Want to take a Self-Guided Walking Tour of Downtown Vancouver?
Quick summary:
- Discover nine must-do highlights of Downtown Vancouver on this self-guided walking tour.
- Includes the Vancouver Art Gallery, Gastown, Marine Building, Seawall, Canada Place, the Olympic Cauldron, and more.
- Total time to complete the walk: around 2 hours.
By Sinéad Grewcock
The best thing about living in Vancouver? Being surrounded by nature, obviously. It’s what everyone says, and it’s true! You can’t beat the ocean views, the mountain backdrop, forests, beaches, flowers, and (mostly) cute wildlife—sorry, rats!
Vancouver has more than nice views, though. There’s character around every corner of the city. From the independent stores and restaurants on Commercial Drive, to the bustling Shipyards district in North Vancouver, every neighbourhood tells a story. Perhaps one of the most fascinating districts is the downtown core, because the streets are packed with interesting history, architecture, and public art.
We’ve put together a self-guided walking tour of Downtown Vancouver, so you can discover the highlights yourself. Oh, and we’ve added some archive images for you, to take yourself back in time on the walk!
The Vancouver Court House, now the Vancouver Art Gallery, 1920. City of Vancouver Archives #260-1194.018
1. Vancouver Art Gallery & Robson Square
Our tour begins at the Vancouver Art Gallery, a prominent neoclassical building in the downtown core and a hub of art, shopping, and activities. It’s located on West Georgia Street, one of the city’s main boulevards, and sits beside the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (a 1939 château-style hotel). When you hear Vancouverites talk about the “VAG,” this is what they mean.
The gallery itself holds a collection of over 12,000 artworks, including pieces from legendary Canadian painter Emily Carr. The building was the Vancouver Courthouse from 1911-1983, and if you take a walk around the building and you’ll find clues to the building’s past. Just behind the gallery is Robson Square, with a sunken public plaza that has a skating rink in winter.
Address: 750 Hornby St
Cost: $24 adults | $20 seniors | $18 students
Hours: Tues & Fri: 12–8 pm | Other days: 10 am–5 pm
Website: vanartgallery.bc.ca
Time to next stop: 5 minutes.
Robson St. from Sheraton Landmark – City of Vancouver Archives #2008-127.06524
2. Stroll Robson Street
After you leave the gallery, you’ll want to head down Robson Street. You’ll find vintage, modern, and luxury stores as well as plenty of options for treats and eats. I happen to know from extensive “research” that you can enjoy chocolate, ice-cream, and crepes from many different boutique shops all within a one-min walk of each other.
Time to next stop: 10 minutes.
Holly Rosary Cathedral (holyrosarycathedral.org)
3. Holy Rosary Cathedral
Like every major city, Vancouver has a cathedral or two. Our favourite is the gothic revival Holy Rosary Cathedral. Built in 1900, it’s worth a look inside to check out the stained glass windows.
Address: 646 Richards St
Website: holyrosarycathedral.org
Time to next stop: 10 minutes.
Maple Tree Square 1968 – City of Vancouver Archives #780-689
4. Gastown
Next up, walk north towards the city’s oldest neighborhood, Gastown. What once had been the informal name of the original settlement on the shore of Burrard Inlet is now the name for the historic district in northeast downtown. [Factoid: the official name for Gastown, before the city’s incorporation in 1886, was “Granville”]. Don’t be intimidated by the stylish Gen Z’s wandering the streets—they’re film students from VFS or comedians from a number of local comedy clubs.
You’ll need an obligatory photo of the steam clock, and remember the whistle and steam comes every 15 minutes. If you’re there in the evening, watch out for one of our Lost Souls of Gastown guides walking by! As you walk the cobblestone streets and check out the boutique stores and hip restaurants and bars, make sure to look out for the Hotel Europe, a flatiron building and much-loved Gastown icon.
Address (Steam Clock): 305 Water St
Time to next stop: 7 minutes.
Waterfront Station under construction in 1914, just before opening in Downtown Vancouver. City of Vancouver Archives #152-1.070
5. Waterfront Station
On the edge of Gastown is Waterfront Station, the grand 1914 railway terminal that now serves SkyTrain, SeaBus, and commuter rail passengers. This building is a daily checkpoint for many working Vancouverites, and a beautiful building to admire inside and out. Make sure to look up—you’ll see the original paintings on the upper walls showing idyllic scenes of the Rocky Mountains.
As you cross West Hastings Street on the way to your next stop, take a moment to look at the Marine Building, a stunning Art Deco skyscraper. Notice how the modern MNP Tower appears to be a wave crashing over the historic building.
