Not only can you not lose because this is a FREE tour...but you will gain so much interesting info!…read more I'm sure hopping on and off a bus would be just fine, but for us, with just one short day in this vast city, we were looking for a quick connection, and that's exactly what we got on this recent Sunday. We met our tour guide, Ali at the designated time (11am) at the designated place, and 20 or so of us enjoyed an incredibly interesting walking tour of Chinatown. There is no way we would have gotten the feel for this city had we not taken this tour. Several folks were repeat tour guy visitors, so they must have enjoyed those as well. Our group had folks from several countries. It is a relaxed tour at a pace that is just right...not too fast and not too slow. Seriously, just right! And absolutely everyone in our group was happy to hand over generous thank you tips. Well-deserved. Ali was kind enough at the end of the tour to guide anyone who wanted dining suggestions or directions. For us, he was even kind enough to let us walk along with him since we were heading in the same direction. As a result, we were fortunate enough to get an extended tour, as he remained a wealth of Vancouver info as we went along. Highly recommend!

I love FREE, Culture, history, and having a tour that rolls all 3 together…read more We took the Free Downtown & Chinatown Tour with Alex. She pointed out some places of interest, told us the history of Chinatown, took us to a herbal store, and ended the tour at the Chinese Gardens. The tour was over 2 hours, and she gave suggestions for lunch. I love these type of tours because they are given by people who have lived there for a good amount of time, and who are passionate about what they are presenting. She was no exception.

I prefer to promote Vancouver businesses rather than write negative reviews. However, here, I break…read moremy rule for Chinatown tour operator Judy Lam Maxwell as her recent performance was so embarrassing that prospective clients need to be aware of the sad reality. I wanted to show three out-of-town guests the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and learn about the rich history of Chinatown with an authoritative guide. I booked a 2.5-hr tour for the four of us at $100 each under the impression that we were a private group but we were joined by three other clients. So, after introductions, we were sent unguided around the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden armed with only the Garden's brochure and Judy's advice that we would find "interesting stones and plants from China". After 30 minutes of wandering it became apparent that Judy knew little about the architecture and symbolism of the Garden despite claiming to have been a docent. We walked on to a contemporary coffee shop where another 30 minutes were spent viewing an iPad presentation on Judy's multicultural family history and Chinatowns of the world. The remainder of the tour was spent walking through Chinatown with Judy relaying the ownership of some buildings, revealing the hidden entrances to two "speakeasy" businesses and assorted restaurants while acquainting us with local politics. Intriguing Chinese medicine shops were passed by with only her comment that the mysterious medicines at the back would be necessary for treatment after eating the enigmatic foodstuffs displayed at the front. Similarly, the cultural and gastronomic backgrounds to the wares of various traditional food retailers were ignored before we were crowded into a Chinese tea shop. Again, no cultural context, nor explanations provided about the teas before moving on to peek inside the interiors of two Chinese Clan Society buildings. Tour over with a group photograph (that was never delivered) and only perfunctory coverage of the Chinese history, the "head tax" and unique architecture of an important gem in the heart of Vancouver. Overall: Judy is personable but displays only superficial knowledge and, in my opinion, is an ineffective ambassador for Chinatown - consequently, a disappointingly lacklustre and expensive experience!

This was an absolute highlight of our trip. It doesn't matter if you like food or not, there's…read morenothing that can compare to the cultural knowledge, history, and expertise that our guide Judy brought to the table. You could not find this experience if you looked for it, it was an absolute surprise how much fun we had. We first met Judy and were immediately taken into a beautiful historical story and even shown some of the rooms in Chinatown. We then were able to go buy some groceries in the local market and then we chopped and diced to our hearts content. I now understand why those darn pot stickers can cost so much, they are definitely a labor of love to wrap each one of them -- but we eventually got the technique down. Best of all, we have an incredible memory to take home. And the ABSOLUTE BEST is every time we make the pot stickers at home we are reminded of this incredible experience. Can't recommend it highly enough.

We had Vanessa for the hot chocolate tour. We got to see Ana go into buildings that we wouldn't…read morehave been able to otherwise. Really good history and interesting facts really good for all ages. Even my 10 year old wasn't bored! Took the whole family, my mom & dad myself and my husband and it was so good! Highly recommend!!

