Walking Tours | Summer 2026
Walking Tours | Summer 2026
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Get your walking shoes ready - our summer walking tours are back! From June to September, join us on a stroll around Vancouver's historic neighbourhoods with our beloved walking tour guides.
Select Tours will run on Wednesdays from 6pm to 8pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 12pm
Details:
- Registration is required in advance for tours, either online or by phone. VHF staff are unable to reserve tickets or purchase tickets for participants. Tickets will not be sold at the event.
- Walking Tours will take place rain or shine on select days, June through September. Each tour will be two (2) +/- hours long and may take a one-way or circular route.
- There is a maximum capacity of 20 people per tour and need 10 registrants to run. Registration is required in advance for all walking tours and ID must match the ticket. Unregistered people will not be permitted to join on the tour date. Do not seek out the group on the tour day in hopes of joining as this will disrupt the tour. If you are not able to attend your tour, due to liability reasons an unregistered replacement showing up in your place will not be accepted.
- Tours take place in public spaces through Vancouver, BC. Participants will encounter a variety of terrain including uncontrolled road crossings, gravel, stairs, slopes, etc. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at mail@vancouverheritagefoundation.org.
- For the comfort and safety of all participants, service animals are the only pets allowed on walking tours.
- While tours are geared towards an adult audience, children are welcome to attend. Infants and toddlers in a carrier or stroller do not require a ticket. Children 6 years and older must be able to walk the entire duration of the tour and require their own ticket. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at mail@vancouverheritagefoundation.org.
- Washrooms will not be available on the tour.
- Further details, including start and finish points, will be provided to registered participants 2 weeks prior to the tour date.
- Tickets will be available for purchase until 5pm the day before each tour.
- Please email katherine@vancouverheritagefoundation.org to join waitlists for specific tour dates. Enter your email address through the 'Join waiting list' button on this page to be added to the general list for all tours.
Please Note: We will not be running afternoon tours again this year. By avoiding the intense afternoon heat, we aim to prevent the risk of heat exhaustion and provide a more comfortable experience for everyone.
Saturday, June 13th | Walking the Ridge: Renfrew Collingwood with John Atkin
SOLD OUT! 37th Avenue runs through various neighbourhoods across what was the district of South Vancouver and Point Grey. Running by and through major city landmarks and parks such as Mountain View Cemetery, Van Dusen Botanical Garden, Norquay Park, St Mary’s Church in Kerrisdale, Queen Elizabeth Park and Kensington Park.
Following 37th Avenue from East to West, John Atkin will be “Walking the Ridge” and exploring how 37th Avenue has been developed and how it has changed, as well as looking closely at the landscape and cartography along the way.
This walk will focus on the area around 37th Avenue and Wales Street in the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood.
Wednesday, June 17th | Walking the Ridge: Kensington-Cedar Cottage #1 with John Atkin
SOLD OUT! 37th Avenue runs through various neighbourhoods across what was the district of South Vancouver and Point Grey. Running by and through major city landmarks and parks such as Mountain View Cemetery, Van Dusen Botanical Garden, Norquay Park, St Mary’s Church in Kerrisdale, Queen Elizabeth Park and Kensington Park.
Following 37th Avenue from East to West, John Atkin will be “Walking the Ridge” and exploring how 37th Avenue has been developed and how it has changed, as well as looking closely at the landscape and cartography along the way.
This walk will focus on the area around 37th Avenue and Commercial Street in the Kensington-Cedar Cottage neighbourhood.
Saturday, June 20th | Sunset's Sunny Slope with Rob Howatson
As the hill steepens, the neighbourhood lore deepens. Join native South Vancouverite Rob Howatson for a stroll around Lower Sunset, where quiet residential streets meet the noisy bustle of the city’s largest industrial area.
See where South Van’s first school once stood and walk among the site’s current structures: Sunset’s first condo towers. Up the hill, the school’s successor, Walter Moberly Elementary, shows its chequered history through a mish mash of renovations and extensions. Hear about the struggles to create early neighbourhood halls, walk the old stream paths and follow Khalsa Diwan Road down to the Gurdwara that helped transform the slope into an Indo-Canadian settlement. This walk is a one way route and will end approximately 1.0 km from its starting point.
