10 Non-touristy Things To Do In Vancouver, Canada - Updated 2024

Nina
Nina 
Updated
| 4 min read

Vancouver is a large and beautiful city in Western Canada. In fact, it’s named as one of the top five cities in the world in terms of the quality of life it provides to the residents. There are numerous activities that you can do in Vancouver. Careful planning is needed if you’re only staying for a few days. Don’t worry, we have prepared a list of exciting Vancouver tours that will make you admire this city more. These tours will give you interesting and wonderful experiences of Vancouver. Keep reading to find out more.

1. Vancouver Murder Mystery Game (from USD 32.0)

Practice your detective skills by solving this murder mystery. The streets of Gastown along with its famous landmarks such as the Gaoler’s Mews and the statue of Gassy Jack will help you find the clues. It’ll take at least 90 minutes to two hours to solve this either with a partner or a small group of five. Since this is an outdoor activity, make sure to bring an umbrella with you. All those hours watching murder mystery movies will finally pay off. Don’t worry you’ll get a certificate if you’re successful or not.

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Vancouver Murder Mystery Adventure in Gastown (2-6 Players)

Duration: 2 hours

22 reviews

2. Vancouver Secret Mission Spy Game (from USD 32.0)

Save the city from an evil organization by solving the mystery with this Vancouver Secret Mission Spy Game. First, you’ll meet your undercover contact to brief you on the mission and to give you the kit and tools needed to succeed. This will entail exploring downtown Vancouver, finding clues and cracking codes. You may find the clues in Vancouver’s famous tourist spots such as the Robson Square, Granville Street, Art Gallery, Hotel Vancouver and the Marine Building. If you’re a good agent, it may take you about 90 minutes or up to two hours to complete this secret mission. If you’re successful, you’ll be given a certificate saying you saved the city from a possible destruction by an evil organization called Blackout.

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Vancouver Secret Mission Spy Game (2-6 Players)

Duration: 2 hours

18 reviews

3. FlyOver Canada simulated flight ride (from USD 22.0)

Take an exhilarating eight-minute flight over alpine forests, rivers, snow-capped mountains and waterfalls with the FlyOver Canada simulated flight ride. Apart from this thrilling experience, you’ll learn about Canada’s history and landscapes too. This is an activity perfect for the entire family. Expect the real thing with this simulated ride. You’ll be fascinated with the beautiful lakes, forests and the countryside. This tour takes about 20 minutes to complete.

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Vancouver FlyOver Canada Simulated Flight Ride Admission

Duration: 35 minutes

716 reviews

4. Sea to Sky exotic driving experience (from USD 440.0)

Drive along the Sea to Sky Highway in British Columbia and experience an exotic Bond-style driving adventure with four different high-end car models such as a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. This unforgettable journey will take two and a half hours on one of the world’s most beautiful roads. You’ll be with other drivers who will switch places with you after a brief stop. If you want a thrilling experience, this is it.

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Sea to Sky Exotic Driving Experience

Duration: 3 hours

83 reviews

Vancouver Tour Guide

Nazila Najafi

Nazila Najafi

I have over ten years of experience in the Tourism and Hospitality industry. My professional/volunteer background as a researcher, remote travel columnist, travel agent, travel consultant, and walking/step-on guide has helped me provide my VIP (private/group) tours with a memorable experience. As a professional Canadian Tour Guide Association of British Columbia member, I have been actively run... Read more

5. Sunset Beach: Paddleboard Rental (from USD 28.0)

For two hours, you’ll get to experience Vancouver on a paddle board. Take in all the beautiful sights of Granville Island, False Creek and the Pacific Ocean in English by standing up on a paddleboard. You’ll have fun and your cores will surely get a serious workout. Don’t worry, the paddle boards are very stable. Just bring proper swimming attire and lots of sunscreens.

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Sunset Beach: Paddleboard Rental

Duration: 2 hours

6. Fly and yoga in the mountains

fly and yoga in the mountains
Source: www.viator.com

Admire the Vancouver skyline and take unforgettable photos of rivers, peaks and forests from the sky with the Fly and Yoga tour. For three and a half hours, you get to enjoy flying over beautiful mountains and 75 minutes of rejuvenating yoga session. And that’s going to happen in the mountains where you can be one with nature and your self. After the session, there will be a picnic and a photo shoot with other travelers.

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FLY & YOGA

Duration: 3.5 to 4 hrs

7. Vancouver E-Bike Adventure (from USD 65.0)

vancouver e-bike adventure
Source: www.viator.com

Explore the charming neighborhood of Vancouver riding the electric bike. The tour begins at 9 am for a bike fitting at the Vancouver Convention Center. This is to ensure everyone knows and is comfortable using the electric bike. You’ll have fun riding over hills and bridges. You can stop when you want for picture taking or if you want to rest and enjoy the view. The tour also includes a trek through Endowment Forest and the Kitsilano Beach. This is the last stop and the spot for your picnic. Helmet, bike lock and the boxed picnic are already included in the package.

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'Local' Vancouver E-Bike Adventure - Self-Guided with Picnic

Duration: 3 to 4 hrs

8. Crab Fishing Tour in Vancouver

crab fishing tour in vancouver
Source: www.viator.com

You’ll be delighted catching and eating the delicious crabs of British Columbia. With an experienced guide, you’ll learn the different species of crabs and the effective techniques needed to catch them. Most importantly, you’ll know how to cook crabs like the locals. This tour will take about two and half hours fishing and seeing native wildlife. After the tour, you’d be able to identify female from the male crabs, the best time to catch them, how to cast for crab and the ecology of crabs. It’ll be an informative and fun experience for you and a small group of friends.

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Crab Fishing Tour in Vancouver

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

9. Snorkeling with Seals in Nanaimo

snorkeling with seals in nanaimo
Source: www.viator.com

For half a day, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with seals and other marine life at Snake Island. Other animals that you may see include the Canadian geese and bald eagles. The package includes a wetsuit, gloves, mask, fins, boots and snorkel.

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Snorkeling with Seals in Nanaimo from Vancouver

Duration: 6 hours

10. Private Salmon Fishing Charter (from USD 896.0)

Invite four of your friends for a salmon fishing adventure outside Vancouver. This is a whole day activity that includes lots of scenic views and salmon. You’ll learn the necessary skills needed to fish for salmon and Dungeness crabs. All equipment and an experienced guide are already included in the tour package. You’ll also get to travel the Fraser River down to the Pacific Ocean.

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Vancouver Private Salmon Fishing Charter for up to 4 People

Duration: 1 to 10 hours

3 reviews

Plan your trip well

We understand that you may not have all the time in the world to google the best places to see in Vancouver or the best activities to try. This is why we’ve curated this list of tours that will increase your fascination with this city. Don’t forget to scroll up and book tours that catch your fancy.

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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