Gastown Walking Tour: Vancouver's Prohibition-Era Secrets
4.9
433 Ratings
Vancouver

Delve into the darkest tales of Prohibition-era Vancouver. This historical walking tour unveils the city’s hidden narratives, from gangsters and bootleggers to dishonest policymakers. The route trails through Gastown’s oldest roads and lanes, recounting its most forbidden histories.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Cambie Bar & Grill - A Vancouver institution, now a lively local bar, hostel and restaurant. The Cambie has history dating back to the Gold Rush!
  • The Dominion Building - Hear about the tallest building in town in 1910!
  • Woodward’s 43 - Learn about the Historic Woodward’s building in Gastown. What role it had in the city over the last 100 years.
  • Gastown - The tour wraps up on the cobblestone streets of Gastown, the historic centre of Vancouver.
  • Water Street - Explore the main street in Gastown and learn about our Prohibition Commissioner - Walter Findlay.
  • Hotel Europe - Nestled in Gastown’s historic Maple Tree Square, there was once a near beer parlour in this location.
What's Included
  • Professional guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time
Location
356 Water St
Water Street
Meet outside 356 Water street at the entrance to historic Gastown at Water and Cordova Streets.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(433 Ratings)
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Q1283nrkr
Nov 2, 2023
Entertaining and educational - This is a great tour to do for tourists or locals. We are locals familiar with gastown, but we still managed to learn new things about this neighbourhood. I highly recommend doing this tour on Halloween night as we did, as it makes for extra spooky story telling. Cole Breckell was our guide and did a fantastic job portraying a character named "George" from the late 1800s, recounting true stories of murder, drowning, fires, and much more. We'll definitely recommend to friends and Vancouver visitors.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
693jamese
Oct 26, 2023
Great Walking Tours - We did two tours with this company while we were in Vancouver the first was the "Lost Souls of Gastown" tour with Samantha. This tour takes your around the Gastown and your guide will tell you a story about an individual and relate their experiences in the area during the early days of Vancouver. Our guide, Samantha was only on her second tour and she was fantastic, she shared her characters story and answer questions about the area. Our group was about 20 people and the pace was good, so most people would have no problem keeping up. Great Tour and History Lesson all in one. Our Second tour was the Sunday Morning "Really Gay History Tour" and this one was FANTASTIC, our guide for this one was Glenn and as the creator/curator of this particular tour he was passionate about the subject matter. For this one we had a small group of 6 and with the small group Glenn was able to engage with us even more, the tour was scheduled for 2 hours but we ended up going a little bit over but there is so much to share that it didn't seem like we spent that much time walking around Vancouver. Glenn is full of knowledge about the Gay history of Vancouver, the people, the businesses and the changes that have happened over the years. This tour is great for anyone that is interested in the history of Vancouver, and especially the trials and tribulations the LGBTQ groups went though from the pre-colonial day up to the 21st century. We enjoyed both tours and are only sorry that our schedule in Vancouver only allowed us to attend two tours. The prices are very reasonable and the actors and guides are fantastic.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alcathy
Oct 6, 2023
A well worth time and money Vancouver walking tour to know the history & events - Glenn the tour guide was excellent & knowledgeable. We were being entertained by him for 2 solid hours, walking through side streets, back allies of Vancouver. He's experienced & with theatre background, his storytelling is alive and captivating. We highly recommend this tour and him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Martha
Sep 29, 2023
Gastown tour - It was extremely interesting and Glenn (with 2 n's) was a fantastic story teller and very passionate about it all. Very well done tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_a
Sep 22, 2023
Interesting unknown facts about Gastown - Wonderful night time walking tour narrated by a knowledgeable and personable guide. Focus was on the impact of prohibition on Vancouver with a in depth discussion on Gastown during that era.
Review provided by Viator
Peggy_b
Sep 21, 2023
Gastown highlights! - Lenard was a fabulous and informative guide. We loved hearing about the history of Gastown and the many interesting facts that were shared. An easy walk and very enjoyable morning!
Review provided by Viator
Blb56
Sep 20, 2023
Exploring the past - We really enjoyed our tour today with Lenard , his stories and facts brought old Gastown to life for us . Must have been quite a place ! It was a good sized group and the length of the walk was perfect .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Themattrauch
Sep 18, 2023
Great walk through Gastown prohibition history - Very fun and informative tour. Learned a lot and heard some great history and stories. Rachel was an excellent guide and storyteller who kept the group thoroughly entertained.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rkcribbs
Sep 14, 2023
A fun detour through Gastown Vancouver BC - Our tour guide, Rob, was excellent. He had a great attitude, was dressed for the part, and knew his facts inside and out.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sunshine576554
Sep 13, 2023
Forbidden Vancouver Prohibition Tour - Great introduction to the Gastown area a the story of prohibition in Canada. Visited streets we would not have given a second glance too.m to learn their interesting tales. Tealea was a great guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
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