Vancouver Extended Seaplane Tour — Howe Sound & Islands
Description
Experience even more of British Columbia’s beauty on this extended version of our most popular seaplane tour. While Vancouver’s skyline, mountain ranges, and coastline are stunning from land and water, nothing compares to seeing them from above. This 45-minute seaplane experience offers an enhanced aerial adventure for those wanting to see more in less time. Departing from downtown Vancouver’s Coal Harbour, soar over the city, Stanley Park, and Lions Gate Bridge before venturing deeper into the wilderness. Your expert pilot will follow a seasonal route that may include views of the rugged Coast Mountains, scattered islands of Howe Sound, and forested inlets unreachable by road or boat. Compared to the standard Vancouver Panorama Scenic Seaplane Tour, this extended version adds 15 extra minutes of flight time and offers more remote scenery. Ideal for travelers seeking a deeper look at BC’s natural beauty.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your adventure begins at Harbour Air's downtown Vancouver terminal at the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre in Coal Harbour — steps from Canada Place, the Vancouver Convention Centre, and Jack Poole Plaza, the iconic home of the Olympic flame from the 2010 Winter Games. As you wait, take in panoramic views of Stanley Park and the North Shore Mountains from the passenger lounge, grab a coffee at the Cockpit Café, or browse the gift shop. Check in 40 minutes prior to departure.
Once aboard, your seaplane lifts off from the waters of Coal Harbour and climbs above the city. Your flight takes you over the emerald expanse of Stanley Park — one of North America's largest urban parks — where sweeping forest meets the waterfront in a way that can only truly be appreciated from the air.
This is where your journey goes beyond the standard panoramic tour. Your route continues west into Howe Sound, one of the most dramatic fjords on Canada's Pacific coast. Below you, Gambier Island emerges — a peaceful, largely undeveloped retreat where dense forest meets the ocean, offering a serene and unspoiled view of British Columbia's natural landscape that most visitors never get to see.
Continuing over Howe Sound, you'll fly over Bowen Island — known for its towering trees, sheltered coves and tranquil shores. From above, the untouched wilderness of this island is captivating, set against the backdrop of the snow-capped Coast Mountains. Both Gambier and Bowen Islands are exclusive to this extended route and cannot be seen on our standard panoramic flight.
As your flight arcs back toward the city, the Vancouver skyline comes into dramatic view — a striking contrast to the wilderness you've just flown over. From above, you'll take in the full scale of the city's dynamic blend of urban energy and natural beauty, with the waterfront, harbour and mountain backdrop all visible at once.
Descending toward the city, BC Place Stadium stands out as one of Vancouver's most iconic downtown landmarks — easily recognised by its distinctive roof and prominent position along the waterfront skyline. As the official venue for the 2026 Soccer games, it carries even greater significance for visitors this year.
Also visible along the False Creek waterfront is Science World, one of Vancouver's most recognisable landmarks, its iconic geodesic dome a defining feature of the city's skyline from every angle — and particularly spectacular from the air.
Your seaplane makes a smooth water landing back at the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, bringing your extended aerial adventure to a close. In 35 minutes of flight time, you will have experienced two completely different sides of British Columbia — the vibrant energy of one of Canada's greatest cities, and the raw, unspoiled wilderness that surrounds it. If you have already flown our panoramic tour, this is your next adventure.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- All passengers 18 years and above must present either one piece of valid government issued photo identification, or two pieces of government-issued identification without a photograph
- Passengers must arrive at the terminal at least 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time, and be fully checked-in 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
- Passengers not checked-in before the check-in cutoff times will not be able to board their scheduled flight and will not be refunded their fare.
- If travelling with children, please be aware that the child fare applies to children aged 2-11 at the time of departure.
- Digital Tour Guide App. Download the app in advance on your iOS or Android device, or download it at check-in.
- Narration is optional. If you choose to use the narration feature, please bring and use your own headphones.
- A mobility assistance device, such as a wheelchair or cane, may be used by a passenger to get from the terminal to the aircraft, however, passengers must have the ability to walk on and off the aircraft with minimal or no assistance.
Reviews(157)
The service staff were cheerful and efficient. The pilot was excellent.
Beautiful flight and landing on a gorgeous secluded mountain lake. Great lunch with great friends and a really cool Pilot.
JayJ2204, thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled you enjoyed the flight and time spent with friends. We look forward to welcoming you aboard again!
