Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour Pass Vancouver

Canada Place and Coal Harbour

Most travellers start at Canada Place, the main departure point of the trolley route, on the downtown waterfront. Built for the world exposition of 1986, the building is crowned by five white fabric sails and serves as the city's cruise ship terminal and convention centre. Its promenade offers wide views over the harbour, the seaplanes taking off and the North Shore mountains.

From here the trolley runs west along Coal Harbour, a calm basin lined with marinas, waterfront paths and glass towers, where floatplanes and yachts share the water. It is one of the most pleasant parts of the city for a stroll, and with an unlimited pass you can hop off, walk along the seawall and pick up the next trolley further on. Ask the driver for the timetable, because frequency changes with the season.

Stanley Park: Rose Garden, totem poles and Prospect Point

The highlight of any Vancouver hop-on hop-off route is Stanley Park, the forested peninsula of about 400 hectares that has been a public park since 1888. The trolley stops at the Pavilion and the Rose Garden, where thousands of roses bloom in summer, and at Brockton Point, where the colourful totem poles carved by First Nations artists stand, the most visited sight in British Columbia.

The route then climbs to Prospect Point Lookout, the highest point of the park, with a sweeping view over the Lions Gate Bridge and the entrance to the harbour. Further on, the Hollow Tree is the giant stump of an ancient western red cedar, big enough for families to stand inside for a photo. Third Beach and Second Beach follow, two sandy coves on the western side of the park, perfect for watching the sunset over the water.

The West End, Robson Street and Davie Village

Leaving the park, the trolley enters the West End, one of the most densely populated and leafy neighbourhoods in North America, where tree-lined streets and heritage wooden houses sit between apartment towers close to English Bay. The beaches and the seawall are a few minutes' walk from the stops, so this is a good place to hop off on a sunny day.

The route also passes Robson Street and the shopping district, the busiest retail street in Vancouver, with international stores, cafes and restaurants serving dishes from all over Asia. Nearby Davie Village, with its colourful crosswalks and lively cafes, is one of the most welcoming parts of downtown. Your driver's commentary helps you decide which of these neighbourhoods suit your interests, so you can plan the rest of your day around them.

Granville Island

Granville Island is one of the best-loved stops on the route. Once an industrial area of factories and warehouses under the Granville Bridge, it was transformed in the 1970s into a lively district of artists' studios, theatres, craft shops and marinas, and its public market, opened in 1979, is famous across Canada for fresh produce, seafood, bakeries and local specialities.

With a 48-hour pass you can easily spend half a day here: browse the market, watch buskers on the waterfront and take one of the little ferries across False Creek. If you are wondering how to get to Granville Island without a car, the trolley is one of the simplest ways, and it brings you back to downtown whenever you are ready. The best time to visit Granville Island is late morning, when the market is in full swing but the lunch crowds have not yet arrived.

Gastown and the downtown districts

The route then crosses downtown through the Granville Entertainment District, with its theatres and neon signs, and stops at Library Square, where the central library resembles an ancient Roman amphitheatre, and in the Sports District beside the city's big stadium and arena. These stops make it easy to reach concerts, games and shows during your stay.

The last stop is Gastown, the oldest neighbourhood in Vancouver and a national historic site, with brick-paved streets, Victorian warehouses and the famous Steam Clock that whistles every quarter of an hour. Hop off to explore its boutiques, galleries and restaurants, then walk back to Canada Place along the waterfront in about ten minutes. In winter the last trolley leaves Canada Place in mid-afternoon, so plan Gastown as a final visit for the day.