Wednesday, June 24th | If These Walls Could Talk: Vancouver’s West End with Rob Olson
SOLD OUT! Trace the footsteps of the influential figures who shaped our province—from pioneering medical professionals and war heroes to world-class athletes on this tour that explores the historic West End, a neighborhood that served as the original heart of Vancouver’s high society. Beyond the grand architecture, guide Rob Olson will delve into the darker side of the past, including the site of a chilling historical crime. This walk is a one-way route and will end approximately 1.0 km from its starting point.
Saturday, June 27th | Walking the Ridge: Kensington-Cedar Cottage #2 with John Atkin
37th Avenue runs through various neighbourhoods across what was the district of South Vancouver and Point Grey. Running by and through major city landmarks and parks such as Mountain View Cemetery, Van Dusen Botanical Garden, Norquay Park, St Mary’s Church in Kerrisdale, Queen Elizabeth Park and Kensington Park.
Following 37th Avenue from East to West, John Atkin will be “Walking the Ridge” and exploring how 37th Avenue has been developed and how it has changed, as well as looking closely at the landscape and cartography along the way.
This walk will focus on the area around 37th Avenue and Culloden Street in the Kensington-Cedar Cottage neighbourhood.
Wednesday, July 8th | Walking the Ridge: Kensington-Cedar Cottage #3 with John Atkin
SOLD OUT! 37th Avenue runs through various neighbourhoods across what was the district of South Vancouver and Point Grey. Running by and through major city landmarks and parks such as Mountain View Cemetery, Van Dusen Botanical Garden, Norquay Park, St Mary’s Church in Kerrisdale, Queen Elizabeth Park and Kensington Park.
Following 37th Avenue from East to West, John Atkin will be “Walking the Ridge” and exploring how 37th Avenue has been developed and how it has changed, as well as looking closely at the landscape and cartography along the way.
This walk will focus on the area around 37th Avenue and the east side of Fraser Street in the Kensington-Cedar Cottage neighbourhood.
Saturday, July 25th | Walking the Ridge: South Cambie with John Atkin
SOLD OUT! 37th Avenue runs through various neighbourhoods across what was the district of South Vancouver and Point Grey. Running by and through major city landmarks and parks such as Mountain View Cemetery, Van Dusen Botanical Garden, Norquay Park, St Mary’s Church in Kerrisdale, Queen Elizabeth Park and Kensington Park.
Following 37th Avenue from East to West, John Atkin will be “Walking the Ridge” and exploring how 37th Avenue has been developed and how it has changed, as well as looking closely at the landscape and cartography along the way.
This walk will focus on the area around 37th Avenue and Ash Street in the South Cambie neighbourhood.
Saturday, August 8th | Walking the Ridge: Shaughnessy with John Atkin
SOLD OUT! 37th Avenue runs through various neighbourhoods across what was the district of South Vancouver and Point Grey. Running by and through major city landmarks and parks such as Mountain View Cemetery, Van Dusen Botanical Garden, Norquay Park, St Mary’s Church in Kerrisdale, Queen Elizabeth Park and Kensington Park.
Following 37th Avenue from East to West, John Atkin will be “Walking the Ridge” and exploring how 37th Avenue has been developed and how it has changed, as well as looking closely at the landscape and cartography along the way.
This walk will focus on the area around 37th Avenue and Hudson Street in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood.
Wednesday, August 12th | Walking the Ridge: Kerrisdale with John Atkin
SOLD OUT! 37th Avenue runs through various neighbourhoods across what was the district of South Vancouver and Point Grey. Running by and through major city landmarks and parks such as Mountain View Cemetery, Van Dusen Botanical Garden, Norquay Park, St Mary’s Church in Kerrisdale, Queen Elizabeth Park and Kensington Park.
Following 37th Avenue from East to West, John Atkin will be “Walking the Ridge” and exploring how 37th Avenue has been developed and how it has changed, as well as looking closely at the landscape and cartography along the way.
This walk will focus on the area around 37th Avenue and Pine Crescent, just north of the Kerrisdale neighbourhood.
