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Looking for a fun brewery tour in Vancouver? You’ve come to the right place!
With over 70 breweries in the city, there is no shortage of exploring to be done! We are HUGE fans of craft beer and while living here we had a chance to visit many of the best breweries in Vancouver. With so many options, we found taking a brewery tour is an easy way to try the best places while learning all about the thriving craft beer scene.
We’ve gone ahead and narrowed down the absolute best Vancouver brewery tours available below and explained a bit about them to help you choose the one that suits you best!
Quick Pick: Our FAVORITE Brewery Tour
If you don’t have time to read the full article, we’ve got you covered. This craft beer tour is our absolute favorite brewery tour in Vancouver!
You get a behind-the-scenes look at three of Vancouver’s best breweries. We always love learning more about the brewing process and we even got to chat with the brewmasters. Plus an included DD and lots of tasty beers, it’s no wonder this is the highest rated brewery tour in the city.
The 3-hour brewery tour has three departure times daily and costs only $125 CAD per person, which includes all your tasting fees and a souvenir pint glass – it doesn’t get much better than that!
Space is limited, book your spot on our FAVORITE brewery tour here with flexible cancellation!
Best Brewery Tours in Vancouver
1. Behind-the-Scenes Group Brewery Tour
Chances are if you’re reading about this tour you have a passion for craft beer. This behind-the-scenes tour not only takes you around to three different breweries in Vancouver but you’ll get an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour and be surrounded by fellow beer enthusiasts!
This is the top-rated brewery tour in Vancouver, so it’s certainly in high demand – check out the hundreds of 5-star reviews here!
We love this specific tour because the breweries are fantastic and we felt like a VIP walking in and getting priority seating. One of the other major perks of booking this tour is the designated driver is included! You’ll meet at the pickup spot downtown, then the tour takes you all over the city to each brewery.
Along with the fantastic beers on tap, the real star of the show was Cam, our tour guide. He had such a deep knowledge and passion for craft beer and really made the evening enjoyable. Hanging out with him was like hanging out with a walking beer encyclopedia!
Not only do you get a wealth of information from your personal guide, but there is also an opportunity to talk to the brewmasters themselves. I always get very excited to learn how each brewery makes its beer and the personal touches each brewmaster puts into their craft. Oh, and you’ll get your own souvenir glass to take home at the end of the evening!
This tour runs at 6 pm every day of the week except for Sundays. It costs $125 CAD per person which includes your incredible guides, beer tastings, a pint glass, and transportation. You’ll need to book for a minimum of four people, so grab and few friends and reserve your spot before it sells out!
As Van’s most popular brewery tour, it’s likely to sell out – book your spot in advance here!
2. Private Vancouver Craft Beer Tour
There are so many breweries in Vancouver, but this private brewery tour takes you to the absolute finest microbreweries around! It makes for a great day out with friends as you visit 4 different breweries around the city.
We especially loved this tour because it was private, just our small group. It made the experience much more intimate, gave us space to ask all sorts of questions, and let us tailor the experience to our liking – who doesn’t love an exclusive experience like this?
When we went we visited 33 Acres Brewing – one of our favorite Vancouver breweries! This minimalist-styled brewery usually has five to eight beers on tap, so they really focus their efforts to make these beers outstanding. I recommend trying the 33 Acres of Ocean Pale Ale made with local hops!
Another stop was Red Truck Beer Company which has a fun 1950s-themed diner and brewhouse. It offers simple but delicious beers alongside some great bites to eat if you’re hungry!
You can book this 4-hour tour for 2 to 6 people and the cost varies depending on the number of people, but it ranges from around $317-423 CAD per person. The price includes pick-up/drop-off, transportation, and all of your beer tastings. While it is more on the expensive side, we think this tailor-made tour is a great way to experience Vancouver’s brewery scene and have a fun day out with friends!
Check availability for this exclusive tour and secure your spot here!
Related Read: If you’re looking to burn some calories before a brewery tour, check out the best hikes in Vancouver!
3. East Van Art Walk and Brewery Visit
East Vancouver is an area in the city filled with coffee shops, murals all around the streets, and of course, craft breweries! What we love about this 2-hour brewery tour in East Van is that you get to walk from place to place, so you really get to experience this part of the city.
East Vancouver has a bunch of hole-in-the-wall spots, even our first meeting point was somewhere I wouldn’t have found without the guide! After meeting your tour group, you’ll head off on a walking tour to learn about the area and admire the beautiful murals done by local artists – it’s the perfect place for some great Insta pics!
