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Seaplanes in Vancouver


elmsliebev
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Has anyone done the Vancouver City skyline tour by seaplane? My husband has always wanted to go in one and we have a full day in Vancouver at the end of our Alaska trip next month, before continuing down the West Coast. I'd looked at Alaska for doing one but Cunard is no longer offering anything. 

Grateful for any information. 

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I haven’t done the Vancouver skyline but we sort of did it when we took the Vancouver to BUTCHART GARDENS tour with HARBOUR AIR.  It was amazing.  I’m sad I’ve lost my video of our landing in Victoria or I’d post it here.  We disembarked at THE EMPRESS so, of course, we had to go in for a traditional beverage.  On the return trip, we landed at THE FLYING BEAVER and had some really great fish and chips.  All in all, I highly recommend it!

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I have not done the Skyline tour but it looks like it's only 30 minutes. Why not fly from Vancouver harbour to Victoria and see the skylines of two of the prettiest cities on the planet. Have lunch in Victoria and fly back to Vancouver in the afternoon. I have done this a couple of times on Harbour Air. Worth every penny! 

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Harbour Air is a great company to consider. They fly out of Vancouver Harbour (right next door to the cruiseship terminal) as well as Richmond (close to YVR airport). Sea Air also has service here. 

If you are looking for a private tour, it will be considerably more expensive and shorter duration, as this would be considered a charter flight. You could check with others in your cruise's roll call to see if there is any interest. 

Taking the scheduled seaplane flight return to Victora is a great option though. You will get to leave out of Vancouver harbour, see the mountains and skyline, experience the straight of Georgia and soar over the gulf islands before landing in Victoria harbour. Return flight does it all again!  

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Oh!  I almost forgot that we also took a water taxi over to SPINNAKERS brew pub while in Victoria.  It’s a short walk from one of the stops.  To fit all this in we got an early morning flight out and returned to Vancouver late afternoon/early evening.

 

Edited by *Miss G*
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4 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

I have not done the Skyline tour but it looks like it's only 30 minutes. Why not fly from Vancouver harbour to Victoria and see the skylines of two of the prettiest cities on the planet. Have lunch in Victoria and fly back to Vancouver in the afternoon. I have done this a couple of times on Harbour Air. Worth every penny! 

we are in Victoria the day before we get to Vancouver, so hoping to see plenty of Victoria then.

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1 hour ago, mom says said:

Another vote for the Harbour Air flights to and from Vancouver- Victoria. Its a great way to spend a day (or stay overnight in Victoria- even better!)

thanks. Can't stay over anywhere as we are back on the QE to continue south. Maybe another time. 

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Yes, I have done the Harbour Air tour.  Loved it.  I think they offer different lengths of flight so you have a choice depending on your preferences and budget.  Great views over Lion's Gate bridge, West Van, UBC, downtown etc.  I have flown on so many different aircraft but never a float plane so that was a first. As we were boarding, the agent said "who wants to sit beside the pilot?" so I yelled out "ME" before anybody else could think.

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Floatplanes are fun - and compared to scheduled flight prices, the tours are decent value - it's very hard to find flights to Victoria under $130pp now, even on weekends/evenings (weekdays with our provincial gov't based there, but a vastly higher population here, there's a metric buttload of demand for 'business hours' flights between Van to Vic).

 

But if you do have a whole day and this is a big deal for the hubster, consider riding along on the mail delivery flights - since they're flying the routes anyway and it does suck up several hours, the price-per-minute-of-air-time is a steal compared to the short 'up, circle Van, down again' all-tourism tours.

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On 6/16/2022 at 1:35 PM, elmsliebev said:

we are in Victoria the day before we get to Vancouver, so hoping to see plenty of Victoria then.

On my first trip to Paris I went and saw the Mona Lisa. I went back the next day. Some things are worth a second look. Victoria is one of those. 

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35 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

On my first trip to Paris I went and saw the Mona Lisa. I went back the next day. Some things are worth a second look. Victoria is one of those. 

