Talking Trees: A Cultural Experience in Vancouver
Surrounded by towering mountains and sparkling sea, Vancouver, Canada is a modern metropolis teeming with sparkling high rises. On the edge of this city of glass lies the 1,000-acre Stanley Park, a mix of dense forest and modern attractions that was named “top park in the entire world” by TripAdvisor in 2014. For those looking for a more meaningful experience than just cycling the Seawall, Fairmont Waterfront is proud to partner with Talaysay Tours to offer the “Talking Trees Tour.”
While there are many modern marvels in the park today, including the Vancouver Aquarium and the stunning oceanfront Second Beach Pool, the park is almost as natural as it was 100 years ago with nearly half a million trees, some hundreds of years old and standing 250 feet tall. Stanley Park became the first park in the city of Vancouver in 1886, but long before that, it was the ancestral home of coastal indigenous peoples.
Explore that rich history with Candace and Larry Campo of Talaysay Tours. Each plant, each tree has its own special story. Explore the park with a First Nations guide and cultural ambassador, and along the way, listen to First Nations stories and learn about the cultural connection to Northwest coast trees and plants. Your guide will point out local plants that were harvested by Indigenous people for food, technology, and medicine. During the tour, you’ll take a break for some homemade indigenous tea. This special tea is made with an assortment of local plants (including licorice root and stinging nettle) and dried berries (including salal, salmon, and blackberries), all hand-picked and harvested locally. All fitness levels welcome.
Current Tours
TALKING TREES
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and every first and third Saturday
12pm noon | 90 minutes
$65 adults | $52 children 4-18 (free ages 0-3)
Each plant and tree has its own special story. Explore Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park with a local Indigenous guide and cultural ambassador. Along the way, your guide will point out local plants that were harvested by First Nations people for food, technology and medicine. Options for all fitness levels.
SPOKEN TREASURES
Tuesdays + Wednesdays | 2pm (75 minutes)
$60 per person ++
Explore iconic Stanley Park and walk the seawall with Indigenous Cultural Ambassadors. Our trained Ambassador-Guides will walk with you along the seawall, a 1.1 km walk, while sharing the stories, history and lore of our great city of Vancouver – through Indigenous Eyes. This tour includes the Aboriginal Indigenous history of Stanley Park and is completed at the renowned Stanley Park Totem Poles where the guided tour will conclude with the stories of the totem poles and the Indigenous peoples who carved them.
