City Essentials: First Day • 3 hours 5.0 (13)

Kickstart Your Trip in Vancouver

Beyond striking natural vistas and dining delights, get to grips with vibrant Vancouver

Vancouver gets rained on around 170 days a year so it's a good idea to bring a compact umbrella and a waterproof jacket

What makes this experience special

Key highlights

  • Start off on the right foot discovering vibrant Vancouver like a local
  • See a few of downtown Vancouver’s most iconic attractions (and a few local hidden gems)
  • Learn about the history of Vancouver at Victoria Square
  • Walk under the Millennium Gates and around beautiful gardens at Vancouver’s Chinatown
  • Have a helpful host to talk up their town and share recommendations for the rest of your trip

What to know before you go

Here’s everything you need to know before your day unfolds.

3 hours
Fully tailored to your preferences
English Other languages may be requested

What’s included

Private and personalized experience
3 hours with a host
Walking experience (other transport can be arranged at an additional cost)

What’s not included

Food and drinks
Tickets to any attractions
Transportation costs
Gratuities (optional)

Meeting point

Your hotel/apartment or any other central location

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience

What to bring

  • We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and carrying a light bag for your essentials.
  • Public transport may be used during the experience - please bring a travel card or small amount of cash for fares.

How your day could unfold

A flexible, unscripted experience designed entirely around your interests. Your host will adapt the day based on what excites you most

What you’ll do

Vancouver is well known as an ocean-fringed metropolis with some of the finest food in the country. Far beyond the picture-perfect scenery, you’ll get an accelerated introduction to Vancouver, from its thriving art and music scenes to industrial shopping districts. Offering the perfect introduction, learn a little about Vancouver’s history in Victoria Square, hang-out in the redbrick bars of Gastown, and get food recommendations for the rest of your stay in Chinatown and from your local guide along the way. Discover the city’s diverse and distinctive mini districts in Yaletown, formerly an industrial area and now lined with marinas, parks, and high-rises, showcasing one of the most significant urban regeneration projects in North America.

1. Select a date
2. Select start time
3. Tailor your experience
Answer a few quick questions to help your host craft the perfect day tailored to you.
1. What’s your preferred hosting style?
2. How would you like the pace of your day?
3. What’s your walking comfort level?
4. Are you celebrating something special?

Real Stories, Real Connections

See our hosts and guests creating memories

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What travelers think of this experience

Jeffrey, Jan 2025

Kim was fantastic! She created a personalized tour for my family that was rich with history and architecture. She had great insights on local’s favorites for food and entertainment. I highly recommend her.

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Lesley, Jul 2024

We were only in Vancouver for 2 days and were lucky enough to have Kim as our guide. Kim was born in Vancouver and knows the city very well. In fact, her father is an architect in Vancouver which gave Kim special insight and she was able to point out some very interesting buildings and secret spots that other guides may not know about. Kim was so fun to be with and it felt like we were out for the day with a friend. We told Kim what we wanted to see if the short 3 hours and she was able to fit everything in. We took the underground, a boat and walked around the city. Kim has great knowledge and was such a great tour guide. I would highly recommend this tour and Kim as your guide!!

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Roxanne, May 2024

Kim took us to "off the tourist radar" sights and was incredibly knowledgeable about the city, architecture and history-exactly what we asked for.

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Jodi, Feb 2024

We saw all the interesting sites around Vancouver and Derek was such a gracious host

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Beth, Sep 2023

Kim was knowledgeable about the City, took us to some areas we might have missed and ended up at Granville Island for a few hours. Very nice tour.

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Scot, Aug 2023

Kim checked in with us to find out what we were interested in seeing. It was nice to have a local guide who took us to interesting places. Thanks to Kim!

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