Javier is a fantastic guide who truly goes above and beyond. He gave us a great breakdown of what to expect on the tour and even captured some incredible photos of us—he’s got a serious eye for photography!
Private tour in Vancouver Javier V
5.0
(15) reviews
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1
Javier V.
5.0
Guide rating
128
Reviews
Tours delivered
3 hrs
Avg. response time
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.
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Javier V.
After my clients do the four tours I offer, Vancouver City, North Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria, I like to ask them which of the four you like the most, and about 80% of the time the answer is the Whistler Tour. This tour is a road trip with one of the most, if not the most, beautiful scenic route close to Vancouver. Along the way we stop to touch the sea and then, just a few hours later, you have the opportunity to be at the top of the world, above the mountains. It is not a coincidence that the highway is called Sea to Sky. Along the way we stop at two waterfalls, one lake, a viewpoint and as icing on the cake we visit Whistler's Village. The village has a confusing layout, I like to walk it with my customers for them to get oriented and decide what they would like to do during their free afternoon. If it's a sunny clear day I will recommend you take the Peak to Peak gondola, it is a masterpiece of engineering with spectacular views of the mountains.
Javier is a fantastic guide who truly goes above and beyond. He gave us a great breakdown of what to expect on the tour and even captured some incredible photos of us—he’s got a serious eye for photography!
Javier was an absolute gem of a guide. Our family enjoyed our Vancouver tours tremendously. He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and professional, and very flexible throughout our time together. The tours were very well tailored to our interests, and Javier helped us make the most of our time by recommending the experiences he felt our group would enjoy most. He was also very accommodating whenever we wanted to adjust the pace or timing of our days. We would highly recommend Javier for private touring in Vancouver and the surrounding area. Whistler Tour We had a wonderful day in Whistler with Javier. The tour was very well tailored to our family's interests, and the Peak 2 Peak Gondola and Cloudraker Skybridge were unforgettable highlights. Javier was knowledgeable, friendly, professional and very flexible with our group's preferred pace and timing. We chose to return earlier than he had originally recommended, and in hindsight, we wish we had taken his advice and allowed more time to enjoy Whistler Village after the mountain activities. A fantastic day and a very memorable experience. Shared on behalf of the Higgs family
This was a good tour that required a VERY LONG DAY. Whistler was quite a bit further from Vancouver than I had believed beforehand. The scenery was great along the way, and Javier stopped at several scenic spots during the trip. We enjoyed seeing the Whistler area in the limited time that we had to spend there. We took this tour at the end of a long trip that included interior Alaska and the entire Inside Passage from Anchorage to Vancouver. We would probably have enjoyed it more if it had been near the beginning rather than at the end. Thanks to Javier for a great tour.
"Day one with Javier was spectacular. He was an excellent guide and a great person to spend the day with. He listened to what we were interested in seeing/doing and made the day very comfortable for all of us. I think we were all glad to head out of the city and see Whistler." "He was so engaging and immediately wanted to know about us. He offered to give us a mini tour on our way out of town. It was fantastic and we made a few stops on our way out of the City. He clearly loves it and was proud to show us his adopted home. We all really appreciated him doing that for us." "Javier was friendly and informative as he guided us around Vancouver and Whistler. He obviously knew the area well and engaging as he shared his love of the area with us. A great guide- I would recommend him to anyone!"
This was our first experience with Tours By Locals. Great tour! Excellent and knowledgeable tour guide as well. Javier tailored the tour to meet our expectations. He shared helpful and interesting historical details about Vancouver and Whistler. One of our group has mobility issues and he always picked us up as close to the venue as possible. We truly enjoyed our day and Javier’s company. He is also an excellent photographer and captured many great pictures of our group. This is the way to go; no busload full of people and personalized one-on-one service. We loved it! Thank you, Javier.
Our day tour from Vancouver to Whistler was absolutely amazing! The drive along the Sea-to-Sky Highway was beautiful, and Javier was excellent—knowledgeable, fun, and really made the trip special. We stopped at Brandywine Falls on the way, which was stunning and such a nice surprise before getting into Whistler. Once in the village, we had time to wander around and take the Peak 2 Peak Gondola. The views were unbelievable—snow-capped mountains, endless forests, and just a totally unforgettable experience. The tour had a great balance of sightseeing, photo stops, and free time to explore on our own. This was such an easy and enjoyable way to see Whistler in one day without worrying about driving or planning everything ourselves. I’d 100% recommend Javier's tour for anyone visiting Vancouver!
• Stop at Porteau Cove • Stop Shannon Falls • Coffee break at Squamish (optional). • Stop at Tantalus Lookout • Stop at Brandywine Falls (its access is closed during the winter) • Stop at Alta Lake at Whistler • Guided walk of Whistler's Village • Free afternoon at the Village, I recommend taking the Peak to Peak Gondola, please note that it doesn't run during shoulder season (May, October and November) instead we can visit the Sea to Sky Gondola if you are interested in riding a Gondola. • Return to Vancouver at 4:30 pm • Arrival in Vancouver at about 6:30 pm, time can vary depending on the traffic. * No extra cost if the tour takes longer than planned. *This itinerary can be customized. *During your free afternoon at the Village I will stay around the area in case you need my help. *Drop off at the Airport included in the tour price
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IIf your group is equal to or less than 5 passengers I will be using a new Chrysler Pacific Minivan with a capacity for 7 passengers, including myself. If your group is equal to or bigger than 6 passengers I will be using a new Ford Transit Passenger van with a capacity for 15 passengers, including myself. If your group is larger than 10 passengers, please send me a message for a customize quote. I can accommodate up to 14 people. Please let me know how many suitcases you are bringing in order to ensure that they all fit inside the Minivan or the bigger Transit Van, thank you.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Hotel, Airport, Cruise Terminal (Canada Place) or Train Terminal
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