SHOOTING_STAR

My story doing tours in Vancouver began around 12 years ago when I was working for a Chinese company and my mom called me asking to help her friend, Gloria, who was coming to Vancouver with a group of 35 people from South America. They were taking a cruise to Alaska and had only the morning to visit Vancouver.

I didn't know Gloria, but I wanted to help, so I prepared a presentation highlighting the key places her and her group should visit. I gave her an itinerary, a map and spoke with her a couple times believing that was the most I could do to help her. However, to my great surprise, Gloria called me a third time asking me to be their tour guide. She noticed my passion, the knowledge I had of the city and my goodwill.

That was my first tour, about 12 years ago. Since then, I've done over 1000 tours, and I've been able to refine my itinerary to showcase the best of this beautiful city. Along the way I have learned much more about the city's rich history, hidden gems, best angles for photos, and fascinating stories that make this city so wonderful. Despite my many tours done, my enthusiasm to share the beauty of the city has never wavered. It's truly a joy to see the awe and appreciation people's faces as I guide them through breathtaking sights.

I never leave my house the day of the tour thinking I am going to work, I leave excited to meet new people and show them this breathtaking city. I view my clients as friends or family members and offer them as much hospitality as I possibly can.

While the itineraries of my tours offer a helpful guide my goal is to create an unforgettable moment by savoring the little things as well such as enjoying a hot coffee in a cold day or perhaps an ice cream in a warm summer day.

I own two vehicles, a minivan for 6 passengers and bigger van for 14 passengers plus the driver, as part of the British Columbia passenger rules, both vehicles passed a commercial inspection every 6 months, and are insured with a commercial insurance taking into account their passenger capacity.

- Master's in business (MBA) in the University of British Columbia

- Class 4 unrestricted driver license permit, which means I am authorized to drive a vehicle with a maximum capacity of 25 passengers. such as school buses, ambulances or limousines.

- Passenger transportation authorization number 75302, honestly a very hard authorization to get but it is the only way to do tours while driving a vehicle with passengers.

Vancouver is a vibrant & eclectic young city on the edge of Canada's Pacific Coast. Founded in the late 1800's, she is the gateway to the Pacific and enjoys the mildest seasonal temperatures of the whole province through out the year.

With great places to experience, such as historic Gastown, Granville Island and the University Endowment Lands, we'll take in the history of the Squamish Nation while enjoying her modern, laid-back lifestyle.

Vancouver city highlights Private Tour

We depart from your AirBnb at 7:20 am or 8:20 am (time to be confirmed) and go to the Ferry Terminal, located 50 km south of the city of Vancouver.  

The ferry can accommodate approximately 300 vehicles and 3000 passengers. It also has a restaurant and a cafeteria.  

The ferry crossing lasts 1 hour and 40 minutes, and it goes through the Gulf Islands in order to reach Victoria.

Upon arriving, we head first to the beautiful Butchart Gardens, a must-see during spring, summer, and fall.

After visiting the gardens, we headed to the City of Victoria, which is the capital of British Columbia, and where the parliament is located.

At Victoria, you will have between 3 or 4 free hours to visit the city center by your own. 

At 5:30 pm we will start heading to back and take the 7 p.m. ferry back to Vancouver, arriving to your AirBnb  at 9:20 p. m. .

Some customers find this tour too long, and it is possible to customize it to be shorter, but my experience says that it is worth waking up early and returning late.

Tour for Danny Victoria and The Butchart Gardens

I crafted the three tours I offer taking into consideration what I would show a friend who is visiting Vancouver. If my friend were only to have one day in the city, I would recommend this tour to them, followed by the North Vancouver Tour and the Whistler Tour.

This tour has a route of approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles), in which we seek to take advantage of the vehicle to visit the most important places which would be difficult to reach on foot. During the tour I will show you pictures of the different seasons that way you will get a better idea of how the city looks depending on the time of the year.

The tour lasts approximately 4. 5 hours, since the pace of the tour is chosen by the client, some clients prefer to take more time than others. At my side, there is no rush, that is a reason you are choosing a private tour so that you can enjoy it at your own pace, while I take care that you do not miss any city highlights, there is no additional cost if the tour is longer than planned.

Tour guide in Vancouver Fraser Valley Javier V.

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