Is a Scenic Flight in Vancouver Worth it? A Local’s Perspective

If you wander down to Vancouver’s waterfront, you will see the stunning North Shore Mountains, the harbour and maybe even a sea plane.

Did you know that you can take sea plane flight to see Vancouver from above?!

When we first moved to Vancouver, Dave and I decided to take a Sea Plane Tour to get to know the lay of the land and learn more about the areas surrounding Vancouver.

In this guide, I will talk about our experience on the Sea Plane Tour and whether or not we recommend doing one. Psst: I’m also going to tell you about a tour that I think is EVEN more worth it! Stay tuned. 😉

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Everything you Need to Know About Vancouver Sea plane Tours

📍 Where do the Vancouver Sea Plane Tours go from?

The Vancouver Sea Plane Tours start from Canada Place at the Vancouver Seaplane Terminal.

💸 How much does a Scenic Flight Tour in Vancouver cost?

The cost of the flight will depend on which one you choose and the duration of the flight.

📆 When is the best time to go on a Scenic Flight in Vancouver?

You could do a Sea Plane Tour in Vancouver any time throughout the year, however, I do recommend going on a sunny day. We unfortunately picked a cloudy Spring day to do our tour and although it was still beautiful, I think a sunny day would have been better.

🗾 Where do the Vancouver Sea Plane Tours go?

Each flight is slightly different. On the 30 minute Classic Panorama Tour by Seaplane, you will see Stanley Park, the Lions Gate Bridge, Horseshoe Bay and a little of Downtown Vancouver.

The 45 minute Extended Panorama Flight by Seaplane, takes you overhead Downtown Vancouver, where you will get to do some more in depth sightseeing and you will then pass by Stanley Park, Horseshoe Bay, Bowen Island and Gambier Island.

🛌 Visiting Vancouver soon? Here are the best areas to stay in!

😉 Our experience seeing Vancouver from above with Harbour Air

We booked online a few weeks before our tour which I definitely recommend doing because our tour was fully booked. When we showed up at the ticket office, 30 minutes before our flight, we had to line up for a while to check in and get instructions on where to go.

Once we were all checked in, they got us to wait outside the office for our tour guide to come and get us. It was an exciting wait because neither of us had ever been on a sea plane before. We enjoyed take photos of the water and the North Shore Mountains while we waited.

Soon our  group was called and we were ushered onto the dock where our plane was waiting. Everyone loaded onto the plane and I realized too late that some of the seats offered better views than others with bigger windows and less view of the wing, but that’s okay. We still had a decent view.

After a safety speech, we were off and the whole experience was way smoother than I was expecting. I guess that’s what happen when you take off on the water versus on a runway. We flew past Stanley Park and the North Shore Mountains (Cypress, and Grouse), before heading around the corner and up the Howe Sound, where the guide pointed out various islands. I couldn’t believe how many little islands there were scattered around Howe Sound and it was really cool to learn about them all.

We continued to glide up the Howe Sound for a bit, before circling back towards Vancouver. I actually don’t remember the landing so I’m going to say that it was pretty smooth.

🙋‍♀️ Is a Sea Plane Tour WORTH IT?

A Sea Plane flight is a really fun and different way of seeing Vancouver and the surrounding areas from above. I would definitely say that it is worth it if you are looking for a memorable way of seeing Vancouver.

I thought the Flight Seeing Tour from Vancouver was a great experience, but for the cost versus time in the air, next time I would book this tour instead because the views would be EVEN MORE EPIC!

This is a helicopter tour rather than a Sea Plane Tour which takes you up to the Coast mountains. It does take off from a different spot at Pitt Meadows Regional Airport, so keep that in mind. I think this, compared with the flight-seeing tour over the water and city, would be a once in a lifetime kind of experience. Hopefully Dave and I can do it one day and give you a full review!

👉 Check availability and book the Vancouver: Coastal Mountain Landing Helicopter Tour Here

🎒 What to bring with you on a flight seeing tour

I recommend bringing a small backpack with some water and of course your camera or phone. A jacket and sunglasses will also come in handy in case it’s cold or super sunny. Other than that, you don’t really need anything else except yourself, your ID and your ticket. 😉