You’ll make your way to Mount Pleasant, one of the most hipster areas of Vancouver, which means great craft beer and lots of flannel shirts! This is one of my favorite neighborhoods and is a must-see if it’s your first time in the city.
Then your last stop is Steamworks Brew Pub in the neighborhood of Gastown for a complimentary pint and appetizers. This is the first steam-powered brewery in Canada and it’s one of our go-to spots! Plus it’s close to the famous Gastown Steam Clock. We love that the tour ends here because there are so many places to check out in this area that you can keep the party going!
This art and beer tour costs $95 CAD per person and includes one beer, some snacks, and your local guide; any other beverages or food will be at your own expense. It departs daily throughout the year at 2 pm. We think this tour is a great introduction to the city for anyone wanting to learn more and have some beer while you’re at it!
Don’t miss out on Vancouver’s most unique brewery and art tour – reserve your spot here.
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.
4. Weekend Craft Beer Tasting Tour
If you’re looking for a deep dive into the informational side of brewing paired with a fun day of drinking, this 3-hour tasting tour might just be the one for you! You’ll visit three different breweries in the historic Mount Pleasant neighborhood.
You’ll start the tour at Main Street Brewing Company, which is known as one of Vancouver’s classic breweries. Here you will get to learn about the four main ingredients that go into nearly every batch brewed and get to sample the very beer you’re learning about.
You’ll then walk through “Brewery Creek” and hit two more breweries in the neighborhood, although there are so many you might have to come back to try more! This is where the tour really dives into the small-batch brewery culture. You’ll learn about how the craft beer culture has grown and taste a variety of small-batch beers, meaning they are only available at the local breweries you visit!
If you get the chance to get Chad as your guide, his depth of knowledge of beer is quite impressive, and he makes the tour so fun and personable!
This tour is great whether you’re brand new to craft beer culture or a veteran. This tour is really well done and more affordable than the others on this list at only $74 CAD per person, which includes your tastings. It starts at 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays only, so make sure to book in advance as this popular tour is sure to sell out quickly!
Availability is limited, book your brewery tour here before it fills up!
5. Evening Craft Brewery Tour
One of the best parts of booking a tour is that nearly everything is taken care of for you. You simply show up, and enjoy!
This 3-hour tour led by a local is exactly that. You’ll visit three breweries, led by a local “beer geek”. Every time we got to a new brewery, there were flights ready to go and our beer geek was already telling us the specific details of each brew.
The first brewery is Parallel 49, which has a great spread of beers. Whether you like a light and crisp lager or a nice and bitter IPA, there is a beer for anyone here.
The second stop is at the nearby Bomber Brewing. This also has a great variety of styles, so I find it helpful to ask the guide for recommendations to find which beer best suits you! This brewery has a great patio, so if you can visit on a sunny day it makes for a beautiful patio spot!
Finally, you’ll make your way to Off the Rail Brewing where you must try the Crazy Train IPA. This brewery has a cozy environment that makes it the perfect last stop on the tour.
The tour costs $120 CAD per person which includes 4 oz tasters at each stop, snacks, and transportation between the breweries. It starts at 6 pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. I personally love the local “beer geek” who makes the tour much more personable and fun – and I’m not the only one, it’s full of glowing reviews.
Read the dozens of 5-star reviews and book your tour before you go!
6. Street Art & Craft Beer Walking Tour
Vancouver not only has a thriving beer scene, but an impressive local art scene as well! This combo street art and craft beer tour is truly unique as it gives you a chance to dive into local art and craft beer all in one day.
The tour starts by exploring Olympic Village (where we used to live!) and False Creek. Both of these areas offer incredible views of the city and are home to the annual Vancouver Mural Festival. The art in this area is constantly rotating, so every time you visit you’ll see something new!
I think having a local guide is really valuable as they can share the history and significance of the city art as you walk from brewery to brewery! You’ll spend some time at The Beaumont Studio, where many Vancouver artists work and display their art. And of course, you’ll be given a can of locally brewed beer to enjoy while you chat with the artists and learn about their work.
Then you’ll stop at two breweries in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood: Electric Bicycle Brewing and Faculty Brewing Company. These are definitely two of the most popular breweries in Vancouver! Electric Bicycle is known for its funky atmosphere and sour beers, whereas Faculty Brewing is open-air and constantly rotating beers on tap, so you always get something new!
