15 Food & Drink Experiences in Vancouver Worth Your West Coast Days

1.Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,863 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $116Our pick

Spend about three hours walking Gastown with a local guide, stopping at neighborhood eateries for food and drink tastings. Expect stories about Vancouver’s Wild West past, familiar dishes such as poutine and karaage, and a small group of up to 16. Guides vary; past tours have been led by Rachel, Sean, Andrea, Connor, and Dan.

“Rachel was our guide, she was a lot of fun and very knowledgeable about the city history. It wasn’t too much to be a history lesson, we were there to eat after all, but tied nicely to how diverse the city culture is in Vancouver and why we were tasting at those locations. Would definitely recommend, but come hungry and plan to go light on dinner later!”

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2.Granville Island Market Food Tour by Vancouver Foodie Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 552 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $123

Spend about two hours tasting your way through Granville Island Public Market with a local guide and a group capped at 12. Expect more than 20 regional bites, from Oyama salami and Lee’s doughnuts to cheese, tea and Thai food, plus stories about vendors and useful Vancouver recommendations. Vegetarian and pescatarian options are available with advance notice.

“Lots of good samples with interesting stories and local flavor. Nolan was personable and kept the group entertained. Would highly recommend this tour - pace was great and gave us an opportunity to sample and see tons more than we could have on our own.”

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3.Gastown Historical Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 539 reviews · 3 hours · from $113

Walk from Waterfront Station through Gastown to Maple Tree Square with a guide who mixes funny stories about Vancouver’s past with food stops at eight local restaurants. The three-hour tour includes six tastings, including two desserts, plus four alcoholic drinks. Non-alcoholic options are available, and guides such as Sean, Rachel, Kate, and Connor have led tours.

“Great guide! Wonderful tour full of history, larger than expected food portions & alcohol! Our group was so fun and nice! The perfect way to start our Vancouver trip! Could not have been better!”

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4.Vancouver Food Tour with 6 Tastings of Sushi, Chocolate, and more

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 419 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $101

Walk from central Vancouver through Gastown and the waterfront for six tastings, including sushi, a slow-roasted pork sandwich, a Scotch egg, a chicken taco, chocolate, and a secret dish. The 3.5-hour tour is capped at 12 people, led in English, and ends at Mink Chocolates Cafe. Expect local food advice and some Vancouver history along the way.

“Our Guide took us to out of the way small businesses that well and truly met our expectations for good interesting eats We will visit these establishments again to try other items The history the guide spoke of was fun to listen too”

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5.Gastronomic Gastown Food Tour by Vancouver Foodie Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 238 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $231

Start near Gastown’s Steam Clock at 3 pm for a three-hour food walk capped at 12 people. A guide leads you past Victorian buildings and Blood Alley, then to a changing mix of restaurants for a progressive meal, craft beer, wine, and cocktails. Vegetarian and pescatarian options are available if requested in advance.

“Our group of four (4) international visitors and our wonderful guide, Conor, met at a well known landmark in Gastown and we learned a bit about local history. From the delightful steam clock to the delicious Monarca margaritas, and finally, the layer cake at the Ukrainian community epicureal wonder...our food tour was a resounding success. Highly recommend!”

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6.A Wok Around Food Tour of the Granville Island Public Market

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 160 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $112

Follow a chef-guide through Granville Island Public Market and nearby artisan areas on a two-hour tasting walk. Expect samples that may include cheese, charcuterie, seafood, bread, soup, pickles, chai and sweets, plus stories about the market and its food. Groups are capped at 10. The tour starts at 4:00 pm and costs $112.66 per person.

“Very nice guide who showed us all around the Public Market (it was raining so we stayed mainly in the market). Such an amazing place; we tasted some wonderful foods and drinks.”

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7.Experience Gastown Vancouver’s Elite Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 134 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours (approx.) · from $80Best value

Walk from Waterfront Station through Gastown with a guide such as Arsham, Ali, Nicole or Landon, stopping for sushi, a porchetta sandwich, sweets and other tastings. The roughly three-hour outing mixes Vancouver history with five food stops and includes a cocktail for participants aged 19 and older. Expect cobblestones, a small group and enough food to arrive hungry.

“Landon took us to several local restaurants. The walk itself is not far, all within a couple city blocks. Our original guide had to cancel at the last moment and Landon, fortunately, was able to jump in.”

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8.Street Art and Craft Beer 2 in 1 Walking Tour Vancouver

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $89

Walk from Olympic Village through False Creek and Mount Pleasant, hearing stories behind changing murals before visiting the Beaumont Studios and two breweries. Your English-speaking guide leads a small group of up to 12. The tour starts at 2:00 pm, lasts about three hours, and includes beer. Guides named in past accounts include Andrew, Fran, Erica, and Alexis.

