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Are you heading to Vancouver soon and thinking about visiting Capilano Suspension Bridge Park?
I think that’s a wise choice! The park makes us feel a thousand miles removed from civilization, even though it’s just 10 minutes from the city center. As Vancouver locals, we’ve visited multiple times – it would be rude not to when it’s just up the road!
However, if you don’t know much about the park or are on a tight budget, you may be wondering if visiting the Capilano Suspension Bridge is worth it, or if it’s overhyped. That’s why we’re sharing our honest review with you here because we don’t want you to waste any time in this amazing city.
What is the Capilano Suspension Bridge?
Fun fact: the Capilano Suspension Bridge is actually one of the oldest tourist attractions in Vancouver! It was opened in 1889, although don’t worry, the bridge itself has been rebuilt since then. The bridge is 140 meters (460 feet) long and hangs 70 meters (230 feet) above the powerful Capilano River, so it offers a pretty sweet view, but to be honest, it’s only the beginning of the park’s attractions.
Nowadays, there’s also a (slightly scary) cliff walk here, a treetops adventure, an Indigenous cultural center, restaurants, and a conservation facility for birds of prey. There are also guided talks and even live music in the summertime! So all in all, I think it’s safe to say this place is a real activity hub.
There’s a lot more to do than just walking across the bridge. We spent about 4 hours exploring! To plan your day, you can also read our article on everything you need to know before visiting the Capilano Suspension Bridge.
Tickets for Capilano Suspension Bridge Park cost $67 to $81 CAD, depending on the time of year. This price includes all taxes, and is actually cheaper than buying in person. We’ve always booked ours in advance because the park is really popular. Plus, this also means we got to take advantage of the free shuttle from the city center.
What are the BEST highlights of the Capilano Suspension Bridge?
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Of course, the bridge itself is the main event! The views of the Capilano River and the surrounding forest are just beautiful. And since the bridge is narrow and bouncy, we definitely got a bit of a thrill walking across it.
Treetops Adventure
I think that it’s definitely worth taking the time to walk along the Treetops Adventure while you’re in Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. It’s a series of seven bridges and multiple viewing platforms, which are suspended up to 33 meters (110 feet) above the ground, so they really immerse you in the old-growth forest. In fact, some of the Douglas fir trees that the course is attached to are hundreds of years old!
Cliffwalk
Aside from the suspension bridge, the Cliffwalk is our favorite part of the park! It allows you to see the river canyon from a totally different perspective, as it follows the granite cliff face, and it even has glass planks so that you can stare 70 meters (230 feet) down into the canyon below. This certainly made my heart beat a little quicker, but I loved the views.
The Living Forest
This is an educational walkway exhibit about the West Coast Rainforest. Here, you can learn all about the forest ecology and the wildlife that calls this park home! We enjoyed walking along it and checking out the information points and interactive sections, and we were especially impressed to learn that some of the trees here are over 1,500 years old.
Birds of Raptors Ridge
This facility is only open during the summer and I think it’s totally worth a visit if you’re here between May and October. Raptors Ridge is all about educating the park’s visitors on the conservation and rehabilitation of birds of prey, and you can say hi to 15 different species of native Canadian birds here, including owls and hawks. We were happy to learn that the birds also return to the main Raptors Ridge facility in Maple Ridge every night, so that they can fly and hunt freely, and none of the birds are brought to Capilano for two days in a row.
Kia’palano
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park isn’t just about the views. We also loved learning more about the culture of the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, especially hearing local legends and seeing some fantastic artwork. We particularly enjoyed the collection of giant totem poles, all of which were carved right here in the park!
Nature’s Edge Boardwalk
This walkway may be ground-level, but we still enjoyed the views of the forest floor and Capilano River from here. It actually runs underneath some of the Treetops Adventure, and we like it because it allows you to walk through the forest without disturbing any of the flora and fauna. Plus, if you’re not great with heights, it’s a nice relief from that!