Everything went spectacularly! Glenn did a terrific job. It…read morewas super to learn so much about the area. Especially, the story behind "Gassy" Jack and how Gastown got its name. Thanks for bringing the history to life.

We recently completed our 22 day tour Highlights ofJapan and China and wanted to say a thank you to…read morethe Laurus team. The arrangements were perfect, hotels amazing and the tour guides exceptional. Laurus has exceeded our expectations and we will be sure to recommend Laurus to any friends planning a vacation in Asia. A special thank you to Helen and Heather of the Vancouver office. Your patience during our planning stage was appreciated. Katie, our tour leader in Japan, was fantastic. Her enthusiasm and caring for our every need was amazing and she helped make our trip a success. Hiro; the local guide in Tokyo, provided valuable information that assisted our understanding of Japanese history. We also appreciate that Laurus honored our reservation in China and provided us with an individualized tour even though we had reserved a group tour. Jacob, our tour leader in Beijing, was exceptional. Full of knowledge and a great personality that welcomed us to China. Jacob has excellent people skills and over meals he provided us a glimpse into day to day life in China. Paul, in Xi'an, was warm and helpful. He is very kind and helped us to appreciate his hometown. Very energetic and enthusiastic with deep knowledge of his subject matter. Luna, in Chengdu, was also a great Laurus representative. You can tell she loves what she does and we will always remember her joy at seeing the pandas. Each member of the team contributed to making this the trip of our lifetime. Thank you! Scott and Sabina S.

17 Day China Golden Route Tour with Laurus Travel, Vancouver, BC…read moreWe just returned from a truly memorable trip made possible by the professional and caring staff of Laurus Travel. We are seasoned travellers with little experience on group travels. We had chosen Laurus from the flawless on-line reviews. We never regretted the choice. From start to finish, we felt coddled and never once anxious. The itinerary was well executed by their professional tour leader (Jacob Wei), the knowledgeable local guides in the respective cities, and the cautious drivers who navigated often congested traffic with skill and caution. The hotels were first class and the food plentiful. The trip exceeded our expectations. We would not hesitate to travel with Laurus again.

Very bad business practice…read more We booked a 3pm tour. It was the last day that we are in Vancouver, we would be flying home that night. At 1:45pm, after we have planned our whole day around the excursion and checked out of the hotel in preparation of this tour, Sea Vancouver office called and said they are cancelling my tour because they "need a minimum of 4 people and only 3 people booked". I explained that we are leaving the city that day, and we planned our whole day around this, and if there is anything they can do. It is unreasonable to only notify me 75 minutes prior to departure time - we were already on the way to the departure point! The only thing they said was that they will refund me in full (I'd better hope so since you cancelled it with incredibly short notice!) I understand that it may not be economical to operate a tour based on fixed cost, but this was NOT written anywhere when I booked it on the official website, but they were happy to take my money when I booked. The confirmation email stated "We reserve the right to delay or cancel a departure for events beyond our control (e.g. adverse weather conditions, technical or mechanical issues, etc.)" -- well, operating a boat when there are "only" 3 paying customers is definitely in their control, they just choose to screw over their customers. This has put a really sour taste on my trip to Vancouver. I would encourage everybody to stay away.

First of all, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend this for all! Specially if its your first time in…read moreVancouver or have not been around the harbor! This was our first time in Vancouver, and whats not a better way to experience it than by taking a boat tour! We honestly planned this boat tour super last minute, so we called a few places, but they were all closed. Fortunately, Sea Vancouver still had tours going out until 7pm which was the last one! The lobby is located in the Westin hotel and the ride is 90 minutes long, which takes you all around the harbor of Vancouver to the English Bay! There was so much to see at the waterfront and we even saw a few dolphins along the ride! We were hoping for orcas too but maybe next time haha. Overall the boat tour was absolutely amazing! Terry our captain, made the experience super educational a fun! Love that guy! Thanks Cap! And thank you Sea Vancouver!

I booked a private Ghostly Gastown tour for a birthday party just before Halloween and it was so…read moremuch fun! Our group was a range of skeptics and true believers and everyone left feeling entertained. It was really interesting to explore an area that we all already knew well and to still hear stories that were new to us. Lydia was a fantastic and very knowledgeable guide.