Wonderful experience. You can bring a small bag on the plane and a water bottle. Bring earbuds if you want to listen to any commentary on the app. The sights were incredible - from the harbor, to the mountains - we went far enough to even see snow in August. Incredibly, we flew right through The Lions. Landing and takeoff were fantastic and the ride was very smooth.
Michelle_L, thank you for your five-star review. We're so pleased to hear you enjoyed the experience. You truly said it perfectly, the flight does provide some spectacular scenery! We hope to welcome you aboard again for another smooth flight soon!
What a fantastic way to see Vancouver and the surrounding Islands. We were fortunate enough to have a clear sunny day so visibility was amazing. The pilot doubles around the Island and Vancouver city, so both sides of the plane get the same experience. Taking off and landing on the water was a thrill and an experience we never have had before. Highly recommended tour.
Greg_Brisbane31, thank you so much for the kind words and recommendation. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the unique thrill of taking off from the water! Thanks for choosing Harbour Air - we'd love to fly with you again!
From check in to landing, I had a great experience on Harbour Air’s extended flight seeing tour. While the route was changed due to poor visibility in the higher mountains , the pilot made sure to give a great experience!
mdchickfromny, thank you for sharing your feedback! We're so happy to hear you had a great time on our extended sightseeing tour and that our pilot and team helped provide such a memorable experience. We appreciate your kind words and look forward to welcoming you back aboard our flights again someday!
We had a cloudy day, and our pilot did a great job taking us as high as he could to get us some amazing views!! The flight was such a cool way to experience Vancouver and see the city!!
Elizabeth_M, thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the flight and the incredible views of Vancouver. Even with the cloudy weather, we're glad our pilot helped create a memorable experience. We appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you aboard again in the future!
Could easily have been 5/5… the flight itself was fantastic … 2 small improvement areas we felt would make the difference… Larger / clearer signage to tell guests where to queue - as the team were a little rude when telling everyone who queued at the desk (as you would in any other airport) to move to another area off to the side with only a small typed up A4 sign to indicate it… the very fact the check in agent was getting frustrated tells you it’s not clear…. a really easy fix. The second ideal would be any sort of commentary or guide notes as what we were seeing on the flight… even a small map with notes would improve the experience. Overall still worth the money and a good experience that we would recommend.
RossA400, thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback. We're delighted to hear you had a fantastic flight and are thankful for your recommendation. We really appreciate your suggestions regarding the queuing area and signage. Your comments are valuable, and we understand how clearer directions could make the check-in process smoother for everyone. We also appreciate your suggestion about in-flight commentary. As we operate in one of the world's busiest harbours, our pilots must remain in continuous communication with Air Traffic Control and are therefore unable to provide commentary during the flight. We hope you have the opportunity to try our digital travel guide on your next flight with us, which includes information about many of the landmarks and sights along the route to help enhance your experience. Thank you again for your thoughtful feedback. We hope to welcome you on board again soon!
It was very pretty but not a narrated tour so just pretty county side. Very pretty. They store your luggage if off ship. Nice snack place. Very busy terminal.
nancy_f, thank you for sharing your review. We're glad you enjoyed the beautiful scenery and appreciated the amenities at our terminal. We also appreciate your feedback regarding the lack of commentary. As we operate in one of the world's busiest harbours, our pilots must keep open communication with Air Traffic Control and are unable to provide commentary throughout the flight. We appreciate your feedback and hope you'll have the opportunity to try our digital travel guide in the future, to help enhance your experience. Thank you for travelling with us, and we hope to welcome you aboard again soon!
We really enjoyed our day on the seaplane in Vancouver...Harbour Air did a great job with how well it was run from booking to checking in to getting on the flight and we got a great tour around Vancouver...the sights from above are so worth the price! It is tight quarters on the plane but everyone has a great viewpoint on the plane. It was really cool to take off and land in the water! We loved it!
265barris, thank you for your feedback! We're so pleased that you enjoyed your seaplane tour and the stunning views of Vancouver. It's great to hear everything went smoothly from booking to boarding, and that the water takeoff and landing made the experience even more memorable. We hope to welcome you aboard again soon!
Super flight, Harbour Air was very flexible because of the weather. At the scheduled time, the weather was very bad and the flight might have had to be canceled. They then offered a new time without any complications.
Michael_G, thank you for your feedback! We're glad you enjoyed your flight and we appreciate your flexibility with the weather. Safety always comes first, and we're so pleased that our team was able to find an alternative departure time and help you enjoy the experience. Thank you for flying with us!