Related Read: For more travel inspo, check out our favorite day trips from Vancouver.
Is the Capilano Suspension Bridge suitable for kids?
Yes! This park is a giant adventure hub but there’s nothing too scary, so it’s perfect for children. We saw so many kids having a great time on the bridge, the Treetops Adventure, and the Cliffwalk when we visited. However, if your child is scared of heights then they might struggle.
There’s also a fun Rainforest Explorer Program to help kids enjoy the park on a self-guided adventure through the trees. They can grab booklets at the Treehouse at the beginning of the Treetops Adventure and then complete the games and puzzles as they explore the park. There’s even a special reward at the end for kids who complete it all!
Our Experience at Capilano Suspension Bridge
We’ve visited the Capilano Suspension Bridge twice, and we loved both of our visits! One visit was during the day and the other was at night around Christmas to see the festive Canyon Lights display, so we really got the full scope of the bridge in different settings.
Our first visit was during the day. We went during the spring and were really impressed by the views from the bridge, but I must say that we loved the Cliffwalk almost as much. It was really exciting and the glass planks really add to the feeling of being suspended mid-air. We also took advantage of the free guided talks offered and got to learn a ton about the park’s plant life.
Honestly, visiting the park made me feel as though we were hours outside of the city, even though in reality we were only a 10-minute drive away. I loved being immersed in the forest and although we spent about 4 hours here, the time just flew by.
The second time we went was around Christmas, so we wanted to go and catch the lights! We definitely weren’t disappointed. The music and festive atmosphere really got us in the Christmas spirit and the lights made me feel like I had stepped inside a Christmas movie, so it was pretty enchanting. The hot chocolate station didn’t hurt, either!
Visiting During the Day vs Night
If you’re visiting during the summer, you’ll have to go during the day as the park closes at 7 pm latest. However, during the winter months, it can be hard to know whether to go during the day or to wait until nightfall to catch the lights!
My personal opinion is that you should visit during the day if it’s your first time visiting Capilano and you’re only going to go once. If you have time to come back in the evening, the Canyon Lights definitely are worth seeing. The Canyon Lights are on display from November through January. During this time, you can enter the park until 9 pm and they’ll let you stay an hour after closing.
But to be honest with you, visiting this park is all about enjoying magnificent views of the forest and canyon. So as cool as the nighttime lights are, I think you should prioritize visiting during the day to get the full forest experience.
Capilano Suspension Bridge vs Lynn Canyon
Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge is like another version of Capilano, and it’s also in North Vancouver. The most obvious advantage Lynn Canyon has over Capilano is that it’s free, and I definitely think it’s worth a visit. As a local, I visit Lynn Canyon more often because it doesn’t cost anything.
At the same time, I really can’t deny that the Capilano Suspension Bridge is the more spectacular of the two. It’s worth doing both if you can, but if you’re only here for a couple of days then Capilano is the clear choice as far as I’m concerned! It’s one of the most iconic things to do in Vancouver and I think it’s totally worth the admission fee.
If you’re lucky enough to see both, here’s everything you need to know before visiting Lynn Canyon.
How do you get to the Capilano Suspension Bridge?
Drive
If you’re renting a car in Vancouver then it’s easy to drive to the suspension bridge, and you’ve got the freedom to go wherever you like afterwards! It’s only an 8.8-kilometer (5.5-mile) drive from Vancouver’s city center to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, which takes around 15 minutes, and then parking costs $8 CAD for 3 hours. During peak season, there’s also overflow parking at Handsworth School, and then you can jump on a free shuttle from here to the park.
Shuttle
Capilano Suspension Bridge tickets include return transport to the park on the free shuttle, which is handy! It leaves from Canada Place in the downtown area but also stops at the Hyatt Regency and Blue Horizon hotels on the way. Shuttles leave every 15-30 minutes and change according to the park’s open times, so be sure to check the schedule before you go.
