Gastown - Coal Harbour - English Bay and Yaletown Loop

The Gastown – Coal Harbour – English Bay and Yaletown Loop is one of the best ways to get a feel for downtown Vancouver in a single walk. This 10.3 km paved loop is very easy, almost flat, and usually takes just over two hours at a relaxed pace. It strings together heritage streets, marina views, and busy seawalls, so there’s always something to look at and plenty of spots to stop for a coffee or snack.

Starting in Gastown, you wind past brick storefronts and the steam clock before dropping onto the waterfront toward Coal Harbour, with constant views of floatplanes, Stanley Park across the water, and the North Shore mountains on a clear day. The route then curves along the seawall toward English Bay, where you hit a run of sandy beaches and open ocean views that really shine at sunset, before looping back through the glass towers and patios of Yaletown.

The Gastown – Coal Harbour – English Bay and Yaletown Loop is fully urban, so expect lots of people, bikes, and runners, especially on sunny evenings and summer weekends. The path is paved and mostly wide, with only a few short grades, making it friendly for strollers and casual walkers, but you’ll want to keep an eye out at bike crossings. Sunsets along English Bay are a highlight, and the loop works year-round in Vancouver’s mild climate, though you may want a rain shell and good grip in winter when the seawall can be wet and slick.