Shift your perspective on Vancouver: get up in the air and out on the water. If you keep your feet firmly planted on the ground, you can only see this beautiful city from one angle. But you’ll discover a whole new Vancouver if you soar through the skies or cruise the ocean. Here are seven #VeryVancouver experiences to see the city from floatplanes, helicopters, boats, and more.
See the City From Above
Helicopter over downtown Vancouver. Photo: Tourism Vancouver / Sky Helicopters
Vancouver is pretty, but it's even more gorgeous from the air. Soar over the downtown skyline, peer down through the treetops in Stanley Park, and watch cars glide across the Lions Gate Bridge far below you. To get this #VeryVancouver experience, book a scenic floatplane tour with Harbour Air or an epic doors-off helicopter flight with Sky Helicopters.
Cruise Around False Creek
Aquabus in False Creek. Photo: Tourism Vancouver / Tanya Goehring
Board one of the iconic rainbow Aquabuses and experience Vancouver from sea level. Take a short hop across False Creek from one stop to another, or stay on deck for the entire scenic False Creek circuit.
Glide Above the Trees
View of the city from the Grouse Mountain Gondola. Photo Tourism Vancouver / Devin Manky
Step on to the gondola and glide above the forest as you're whisked uphill to Grouse Mountain. Enjoy spectacular views of the city and nearby mountains as you ride.
Explore the Backcountry Without Breaking a Sweat
Flying over BC's mountains. Photo Tourism Vancouver / Sky Helicopters
View of the city from the Grouse Mountain Gondola. Photo Tourism Vancouver / Devin Manky
In Vancouver, city and wilderness exist side by side. Experience icy glaciers, tumbling waterfalls, and crystal-clear alpine lakes as you fly above BC's mountains. Glide through nature on Harbour Air's Alpine Lakes and Glaciers Tour or skim low over the trees with Sky Helicopter's BC Backcountry Tour.
Be the Captain of Your Own Ship
Sunset boat rental in Coal Harbour. Photo credit: Granville Island Boat Rental
Cast off from the dock at Granville Island and explore the ocean around Vancouver on a rental boat. Motor up Howe Sound to a seal colony or cruise Indian Arm to beautiful Granite Falls.
Go Island Hopping
Flying through the Gulf Islands. Photo Tourism Vancouver / Harbour Air
Located just a few minutes away in the Salish Sea, the Gulf Islands are known for their scenic beauty, quaint villages, and gorgeous coastline. To see them from the air, spend the day island hopping from one Gulf Island to the next on Harbour Air's Gulf Islands Mail Run Tour. If a cruise is more your style, walk-on to a BC Ferry on one of the Southern Gulf Islands routes and enjoy the views from the water.
Soar Over Canada… Virtually
Experiencing Canada virtually at FlyOver Canada. Photo Tourism Vancouver / FlyOver Canada / Jonathan Evans
Head to FlyOver Canada at Canada Place for a flight experience you won't forget. Buckle into your seat, let your feet dangle in the air, and enjoy the immersive show on the 20-metre spherical screen.
Content courtesy of Tourism Vancouver
Hero image: Float plane above Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge. Photo Tourism Vancouver / Harbour Air