Tours
Vancouver City Sightseeing Tour
This full-day tour starts by taking you to Gastown, Granville Island, and Chinatown, all of which are some of our favorite parts of Vancouver. You’ll get to ride up the elevator to the top of the Vancouver Lookout and then, you’ll head to Capilano Suspension Bridge to explore the natural beauty that lies just outside of the downtown area.
You can arrange to be picked up from either Vancouver or Richmond if you call ahead of time, or meet the tour bus outside of the Georgian Court Hotel at 9:30 am. The entire day is only $167 CAD and includes admission to Capilano and the Vancouver Lookout plus transport.
Book this sightseeing tour online here with FREE cancellation!
Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Nature lovers, this one’s for you! On this North Shore day trip, you’ll visit Capilano Suspension Bridge and then make your way to Grouse Mountain, which is another of our Vancouver favorites.
You’ll take a cable car up the mountain for fantastic views of the city and the surrounding wilderness. Plus, you’ll get to see the two resident grizzly bears that live on the mountain and see lumberjack and bird shows. Typically, riding the cable car up Grouse Mountain is an additional expense, so we love that both experiences are included for $238 CAD. If you haven’t heard much about it, read our guide all about Grouse Mountain before you go!
One thing to note is that this tour only runs from May to October because Grouse Mountain is more of a skiing and snowboarding destination during the winter.
You can book tickets for this 2-for-1 experience in advance here!
Seaplane Tour with Admission to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
A seaplane flight over Vancouver is an incredible way to see the city and the surrounding mountains and forests. And with this combo tour, you’ll get to take a 20-minute seaplane flight as well as visit Capilano.
We LOVED our seaplane ride over Vancouver and this is actually a relatively affordable way to take one since you’ll get a seaplane ride and your entrance to Capilano for only $248 CAD per person.
A 20-minute ride doesn’t sound very long, but time seems to slow down when you’re taking in the aerial views! Our pilot was great at pointing out landmarks, which made it even more immersive. Once you land, you’ll be shuttled to Capilano and can hang out there as long as you’d like, so this tour can last all day or just a few hours.
You’ll have to check in at the seaplane airport 45 minutes before your flight. Once you’re done exploring the Capilano Suspension Bridge, there are free shuttles taking you back to Canada Place in Vancouver.
Click here to book this tour before it sells out!
Private Tour: Vancouver Sightseeing
What we love about private tours is that they allow you to tailor the experience to your own interests, so if there’s room in your budget, this private Vancouver tour is definitely worth considering. You’ll get to check out some of the city’s most interesting neighborhoods and then enjoy a private tour of Capilano Suspension Bridge Park (with skip-the-line access!) to learn more about the history and engineering of the bridge.
You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Vancouver and have five hours to enjoy the best sights with a friendly local guide to answer all your questions and take photos for you! You’ll need a minimum of four people for this one and it’s on the pricier side at $450 CAD each, but if you’re after a memorable way to see Vancouver, this is it!
You can book the private tour online here.
Vancouver City and Canyon Lights Wintertime Tour
We mentioned the Canyon Lights earlier, so if they sounded exciting, this wintertime tour is for you! This tour runs from late November until late January when the bridge and the Treetops Adventure come alive after dark with a multicolored light display. There’s also live music, a scavenger hunt, and a hot chocolate station to help you warm up.
This 5-hour tour takes you through the city’s coolest neighborhoods, beaches, and forests before heading to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park as it starts to get dark to enjoy the Canyon Lights. This is one of the top Vancouver city tours if you’re short on time and it’s a fun all-around experience! Admission to the park, roundtrip transport, and your local guide are all included in the $170 CAD price tag.
You can book your Canyon Lights Vancouver city tour here!
Related Read: If you’re visiting over the colder season, here are the best wintertime activities in Vancouver.
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.
Is the Capilano Suspension Bridge worth it?
Yes! It’s honestly a really beautiful place to explore, and walking high above the forest and canyon is a magical experience.
