Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours

Step into Gastown’s wild history on a haunted walking tour exploring a forgotten plague, Vancouver’s great fire, and a gruesome…

Vancouver Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour

608

City Tours

1–2 hours

Free cancellation

Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Recommended by 96% of travellers

This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher

from

C$37.80

per adult

Explore downtown Vancouver’s most famous heritage buildings as you discover the biggest scandals of the city’s past. Your…

The Monumental Scandals Walking Tour in Vancouver

29

Historical Tours

2 hours

Free cancellation

Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Recommended by 100% of travellers

This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher

from

C$37.80

per adult

It's time for Vancouver's secrets to come out of the closet. The wild, untold history of Vancouver's LGBTQ2+ community comes…

The Really Gay History Tour in Vancouver, Canada

288

Historical Tours

2 hours

Free cancellation

Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Recommended by 100% of travellers

This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher

from

C$37.80

per adult

See Stanley Park in a way few tourists ever get to see it. This narrated walking tour of one of Vancouver’s best-loved spots…

Vancouver Secrets of Stanley Park Walking Tour

171

City Tours

2 hours

Free cancellation

Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Recommended by 99% of travellers

This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher

from

C$37.80

per adult

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0

2,484 reviews

Excellent

2,283

Very good

158

Average

28

Poor

11

Terrible

6

Aleisha

Everett, WA1 contribution

Theatrical and gracious

We got lost finding our way but the host was very gracious to us even being late. Host was very theatrical in her story telling. Great photos of old times.

Review of: Vancouver Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour

Written October 4, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

E O

1 contribution

One of the best tours

Sep. 2023 • Solo

What a great experience as a local citizen. I learned so much about my city. Our tour guide - Rob was an amazing story teller. I would highly recommend not just for visitors to our city but also for anyone who lives in Vancouver, etc. Grab a friend and pick a beautiful sunny day in Vancouver.

Review of: The Monumental Scandals Walking Tour in Vancouver

Written October 3, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jorge B

8 contributions

Fun evening out about town in Lost Souls of Gastown walking tour.

Very informative walking tour with a wonderful performance by the lead character which guides you safely through the city of historical Vancouver and Gastown. Our interactive tour of 26 people were rewarded with trinkets throughout the tour for answering questions correctly and keeping involved in the performance. The whole experience takes about 1 3/4 hours but the time wizzes by in the blink of an eye.

Review of: Vancouver Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour

Written October 2, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Review of: The Forbidden Downtown and Gastown Walking Tour

Hi Jorge, It sounds like you had a lot of fun on the Lost Souls of Gastown Tour with your guide! Thank you so much for taking a moment to share about your time with us, and the five stars! All the best, Lina Fitzner - The Forbidden Vancouver Team

Written October 4, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Myra

2 contributions

Gastown tour

It was extremely interesting and Glenn (with 2 n's) was a fantastic story teller and very passionate about it all. Very well done tour.

Written September 29, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Don't waste your time and money

Hi Martha and thank you for your wonderful review of the Forbidden Vancouver Tour with Glenn! We're happy to hear that you had fun with us :) All the best, Lina Fitzner - the Forbidden Vancouver Team

Written October 4, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Arnold R

1 contribution

Sep. 2023 • Family

It was totally worthless . The information is all made up. You don't see any historical sites. I would rather have walked through Gastown and saw the site and stop in a pub for a pint

Review of: Vancouver Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour

Written September 29, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Will W

Hi Arnold, sounds like the Lost Souls of Gastown Tour wasn't your thing. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the experience. Certainly the piece is unique for a walking tour, combining theatre and history. There are fictional elements, but every story is based on documented Vancouver history. It definitely isn't all made up, and we hear from guests all the time how much they've learned about early Vancouver from the tour. But it's not for everybody! Regarding the sites taken in on the tour, it does visit every landmark site in Gastown, so I'm a bit confused about your comment on that point. The tour visits the Steam Clock, Gaoler's Mews, Byrne's Block, Hotel Victorian, Water Street, and Maple Tree Square. I'm not sure what other historical sites you were expecting to see? Hope the rest your stay in Vancouver was a good one. Will

Written October 2, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

diane a

1 contribution

Fantastic experience

Sep. 2023 • Friends

This was a wonderful tour. Rob the guide was so knowledgeable. The way he tells the stories are so animated and interesting, very entertaining . Never a dull moment. I went with a friend and we are already planning our next tour. I would totally recommend this tour. It is a walking tour but is suitable for those of us that lead a more sedentary life. 😃

Review of: The Monumental Scandals Walking Tour in Vancouver

Written September 25, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

A great and fun way to learn the rich history of Vancouver!

Hi Diane, Thank you so much for joining us on the Monumental Scandlas Tour! We're happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and walking around downtown Vancouver with Rob! All the best, Lina Fitzner - The Forbidden Vancouver Team

Written October 4, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

GrandTour691113

1 contribution

Aug. 2023 • Family

We really enjoyed the walking tour. Vancouver has a rich history, our tour guide is an amazing story teller and was engaging, funny and really knew her stuff. Our teenager enjoyed it just as much as we did.

Review of: Vancouver Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour

Written September 25, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Authentic and Educational

Hi GrandTour, Thnak you very much for your review of the Lost Souls of Gastown Tour, we appreiciate it :) If there's any feedback you may have for us, please get in touch with us at info@forbiddenvancouver.ca All the best, Lina Fitzner - The Forbidden Vancouver Team

Written October 4, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Deb M

1 contribution

Sep. 2023 • Friends

I was really impressed by Glenn's (storyteller and guide) authentic delivery of a tour that was inclusive, educational and confronted the difficult themes in local queer history.
I was especially grateful that Glenn provided a space for guests to think about queerness outside of Western perspectives and provided a comprehensive excerpt on what it actually means to be on unceded lands, which is often not fully understood.
Additionally, it was great to hear that our storyteller had personally met and engaged meaningfully with some of the individuals mentioned in tour and the audience is able to learn from these first hand accounts.
Hands down, loved it!