“We had a wonderful experience! We saw great art and drank great beer. Erica was an excellent guide!!”

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9.Guided Food and City History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 53 reviews · from $98

Spend three hours walking downtown Vancouver with an English-speaking guide and a group of up to 10. Taste porchetta, poutine, a vegetable dish, Vancouver-style sushi, a butter tart, and a secret dish while hearing about the city and Gastown. Guides including Landon, Amir, and Ilyas have led the tour.

“Great co.versation with amir. interesting facts about the city. Great food”

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10.Downtown Vancouver Asian Food Tour by Vancouver Foodie Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $156

Spend about three hours walking downtown Vancouver with a local guide, stopping at a Japanese convenience store, Chinese restaurant, Japanese lifestyle shop, public market, and Korean BBQ spot. Expect food tastings and context about Asian cuisine and local food culture. Past guides have included Preethi, Angela, Manuela, and Conor. The group is capped at 12.

“A lovely morning/afternoon exploring some of Vancouver’s yummiest Asian cuisine and history. Connor was an amazing guide, with so much knowledge to share.”

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11.Vancouver Private Food Tour – Taste 6+ Local Dishes & Fresh Sushi

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 36 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $140

Spend about three and a half hours walking Gastown with a private English-speaking guide and sampling six or more dishes, from a pork sandwich and Scotch egg to sushi and a secret dish. The route includes landmarks such as the Steam Clock and Olympic Cauldron. Guides Mathieu and Landon have been praised for lively food and Vancouver stories, though stops and menu items can change.

“What an experience! We did the private Vancouver food tour with Mathieu, and he was just amazing. He was so knowledgeable, energetic, and passionate about Vancouver history, architecture, and (of course) food. We visited a variety of places and sampled so much: a porchetta sandwich, toffee bar, Scotch egg, CBC taco, sushi, and local chocolate. The tour takes place around the Gastown district, so while there's a bit of walking, it's not overwhelming. Everything is well paced across about 2.5 hours (at least for our private tour option). HIGHLY recommend for anyone wanting to experience a sampler from Vancouver's best eateries!”

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12.Granville Island Vancouver’s Elite Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $92

Explore Granville Island with a guide and a group of no more than 12. Over roughly two and a half to three hours, you’ll sample food at five spots, hear stories about the island, and enjoy a cocktail if you’re 19 or older. Past tours have included lobster rolls, tacos, donuts, and ice cream. Tell the operator about dietary needs in advance.

“Great walking tour with plenty of shops to visit post tour. Our guide Nicole was friendly and knowledgeable and we had a fabulous time.”

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13.Experience Gastown Vancouver’s Elite Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · 3 hours · from $97

Walk Gastown with a local English-speaking guide, stopping for sushi, a porchetta sandwich, a donut, a Canadian-inspired dish, tacos and a cocktail. Guides including Landon, Nicole, Arsham and Ali have led the tour, sharing neighborhood history and architecture along the way. Expect about three hours on foot, starting inside Waterfront Station.

“5/5 stars! We had such a great time on the food tour in Vancouver with Arsham! He was super knowledgeable and made the history of Gastown really fun to learn about. The food was amazing!! my favorite was the porchetta sandwich, and my partner couldn’t stop raving about the butter chikk’n poutine. The tacos were awesome too! We definitely didn’t leave hungry, and the cocktail at the end was a great bonus. Arsham did an excellent job, and I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone who loves good food and cool stories!”

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14.Fraser Valley Social Wine Tasting Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $349

Leave Vancouver at noon for a private, five-hour wine tour with four Fraser Valley stops, included tastings, and pickup in Greater Vancouver or the valley. You may visit Lulu Island, Township 7, Chaberton, and either Glass House or Backyard Estate. Guides including Voytek, Iresh, and Guler have led the tour, though your guide may differ.

“Our driver was fantastic. While in the valley, he made a point to drive us along the US/Canada border, since we are from the US. The wineries were good and varied in types of wines. One specialized in honey wines. The tastings are generous and we were very glad to have a driver. We were a bit tipsy by the time we returned to Vancouver and our driver double checked to make sure we didn't leave anything in the car specifically making us check that we had our passports, covid cards, phones, and wallets on us before he left.”

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15.Backcountry Beer Tasting Heli-Tour & Landing (Depart SKY Hangar)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $385

Depart from SKY Helicopters’ Pitt Meadows hangar for an approximately one-hour flight over Vancouver’s Coast Mountains. Your pilot chooses a remote landing spot based on the day’s conditions, where you can take in the scenery and enjoy a craft beer tasting. Pilots may include Roger, Kyle, or Evert. Non-alcoholic drinks are available on request.

“What an unbelievable experience! We flew with Roger, who was knowledgeable and super friendly, and the booking process was amazing thanks to Alannah and her on point communication.”

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