Vancouver (and Victoria) summer walking tours not just for tourists

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      Walking tours led by knowledgeable guides are probably the best way to see specific areas of any city. A motorized tour might be a good way to get an overview of a downtown or historic district, but nothing can beat a relaxed stroll with the option to linger, get up-close, or even touch your object of study, be it building, bridge, monument, park, or university campus.

      And residents, long-term or otherwise, can often benefit just as much as tourists by playing sightseer in their own back yard. Know your own nest.

      Vancouver is fortunate to have such summer guided tours offered on an annual (and affordable) basis by two of the most qualified organizations you could hope for: the Heritage Vancouver Society and the Architectural Institute of B.C. (which offers the same for Victoria, as well).

      The Heritage Vancouver Society has eight tours scheduled (mostly on weekends), starting Saturday (July 20) with a walk along Granville Street’s 800 to 1200 blocks and culminating with September 22’s upscale historical ramble titled "First Shaughnessy: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly".

      Tickets for the walks, which are led by uniquely qualified guides, are $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers.

      Some of the other society tours navigate through South Kerrisdale. Kitsilano’s old Delamont block, the West End (a planning tour), UBC (a small city in itself), and Grandview (west of Commercial).

      Authors, artists, historians, planners, designers, and architects provide the expertise. Go here for more details on the tours, bios for the guides, and dates and times (the society says that additional walks will be added to the site once they are confirmed).

      The Architectural Institute of B.C. walking tours take place throughout July and August and happen during weekdays and weekends, making them attractive to tourists as well as residents. All tours are $10, cash, payable on the day of the tour (you meet downtown, usually, rain or shine) or in advance by credit card.

      The AIBC trains its spotlight on the downtown area, with qualified guides escorting the curious through Vancouver’s first neighbourhood, Strathcona, and its first downtown, Gastown, as well as Chinatown, Yaletown, the business core, and the transforming West End. Each trip takes about 1.5 hours to two hours and covers approximately two to three kilometres on foot. Children (accompanied) are welcome, and group or private tours can be arranged.

      Go here for more info on dates and time (as well as details on the AIBC Victoria walks, which include James Bay, Chinatown, and the Inner Harbour area).

      Comments

      2 Comments

      Alan Layton

      Jul 18, 2013 at 10:24pm

      I highly recommend these tours. You can find out how we got from A to B in this city, from somebody who knows what they're talking about. Cheap too. Poor and Rich can both afford them.

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      Rebecca Bishop, VHF

      Jul 31, 2013 at 12:36pm

      Thank you for spreading the word about knowlegeable walking tours in Vancouver! I would also like to point out Vancouver Heritage Foundation's walks led by Vancouver historians Maurice Guibord and (frequently quoted on heritage issues) John Atkin. Cheers!

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