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Vancouver Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour

Recommended by 95% of travelers
Vancouver, Canada
Viator Experience Award
High interest
Booked 3 times today.
  • 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8
·
· Tammy_M ·
Nov 2025
Our tour was outstanding. Our guide was an amazing storyteller. We leaned a lot about Vancouver history and just over an hour was perfect. We had the added benefit of it being Halloween so lots of fun costumes to see.
· Kelly_V ·
Feb 2026
What a wonderful and entertaining experience we had on this tour! ‘George’ was a one-man show leading us around the city and sharing ‘his’ story from the 1800’s! We learned a lot and were thoroughly entertained! Definitely recommend!

Overview

Get a glimpse into Vancouver’s rough and rowdy past on a walking tour of the historic Gastown neighborhood. Hear haunting tales of the city’s darkest days, when fires, smallpox and gold dust fever swept through the frontier outpost. Visit the neighborhood’s landmarks and historic sites as your guide evokes the thieves, hustlers and vagabonds that made the west so wild.
  • Gothic theater adventure in Vancouver
  • Recount the Great Fire of 1886, smallpox outbreaks, and Vancouver’s most shocking unsolved murder
  • Visit Gastown’s most famous sites, the Steam Clock, Gassy Jack statue, Byrne’s Block, Hotel Europe and Maple Tree Square
  • Weave through the back streets, alleyways and secret spaces of Gastown

What's Included

  • Local guide
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Monaco Cafe
    356 Water St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1B6, Canada

    Meet outside Monaco Cafe at 356 Water St. in Gastown. Close to Waterfront Skytrain and Seabus Station.

End point

  • Maple Tree Square, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    The walking tour ends in Maple Tree Square, Gastown, in the heart of Vancouver's restaurant and bar scene. The start point is just an easy 10 minute walk back, and the guide can provide a map and directions if needed.

Itinerary

1

356 Water St

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

2

Victorian Hotel

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

3

Gastown

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

4

Gastown Steam Clock

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

5

Gaoler's Mews

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

6

Maple Tree Square

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • 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.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8
based on 1,281 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
We perform checks on reviews

Great overview of Gastown...

Mary_O, Mar 2026
Great overview of Gastown neighbourhood. Stuart was able to be easily heard throughout his presentation and ensured that everyone in the group was included.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Mary, Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! I'm delighted to hear you had such a great time on the Lost Souls of Gastown with Stuart! So happy to hear he took such excellent care of the group :) Hope to see you again soon!

Please do not go

Jose_S, Mar 2026
Honestly just not what I expected. The made up stories were uninteresting, we walked in a circle to same spots essentially. Everyone in the group looked like they didn’t want to be there.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Jose, Thanks for leaving us your feedback. Sounds like the tour wasn't your thing, and that's okay, it's not for everyone. We're sorry to hear it wasn't what you expected. We advertise the Lost Souls as a one-person play where an actor in character recounts tales of Vancouver's gothic Victorian history rather than a conventional ghost tour. Each story is directly sourced from documented history in the city archives, and all locations visited on the tour are relevant to each story, but again, it sounds like it wasn't up your alley. We appreciate you taking a chance and trying out our experience! Perhaps you may prefer one of our more conventional walking tours—we'd love to see you on a tour that's more your style. All the best, The Forbidden Vancouver Team

Fantastic Way to Learn About Vancouver

Hilary_F, Mar 2026
Rather than a ghost tour, it was more of a historical tour, but still fun and very worth our time. Our guide personalized the narrative in a way that made it really engaging. We learned a lot about Vancouver and heard a few spooky tidbits to boot. Vanessa was incredible. it was cold and raining, but she stayed 100% committed to her character and gave it her all. Total respect for her abilities as an actress and the level of professionalism she displayed. She was also great at improvising, which created several fun interactions with the participants. Totally recommend this activity as a cool way to explore a historic part of Vancouver and to learn more about its past.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Hilary, Wow! Thanks so much for the in-depth review! Sounds like you had an absolute blast on Vanessa's tour, she's such a great actress! We sincerely appreciate the 5 stars and hope to see you again soon on another tour :)

Highly recommend!

