Seair Seaplanes · Coal Harbour, downtown Vancouver
Vancouver's other downtown seaplane airline flies the same harbour in a smaller group, up to nine guests, with GPS audio commentary built in. It has the best rating of any city loop on this site, and it tells you plainly that the flight is 20 minutes.
Seair Seaplanes uses the same Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre address as Harbour Air, so the starting point and the view of Canada Place are the same. What changes is the airline. Seair's City Skyline page gives a 20-minute flight time inside a 30-minute tour, says tours run every day year-round, and lists the route: Coal Harbour, downtown, Stanley Park, the Lions Gate Bridge, the North Shore Mountains and the coastline toward Howe Sound.
Two things set it apart. Commentary is included: Seair's GPS-enabled AudioMe system plays in several languages during the flight, so you are not fishing for an app and earbuds. And the group is small, nine guests at most on the listing. One guest's pilot took photos of them on the jetty, and another guest's daughter rode as "co-pilot".
It costs a little more than the Harbour Air classic on Viator, and flights may be shared with other guests. Booked direct, Seair lists it from C$185 per adult and C$99 per child, in Canadian dollars. The engine is loud: one reviewer said to bring earplugs if that bothers you.
At the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, 1055 Canada Place. Guests 18 and over show government-issued photo ID.
Your pilot runs the briefing and loads the plane.
Up over Coal Harbour and downtown, out past Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge, with the North Shore Mountains and Burrard Inlet below and the audio commentary in your ears.
Landing in the harbour and the taxi back to the dock. One guest's pilot took photos of them on the jetty.
★★★★★A great, short, memorable fly over Vancouver harbor. It's loud, so if that's a problem, bring ear plugs. [...] Parking around there is a nightmare, so plan on arriving early and paying through the nose if you are driving. But all in all, wonderfully worth it.
★★★★★Great experience from start to finish. Check-in was easy and the staff was welcoming. Our pilot did the safety briefing and then loaded us into the plane with my daughter being the co-pilot (she was excited!).
★★★★★A quick, exciting seaplane trip with gorgeous Vancouver views. Much less scary than I thought it’d be.
Read next:
20 minutes in the air, inside a 30-minute tour, according to Seair's own page. It is the same flight time as the Harbour Air classic loop.
Yes. Seair includes GPS-enabled AudioMe commentary, available in several languages, during the flight.
Seair has the smaller group, built-in commentary and a 4.9 rating; Harbour Air is a little cheaper and far more reviewed. Our Harbour Air vs Seair guide compares them side by side.
Yes. On the listing the child fare covers ages 3 to 11, and infants up to 2 sit on a lap. Booked direct, Seair lists child fares from C$99.
Ready to book
A 20-minute skyline flight from Coal Harbour with GPS audio commentary built in, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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