This is the most unique tour on the list, so if you love art and beer, this would be a great afternoon for you! This tour costs $137 CAD per person and includes the beer tastings, art tour, and guide. It runs daily with the option to choose between a 2 pm or 6 pm starting time to easily fit your schedule. And when you book with Viator, you can reserve your spot and not pay anything until just before you leave!
Reserve your top-rated brewery tour now with FREE cancellation options!
Related Read: If you’re visiting Vancouver during the summer, make sure to pop into the Richmond Night Market – it’s like a festival, carnival, and foodie heaven all in one!
Why Join a Brewery Tour in Vancouver?
You can certainly get a feel for a brewery by stopping by and having a pint, but there’s really so much more that goes into the brewery experience. Joining a brewery tour is an awesome way to learn the differences between each brewery, and to learn more about the city as well. And with everything planned and taken care of for you, you just get to show up and enjoy!
One of the best parts of these brewery tours has to be the local guides. These guides are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about beer so they are a wealth of information. They know the area and can take you to places you might have never known about!
On some tours, you even get to meet the brewmasters, which is always my favorite part because you can ask questions and learn how certain beers were inspired. It makes the whole experience feel a lot more personal.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and try some refreshing brews!
Learn more about our favorite tour and read the reviews here!
Other Fantastic Tours in Vancouver
While the above are the best Vancouver brewery tours we’ve experienced, there are many more fantastic tours in and around the Vancouver area. Here are some of our personal favorites:
- Whale watching – If you’ve never seen a whale, this is your chance! Between April and October, you can take this half-day whale-watching tour from Vancouver and travel by boat around islands in search of humpback whales and orcas. On our trip, we spotted lots of sea lions, seals, otters, and sea birds, too! Whale watching in Vancouver is a family-friendly activity and costs $226 CAD per adult and even less for kids.
- Seaplane flight – Nothing beats soaring over Vancouver on this scenic seaplane flight tour, and honestly, this is our favorite thing that we ever did in the city! For $160 CAD, you’ll see all the top sights we mentioned but from a birds-eye view. These flights run year-round but are always ideal on a sunny day. To learn more, read our tips on booking a Vancouver seaplane flight.
- Victoria and the Butchart Gardens – On this full-day tour, you’ll hit up the top sights in Victoria as well as explore the Butchart Gardens. These gardens were voted some of the best in the world, and they have over 900 plant varieties, five different garden styles, and 26 greenhouses. Plus, you’ll get to take a cruise on the ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island, which is an experience in itself!
- Sunset dinner cruise – Dinner, drinks, and a sunset cruise on the harbor … it doesn’t get much better than this! We’ve done this sunset dinner cruise tour twice, and truthfully, we’d do it again! While the sun sets over the horizon, you’ll enjoy an expansive dinner buffet along with live music for $209 CAD per adult. It’s our top cruise in Vancouver and perfect for groups of friends, families, or for a romantic evening (especially if you’re planning a honeymoon in Vancouver!).
Renting a Car in British Columbia
If you’re arriving in British Columbia via plane, then I can’t recommend getting a rental car enough. British Columbia is a large province, and traveling between the best places to visit in BC requires transport. Although you can use public transport on some occasions, this means your trip will not only require more time but more planning.
Car rental in Canada isn’t relatively cheap, but it’s not that expensive either, especially if you get a budget car. The cheapest car with a pick-up and drop-off in different locations is around $100 CAD per day. The price does vary though, depending on the time of year. For car rentals, I use the website Discover Cars. It’s a search engine with lots of deals with good customer service. In fact, I’ve used Discover Cars all over the world, including in Chile, New Zealand, and Australia. Read my honest review of Discover Cars here for more details!
Another popular option is to rent a campervan or motorhome (only for the brave in winter). Using Motorhome Republic, you can search hundreds of deals across multiple companies to pick a great vehicle and the cheapest price. Having a motorhome is a stunning way to see Canada and you can often camp for free or very cheap in the most beautiful places imaginable! Read my tips on using Motorhome Republic here before you book!
Thanks for reading!
Sampling some of the craft beer on tap in Vancouver is such a fun activity to add to your Vancouver itinerary! Brewery tours in Vancouver take all the hassle of picking where to go and you’ll have a handy local guide for recommendations. You really can’t go wrong with any of these tours, so the hardest part might be choosing just one!
If you need any more ideas for your trip to BC, make sure to check out all of our West Coast blogs. We have tons of recommendations on the best things to see, where to stay, popular road trips, and more!
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