Kelly_V, Feb 2026
What a wonderful and entertaining experience we had on this tour! ‘George’ was a one-man show leading us around the city and sharing ‘his’ story from the 1800’s! We learned a lot and were thoroughly entertained! Definitely recommend!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hi Kelly, Thanks so much for your great review. I'm delighted to hear you had a wonderful time on the Lost Souls of Gastown with your guide on an adventure through history! So glad you enjoyed the "show" :) Hope to see you again soon!

The tour guide was...

Kat_C, Feb 2026
The tour guide was informative and so fun! I really enjoyed this experience and can’t wait for the next opportunity to go on another one of these tours!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hi Kat, Thanks for the review! We're thrilled you had an exciting adventure in Gastown. Thanks for the 5 stars and we can't wait to see you back for another tour soon :)

Awesome experience

Tammy_M, Nov 2025
Our tour was outstanding. Our guide was an amazing storyteller. We leaned a lot about Vancouver history and just over an hour was perfect. We had the added benefit of it being Halloween so lots of fun costumes to see.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Hi Tammy, Thanks so much for the glowing review! We're so thrilled you had such a great time exploring Gastown on Halloween with one of our talented guides. Thanks for the 5 stars and hope we can see you again soon :)

HISTORY thru the back allies of VBC

Karen_D, Oct 2025
Zoie was animated, personal and had a fun humor about her. Truly enjoyed the experience, her period appropriate clothing and the gin flask!

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Karen, Thanks so much for the review! We're so glad you had such a fantastic time exploring Gastown WIth Zoe. Your five stars mean the world to us and we'd love to see you again soon on another tour :)

Beautiful storytelling and history

Zachary_P, Oct 2025
Vanessa is such a talented guide! She really brought the history to LIFE and gave the characters such humanity. I will think about this experience for many years to come.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Zachary, Thanks so much for the review! We're delighted you had such a fantastic time on Vanessa's tour, and that you won't forget it any time soon. your five stars mean the world to us, and we'd be thrilled to host you on another one of our tours :)

Well organized,...

Sharon_S, Oct 2025
Well organized, interesting, but a bit crowded. Do not like that you are requiring a 100 character comment.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Sharon, Thank you for taking the time to write us your review. It sounds like you had a wonderful tour. We see that you gave us a 4 star rating, and we wish that it had been a 5 star experience - that's what we strive for for every guest! Our Lost Souls of Gastown tours are certainly popular during October! If you'd like a bit of a quieter tour, we offer several other walking tours that aren't quite so packed this time of year. As per the 100 character limit, I can clarify that isn't a choice we made, but simply a quirk of Tripadvisor/Viator's review system. If you have any feedback about your tour, your storyteller or your experience with Forbidden Vancouver, please do let us know. You can email us at info@forbiddenvancouver.ca. We take feedback from our guests seriously!

It was a great historical...

Gracen_S, Oct 2025
It was a great historical tour of gastown. Not as spooky as one would hope but I left feeling more educated about the history of this beautiful part of the city

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Grace! Thank you so much for your review. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your time on tour with us. Our tour is definitely more of a gothic theatrical adventure than a spooky tour! I see you've left us four-stars, if there's anything else we could've done to bring that experience up to five, do feel free to email us at info@forbiddenvancouver.ca. Hope to see you again soon :)

Good way to learn about the history of the area.

Kathryn_H, Oct 2025
Entertaining night, full of ghostly stories. Guide was knowledgable and entertaining. A great way to learn about the area.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Kathryn, Thanks a ton for the review! We're so glad you had such a great time on the Lost Souls of Gastown Tour. Thanks for the 5 stars and hope to see you again soon :)

Terrific History Tour

James_N, Oct 2025
Terrific walking tour of Gastown in Vancouver. The tour guide ( Colin ) was fantastic as a character from the early days of Gastown & really drew us into the history & what life was like in those days. Highly recommended.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi James, Thanks so much for the review! So glad you had such a great time out exploring Gastown with one of our talented guides. We really appreciate the 5 stars and hope to see you again soon on another tour :)

Gastown tour- a must do in Vancouver

Linda_B, Oct 2025
Wonderful interactive storytelling about Vancouver and Gastown. Zoe aka Sarah was an excellent guide.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Linda, Thank you for leaving a review! I am so happy to hear you had such a great time on the Lost Souls of Gastown with Zoe as your guide. Thanks for travelling back in time with us! Hope to see you on tour with us again soon :)

Awesome!