While visiting Vancouver, we decided to take the Ghostly Gastown Tour. Our Guide, Sarah, was…read moreterrific. Stayed in character the entire time while mixing factual history and humor with a fictional story. Very entertaining and history-filled tour. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone wishing to gain knowledge about Gastown history.

We had an overall enjoyable evening. We found friendly staff seating us and taking our beverage…read moreorder. Beverages which are not included in the ticket are reasonably priced. Live music by Tony and Mike added to the evening. Music choice was right for the demographic and comments by Tony were at a minimum--appropriate for folks sharing and chatting with friends. Food was acceptable. Not stellar but it's a buffet catered in. Highlights: salad selection, vegetable lasagna, desserts. Some may criticize, I wouldn't. Cruise was lovely, starting before sunset (7:00 pm, mid Sept) and lasting well after sunset until disembarkation at 9:30. City lights are beautiful. One suggestion (I hope management is following these): turn off the LED rope lights in the cabin after dark so there's no or less reflection on the windows. That reflection makes it impossible to see through the window and enjoy the city lights. Yes, you can go outside, but if chilly that's not ideal for all passengers. That is the biggest negative. Overall a positive experience. Now turn off those lights so we can fully enjoy an evening cruise in Vancouver.

Unreliable. Sail at your own risk!…read more Harbour Cruises of Vancouver completely failed to deliver on the promise of their Indian Arm cruise. They claimed smoke in the engine room and limped back to port before we even turned into the Arm. Other reviews have reported unexplained itinerary changes that eliminated the main part of the trip. One has to wonder if they don't go up the Arm simply to save money when it's not fully booked or if their boats are that unreliable. While I understand mechanical issues, their compensation policy was completely inadequate. They offered a free drink on board and a coupon for 15% off a future cruise. Anyone booking on the internet can get a 20% discount off any cruise! After much back and forth they finally offered a 20% refund. The final price after this discount was approximately double the price of a narrated harbor tour. We received an un-narrated tour of the container port instead of a tour of the natural environment, which is what we were promised. We feel cheated by Harbour Cruises of Vancouver. Sail at your own risk!

Absolutely phenomenal!…read more Highly recommend this tour! The guide was amazing, had great food to the point of going back and eating at one is the pasta locations. Must try tour! Booked on Viator

This was a food tour worth joining in on! We started off at…read morethe Waterfront station where we learned some of the Vancouver history about this port town. We walked over to the Steam works bar first where we tried their brewed beers and cider. Then off to stop 2 Guu where we had thier dark meet fried chicken, then off to see the steam clock which is part of the gastown current history. Next we stopped at a french resturant Petrichor Social, and had sausage and mashed potato. (my least fav of all places) then off to MEET for a grilled cauliflower in a terriaki sauce, it was very good, however I wished we had a place to sit and eat it instead of standing. Then we walked over to 6 Six Acres Poutine the local favorate but not mine. Walked about a block to Brioche where we had the best of the items tortolini with a meat sauce and a piece of perfectly made bread !! Then to a milk cream shop Soft Peak where we had a mango ice milk. Then the last spot was a waffle shop. Waffleland Cafe where we had fresh made little waffle with strawberrys and whipped cream. All together 2.5 hours of tour, 8 spots to try with wine or beer at most spots where we had savory food and a really great guide who did an excelent job of teaching us about the Gastown area . Thanks Chirug (Happy Carpet) :) for a fun filled afternoon!

Had a great tour of the Granville Public Market with Michael. There was an awesome variety of food…read moretasted from a Thai Entree, to pickles, to charcuterie, and plenty of desserts. Michael was friendly and did a great job of being informative, friendly, and keeping the tour moving/not holding up traffic. I will say compared to some of the other food tours we've been on, we didn't walk away as full as anticipated. We definitely got an entree to share between our group of three afterwards, but thanks to the food tour we knew where we wanted to go fairly quickly. All in all a great trip and a super efficient way to check out the market.

I'm a firm believer that the best way to get to know a city is through its food, and the Granville…read moreIsland Market tour definitely delivered! It was super fun, and in just two hours we learned a lot and tasted even more -- time flew by. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the whole experience engaging. I highly recommend it to anyone exploring the city (we even had some local Canadians on our tour, which says a lot!).