Talking Trees: Stanley Park Indigenous Walking Tour Led by a First Nations Guide

Each Talking Trees tour is unique, shaped by the land, the season, and the stories shared along the way. Your experience begins with a brief land acknowledgment and gentle introduction from your Cultural Land Ambassador. Together, you’ll walk among towering cedars, maples, firs, and wild berries, learning how Indigenous peoples have lived sustainably in this region since time immemorial. Through engaging storytelling and land-based teachings, you’ll discover how local plants and trees were traditionally used for food, medicine, technology, and cultural practices. Your guide will share the story of the “Tree of Life” and its many gifts, including uses connected to transportation, housing, clothing, and ceremony. Along the way, you’ll learn how Indigenous communities practiced stewardship through selective harvesting and reciprocal relationships with the land, knowledge systems that continue today. Each tour is shaped by the season and the interests of the group.

1. 1

   Stop 1

   10 min

   Your experience begins at the Stanley Park Bus Loop, located beside the Mini Train and Aquarium parking area. Guests arriving by car can enter the park from Georgia Street, follow the Causeway, and take the Pipeline Road exit at the roundabout. Continue uphill past the Rose Garden and turn right into the parking lot for the Mini Train, Aquarium, and Bus Loop. Your Cultural Land Ambassador will be waiting in the round, open-air wooden gazebo inside the bus loop. This is where guests gather, check in, and meet the guide. After brief introductions and a welcoming, the group will depart together toward Beaver Lake to begin the main portion of the tour.

2. 2

   Stop 2

   1.3 hours

   From the Stanley Park Bus Loop, guests will set out on a guided walking route toward Beaver Lake, following shaded forest trails and pausing at several iconic points along the way for storytelling and knowledge sharing. As the group walks, the Cultural Land Ambassador will introduce key plants, trees, and landscape features, sharing Indigenous teachings, stories, and traditional uses connected to food, medicine, technology, and cultural practices. The pace is relaxed, with regular stops to observe the land, ask questions, and engage in discussion. The route loops around Beaver Lake before returning along the trail toward the Stanley Park Bus Loop. The walking portion of the experience takes approximately 90 minutes in total and concludes at the same meeting point where the tour began.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   5 min

   After completing the loop around Beaver Lake, the group will make their way back along the forest trail toward the Stanley Park Bus Loop, where the tour concludes. The return walk offers a relaxed opportunity for guests to ask additional questions, reflect on what they’ve learned, and engage in informal conversation with their Cultural Land Ambassador. The tour ends at the same meeting point, allowing guests to easily return to their cars, buses, or continue exploring Stanley Park on their own.

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.