How Long to Spend at Grouse Mountain?

Vancouver’s biggest tourist attraction is a must for visitors and locals alike.

That said, being at the peak of a mountain means it involves a bit more time than traditional activities – but how long do we need to spend at Grouse Mountain?

Let’s take a deeper look.

How Long Does it Take to Do Grouse Mountain?

First of all, as I mentioned in my post on how to get to Grouse Mountain you should expect between 20-45 minutes of travel from downtown Vancouver, depending on traffic.

Then, you’re looking at an 8 minute gondola ride up the mountain from the Grouse Mountain parking lot.

Once you’re up top, it really depends on which Grouse Mountain activities you’re going to do.

In general, the major Grouse Mountain attractions break down like this:

• Peak chairlift (40 minutes)
• Birds-in-Motion demonstration (15 minutes)
• World-Famous Lumberjack Show (20 minutes)
• Ranger talks (15 minutes)
• Guided eco-walks (45 minutes)
• Theatre in the Sky (15-60 minutes depending on film)
• Pollinators’ Garden (10 minutes)
• Grizzly Bear Habitat (20 minutes)
• Disc Golf (30 minutes)
• Snowshoeing (60 minutes)
• Sliding Zone (60 minutes)
• Outdoor skating (30 minutes)
• Light Walk (15 minutes)
• Peak Chalet Cafes and Restaurants (60 minutes)
• Kids Treetop Canopy Adventure (45 minutes)

As you can see, you can expect to spend about two hours on the activities plus coffee and lunch.

Add in the hour or so for travel to/from Grouse Mountain and we’re looking at four to five hours for a proper visit.

Related: How Much is the Grouse Mountain Gondola?

Looking to see Capilano Suspension Bridge too? Consider a Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge tour.

The Optimal Grouse Mountain itinerary

I mentioned traffic before, and this is the greatest factor in considering how much time to spend at Grouse Mountain.

Since Grouse Mountain is across the water in North Vancouver, you’re going to want to avoid rush hours (7:30 am to 9:30 pm and 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm) like the plague.

The traffic jams getting across the Lions Gate Bridge can add up to an hour to your trip.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that if you don’t buy your Grouse Mountain tickets in advance online you’ll be waiting in the ticket line on site – which can cause you to miss the low capacity gondolas.

This could add another 30 minutes to the process.

To avoid this, simply book your tickets in advance using the calender below:

I would personally plan to visit Grouse Mountain at about 10:30 am, leaving around 3:00 pm to beat the traffic back.

Related: Is Grouse Mountain Worth It?

Still Wondering How Long to Spend at Grouse Mountain?

I’m on a quest to answer every Vancouver tourist question to create the greatest visitor resource online – and I hope I’ve done that here.

That said, if there’s something I’ve missed please write me in the comments below for free advice.

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  |  Curious? Read some Grouse Mountain reviews from recent ticket buyers.