Shari_B, Oct 2025
Enjoyable time learning the history of gastown and Vancouver with George (Chad). He was awesome and engaging... and I'd recommend the tour to anyone curious and looking for a storytelling journey.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Shari, Thank you so much for leaving a review on your time with us on the Lost Souls of Gastown! Delighted to hear you enjoyed yourself, diving into Gastown history :) Hope to see you again soon!

Be ready to walk over...

Victoria_P, Oct 2025
Be ready to walk over uneven surfaces. But also be ready to have a lot of fun and learn quite a bit about the history of Vancouver and Gastown. Small group with a knowledgeable and talented tour guide.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Victoria, Thank you so much your review! I am delighted to hear you enjoyed your time on the Lost Souls of Gastown, uneven surfaces and all :) Delighted you had fun learning about Gastown history - hope to see you again soon!

Excellent Time

Marcus_P, Oct 2025
Great History Stories. I love how they play characters in the story. Vanessa was outstanding as a guide. She was funny, informative and stays in character.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Marcus, Thanks so much for the review! Vanessa really is a great storyteller, we're so glad to hear you had such a great time on her tour. Thanks for the 5 stars, and we'd love to see you on another tour someday soon :)

Not worth it

Tara_F, Sep 2025
Not what I was expecting, I have been on many walking tours like this but I have never been asked what was real and what was fictional. I was expecting more historical information with the allure of the possibility of an actual haunting. After the tour I was left scratching my head thinking was anything she said real.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Tara, Thanks for taking the time to write a review. It sounds like the Lost Souls of Gastown tour wasn't your cup of tea. We present this tour as a roving gothic theatrical experience of early Gastown's darkest days moreso than a traditional walking tour or ghost tour. While the fictional elements exist to give the history of Gastown a narrative structure, all of the stories told on the tour are taken from real historical accounts of Vancouver's past, all documented in the city archives and verified by our in-house historian. That said, we know that this style of tour isn't for everyone, and we get it. We do offer several more conventional walking tours, perhaps they'd be a bit more your thing? Thanks for coming on our tour, and we hope you had a good time in Vancouver.

Neat to see things you wouldn't normally notice

Brian_B, Sep 2025
Some hill walking but pretty easy walk. Great tour guide who took the time to explain and show photos

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Brian, Thanks a ton for the five star review! Hope you can join us again for another one soon :)

A great bit of theater...

James_O, Sep 2025
A great bit of theater telling the early story of Vancouver. Very well done by actor in his role as a person in the late 1800’s.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi James, Thanks so much for the review! So glad you had a great time out in Gastown with us. Thanks for the 5 stars and we hope to see you again soon :)

Gaston Ghost Tiur

Sherry_W, Sep 2025
It was great! Our guide was knowledgeable, pleasant, an excellent performer. She often checked in with the group to endure eexwere all OK.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Sherry, Thanks a bunch for the review! Delighted to hear you had such a great adventure out in Gastown with one of our talented storytellers. We really appreciate the 5 stars and we hope you can join us for another tour :)

Very entertaining & great way to see some of Gastown!

Gillian_S, Sep 2025
Easy walking tour with tales of some of Gastowns history, Chris our guide was a great storyteller and kept us entertained. Would recommend for a nice hour or so in Gastown.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Gillian, Thanks so much for the 5-star review! So glad you had such a great time exploring Gastown with Chris. Hope you can join us again for another tour someday soon :)

Excellent way to get to experience Gastown!

