15 Boat Tours in Vancouver Worth Booking

1.Victoria & Butchart Gardens Tour with Ferry from Vancouver

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,703 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $228Our pick

Travel from downtown Vancouver to Victoria by coach and BC Ferries, with a 90-minute sailing through the Gulf Islands. Your day includes two hours at Butchart Gardens, two hours in Victoria, guide commentary, transportation, hotel pickup, and garden admission. Guides such as Anthony, Bobby, Leslie, and Alex are known for clear local stories and helpful timing.

“Fell in love with Victoria. The garden is beautiful. Our bus driver was very conscientious and made great effort to ensure we had a wonderful day.”

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2.Victoria, Gulf Islands Cruise, & Butchart Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,165 reviews · 13 hours · from $208

Travel from downtown Vancouver to Victoria by comfortable coach and BC Ferry, with a 90-minute Gulf Islands crossing, two hours at Butchart Gardens, and about 1.5 hours in central Victoria. Guides such as Mark, Dan, Justin, and Dion provide live English commentary throughout the day.

“A long day but an enjoyable one. Our guide Justin was very informative and helpful. He made the journey fun !”

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3.Vancouver City and Harbour Waterfront Sightseeing Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 839 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $82Top rated

Set out from Vancouver’s waterfront in a 12-passenger Zodiac with a local skipper such as Dawson, Connor, Jonah, or Thomas. Over about 90 minutes, you’ll pass Coal Harbour, Stanley Park, English Bay, False Creek, and the North Shore at speeds up to 55 km/h. Expect open-air views, possible seals and bald eagles, and a ride that can get wet.

“Great tour and I will do it again with my family and friends next time! I love the driving and navigating speed and the narrative of the captain on board, two thumbs up!”

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4.Vancouver Evening Dinner Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 595 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $164

Board at 6:30pm near Stanley Park for a 2.5-hour dinner cruise through Vancouver Harbour and Burrard Inlet. You’ll enjoy reserved seating, a West Coast buffet with salmon, live music, and views of Canada Place, the North Shore Mountains, and the shoreline. The cruise runs seasonally from May to mid-October.

“Took the evening cruise on a sunny night in August the crew and entertainment were amazing and the views across Vancouver were spectacular! We had a singer on board Angie Faith she made the night beautiful her songs with the ambience on board made it perfect. The servers were great too had a nice bottle of wine reasonably priced. Food great nice roast beef and salmon and a great dessert after. I'd recommend to anyone visiting Vancouver it probably works out the same price as a fancy meal downtown but you're getting the sunset cruise too.”

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5.Victoria & Butchart Gardens Tour with Gulf Islands Cruise Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 565 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $214

Spend about 13 hours traveling from Vancouver to Vancouver Island by coach and ferry, with admission to Butchart Gardens and free time in Victoria. Guides such as Mark, Justin, Dan, Dion, and Senan are praised for clear commentary and good organization. Expect a scenic but demanding day with about two hours at the gardens and roughly 1 to 1.5 hours in Victoria.

“We had a wonderful day. Mark is a great guide. Learned and saw so much about the area and it's history.”

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6.Post-cruise: Vancouver Tour with Lookout & Capilano Bridge

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 487 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $155

Spend 6.5 hours seeing Vancouver with port pickup, luggage storage, a guide such as Kyle, Greg, or Gavin, and admission to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Vancouver Lookout. You’ll visit Stanley Park, Granville Island, Chinatown, Gastown, and Lions Gate Bridge before ending at YVR or a selected Vancouver or Richmond hotel.

“Interesting stops, knowledgeable driver/guide. Bus/van new comfortable. Instructions for meeting place excellent.”

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7.Vancouver City and Nature Waterfront Sightseeing Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 477 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $82

You’ll cruise Vancouver’s outer harbour in a Zodiac with a guide such as Dawson, Thomas, Jake, or Yasmin, passing Stanley Park, English Bay, False Creek, Lions Gate Bridge, and Point Atkinson Lighthouse. Expect sharp views, local stories, possible seals and eagles, and a wet, bouncy ride.

“Sasha our captain was very nice and pleasant A great captain! We had a wonderful time and would recommend.”

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8.Vancouver City and Seal Colony Scenic Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 463 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $74

Cruise from Granville Island through False Creek, English Bay, Vancouver Harbour, and toward Lighthouse Park in a small boat for up to 12 people. Your guide shares local stories while looking for seals near Grebe Islets. Expect close city views, wildlife, mountain scenery, and a wet, chilly ride, with warming suits and lifejackets provided.

