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Harbour Air Seaplane Flights

It's great fun to watch the takeoffs and landings of Vancouver's numerous floatplanes (which locals use for quick transport to Victoria—B.C.'s provincial capital—and regional islands). It's much more entertaining, though, to actually sightsee from one. Harbour Air offers an array of tours on 1950s-era DeHavilland “Beavers;” a 35-minute Extended Panorama tour, for example, includes a dazzling takeoff over the Lion's Gate Bridge, a loop 20 miles north over forest-covered Anvil Island, and an aerial circle over the city before gently landing—or is it watering? The outfit's experienced pilots are full of character; many have flown in exotic locales like Canada's far north “bush.”

Insider Tip: Try for the copilot's seat and you might get to fly the plane, plus you get a headset and can hear the pilot and controllers.