Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours

My wife and I did the "THE HOLIDAY HISTORY & HOT CHOCOLATE TOUR" with Rob as our guide. This was a tour that obviously had a guide who both loved his subject, knew it well, and was a great storyteller. Never did you get the feeling that this was a rote recitation. Great tour and highly recommended guide.

The Holiday History and Hot Chocolate tour delved into the underbelly of Vancouver's past. Glenn, our charismatic guide, turned the streets into a red carpet, leading us through Vancouver's hidden gems. The tour ended with a free hot chocolate, definitely recommend!

Rachel Ruecker did an excellent job with the Holiday History and hot chocolate tour. She shared many stories with humour while staying true to the history of the culture and history of the buildings and people. Highly recommended Forbidden Vancouver’s tours.

Glenn is an amazing story teller. We are local Vancouverites and thoroughly enjoyed our tour.

Rachel was our very knowledgeable tour guide and kept us very engaged! We were able to see some places we would have never found on our own. The Forbidden Vancouver Tour is worth the time and money!

This weekend, a friend and I had the pleasure of going on the Monumental Scandals Walking Tour, led by the wonderfully charismatic and knowledgeable, Rob! As a Vancouverite, I truly enjoyed learning about the scandalous underbelly of this beautiful city! I can’t wait to go on the other walks!
Rob is awesome! Thoughtful and knowledgeable, dramatic and fun!
I can’t recommend this tour enough! ️️️️️

Rachel is an amazing storyteller. One of the best (if not the best) walking tours I've ever done in all my travels. Cannot recommend enough. If ever in Vancouver again, I will be looking into another of their tours.

The tour was fantastic! It provided a great slice of Vancouver's history in a very informative and entertaining narrative. Our kids, 10 and 12, are tough to impress, but both were quite thrilled with the pace and story telling of the tour. Stuart, our tour guide, was charming, funny, and engaging. We are so happy we decided to spend our evening on this tour, and would highly recommend it to anyone.

Cole our guide was great! He was an engaging storyteller and took the time to answer any questions the group had. The tour was a great introduction to Gastown to help us find interesting shops and restaurants that we later went back and patronized.

We were so lucky to be on Tracy’s last tour. Her story and emotion was so incredibly immersive! It’s such a fun way to learn about the history of this city. I can’t wait to come back and go on all their other tours!

The tour I took with Glenn was so insightful and memorable. He is an amazing storyteller and brought a real depth of knowledge that mixed fun facts and emotional moments that fully represented the queer history of Vancouver.

Great way to learn some history! We took the Gastown tour. Cole was awesome at staying in character and keeping people engaged. He crafted a story that kept us curious. Wish we stayed longer, would’ve loved to go on the other tours too.

Took the Really Gay History tour and I was blown away - as a queer person living in Vancouver this experience is a must! Glenn is a phenomenal storyteller and the history learned on this tour is inspiring, entertaining, and touching (sometimes devastating). In learning the foundation laid by the queer and Two Spirit people who came before me I now have a better understanding of how I can take part to help fortify our future. Cannot recommend enough!

Our wonderfully spooky guide, Sarah, took us on a dark and mysterious journey into the late 1800s, where we learned, laughed and even cried. I’ll never forget Sarah’s plight, and I’ll be sure to pay tribute the next time I’m walking near the Sunny Side Hotel

We did the Monumental Scandals Tour with Rachel and were very impressed by her polished, entertaining, and informative tour. We are locals but learned a lot of interesting & fun history about Vancouver. Highly recommend!

Excellent storytelling and fun way to learn the history of Vancouver! Definitely recommend.

My guide was Emmett and he did an absolutely fantastic job. He was really absorbed in his role and made sure to include everyone in the tour. The stories he told were very well acted and overall was a fun experience.

Forbidden Vancouver walking tours are an amazing way to experience the city's history and culture. The tours are informative, engaging, and provide a unique perspective on the city's past. The highlight of the tour was the tour guide, who impersonated an 18th-century local resident convincingly. Their attention to detail and deep knowledge of the city's history made the tour not only informative but also entertaining.

The guide's performance truly brought the city's past to life, making the tour feel like a journey through time. Their storytelling was engaging and immersive, and it was evident that they were passionate about the city's history. The tour covered various aspects of the city's past, including its prohibition-era history and the darker side of Vancouver's past.

Overall, the Forbidden Vancouver walking tour was an unforgettable experience that provided a unique and engaging way to learn about the city's past. The guide's impressive performance truly made the tour stand out and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to explore the city's rich history.

Went on the Lost Souls of Gastown tour with my wife. Cole was our guide/storyteller. Cole is a brilliant actor who made the experience interesting, impactful and fun. He is passionate about his craft and truly wants attendees to all enjoy the experience.

