Vancouver Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour
Description
Step inside a world of murder, revenge, and true grit in a dramatic history of Victorian Gastown. This roving one-person play is led by a professional actor in character. Stories of deadly fire and smallpox emerge from the shadows as you venture through cobblestone streets to the shocking finale in this unique performance-theatre experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide at the entrance into Historic Gastown, outside of Monaco Coffee at the intersection of Cordova and Water St.
After venturing down a long forgotten alleyway we arrive at the historic Hotel Victorian to discover how our character's life took shape...and what really happened to them in the Klondike.
We enter the cobblestone streets of Vancouver's famous Gastown district...
We weave a path into Gastown, discovering back streets and alleyways, to arrive in the heart of Gastown at the famous steam clock. Along the way you'll hear the tragic stories of the woman in the well and the Great Vancouver Fire, and discover Gastown in the 1800s.
You'll follow the lamplight of your storyteller into Gaoler's Mews as the shocking finale is revealed...
After hearing tales of smallpox, George Vancouver's journey to the end of the earth, and the infamous bawdy house run by Madam Birdie Stewart, you'll emerge in iconic Maple Tree Square - one of Vancouver's most photographed and loved locations.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time
- Our tours are designed for adult audiences and do contain some references to adult themes. Our age recommendation is 14+ but certainly children aged 10+ can attend and enjoy our walking tours if parents are comfortable with their children hearing mature subject matter.
Reviews(1,362)
I take my hat off to this wonderful team who has blended drama and history so well together. The delivery was engaging, and the historical anecdotes chosen really helped hone a sense of empathy towards bygone characters. Tour guide/actor was wonderful and I couldn’t get over the fact that she literally had to multitask while performing/guiding/ensuring safety and compliance. Would definitely recommend!
Our guide Cole was very personable and entertaining and provided a very interesting hour and half, we really enjoyed it.
Hi Lindsay, Thanks so much for the review! So glad you had such a great time on Cole's tour, he's a fantastic storyteller. Thanks for the 5 stars and hope to see you on another tour someday soon :)
Learned about Vancouver's history through an entertaining performance during a peasant evening stroll.
Hi Charles, Thank you so much for your review. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your evening with us on the Lost Souls of Gastown. Thanks for joining!
Great way to get a walk in around Vancouver. Janet Glassford was our guide and did a fantastic job!! Highly recommend!!
Hi there, Thanks for the review! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour with Janet so much. We had no doubt you'd have a 5 star experience, and we hope to see you on another tour someday :)
This was a fun way to spend the evening, we got a guided tour around Gastown with an excellent narrative from our guide and an insight to the lifestyle of the gold rush age. Recommended.
Hi Ian, Thanks for the 5 stars! So glad you had such a great time exploring gold-rush era Gastown with us. Hope you can join us for another tour someday soon :)
It's neat way to see more of the city and learn some history along the way. I was a little worried about being able to hear well enough but our guide, Christopher Salt, projected well.! The tour was engaging and the detail Christopher put into his character and costume (down to his drinking flask rather than some other container) was great. Anyone who can navigate through crowds of extra people and keep character during World Cup celebrations deserves 5 stars. I, too have a college degree in theatre (technical design and direction) and appreciated each detail and delivery. I only wish there had been more history shared. Well done!!
Hi Heidi, Wow! Thanks for such a glowing in-depth review! We're thrilled you had such an amazing time on Chris' tour, he's a brilliant actor and we had no doubt you'd have such a great time on his tour. Hope to see you on another tour someday soon!
Fun and entertaining. Very animated tour guide. Obviously a actor.
Hi Mike, Thanks for the 5 star review! And you're correct, all of our Lost Souls of Gastown guides are professional working actors in Vancouver. Hope to host you on another tour someday soon :)
It was a wonderfully creative way to learn about the history of Gastown in the early days of Vancouver. It was different than other tours we’ve had like this in that all the history was told by a character. It felt like you were watching part of a street play tgat moved around different areas of the neighborhood. It is always interesting being able to stand in a place while you hear how it’s changed through the years. Our guide was a fantastic actress and incredible storyteller. She never broke character, even when it came to controlling cars, people, etc. around us. When we come back, we will definitely try another one of their tours!
Hi Rachel, Thanks for the lovely review! We're thrilled you enjoyed your tour so much. So glad you had a 5 star experience and can't wait to host you on another tour :)
This was a fun tour and a cool way to experience Gas Town. We’re glad we found it and had a great time!
Hi Bradley, Thanks for the 5 stars! Hope you can join us for another tour someday soon :)
What fun! This tour was great. Not only was it about history of Vancouver, but interesting true stories. Billy was our guide and he was exceptional!
Hi Angela, Thanks for the review! We're so glad to hear you had an amazing time on Billy's tour, he's an exception storyteller for sure. Thanks for the 5 stars and hope to see you again soon on another tour :)