“Was fun and informative, would highly recommend to anyone, was on time and Paul was a great captain.”

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9.City and Seal Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 375 reviews · from $71

Set out from Granville Island for a 1.5-hour Zodiac ride along English Bay. Your English-speaking captain guides you past Stanley Park, Lighthouse Park, West Vancouver homes, Siwash Rock, and Kitsilano Beach, with a stop near Vancouver’s seal colony. Full-body weather suits and life jackets are provided, but expect spray and a lively ride.

“Marco our guide was excellent, fun and informative! Great excursion, not to be missed!”

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10.Vancouver to Victoria Seaplane Adventure & Return via Bus & Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 354 reviews · 9 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $309

Choose your Vancouver departure, then fly 35 minutes by Harbour Air seaplane from Canada Place to Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Spend several hours exploring on foot before returning by coach and BC Ferries. The day lasts about 9 to 11 hours, with a 25-pound baggage limit and weather-dependent flights.

“Great option to experience a seaplane whilst getting to Vancouver Island quicker than the ferry. Bus return was delayed and a little chaotic, but got us back to the ferry in time. Our bus driver was clearly a little hassled by the delay, not helped by the bus station check in process - or lack of, and a number of passengers wanting drop-offs at different locations to their booked tickets once they realised he dropped at multiple places. Ferry ride was smooth and comfortable. Overall a great option to get to enjoy different travel options and to spend time in Victoria.”

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11.Evening Cruise with Dinner Buffet

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 281 reviews · 150 - 210 minutes · from $167

Spend 150 to 210 minutes aboard a Vancouver dinner cruise with a West Coast buffet, in-house music, and wide views of downtown, the North Shore mountains, and West Vancouver. The route and vessel can change, but you can expect time on deck, an all-you-can-eat meal, and a relaxed evening on the water.

“Beautiful scenery, great music, lovely meal. I will come back again.”

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12.Snorkel, Kayak, and Seal Adventure: Vancouver Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 264 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $105

From Horseshoe Bay, you’ll cruise to Pam Rocks in Howe Sound to watch harbor seals, snorkel, and kayak in their natural setting. Wetsuits and gear are supplied, and no experience is needed. Guides such as Kevin, Robin, Emma, Erin, and Emily have helped make the trip friendly and well organized, with sightseeing-only places available.

“Amazing experience! We went out on the boat on a sunny day. Stopped at two different seal colonies. The guides were very respectful and showed us how to behave in the water. Not too close to the seals with a good distance and they might come to us by curiosity. Some were curious and played with our fins whilst some of them just swam in the water. It was amazing to see them in their natural habitat. Snacks were provided as well and the guides answered all the questions we had. It really was an amazing experience”

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13.Vancouver Brunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 263 reviews · from $136

Spend 3 to 4 hours aboard a Vancouver brunch cruise from 501 Denman Street. Enjoy a buffet meal, paid drinks, live music on some departures, and open-air views of the skyline, Coast Mountains, forests, Burrard Inlet, and Indian Arm. The route may include Silver Falls, though cruise times and sights can change.

“Good food and attentive service. A thoroughly pleasant experience.”

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14.Vancouver Harbor Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 252 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $56

Cruise Burrard Inlet for about an hour with onboard narration, open-air decks, an inside cabin, and a licensed bar. You’ll pass Stanley Park, Lions Gate Bridge, Gastown, cruise terminals, dry docks, cargo ships, and the North Shore Mountains. The boat returns to 501 Denman Street, with wheelchair access on the boarding deck.

“Great hour long harbor cruise! Beautiful weather and enjoyed chatting with our bartender! Would definitely do it again!”

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15.Harbor Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 245 reviews · 1 hour · from $54Best value

Cruise Vancouver’s harbor for one hour aboard a comfortable sightseeing vessel, often the historic Constitution paddle wheeler. Enjoy English commentary, open-air deck views, Stanley Park, Lions Gate Bridge, float planes, working harbor traffic, and the North Shore Mountains. A licensed bar serves drinks for purchase, but food and beverages are not included.

“Great way to get some history on Vancouver. A bit pricey and the food was lacking. Drinks were good. All in all a nice way to spend an hour.”

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