Carol_R, Sep 2025
Very interesting presentation, and Joelle portrayed her character beautifully. I learned a lot of history that I was oblivious to, getting to know Vancouver for my first visit.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Carol, Thanks so much for the review! Sounds like you had a great night out in Gastown with Joelle. We really appreciate your 5 stars and hope you can join us again soon for another tour :)

Delve into the history of Gastown in the 1800s

Molly_S, Sep 2025
George (aka Stuart) told the tale of Gastown through discovery, fire, epidemic, and boomtown in the 1800s. He provided information on the history of these events in an entertaining and engaging narrative. Also enjoyed seeing the photographs of the town before and after the fire and the people who lived during that time. Very enjoyable way to spend your evening.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Molly, Wow! Thanks for the glowing review! We're thrilled you had such an adventure in Gastown with Stuart, he's such a great storyteller! Thanks for the 5 stars and hope you can join us for another tour someday soon :)

Great tour highly recommended.

Chris_E, Sep 2025
Brilliant tour Kennedy really brought the character to life and shared some fascinating insights into the early days of Vancouver and its history.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Chris, Thanks for the glowing review! Sounds like you had a blast exploring Gastown with Kennedy. So glad you had a 5 star experience, and we hope you can join us again soon :)

Lost Souls of Gastown

Jennifer_H, Sep 2025
So much fun! Billy is an excellent guide, and I really learned a lot on the Lost Souls of Gastown tour. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Jennifer, Thanks for the 5 star review! So glad you had so much fun out in Gastown with Billy, and we'd love to see you on another tour soon :)

Fun little walk

Angelique_B, Sep 2025
We learned some about the gastown. The stores where interesting. Our guide was very nice. Would recommend.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thanks so much for the review! So glad you had a great time. Thanks for the 5 stars and hope you can join us again for another tour :)

We enjoyed this walking...

Dondi_B, Sep 2025
We enjoyed this walking tour on a Saturday evening in mid-September. Our guide was Chris and he was great. The walking pace was comfortable and we found the guide to be knowledgeable, helpful and entertaining. The pace never felt too rushed, yet the evening moved swiftly. Enjoyed learning more about GasTown and even discovering some new spots that we will visit again in the future. Focus is more on history than anything of a “spooky” nature.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Dondi, Thank you so much for your review! Delighted to hear you enjoyed your time on tour with Chris. Thrilled it was such a lovely experience and that time just flew by! Travelling from the 1800s and back, all in one night :-) Delighted you could join us and hope to see you again soon!

Engaging and Entertaining

Brenda_S, Sep 2025
Vanessa was a very captivating actress, and played the part very well. Her delivery, staging, and character were very engaging. We really enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend it.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Brenda, Thank you so much for your review! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed your time on the Lost Souls of Gastown with Vanessa! Thrilled it was such an engaging and enjoyable experience. Hope to see you again soon :)

Lost Souls Gastown tour

Alison_G, Sep 2025
Super tour with a guide who was in character and told stories throughout about her fictional hard life in Vancouver which touched on various historical events. She had photos of real people and places which she had incorporated into her ghoulish tales. Very well done as she brought the history to life, almost too well! With comedy and tragedy mixed in. You had to use your imagination at times as certain buildings don’t exist anymore. Well worth the money.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Alison, Thank you so much for your review! I am so delighted to hear you enjoyed your time with us on the Lost Souls of Gastown, journeying through the wild ride that is Gastown history. I'm so glad it resonated. If there's anything we could do next time to give you a five-star experience, do let us know! We love receiving guest feedback :) Hope to see you again soon!

A tour not to be missed.

Murray_L, Sep 2025
It was a really interesting and informative tour. Chris was born to lead a group like this. He was amusing, inclusive and with so many interesting stories about the history of Vancouver and especially the Gaslight district.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Murray, Thank you so much for your lovely review! I'm delighted to hear you enjoyed your time on the Lost Souls of Gastown with Chris as your guide. So happy you could join us and hope to see you again soon :)

From $28.76

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

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On average, this is booked 25 days in advance.

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