Vancouver Coal Harbour and Historic Gastown Walking Tour

3 hours Free cancellation

Witness the Gastown Steam Clock in all it's glory — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Learn about the history and current events of Vancouver — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Our tour starts at Canada Place, one of Vancouver's most iconic buildings. We'll take a secret tunnel to the Convention Centre for the city's best Coal Harbour views including the Port of Vancouver, North Shore Mountains, Stanley Park, Lion's Gate Bridge, and the Big Yellow Sulphur Pile.

Another hidden route reveals the Convention Centre's grass roof and Olympic Cauldron. En route to Gastown, we'll see the Marine Building and Waterfront Station.

In Gastown, we'll explore Water Street, Vancouver's oldest street, learning about its decline and 1970s rejuvenation. We'll time our visit to see the Steam Clock's maximum performance at noon.

At Maple Tree Square, we'll visit where Gassy Jack opened his first bar, sparking the town that became Vancouver, and discuss why his statue was removed.

See some of Vancouver's oldest buildings and fascinating architecture in Blood Alley

We'll finish at Woodward's Building and Victory Square, centrally located near transit with many dining options.

Half-day Tours Private and Luxury Architecture Tours Historical Tours Walking Tours Short term availability Weather Dependent - Moderate Agent Low Quality Product

At a glance

Duration: 3 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 16 people
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: VanWalks

Ages: Children (0–16 years) · Adults (17–64 years) · Seniors (65–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: View of Vancouver landmarks
Included: Knowledgeable and Friendly Local Guide

Not included

Not included: Meals
Not included: Snacks
Not included: Gratuities

Itinerary

Canada Place

10 min

Our tour starts at one of the most unique buildings in the city, Canada Place.
Vancouver Convention Centre

10 min

We’ll take a secret tunnel to take us to another very important building, the Convention Centre. The views of Coal Harbour from the Convention Centre are the best in the city. We’ll see some stunning landmarks, including The Port of Vancouver, the North Shore Mountains, Stanley Park, Deadman’s Island, the Lion’s Gate Bridge, The Lions Mountains, and most importantly, the Big Yellow Sulphur Pile.
Stanley Park

Passing by

Views of the greatest park in the world
Coal Harbour

5 min

Views of this unique and stunning urban water setting
Olympic Cauldron

2 min

See the torches we created for our 2010 Olympics
The Marine Building

Passing by

See one of the world's foremost examples of Art Deco architecture.
Waterfront Station

15 min

Learn about the early history of Vancouver and how the completion of the railroad changed Canada and the world.
Gastown

45 min

In Gastown, we’ll head down Water Street, Vancouver’s oldest and most interesting street. We’ll learn about the decline of Water St in the early 20th century and the historic rejuvenation of Gastown in the 1970s.
Gastown Steam Clock

15 min

See the centerpiece of the Gastown rejuvenation, the Gastown Steam Clock. The tour is planned to be around the Steam Clock at noon. This gets the maximum steam performance from this unique landmark.
Maple Tree Square

15 min

We’ll walk along Water St to Maple Tree Square, the most important intersection in early Vancouver history. We’ll see the spot where Gassy Jack started his first bar and kicked off the whole idea of a town called Vancouver. We’ll also learn why protesters tore down the Gassy Jack statue.
Stop 11

10 min

Maple Tree Square is also home to Blood Alley, home of some of the oldest buildings still standing in Vancouver. We’ll check out the cool architecture and learn about the early history of Vancouver.
Stop 12

5 min

Visit the epicentre of the current gentrification attempts in Gastown, and learn about why they haven't taken off the way people thought they would.
Victory Square

15 min

Victory Square is an very important location in Vancouver's history. It was the starting point of the great fire that burned down the whole town, as well as the starting point when they built it all over again. It was also the first terminus of the railroad and the location of our first courthouse.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

End point

The tour ends at Victory Square, which is centrally located to many transit options. Our guide can provide many food or activity options for after the tour.

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

The operator may cancel if the weather does not allow it; you then get another date or your money back.
The operator may cancel if too few people book; you then get another date or your money back.