Kudos to forbidden tours for hiring such a great talent. Thank you from my wife and me for a wonderful experience.

Rachel was amazing! Totally killed it! What a great time. I'm a local and thoroughly enjoyed the haunted gas town tour!

Fantastic introduction to Vancouver! I joined their Stanley Park tour on Jul 30, my first attraction/tour in downtown Vancouver. Aislynn was extremely passionate, friendly, and a great storyteller. Granted, the tour didn't take us through as much of Stanley Park as I had expected, with long stops for storytelling and background information, so if that's not your thing, then you might be bored. But I really enjoyed learning about those hidden stories, and I would probably never have learned about Stanley Park's connection with purges/discrimination of Indigenous/First Nations (and even Chinese Canadians who used to live there). It's so important, especially as a Chinese Canadian, to know about these pieces of history. Big thumbs up to the company and to Aislynn!

Had a great experience on the Lost Souls of Gastown tour. Stuart/George was a great guide and the performative nature of the tour was well done but not OVER done, giving plenty of real history with a touch of theatricality and comedy. I hope to have time to take another tour next time I am in town and would definitely recommend Forbidden Vancouver.

My boyfriend and I decided to do the “Lost Souls of Gastown” walking tour and we were not disappointed! Our guide was Stuart and he made the tour extremely interesting, fun and informative as well. We would definitely do another tour with Forbidden Vancouver if in town again - it’s a great way to see and learn about a new city you are visiting! One of the highlights of the tour is being able to see/experience the Gastown Steam Clock. Keep in mind this is NOT a ghost tour if that is what you are looking for.

Janet Glassford gave us a theatrical and entertaining experience that we won’t forget. I had a chill run through me as she spoke of the great fire. Her story of the small pox outbreak left me teary eyed. It was a wonderful night.

I can’t recommend Forbidden Vancouver enough! Glenn was an engaging, respectful, and deeply knowledgeable guide who gave a fantastic tour of Gastown. We loved it so much we went on his Stanley Park tour a few days later. We are so grateful for his time and stories. What a wonderful introduction to Vancouver to be on his tours! Thank you!

“Lost Souls of Gastown”
Firstly, visiting from Newcastle Australia this was something that is very different then anything offered back home so I tried to go into it with an open mind. The actress (I’m so sorry I forget her name) was absolutely brilliant and you could tell she was a professional of her field! She truely loved her job and could command our very very large group in the centre of a bustling city. The tour itself I suppose was exactly how it was described- a theatrical retelling of Vancouvers early history within the Gastown area. However the reason why I only rated it three stars was for a few reasons:

1) I was surprised that the performance wasn’t based more on actual history e.g the characters werent real people from the time. They were made up and were very loosely used to try and tell some historical facts about the city. This made it very difficult walking away from the tour knowing what was fictional and what was actual history.

2) There wasn’t seating available at many of the stops. Although yes it was a walking tour, I didn’t expect to be stationary at some stops for anywhere up to 15 mins without a seat. This might not be an issue for most however having several mobility issues, it did become quite a distracting factor towards the end of the experience.

Overall however it was a very unique experience although it wasnt quite my cup of tea. In saying that however, if you appreciate the artistry of theatre and would like to see some back streets of Vancouver some other tours don’t venture too, then this is still a worth while experience!

Superb telling of the trials and tribulations of the 'old sourdough' Henry Tyrell in turn of the century Vancouver by the wonderful Emmet Hanly. Don't miss it!

Awesome tour thanks sandra. Wow what a history lesson and a performance to remember. I highly recommend. Sandra was the star of my Vancouver vacation

Did the Stanley Park and Gastown tours. They were both great. The Stanley Park tour was really informative and interesting. The Gastown tour was well done. Tracy was our guide. She is an incredible actress and storyteller. Locals and tourists will love them both. Highly recommend!

Our guide Glenn was great. Learned a few new things about the history of Stanley Park. Looking forward to our next tour.

The tour was fantastic! I learned a lot and Allison, our tour guide is an incredibly talented storyteller. Did a great job of making sure everyone was safe when crossing the busy street. Would absolutely recommend.

Glenn was an excellent tour guide and storyteller, making for an unforgettable tour experience! I also accidentally bought an extra ticket and he graciously refunded me. Couldn’t recommend them enough!

I highly recommend the Really Gay History tour. I'm a local and I learned so much! This is how history should be told. Glenn was very engaging and welcomed everyone individually. Even though we were strangers Glenn's interactions with the group made me feel as if we were all friends. It is amazing the places and stories you discover right in your own backyard. I have already booked two more tours. I would really like to see ted northe's Lane sign post be made into a sceptre. In honour of Your Majesty, Empress of Canada.

An absolutely amazing narrated tour of Vancouver city's struggles from an outpost town to what it is now. The star is Rachel who is an A class narrator/ actor who gets under the skin of the character she narrates. A very well researched tour.

