If you've never visited Vancouver and want to get the gist of the city in a short time, use a hop-on, hop-off bus. The Big Bus tour company, for example, offers a hop-on, hop-off service. Reservations are required for these tours, which operate on double-decker buses that leave every 15 to 20 minutes in the summer months. The full tour lasts about 90 minutes and stops at 23 places around the city core.
Take a longer tour of the city with the Vancouver Trolley Company's antique trolley-on-wheels. The company offers two tours, and each takes two hours and 40 minutes to complete. The tour's red loop gets you out of the downtown core and into the city's spectacular Stanley Park.
Take advantage of Vancouver's natural surroundings by booking a more adventurous bus tour. Landsea Tours and Adventures offers a North Shore Capilano Suspension Bridge & Grouse Mountain Tour--a half-day "light" trek into Vancouver's rain forest.