Review of: The Really Gay History Tour in Vancouver, Canada

Written September 24, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Review of: The Really Gay History Tour in Vancouver, Canada

Hi Deb, Thank you so much for the great review of the Really Gay History Tour! Glenn has poured so much work and research into the creation of this tour indeed, and we agree that it does add so much to the tour and the impact of the stories on our guests :) Thank you so much for your insight and we hope to see you again in the future! Lina Fitzner - The Forbidden Vancouver Team

Written October 4, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

ronja

1 contribution

perfect experience

Sep. 2023 • Friends

After we had an amazing tour with Glenn through Gastown during the forbidden walking experience, we had to come back and join in the really gay history tour. I was convinced the first tour was already immensely interesting and soooo well told that a second tour couldn’t possibly be that great. Well I was wrong! The really gay history tour is everything and more you could wish for. Glenn is an AMAZING storyteller and you just get pulled in by what and how he tells facts and stories.
Go book this tour now!

Written September 24, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

A fun way to learn the history of Gastown!

Hi ronjat225, Thank you for joining us on two of our tours! We're so happy to hear that you first tour inspired you check out more and of course we're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Really Gay History Tour so much :) We hope to see you again on another tour soon! All the best, Lina Fitzner - the Forbidden Vancouver Team

Written October 4, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

spunkyred79

Toledo, OH5 contributions

Sep. 2023 • Couples

Cole our guide was great! He was an engaging storyteller and took the time to answer any questions the group had. The tour was a great introduction to Gastown to help us find interesting shops and restaurants that we later went back and patronized.

Review of: Vancouver Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour

Written September 23, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hi spunkyred79, We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed the Lost Souls of Gastown Tour with Cole, thanks so much for your wonderful five star review - it means a lot to us :) Best and we hope to see you on another tour in the future! Lina Fitzner - The Forbidden Vancouver Team

Written October 3, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Showing results 1-10 of 2,452

Zhivko G

Montreal, Canada

What are the security measures taken on a walking tour during yacht sightseeing in Vancouver.

Vancouver, Canada

Hello Zhivko, Thanks for reaching out. I do wonder if this might be for another company, as we do not offer any experience on yachts. We specialize in Walking Tours. All the best, The Forbidden Vancouver Team

Donna B

Vancouver BC Canada78 contributions

Which tour includes the penthouse and what time does it start

Donna B

Vancouver BC Canada78 contributions

Thanks just found out it is a special event thanks again

Moon Z

Coquitlam, Canada54 contributions

Do you operate in winter as well?

Vancouver, Canada

Yes!

Michelle S

Camana Bay, Grand Cayman8 contributions

Do you do tours on sundays

Vancouver, Canada

Hello Michelle, Starting April, we will be running two of our tours on Sundays until late Autumn. The Really Gay History Tour at 2:00 PM and The Forbidden Vancouver Tour at 4:00 PM. Best, Lina Fitzner

JoAnn W

What security measures are taken for this tour?

Vancouver, Canada2 contributions

Hi JoAnn! We're a bit unsure what you mean by your question. All our guides are thoroughly trained and the group stays together throughout our walking tours. Would you be able to provide any more detail, or outline any specific concerns you have?

Gerri R

How would you rate the amount is walking for some one with balance issues

Vancouver, Canada2 contributions

Hi Gerri! This is Will, here the company owner. Thanks for your interest in our walking tours! Our tours are definitely more standing than walking. And the walking is at a moderate pace. Hope this helps. Any other questions, please do reach out!

JoandBarry

Hunston, UK604 contributions

Hi. do you do a discount if you book more than one tour? We are potentially interested in you Gaston tour and Stanley park tour. Thank you.

Vancouver, Canada2 contributions

Hi Joan and Barry - at the time of writing we're not offering a discount for booking multiple tours, but we do run special offers at times during the year. Please check out our website for more info!

whenim

23 contributions

can i book this from my hotel when i arrive and is there a set meeting point

Vancouver, Canada2 contributions

You can certainly book your tour at your hotel! Either through WiFi in your hotel room, or via your concierge. And the meeting point is Cathedral Sq, at the intersection of Dunsmuir & Richards Streets. It's very central and easy to find from all the downtown hotels. Hope to see you soon, all the best, Will.

Patricia B

Hello, My husband and I are arriving in vancouver on May 23, 2015. We are interested in taking the tour on May 24, 2015 which is a sunday. do you have any tours on Sunday? Patricia Conerly

Vancouver, Canada2 contributions

Hi Patricia, Thanks for your interest. I'm afraid we are not currently running public tours on Sundays. Sorry! Our sister company Vancouver Mysteries is running its Urban Game, Crime in Downtown, that day - worth checking out! All the best Will

Isaac Y

56 contributions

1. At what time does it start? 2. How do I get to the starting point? 3. Where can I register? - did not find any reference for that :-(

Vancouver, Canada2 contributions

Hi Isaac, Thanks for your questions. All the info is on our website. Our tours start at 7pm or 8pm, depending on the day. Right now we have Prohibition City at 7pm on Wed and Sat, and the Lost Souls of Gastown on Fri and Sat at 8pm. Trip Advisor won't let me put our website URL into this message, but if you search "Forbidden Vancouver" you should find it right away. The start point is Cathedral Sq, across from the Holy Rosary Cathedral at Dunsmuir & Richards streets. Tickets can be purchased on our website with a credit card. You are then emailed your booking confirmation. Hope this helps and I hope to see you on one of our tours soon! Will