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VanDusen Botanical Garden

VanDusen Botanical Garden: Our most recommended tours and activities

Vancouver: Christmas Tour with Light Festival Entrance

1. Vancouver: Christmas Tour with Light Festival Entrance

Immerse yourself in Vancouver's Christmas spirit on this private tour. After getting picked up from your hotel in a luxurious Mercedes Benz Sprinter van, head to the Van Dusen Botanical Garden. Here, experience the Van Dusen Festival of Lights, where you can witness a spectacular light show, take a carousel ride and even meet Santa. Next, head over to Stanley Park and experience the Bright Nights Christmas Train in Stanley Park, with 3 million twinkling lights. Continue your tour of the city's best Christmas lights with a drive around downtown. See iconic sights such as Canada Place, False Creek, and Gastown lit up by colorful festive light displays. Enjoy a drive over the Lions Gate Bridge to North Vancouver to visit the Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Admire panoramic views across the bridge to Burrard Inlet and Downtown Vancouver before getting dropped off back at your hotel.

4-Hour Private Tour of Vancouver's Gardens

2. 4-Hour Private Tour of Vancouver's Gardens

Start this private morning or afternoon tour with pick-up at your hotel. Make your first stop at the beautiful Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver's China Town. The Chinese have a totally different perspective on what a garden should be and must be seen to be understood. Take a little walk around Chinatown to see novelties like the "World's Narrowest Building" and Chinese spice and medicine shops. Next, leave the downtown area and travel to the highest point in the city, the spectacular Queen Elisabeth Park. Admire the sunken gardens and sweeping panoramic views of Vancouver, the mountains, and the sea. Originally a rock quarry for the early development of downtown, it is now a spectacular garden and viewpoint. Finally, enjoy the breathtaking Van Dusen Botanical Garden and amazing array of what nature has to offer. This mature 22-hectare (55-acre) garden features displays of plants in picturesque landscape settings. Specific garden areas are planted to illustrate botanical relationships, such as the Rhododendron Walk, or geographical origins, as in Sino Himalayan Garden. These areas are set amidst rolling lawns, tranquil lakes and dramatic rockwork with vistas of the mountains and Vancouver cityscape. If you wish, take advantage of the wonderful restaurant at Van Dusen Botanical Garden for dinner (not included in tour fees). After this, return you to your hotel.

Vancouver: Botanical Gardens Tour and Museum of Anthropology

3. Vancouver: Botanical Gardens Tour and Museum of Anthropology

On this day tour of Vancouver, visit the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens, Nitobe Memorial Garden, Museum of Anthropology, and Queen Elizabeth Park. Experience the eye-popping colors of the four seasons. After being picked up at your accommodation, visit Van Dusen Botanical Garden, learn about plants from every corner of the world, from the lowlands to the highlands, from the rain forest to regions with deciduous species. Study both the fragile ecosystem and First Nations influence found here. Next, at Queen Elizabeth Park, stroll the manicured gardens of the Little Quarry and the Main Quarry. Watch the dancing water fountain. Take advantage of photo opps with the Photo Session, a bronze figurative sculpture of a man photographing three people, by J. Seward Johnson, Jr. At the next stop, the Museum of Anthropology, learn about world arts and cultures with a special emphasis on the First Nations peoples and other cultural communities of British Columbia. See original carved totem poles, First Nations longhouses, and the works of masters such as Bill Reid and Susan Point. Take a short walk over to the Nitobe Memorial Garden via the Asian Centre and its Japanese landscaped garden and architecture. See Japanese flora and visit an authentic tea house. View cherry blossoms in spring, and fall colors in autumn.

Vancouver: Private Full-Day City and Gardens Tour

4. Vancouver: Private Full-Day City and Gardens Tour

Discover Vancouver's must-see sights in style on this fantastic round-trip tour. After being picked up by your local guide from your hotel, you will set off to explore everything Vancouver has to offer, from the totems of Stanley Park to stunning panoramic views of the city from Queen Elizabeth Park, with its beautiful sunken gardens.  Ask your guide for recommendations about the best restaurants in town. After a delicious lunch, take a turn around the spectacular Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver's Chinatown. Enjoy a gentle stroll around Chinatown and see the world's narrowest building, or visit Chinese spice and medicine shops.  Your final stop of the day will be at the Van Dusen Botanical Garden, with its amazing variety of plants in picturesque landscape settings. Walk through different zones to learn more about plants from different geographical origins, such as in Sino Himalayan Garden. If you're looking to experience Vancouver at your own pace, then this is an unmissable opportunity.

Other Sightseeing Options in VanDusen Botanical Garden

Want to discover all there is to do in VanDusen Botanical Garden? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about VanDusen Botanical Garden

Overall rating

4.3 / 5

based on 3 reviews

Our guide was knowledgeable AND personable! She knew the gardens well and it was wonderful sharing them with her!

On time, informed, flexible to our needs, nice pace, professional driver and guide. Great excursion.