Canada Place Tours

Opened in 1986, Canada Place is hard to miss: The complex was built to look like a ship, and its five large fiberglass “sails” are visible above the Vancouver waterfront. This is the city’s main cruise ship terminal, and the complex is also home to a convention center, a hotel, and FlyOver Canada, a flight-simulation ride.

The Basics
Canada Place offers a variety of fun activities: Head to the Port of Vancouver Discovery Centre to learn about port activities, trade, and transportation through touchscreens, videos, and animated graphics; walk along the promenade, where you can admire the North Shore mountains across Burrard Inlet, see Stanley Park, and enjoy city views; or visit the Dream of Canada exhibit, where you can see photographs that illustrate the country’s natural and cultural heritage. Alternatively, visit at night to see the “sails” all lit up.

Some Vancouver city bus tours and trolley tours include a visit to the complex, and most hop-on hop-off tours have a Canada Place stop. Sightseeing cruises and sunset cruises are great ways to see the building’s arresting outline from the water. 

Things to Know Before You Go

• A Vancouver tourist information center is located across the street from Canada Place.
  
• There are coffee shops and restaurants inside the hotel.
  
• The complex has a covered parking facility that features a park and bike program that lets you borrow bikes to explore the downtown are after you park your car.

How to Get There
Canada Place is located on the northeast edge of downtown Vancouver at the ends of Burrard and Howe streets. It’s easily accessible by public transportation via train, subway, and ferry, all of which stop at the nearby Waterfront station.  

When to Get There
Canada Place’s promenades are open from early morning to late at night. The complex is particularly fun to visit during holidays like Canada Day—when the area hosts fireworks, music, and food—and in the Christmas season, when the building is decked out in lights and decorations.

The Canadian Trail
The western promenade of Canada Places is embedded with tile and colored-glass markers that represent Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories. As you walk along the walkway, admiring views of the Port of Vancouver, Stanley Park, Coal Harbour, and Burrard Inlet, make sure to look down occasionally, and you’ll find a variety of facts about the country and its many regions.