley Park.
Prior to being a park, this land was a territory of the Coastal Salish First Nations. It was eventually taken over by European settlers, and established as a park in 1888 and named after Governor General Frederick Arthur Stanley. The park is located in northwest Vancouver, surrounded by the Burrard Inlet and the English Bay.
The most well-known structure in Stanley Park is the Seawall which stretches 8.8 kilometers (5.5 miles) around the peninsula. It took over half a century to complete this project, from 1914 to 1971! Today, it’s a popular spot for biking, walking, and running and really lets you see the entirety of the park.
Stanley Park is hugely popular among locals and visitors to Vancouver. There’s just so much to see! As locals, one of our favorite sunny day activities is spending an afternoon at Stanley Park. It’s hard to beat a gorgeous day in the park!
Why Book a Tour Through Stanley Park?
Stanley Park is huge and truly has a rich history. While it might not be your first instinct to book a tour of a park, I really can’t recommend it enough! Booking a tour through Stanley Park gives you the opportunity to learn unique aspects of this place, such as its Indigenous and geological history. You can spend time with a local guide who will take you to the best spots in the park and you’ll probably see areas you might have missed.
Another great reason to book a tour of Stanley Park is the convenience factor. They usually include everything you need, which saves you a ton of planning time. For example, if you book a biking tour of Stanley Park, you’ll get the bike rental, guides, gear, and more for about the same price as renting a bike on your own.
Tours of Stanley Park are also a great way to get unique experiences like a horse-drawn carriage ride or a photography tour in that beautiful evening golden light. It’s definitely worth adding a tour of Stanley Park to your Vancouver itinerary, so let’s help you find one!
Check availability and book our favorite tour online here!
Is Visiting Stanley Park Worth It?
Yes, Stanley Park is a must-visit when you’re in Vancouver! We try to visit every chance we can and often take friends here.
Stanley Park is ideal for visitors, as there are so many fun experiences to do. As locals, we love spending time in the park, either having a lazy afternoon or riding our bikes along the Seawall. Whether you take a horse-drawn carriage ride, rent an e-bike to explore, or see it as part of a greater Vancouver tour, there is really so much to see.
Stanley Park is full of history and a staple of Vancouver culture. I can’t recommend visiting Stanley Park enough!
Check availability and book our favorite tour online here!
Other Things to do While You’re in Vancouver
Vancouver is a city filled with tons of things to do and see. So while you’re here, don’t miss out on some of the top attractions and activities:
- Go whale watching – It’s not just people who flock to Vancouver every year! From the beautiful black and white orcas to the lively humpbacks, going whale watching in Vancouver makes for a truly unforgettable memory. This half-day whale watching tour offers an amazing experience with a guarantee you’ll see whales!
- Ride in a seaplane – One of our favorite memories in Vancouver was riding in a seaplane. Taking off and landing on the ocean is super exciting, and then the views from the air are breathtaking. This seaplane ride lasts for 20 minutes and costs $168 CAD. You can even take a seaplane to get from Vancouver to Victoria!
- Eat ALL the food! – Vancouver is a foodie destination. Showcasing cuisine from all around the world in top-rated restaurants, you really need to make an effort to eat out a few times while in Vancouver. For breakfast, Jam Cafe or Medina are our go-to’s. For Asian cuisine, you can’t pass up Minami for sushi or Danbo for ramen. You can also join this highly-rated food tour that takes you to some of the city’s best restaurants in the area of Gastown.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.
SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.
SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind. You can read our honest review of SafetyWing for all the pros and cons.
Thanks for reading!
Stanley Park is one of the greatest attractions in Vancouver, and that’s saying something for a city with so much to do! It’s one of the places you must visit whether you’re in Vancouver for two days or two weeks! A tour of Stanley Park is a really convenient way to see all the best parts of the park while you’re here.
Hopefully, our guide to the best Stanley Park tours was helpful! If you need more tips or ideas for your time in Vancouver, make sure to check out our other West Coast blogs including these popular ones below:
12 Things to KNOW About the Sea to Sky Highway
6 BEST Vancouver Brewery Tours
COMPLETE Guide to Visiting Lonsdale Quay in Vancouver + Things to do!