The only thing I don’t like about visiting the park is how busy it can get, but there are ways around this! The park opens at either 8:30 am or 9 am, depending on the season, and I recommend getting there early. If you want to use the free shuttle, I advise catching the first one of the day, which leaves Canada Place half an hour before the park opens. It’s definitely worth an early start to get to enjoy the park before the midday rush.
But crowds aside, I’ve had a wonderful time here on both visits. I’m sure it won’t be long before I come back again since I would definitely bring friends or family who visit Vancouver. In my opinion, it totally lives up to the hype!
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!
- Hiking – There are a ton of amazing hikes in and around Vancouver. Challenge yourself with the famous Grouse Grind, wander the trails near the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, or even drive towards Squamish and do The Chief.
- Ride in a seaplane – If you can’t book the seaplane and Capilano tickets together, you can still enjoy this seaplane experience! 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 $178 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.
- Explore Kitsilano – One of our favorite areas in all of Vancouver is Kitsilano. This suburb is super trendy and has many cute stores, cafés, and restaurants that are well worth checking out. On top of that, Kitsilano Beach is one of the best beaches in Vancouver and the perfect place to relax. It’s also our favorite place to watch the sunset.
Where to Stay in Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver is one of the most popular cities in Canada. The fact is that in the summer and winter, the city books up in advance very fast! Booking your hotel or hostel well in advance is the only way to secure the best place to stay for you!
Some great hotels and hostels in Vancouver that we love are:
Hyatt Regency Vancouver – $$$
Can’t decide whether you’d prefer to stay near Stanley Park or Gastown? Well, the Hyatt Regency might just be right for you, as it’s located right between them! Rooms here enjoy gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows that help to bring in light and there is a small fridge, work desk, and toiletries in the bathroom too.
You can also conveniently enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner at their beautiful Mosaic Bar and Grill just off the lobby. As you can imagine, it’s a luxury stay in a large hotel chain that is highly reviewed! So if you’re looking to celebrate something special, or just fancy taking your vacation to a whole new level, then staying here will definitely do the trick.
I’ve seen a one-night stay at the Hyatt Regency going as low as $232 CAD per night, although the rooms here on average are more around the $300-$500 CAD mark. So, for the best price, don’t forget to reserve your room in advance.
Times Square Suites – $$
For a beautiful hotel close to Stanley Park, the Times Square Hotel is a fantastic choice! It’s very hard to fault this hotel, and the location really is perfect. The fully equipped kitchens and gas fireplaces are a nice touch in all of the rooms, plus the suites have living rooms and a washer and dryer.
For being pretty affordable, it has a lot of amenities, which is just one of the reasons we love staying here! You can book a room here from $232 CAD per night, but as this is a popular stay, I recommend checking your dates and booking ahead of time to secure your preferred room type!
The Cambie Hostel Gastown – $
The Cambie Hostel is a great budget-friendly hostel that’s located right in the heart of Gastown and close to lots of bars and restaurants and attached to the hostel is a very lively bar too. The rooms are clean, although the bathrooms are a little on the small side (part of the fun when you’re staying cheap, though!).
It’s perfect for backpackers on a budget and is considerably cheaper than others offering comparable quality. A bed in a dorm here starts at around $50 CAD, and you can book a stay here through Hostelworld.com or Booking.com.
Didn’t find exactly what you’re looking for? Click here to browse all hotels in Vancouver!
For more info on the best areas and hotels, check out my complete guide on where to stay in Vancouver. It breaks down everything you need to know before choosing the right hotel!
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!
There you have it – my honest review of the Capilano Suspension Bridge! I definitely think it’s worth a visit, especially if you love escaping city life to immerse yourself in nature. If you do decide to go, we hope you have a wonderful time learning about the area and seeing all the gorgeous wildlife!
For even more help planning your itinerary, check out our Vancouver blogs! We’ve also written about many other destinations in British Columbia and the rest of Canada. To get started, just click on one of the links below.
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