I like that idea! Sadly we only have a day in Vancouver too so I'd like to see some of there. Obviously we'll have to return for a land-based trip to Canada 😀 

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Fantastic photos Fairport, this totally represents what you can see on the skyline tour.  We did it through Harbour Air.  I guess it depends on booking numbers, see that this tour was on a turbo Otter, we were on a Beaver with the old radial engine.  Both Canadian classic Bush planes.  As an added bonus we saw a pod of Orcas near Pt.Atkinson, 4th photo, but that is rare.  Highly recommend tour.

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3 hours ago, lobsternight said:

 I guess it depends on booking numbers, see that this tour was on a turbo Otter, we were on a Beaver with the old radial engine.  Both Canadian classic Bush planes.  Highly recommend tour.

You got lucky!  I was hoping for the Beaver with the piston engine that rattles your fillings out but I guess there were too many folks at that time so we got the turbo Otter.  Also on photo 4, just to the right of sugar loaf mountain, you can see a ferry pulling into Horseshoe Bay.

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thanks for the helpful replies. I'm having a slight rethink and maybe do the seaplane tour in Victoria instead as we are apparently there 9am to 9pm. Does anyone know how close the cruise ships dock to where the seaplanes are (it's Harbour Air that I'm looking at). There are tours available at 10.30 and 12.30. 

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Sometimes the ships can’t get into the outer harbour at Victoria due to marine conditions.  If you buy ahead, make sure that it’s refundable.

 

It’s a 10 minute walk to Fisherman’s Wharf where you could hop a water taxi to the inner harbour where Harbour Air is.  It’s a 30 minute walk from Ogden Point cruise ship terminal to the Empress Hotel/Inner Harbour.  A taxi will get you there in 5 minutes.

Edited by *Miss G*
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On 6/19/2022 at 1:18 PM, *Miss G* said:

Sometimes the ships can’t get into the outer harbour at Victoria due to marine conditions.  If you buy ahead, make sure that it’s refundable.

 

It’s a 10 minute walk to Fisherman’s Wharf where you could hop a water taxi to the inner harbour where Harbour Air is.  It’s a 30 minute walk from Ogden Point cruise ship terminal to the Empress Hotel/Inner Harbour.  A taxi will get you there in 5 minutes.

thanks. Unfortunately I can only get a refund 24 hours before the flight, so I may have to leave it for nw and see if I can get something nearer the time. 

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21 minutes ago, elmsliebev said:

thanks. Unfortunately I can only get a refund 24 hours before the flight, so I may have to leave it for nw and see if I can get something nearer the time. 

 

If you can’t get a flight when you arrive, not a big loss.  Victoria is a beautiful city to spend time in.  Enjoy.

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1 minute ago, *Miss G* said:

 

If you can’t get a flight when you arrive, not a big loss.  Victoria is a beautiful city to spend time in.  Enjoy.

yes, there looks to be plenty to see. It's just that my OH has always wanted to go in a seaplane so I thought Victoria or Vancouver would be an ideal place, especially as it's his 60th birthday the same week. We'll enjoy Victoria however we see it! 

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2 minutes ago, elmsliebev said:

yes, there looks to be plenty to see. It's just that my OH has always wanted to go in a seaplane so I thought Victoria or Vancouver would be an ideal place, especially as it's his 60th birthday the same week. We'll enjoy Victoria however we see it! 

 

I would book Vancouver then.  It’s really an experience he doesn’t want to miss.  Especially for his 60th!  And now you have reminded me to find my video. lol

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On 6/18/2022 at 11:37 AM, Fairgarth said:

I should have included some photos - not thinking.  Here goes:

 

 

5C298FF7-4184-48B9-866C-D913A5E690EE_1_201_a.jpeg

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EE305D77-D183-45E3-B690-A9CD3B3973EE_1_201_a.jpeg

E6F68228-42C8-475D-B0B9-83B594CA6914.jpeg

Woow such stunning views!! Thanks so much for sharing, this is an activity that has been in our mind for a few years now and for one thing or another we don't end up doing it but this thread really got us excited about maybe doing it this year!! 😄 

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thanks everyone for the help - and the fabulos photos. I've booked it for Vancouver! It's 2 days after his birthday so it will just extend the celebrations and be a fitting end to our Alaska cruise before we continue on down the US West Coast and through the Panama Canal. 

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