I took the guided walking tour in Stanley park with guide Amin. It was excellent. I enjoyed it very much. Very interesting stories. Beautiful park.

Great showmanship.
After being in Vancouver for more than 10years still finding new and exciting things to do to in the city.
Wonderful evening full of adventure and storytelling.
Emmett Hanly

It's one thing to visit an historic zone like Vancouver's Gastown - quite another to spend some time connecting. Thanks to character 'George' (Cole), we were led through the back niches of the area, and fell into some awesome storytelling, much based on actual events of the late 1800s. Thank you Cole & Forbidden Van Walking Tours

We did the Stanley Park tour as part of a training programme as staff at a local university. We were guided by Glenn, who came highly recommended, and I can see why. He was knowledgable, engaging, and such a great story teller. This tour is not just for tourists end I encourage all Vancouverites to learn about the history of Stanley Park. We were all locals and learned so much with Glenn.

I was a little disappointed with the Lost Souls of Gastown tour. I was expecting something more on the "ghost tour" side and it was definitely more of an historical tour. The guide was great and he got into character but I was expecting something more scary and interactive. It was a little too expensive for what it's worth.

So much fun! I did the Ghost Tour of Gastown and the Really Gay History tour. Tracey was our Gastown guide and she was so much fun and really wove a great story together. And Glenn’s passion and knowledge for the Gay History tour really shone through. Thank you!

Great walking tour tonight. Finding out about the crime underbelly of Vancouver in the 30s was awesome. Our guide Aman was so much fun. Very very personable and knowledgeable. He was a treat. We will be going to another one about ghosts in langley. Can't wait. Highly recommend

My wife and I went on the "lost souls of Gas Town" we had the owner Will Woods as our guide. I wasn't sure it would be for me, however I was blown away with the experience. We both found it very interesting learning the history of Gas Town.

Will was great with explaining the history and answering any questions that came up along the way. If your looking for a great activity after supper I would highly recommend.

Aman was our host tonight. He was fabulous! Full of fun facts and kept the conversation going which isn't always easy as we're not used to people anymore. Thanks so much! You're the best!

Friendly and personable! Knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Great evening activity on a summer night. Fun to be with a friendly group outdoors too.

Great tour of Stanley Park. Amon did a great job telling the stories and histories of the park. Very friendly and engaging.

Glenn was our tour guide for the Secrets of Stanley Park. The tour was filled with eye opening facts and Glenn was an excellent story teller. Great as a outdoor team social or tourist outing!

I had been meaning to attend these tours for a while and then the pandemic hit us all. One thing that has been a personal life lesson for me is not to wait for "another day" or "someday in the future " As soon as I realized that the tours are on. I booked my ticket and it was an absolutely fun evening. You learn so much about the history of Vancouver. Aman is a great story teller, patient, keeps checking with the group answers questions. I was part of a wonderful group. I will be signing up for more!

We took the Really Gay History Tour on Sunday November 1. My first positive experience was with the customer service agent who allowed me to book a ticket even though the event was sold out so that I would be able to attend the tour with my friends who already had their tickets.

The tour itself was amazing. Led by Glenn who created the tour, we learned about the fascinating queer history of Vancouver. Not just the happy stories but the sad stories and everything in between. Glenn's passion for the subject was evident in his storytelling and he was friendly an professional at all times. I had also taken the Dark Secrets of Stanley Park tour with him in August and had a really amazing time as well. Definitely would take both tours again. Can't wait to check out out tours with this company.

Amazing tour company if your history buff like my self that love the Darkside of history this is for you I love how they dress the part they also guide you around Gastown with a lantern. It make you feel like your back time.

Amazing storytelling! We did the Lost Souls of Gastown tour and learned so much, even as long-time locals. I highly recommend their blog too, if you want to do some more reading!

Amazing tours! We did the Stanley Park walking tour. We learned so much that we didn't know about the park. Highly recommended for locals and tourists. The tour guide is knowledgable and super friendly. We are booking a different tour with them!

Great way to see and learn about your City, see things you never noticed before. Done several and loved them all, great staff and story tellers also!

Eric Regibald is an amazing and engaging storyteller, performer, host, and historian. Loved the Lost Souls of Gastown tour. Definitely worth it! Much love from your friends from Hamilton! Would totally do it again. The inclusion of the indigenous history, and how it ties into Vancouver's, was particularly interesting and awesome to have that kind of history, usually ignored, included. And the history of Birdie Stewart! As informative as it was iconic. And thanks for the tip about the LGBTQ2+ history tour! Would do it again to be honest!

We did the chocolate and art deco tour and can recommend it if you're into architecture, history and if course great chocolate. Tim the guide is very knowledgeable and has some great archival material.