WESTCOAST Sightseeing

Bought tickets for the Hop on, Hop off bus. ($ 42CAD ea.) It was the last day of our 3 days in Vancouver and we wanted to see more of the city before we left. The ticket is valid 24 hours from when you get on the first bus. So try to get there for the first bus of the day or buy it to where you can also use it the next day. We boarded at Canada place, stop #3. We rode the full loop once through to hear the commentary and the driver telling stories. Our driver was Dennis. Very enthusiastic and clearly LOVE Vancouver! We really only had time for 1 stop because we started late morning and after taking the full loop we choose to stop at the totem poles in Stanley park. We had an hour before the next bus picked us up and so we walked around a bit. It was raining very lightly and it was foggy which Dennis said is unusual for day weather here but still was an enjoyable ride! At the end he was very accommodating and dropped us right at the transit station.

My family used the Vancouver Hop-​on/​Hop-​off In September 2015, and really enjoyed the service.
The bus has 20+ stops at all of the tourist locations you would want to visit. You can get off the bus, tour the area, and then get on another bus when it comes around. The buses usually run about every 15 minutes. Every thing that was on our list of places to see was a stop on the route; Granville island, Stanley Park, Canada Place, museums, the Entertainment District, etc.
The driver and staff were all very friendly and helpful. The cost is $ 42 per adult/​$ 25 per child. They also have a great family pass (2 adults/​2 children) for $ 100.
The passes are good for 24 hours, and the buses usually run from 8am to 7pm depending on your stop. We were able to use the bus to tour all of Vancouver and because the pass was still valid, we used the bus to get to Canada Place to catch our cruise ship the next day. Awesome deal.
My only negatives are the bus is older, and reminded me of a school bus. Very basic. And I wish they would have operated earlier and later (longer hours).

Had a single day to tour Vancouver. On the paper– the Hop On, Hop Off bus was the perfect selection for our needs.
As a matter of fact this is my favorite method of starting a tour in a city newly arrived in. Without exception, in America, Europe and in Asia, this is a very pleasant and educational experience. Mostly the bus is a double decker with adjoining earphones offered for receiving audio guidance in a language of choice. Boy– were we completely mistaken.
Not in Vancouver. In Vancouver the hop-​on and off bus is a ridiculous joke. The bus itself is of inferior quality, probably a remnant of the 60s and 70s that should have been demolished long ago. It is only partly covered, the better part of the single deck bus open to the elements, equipped with a flimsy plastic hatch that provides only some cover for the pouring rain. Recall that this is not your sunny LA, but rather soaking rainy nearly constantly wet and damp Vancouver. Not only the hatch provides barely your minimal shelter, but also gives you only semi-​clear view of the toured vistas. OK, so you got on the bus for sight-​seeing? Tough luck, you must choose between the view and shelter from rain.
But the worst is yet to come: having hopped off we then hopped on a bus whose plastic hatch got busted in mid ride. Under the heavy winds the hatch began flapping with its aluminum holding-​poles hitting against the bus sides, endangering the passengers just as we were passing over a very busy bridge across the bay. The passengers grabbed the sides of the hatch and held it bravely down.
You might think that the tour company would offer some reward or compensation, like let’s switch to a better bus, get a ticket for another day, or offer a sailing tour for all the misery. Mind you the ride fare is $ 42 per passenger, or $ 100 for a family of three as we were. But no, no such luck.
So when you are in Vancouver, hire a taxi, rent a car, ride a horse or walk on foot, but don’t get on the hop-​on and off.

The tour was $ 42 CAD for one day. It was the open-​air hop on hop off bus. Early in the morning there was ample room, but by noon people were waiting an hour for a bus, and when they finally could get on one they didn’t even get a seat. Tons of annoyed people who said, «never again». The tour is all pre-​recorded (and often corny).

We did an Alaskan cruise round-​trip to/​from Vancouver, and afterwards had about eight hours to see everything we wanted to check out in town. The Hop On, Hop Off bus was perfect for our needs. I loved the flexibility of being able to get off whenever our fancy struck and (in theory) get back on in any increment of 20 minutes. Unfortunately, as other reviewers have mentioned, they overbook and it’s not uncommon for the buses to be completely full when they come by, which means you’re stuck waiting for the next one (or the next one after that). Also, the pre-​recorded tour commentary is a little cheesy and difficult to hear, particularly if you’re sitting in the open-​air portion of the bus. For $ 42 per person, it seems like they could do better. But if you’re pre– or post-​cruise and have a limited amount of time to work with, it may suit your needs nonetheless. It did ours.

Spent two days doing this HOHO. The route is fine with plenty of functional stops. The loop takes about 1.5 hours give or take based on load/​unload activity. Wish they had busses going both directions or additional loops. Other companies do, but theirs fail it have adequate overlap points to change routes.
The biggest issue is overcrowding so much that 5 or 6 busses pass before there are seats for two. That’s an hour and 20 minutes as they average 20 minutes apart. If there has been cruise lines with masses of people, good luck getting back on after you’ve gotten off.
Their plus is that it’s a 24 hour ticket. Buy one in the afternoon and use it the following morning.
As for the audio recording, it was not loud enough on any bus we were on to easily follow it over urban noise. Besides, those on the bus were too busy complaining about not getting off the bus for fear of not having a seat when they needed to get back on.
Currently, no stand up riding is permitted. This makes no sense particularly in the park area where speeds are slow. Allowing riders to stand between certain stops makes good sense.
Lastly, many people requested refunds. The tour company said that refunds could be granted but only through the original company that charged for the tour. We did not seek a refund and can’t seem if the returns will be honored.

We do HOHOs in just about every city we visit. This one was one of the most disappointing tours we’ve ever taken. The convenience of booking thru our hotel won out over the research I had previously done. I should have stuck with the plan to go with their competitor. It was early afternoon on May 26^th. The recorded audio was poorly done, and most of the time the driver talked over it, anyway. That would have been fine if he had given us useful or interesting info, but he was mainly just expressing his opinions of what he enjoyed. Towards the end of the tour he also made it quite clear that if we were counting on catching the last trolley, we shouldn’t wait until the last minute to be at the stop because, «after 12 hours on the road we’re in a hurry to end our day and we might leave early.» I wasn’t impressed.

This a review about the Navy Green Hop On Hop Off tours originated by this company. It is very confusing when you search for Hop On Hop Off tours — there are several under this name. The One Day fare for Adults is $ 42 — which is outrageous compared to Hop on Hop Off In other major cities. We rode the tour around Vancouver two times today and on the last trip the driver simply bypassed several of the stops listed on the map. I am sure he did this because he was running behind. The tour commentary was at best marginal with very little of local anecdotes. Not recommended!
Many people also complained about the cost and the fact that they had to wait a very long time at the stops because the buses were full and not enough buses were running…

I did a 2^nd Westcoast Sightseeing Tour on 8÷22÷2014. This time I did their Victoria & Butchart Gardens Tour. This tour cost $ 195.00 and includes a 90 minute cruise to get to Victoria from Vancouver. I was on the BC Ferry: Spirit of Vancouver Island that day. Also included is a two hour stop at the world famous Butchart Gardens and a stop at Victoria’s Inner Harbor. Our driver/​tour guide, Herman, did a great job and has a great sense of humor. Plus, I took photos.