Vancouver Secrets of Stanley Park Walking Tour


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From $28.79

173 reviews   (4.96)

Price varies by group size

Lowest Price Guarantee

Pricing Info: Per Person

Duration: 2 hours

Departs: Vancouver, Vancouver

Ticket Type: Mobile or paper ticket accepted

Free cancellation

Up to 24 hours in advance.

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Overview

Discover the jaw-dropping beauty – and sinister stories – of Stanley Park. Behind those majestic forests, picturesque gardens and stunning beaches lies a history of buried treasure, shocking crime scenes, and the ghostly lore of Deadman’s Island.


What's Included

Fully narrated

Local guide

What's Not Included

Gratuities


Traveler Information

  • YOUTH: Age: 14 - 18
  • ADULT: Age: 19 - 59
  • SENIOR: Age: 60 - 99

Additional Info

  • Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Service animals allowed
  • We adhere to health guidelines set by the Provincial Government of British Columbia.
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
  • Minimum age of 10 years old
  • Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time
  • Public washrooms are available at the start point - down the steps beneath the Vancouver Aquarium
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Experience may be cancelled due to Insufficient travelers

What To Expect

Stanley Park
This walking tour starts and finishes outside the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Discover the stories of hidden cemeteries, smallpox, war and mystery at Deadman's Island!

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Brockton Point Totem Pole
The totem poles are a must see site in Stanley Park. Find out what came before them...

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Vancouver Seawall
The one and only seawall offers views from Stanley Park that you will never forget!

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free


Reviews

See Stanley Park like Never Before
PookyCake, 06-11-2022
About a month after enjoying the “Lost Souls of Gastown” tour, my partner and I booked an excursion with Forbidden Vancouver’s “Secrets of Stanley Park” walking tour. Even though we’ve both patronized “Vancouver’s greatest treasure” numerous times, we felt – given our experience with the Gastown tour – that we’d likely learn something new. We weren’t disappointed!

The “Secrets of Stanley Park” clocks in at just over 2 hours and focuses primarily upon the eastern section of the park, near Deadman’s Island and Brockton Point. As you walk this area of the park, a difficult history is told about forced evictions, crime and tantalizing buried treasure! This all sounds like something out of a movie, but it happened – and right in this world renowned park – thanks to a backroom deal with the CPR. That, I admit, was surprising to learn!

Our tour, headed by Aislynn, started outside the Vancouver Aquarium, near Bill Reid’s “Chief of the Undersea World.” From here, we made our way to a fragment of Stanley Park’s recent past – the polar bear compound (see my earlier review on this site). For those born later than the early 1990s, the idea of a zoo in Stanley Park would seem foreign but, being a child of the 1980s, I do recall seeing the polar bears with my family. At the time, I probably thought it was really cool but, seeing the concrete “habitat” in the current day, it sticks out like a sore thumb and its inhabitants likely weren’t happy (dark secret #1).

We then wandered along one of the trails, coming upon a pile of stones, which were apparently from the Seawall restoration project. Of interest here? One of the stones had an inscription . . . you see, as the Seawall was being built, old tombstones were used in part of its construction (dark secret #2). But that’s not all. The general area in which we were standing constituted part of Vancouver’s original Pioneer Cemetery (see my earlier review on this site). It’s kind of eerie to know that, as we enjoy the Seawall, there just might be some bodies underneath our footsteps . . .

As we made our way towards Deadman’s Island (well, within the vicinity), we talked about the alleged $28,000 of treasure buried in Stanley Park, near the cricket pitch (dark secret #3). We then talked about the dark history of Deadman’s Island before moving on to the impressive Shore to Shore sculpture and the Brockton Point totems. It is here where, in my view, the “dark secrets” of Stanley Park really come into focus: Forced evictions of minorities and First Nations, all done in an underhanded way. Some of the evictees used loopholes to stay at their traditional homes a bit longer, but the state ultimately won. Indeed, there are a lot of memorials and plaques in and around Stanley Park, but there isn’t much to commemorate this story . . . and that’s sad.

While some of the material was fairly heavy, our tour guide, Aislynn, told the narrative well and used humour where appropriate to “lighten” this darker side of Stanley Park. In something of an ironic twist, while Stanley Park is beautiful and lauded by many, it is indeed surrounded by the tombstones of the dead!

If you get the chance to take this tour with Forbidden Vancouver, do it! It opens a whole new window upon Stanley Park.
The Origin Story of Vancouver!
mementoviver, 25-10-2022
Glenn gave us an excellent tour! Highly informative and engaging, he varied his sources, themes, and stories as the tour progressed -- but the story was clearly brought together at the conclusion, definitely proving the importance of Stanley Park and how its history relates to the history of Vancouver itself. Very persuasive, very detailed, and great storytelling!
Recommend highly the Forbidden Vancouver Tour of Stanley Park
ToniRL9, 22-10-2022
Our tour guide, Glenn, was very knowledgeable about the history of Stanley Park, Vancouver and the original First Nation residents. Of equal importance were his story telling skills. Glenn was very engaging and welcomed questions, while encouraging participants to share their knowledge as well. This tour was very informative and fun!
Fantastic tour of Stanley Park with unique insights
connom21, 22-10-2022
Fascinating and informative tour of Stanley Park with insights into the founding of Vancouver, uncomfortable truths of the appropriation of Stanley Park from the indigenous tribes, and insights into the ecology of the park. Glenn was the best of guides!
Aislynn is an amazing informative engaging and entertaining tour guide loved this tour!
Sharnjit Sharon L, 19-10-2022
Aislynn was a very entertaining engaging informative tour guide. I learned a lot about the history of this beautiful park highly enjoyable tour! Thanks Aislynn and for allowing me to hold on to your special walking stick too it was an absolute honor for sure!!




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