Is the Capilano Suspension Bridge worth the money?
What works
- Three separate engineered walks on one ticket: the bridge, the seven-bridge Treetops Adventure and the 213 m Cliffwalk
- Free guided talks run through the year, with the schedule posted at the entrance
- It is 15 minutes from downtown, which no other rainforest attraction near Vancouver can say
- A seasonal free shuttle from three downtown pickup points, so a car is optional
- Open every day of the year except 25 December
Worth knowing
- CAD $76.95 for an adult is a lot for two to three hours
- Over 1.2 million people a year come through, and summer afternoons feel like it
- The bridge, Treetops Adventure and Cliffwalk are not wheelchair accessible
- It is a walk on paved paths and boardwalk, not a hike — there is 1.8 km of it
- All the food is inside the park, and the Cliff House takes no reservations
Who should not pay
Anyone with a car and a free afternoon. Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge is free, it is 50 m above the canyon floor, and it has been there since 1912. If what you want is to stand on a swaying bridge over a forested gorge, you can have that for nothing. I send people there most weeks and none of them come back annoyed with me.
Anyone expecting a hike. The park has 1.8 km of paved stone path and boardwalk, and that is the whole of it. Most guests are done in two to three hours. If you came to British Columbia to walk in the woods for a day, this is not that, and the price per hour is brutal when you look at it that way — see how long you actually need.
Anyone who cannot use the main attractions. The Suspension Bridge, Treetops Adventure and Cliffwalk are not wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair users get complimentary admission to the accessible parts of the park, the restaurants and the shops, which is fair of the park but does not make a day of it.
Who should pay, and why
People without a car. This is the real case. Lynn Canyon has no free downtown shuttle; Capilano does, seasonally, from Canada Place, the Hyatt Regency and the Blue Horizon. When that shuttle is not running, a combo tour picks you up at your hotel and solves Grouse Mountain in the same day, which is the one scenario where I will tell someone to spend more rather than less. The transport page lays out every route.
People with one day. You get the 137 m bridge, the Treetops platforms up to 33 m above the forest floor, the Cliffwalk cantilevered around the canyon wall, the Story Centre and Kia’palano, and a guided talk if you time it right, without moving your car. That density is what the CAD $76.95 is really buying.
People with children. Melanie from the United Kingdom put it plainly in her review of the park ticket: a beautiful park with a relaxing feel even when busy, and one she recommends to families. Children under 6 are free, which changes the family sum more than people expect.
The thing nobody warns you about
The bridge moves. Carole from the United Kingdom called it exhilarating if somewhat scary, and she is right on both counts. She also noted that she was there by 9.30 and met no queues, which is the single most useful sentence in the entire review section. If you are going to pay CAD $76.95, do it on an early slot and get the bridge to yourself for a few minutes — the timing page covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Capilano Suspension Bridge worth the money?
If you have no car, one day in Vancouver, and you want the bridge, Treetops Adventure and the Cliffwalk on a single ticket, yes. If you have a car and a free afternoon, CAD $76.95 per adult is hard to justify against a free bridge across the valley — read the Lynn Canyon comparison before you book.
Is Capilano worth it with kids?
It is one of the easier paid attractions to do with children: 1.8 km of paved path and boardwalk, no hiking, and children of 5 and under go in free. Reviewers of the park ticket recommend it to families. Anyone under 15 has to be with someone 18 or over. Here is the walk in order.
Is it worth it if I have already been to Lynn Canyon?
That depends on whether the bridge was the point or the forest was. Capilano adds Treetops Adventure, the 213 m Cliffwalk, Raptors Ridge in season and the Story Centre, none of which Lynn Canyon has. If you went to Lynn Canyon for the swimming holes and trails, you have already had the better version of that.
Is two hours enough to get value out of the ticket?
Two to three hours is what most guests spend, and four is unhurried. Crossing the bridge takes 5 to 15 minutes; the rest of the time goes on the other walks. If you only have 90 minutes, the ticket is poor value.