Address: 601 W Cordova St
Pro Tip: if you have time and it’s a nice day, take the SeaBus over to Lower Lonsdale and the Shipyards. A perfect place to grab a beer and enjoy the view.
Time to next stop: 5 minutes.
Marine Building in 1930, City of Vancouver Archives #239-21
6. The Marine Building
Once the city’s tallest building, but now dwarfed by skyscrapers, the Marine Building is an Art Deco marvel. Check out the zeppelins, airplanes, puffer fish, sea grass and even Neptune’s trident on the building’s exterior. If it’s a week day during business hours, I recommend you enter the lobby for a truly spell-binding experience of Art Deco beauty!
Address: 355 Burrard St
Time to next stop: 5 minutes.
Lights on Canada Place by Michael Russell Photography
7. Canada Place
From Waterfront Station, you’ll walk east to Canada Place, the sail-shaped convention centre and cruise terminal, originally built for Expo ’86. You can take in the views of Stanley Park and the North Shore along the walk. If you have time, try FlyOver Canada, a virtual flight ride across the country that is fun for visitors and locals alike.
Address: 999 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC V6C 3T4
Website: canadaplace.ca
Time to next stop: 10 minutes.
Digital Orca – Vancouver Convention Centre (vancouverconventioncentre.com)
8. Olympic Cauldron & Digital Orca
Along the Seawall you’ll find Jack Poole Plaza, another Olympic venue, and then Harbour Green Park: a pocket of grass and trees perfect for photos or a rest. This is a picture perfect backdrop of the city mixing with nature, as Vancouver does best. You’ll find the iconic 2010 Olympic Cauldron, a towering steel-and-glass monument from the Winter Games. Nearby this spot is the Digital Orca, a giant pixelated whale sculpture by Canadian artist Douglas Coupland. Be sure to watch the sea planes taking off and landing nearby!
Address: 1055 Canada Place
Time to next stop: 10 minutes.
Vancouver skyline and Coal Harbour – City of Vancouver Archives #69-28.11
9. Coal Harbour Seawall (The End!)
From here, you may be drawn to the beaches or forested trails of Stanley Park. If so, you’ll want to keep walking west to follow the Coal Harbour section of the Vancouver Seawall into the park. This gorgeous walking and biking path follows the water’s edge with marinas, floatplanes, and public art along the way. Or rest up here and enjoy a well-earned coffee and treat in one of the Seawall’s cafes!
You did it! Now you’ve explored some of the most amazing landmarks in Vancouver’s downtown core. But there’s still so much to see!
There are a ton of options for where you can go next, like up West Georgia Street, Denman Street, or into Stanley Park. Or…
Want More Than Just Sights? Try a Guided Experience
This self guided walking tour is just a taste of some of Downtown’s highlights. If you want to delve deeper into the city’s fabric, with one of our talented storytellers are your guide, then check out our experiences below!
The Forbidden Vancouver Tour: Discover Vancouver’s dirtiest Prohibition-era secrets and illicit stories as you wander Gastown’s most historic streets. Hear tales of enterprising rum-runners, infamous riots, mobsters, and crooked cops.
The Lost Souls of Gastown Tour: Step inside a world of murder, revenge, and true grit in a dramatic retelling of Victorian Gastown’s earliest stories. Tales of deadly fire and smallpox emerge from the shadows as you venture through cobblestone streets 1in this unique performance-theatre experience.
The Downtown Sinners & Sweets Tour: Explore Vancouver’s most famous heritage buildings—and their tales of jealousy, fortune, corruption, and irresistible glamour. You’ll enjoy sinful treats at award-winning chocolatiers and bakeries, and experience a private viewing inside the Marine Building.
The Dark Secrets of Stanley Park Tour: Unearth the sinister stories and long-lost secrets hidden amidst the pretty gardens, seaside playgrounds, and old-growth forests of Stanley Park. A history of forced evictions, buried treasures, shocking crime scenes, and the macabre legend of Deadman’s Island.
The Really Gay History Tour: Celebrate love with a raucous chronicle of Vancouver’s LGBTQ2+ community on a stroll through the vibrant and historic Davie Village. Discover the unsung queer heroes who forever changed the social fabric of our city.
Sinéad Grewcock is filmmaker and comedian living in Vancouver, BC. She has over a decade of experience in acting, improvisation, writing, directing, and producing for film and stage. Sinéad loves telling stories, researching, and sharing her local community!
