Best Vancouver Shore Excursions To Book
Vancouver is a really popular cruise port! If you are looking for the best Vancouver cruise excursions, you are in the right spot!
My family loves cruising! We have been on many cruises! I love doing the research and finding the best excursions in each area we visit.
In this post, we are going to explore all of the best Vancouver shore excursions in the area! Whether you booked a cruise from Vancouver or are just on your way to Alaska or down to Mexico, we have lots of options for fun Vancouver shore excursions!
There are lots of amazing Vancouver shore excursions that you will love!
Let’s get started and explore the best Vancouver cruise excursions!
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1. Canada Place
If you do not want to go too far away from the cruise ship, Canada Place is for you.
Canada Place has a Flyover Canada experience, a beautiful walking trail, and a visitor center.
You can take a short walk to historic Gastown, where you will see the famous iconic landmark, the Steam Clock. This is a fun area with shops.
If you want to walk 20 minutes to Chinatown Town, you can check out the Millennium Bridge and explore the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.
A lot of tours will start at Canada Place. You can book through the cruise line, but I don’t think you need to. Vancouver is a pretty small city and easy to get around.
I don’t think it will be hard to get back to the cruise ship on time. If you want to save money, you can book an excursion through Viator. You can book private tours or group tours.
Vancouver Cruise Tours
2. Capilano Suspention Bridge Park
One of the most popular Vancouver shore excursions is the Capilano Suspension Bridge.
As you exit the cruise terminal you will find yourself in the Canada Place. There is a shuttle bus that will take you to the bridge. The shuttle takes about 20 minutes.
The Capilano Suspension Bridge takes about 15-20 minutes to cross. But don’t worry, there are lots of other things to do in this area. In fact, you can spend a few hours here.
Top Things to Do Near the Capilano Suspension Bridge
- Salmon Hatchery
- Hiking Grouse Grind
- Sky Gondola up Grouse Mountain
This area offers fantastic panoramic views. It is a great option for a shorter Vancouver shore excursion.
Vancouver Shore Excursion Tours to Capilano Bridge
If you would rather have a guided tour of the area, Viator has great options.
3. Biking in Stanley Park
Stanley Park is a fantastic option for a Vancouver shore excursion.
There are so many amazing things to do in Stanley Park.
Top Things to Do in Stanley Park
- Bike Tour
- Carriage Ride
- Totem Poles
- Lighthouse
- Trails/Gardens
- Playgrounds
- Aquarium
Best Option for Cruise Passengers
The most popular thing to do in Stanley Park is to take a bike tour.
If you want to go on a bike tour. You will want to walk about 12 minutes from the port to Cycle City.
It is about a 10-minute bike ride to Stanley Park from Cycle City. You will be able to bike the entire park.
4. Granville Island Market
There is a bus located at the Vancouver cruise terminal that will take you to Granville Island. It is about a 10-minute bus ride and costs less than $3.
If you want to go to this area after going on a Vancouver city tour, you can jump on the False Creek Ferry.
What is Granville Island
Granville Island is a food market. There are some amazing vendors. You can go on a Granville Island food tour.
If you have kids, there is a kids’ market with video games, a jungle gym, and toy stores. This is a great option if you are cruising with kids!
You can explore this area in about an hour.
5. General Tour of Vancouver
If you have one day in Vancouver, you probably want to make the most of your time. You can book a day tour of Vancouver.
These tours will take you to all the main sights such as Stanley Park, Granville Island, and downtown Vancouver. There are private shore excursions and group options.
Having a guided tour is nice because you do not have to worry about transportation. Plus, you will get a lot of local insight on the city.
6. Whale Watching Tour
If you would rather stay on the water, a whale watching tour is a great option for your Vancouver cruise excursion.
There are whale watching tours that begin on Granville Island. So if you want to explore this area and then jump on a whale watching tour, you probably have time to do both.
The tours last around 3-5 hours.
7. Museum Visit
There are lots of fabulous museums in Vancouver. If you want to jump in an Uber and head to one of them, that is a great idea for a Vancouver shore excursion option.
Science World is probably one of the best options for kids. It is also close to Olympic Village.
The Vancouver Aquarium is located inside Stanley Park, so it might be better to do a tour of Stanley Park and end with a visit to the Aquarium.
Top Museums in Vancouver
- Science World
- Museum of Anthropology
- Aquarium
- Bloedel Conservatory
- Museum of Vancouver
- Vancouver Art Gallery
- Beaty Biodiversity Museum
- Vancouver Maritime Museum
- Vancouver Police Museum and Archives
- Bill Reid Museum of Northwest Art
- H.R. MacMillian Space Center
- VanDusen Botanical Garden
Bloedel Conservatory
Because it was raining so hard, when we visited Vancouver, we decided to visit the Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park.
You wouldn’t want to make a special trip to come here, just include it if you want to see Queen Elizabeth Park.
This is an indoor garden with lots of tropical plants. There are over 500 species. There are also exotic birds.
It is pretty small and does not take too long to tour.
Vancouover Cruise Excursion Options
Hopefully, all of these Vancouver shore excursion options will get you started on planning your day in Vancouver. Remember, you can do these as pre-cruise or post-cruise tours as well.
Vancouver is a popular port to start or end at. If you find you have a few days pre- or post-cruise, you can use my 3-day Vancouver itinerary for more ideas to tour this beautiful city.
There are a lot of pre- or post-cruise airport drop-off or pick-up transportation options if you are looking for that.
We love to cruise! We have been on some fun ships: Odyssey of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, and the Disney Wish. Planning a cruise is so fun! So many cruise plans to make!
If you have any more questions, ask me in the Facebook Group.
Facebook Group
If you have any questions, be sure to join my Planningaway Travel Community on Facebook. This is a place where I post travel deals, and you can ask any questions about your upcoming trips!