Saturday, August 15th | A Stroll through Shaughnessy with Rob Olson
SOLD OUT! Stroll from the historic Canadian Memorial United Church into the heart of First Shaughnessy, where Vancouver’s grandest estates reveal layers of local lore. Along the way, discover Chief Bingham’s house, famous for once housing Winston Churchill’s preserved cigar, and the regal Greencroft estate, former home of Eric Hamber. The journey with guide Rob Olson highlights the architectural splendor of the twin-towered Glen Brae Manor before winding past the storied mansions of the CPR elite toward the classic brick gates of Shaughnessy Elementary. It is a walk through West Shaughnessy that perfectly captures the prestige and eccentricity of the city’s most exclusive heritage enclave.
Saturday, August 22nd | Walking the Ridge: Arbutus Ridge with John Atkin
SOLD OUT! 37th Avenue runs through various neighbourhoods across what was the district of South Vancouver and Point Grey. Running by and through major city landmarks and parks such as Mountain View Cemetery, Van Dusen Botanical Garden, Norquay Park, St Mary’s Church in Kerrisdale, Queen Elizabeth Park and Kensington Park.
Following 37th Avenue from East to West, John Atkin will be “Walking the Ridge” and exploring how 37th Avenue has been developed and how it has changed, as well as looking closely at the landscape and cartography along the way.
This walk will focus on the area around 37th Avenue and Elm Street in the Arbutus Ridge neighbourhood.
Wednesday, September 2nd | Walking the Ridge: Dunbar-Southlands #1 with John Atkin
SOLD OUT! 37th Avenue runs through various neighbourhoods across what was the district of South Vancouver and Point Grey. Running by and through major city landmarks and parks such as Mountain View Cemetery, Van Dusen Botanical Garden, Norquay Park, St Mary’s Church in Kerrisdale, Queen Elizabeth Park and Kensington Park.
Following 37th Avenue from East to West, John Atkin will be “Walking the Ridge” and exploring how 37th Avenue has been developed and how it has changed, as well as looking closely at the landscape and cartography along the way.
This walk will focus on the area around 37th Avenue and Balaclava Street in the Dunbar-Southlands neighbourhood.
Saturday, September 12th | Walking the Ridge: Dunbar-Southlands #2 with John Atkin
SOLD OUT! 37th Avenue runs through various neighbourhoods across what was the district of South Vancouver and Point Grey. Running by and through major city landmarks and parks such as Mountain View Cemetery, Van Dusen Botanical Garden, Norquay Park, St Marys Kerrisdale Church, Queen Elizabeth Park, and Kensington Park.
Following 37th Avenue from East to West, John Atkin will be “Walking the Ridge” and exploring 37th Avenue, how its been developed, how it has changed, and the landscape and cartography.
This walk will focus on the area around 37th Avenue and Wallace Street in the Dunbar-Southlands neighbourhood.
*Please email katherine@vancouverheritagefoundation.org to be added to the waiting list for specific tours*
About Our Tour Guides
John Atkin is a civic historian, author and heritage consultant. He offers an interesting and offbeat insight into the city’s architecture, history and neighbourhoods through a series of unique and popular walking tours. These combine his interests in urban planning and development, a love of architecture and a fascination for the curious.
Rob Howatson is a writer, local history buff and lifelong South Van’er. He caught the heritage bug in 2007 when he discovered a time capsule hidden in the old Sunset Community Centre. (It contained rare Bing Crosby footage!) Rob also works for the City of Richmond at Steveston’s heritage sites.
Rob Olson is a Vancouver-based educator and researcher who views the city through the lens of a Red Seal carpenter and a lifelong storyteller. Specializing in neighborhood heritage, Robert’s walking tours—such as the popular Weird Point Grey—peel back the layers of local architecture and history to reveal the "bones" of the community. When he isn't mapping out new routes, he is likely mentoring the next generation of robotics enthusiasts and engineers.
PLEASE NOTE: For in-person events, we are unable to provide refunds or credits for cancellations received less than four (4) weeks prior to the event. For additional information on VHF's policies, please visit our Policies page prior to registering.
If you would like to make a donation in addition to your registration, the amount will be tax deductible and you will receive an official tax receipt for donations of $20 or more. Our Registered Charity number is 891765968.