At Forbidden Vancouver we have re-invented the walking tour, combining history, theatre and iconic buildings and places to create truly memorable experiences. Our storytellers are actors, performers, historians and improv comedians. People who love their city and love to entertain.

Forbidden Vancouver was founded in February 2012 by Will Woods. The result of many many hours in the Vancouver Public Library and Archives, an intense period in acting school and an entrepreneurial spirit! Our first tour was Prohibition City – a journey into Vancouver’s dirtiest history. Next up was the Lost Souls of Gastown, added during Halloween season 2012 and now part of the regular tour program. Secrets of the Penthouse arrived in January 2013 thanks to the support of Danny Filippone and Aaron Chapman. Our next tour is the Granville St. Edition – coming June 2013.

We have been #1 on tripadvisor in Vancouver since August 2012. We have been featured on the BBC, Vancouver Sun, Province, Vancouver Courier, Westender, Miss604, Vancity Buzz, La Source, Inside Vancouver, Vancouver Weekly, North Shore News, Shaw TV and AMI-TV.

We are totally committed to creating a world-class attraction here in Vancouver, based on our city’s incredible history and our team of exceptional people. So please do check out one of our tours – we promise you will enjoy yourself.

We have a team of passionate storytellers here at Forbidden Vancouver. Engaging, charismatic and talented people who are experts in Vancouver’s history. Our storytellers each go through an intense two month training program before going live with their first tour. We cover principles of storytelling, cadence, voice projection, body language, character development and guiding. We believe every single guest deserves to be absolutely enthralled on a Forbidden Vancouver walking tour. It’s our job to make sure that happens.

Meet our storytellers!

Tiffany Anderson – Lost Souls of Gastown

Rob Poelvoorde – Prohibition City

Gisele Da Silva – Prohibition City

Tanya Bennett – Prohibition City

Will Woods – Prohibition City & Lost Souls of Gastown

How do I sign up for a tour?

All our bookings are handled online. You can book onto a tour right here. We discourage people from turning up seeking to pay in cash, since we have a strict upper limit on tour group size and we hate to turn people away. If you are staying in a hotel and don’t have access to the internet to make your booking, then please speak to your concierge or front desk, who can make the booking on your behalf.

What do I need to bring?

In the summer please bring a sweater or jacket, since it can get chilly in the evenings. In the spring or fall please bring gloves and a hat. We do recommend bringing an umbrella.

How long are the tours?

Our walking tours are each around 90 minutes in length. Special events like Secrets of the Penthouse may be longer.

Are children allowed?

Our tours are designed for adult audiences and do contain references to adult themes. Our tours are not recommended for children. However, we have had teenagers come on tours and thoroughly enjoy the experience – it’s really up to your discretion as a parent as to whether you are comfortable bringing your teenager on one of our tours. As a benchmark, if you are comfortable with your teenager watching CSI, then you won’t have a problem with them coming on one of our tours.

How much walking is involved?

Our tours each involve around 1 km or 2/3 mile walking at a moderate pace. Downtown Vancouver is fairly flat so there aren’t really any hills. Some of the tours have a few stairs, but if you have difficulty with stairs these can easily be avoided without any problem – just let your storyteller know prior to the start of the tour.

Are the tours wheelchair accessible?

Our Prohibition City and the Lost Souls of Gastown tours are both wheelchair accessible.

Where do the tours start and finish?

Please check the tour in question to see where it starts and finishes. The majority of our walking tours start at Cathedral Sq, opposite the Holy Rosary Cathedral on Dunsmuir & Richards streets.

What if it rains?

Our tours happen rain or shine. Vancouver can be a little wet at times, so we recommend you bring an umbrella. We have crafted tour routes that have scenes under cover wherever possible – using roofs, archways, awnings or even indoors. So there will always be opportunities to stay dry on the tour.

Is there a minimum number of guests for a tour to run?

We will run a tour if only 1 guest signs-up.

Is there a maximum number of guests per tours?

Yes. Every guest deserves a fully engaging and compelling experience, so we limit each tour group to a maximum of 20 guests.

Do you have Facebook and Twitter profiles?

Yes. Our Facebook profile is here. Our twitter handle is @forbidden_tour. We post regularly with stories and photos from old Vancouver.