FanVancouver · Local guide
Grouse Mountain in 2026: what the $89 Skyride and gondola ticket includes, Lower Mainland rates, parking, bus 236, the Grind, and when to skip it.
Grouse sells its own tickets, but the mountain also appears in North Shore day-tour packages that include transport from downtown.
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Updated 4 October 2026 · Alex
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Yes on a clear day, especially on a first visit to Vancouver or with children. Of the three North Shore ski mountains, Grouse is the one a city bus takes you to, and its ticket is not a lift fare: $89 for an adult buys the round trip on the red Skyride or the Blue Grouse Gondola plus the open attractions at the top, from Coola the grizzly to the Lumberjack Show. On a day when the summit is in cloud, the same $89 buys a ride into fog. Tickets are dated and non-refundable, so look at the webcams before you pay.
| Adult ticket | $89 (ages 19–64); $74 at the Lower Mainland residents' rate |
| Family ticket | $229 for two adults and two children; $179 at the Lower Mainland rate |
| Included | Red Skyride or Blue Grouse Gondola both ways, plus the open mountaintop attractions |
| Extra cost | Gravity Coaster from $29 a ride, ziplines, Mountain Ropes Adventure, bike park |
| Hours | Mountain access 9am–9pm in early October; Today on Grouse lists each day's schedule |
| Time to allow | 3–4 hours at the top, plus 45–50 minutes each way from downtown by SeaBus and bus 236 |
| Parking | $10 for 3 hours, $12 for the day; $10 off admission if you come by transit |
| Skip it if | the summit is in cloud, or you only want a view and have a car |
Grouse sells one Mountain Admission ticket, valid only on the date you choose, and a cheaper rate for Lower Mainland residents. Tots aged 3–4 need a $5 ticket; free tickets for infants up to 2 are issued at the Skyride or the gondola. Online orders are capped at 10 tickets, and tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.
| Age | Standard | Lower Mainland rate |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (19–64) | $89 | $74 |
| Senior (65+) | $79 | $69 |
| Youth (13–18) | $69 | $59 |
| Child (5–12) | $49 | $39 |
| Tot (3–4) | $5 | $5 |
| Infant (0–2) | Free | Free |
| Family (2 adults + 2 children) | $229 | $179 |
What a visit really costs. Two adults driving up pay $178 for tickets and $12 for a day of parking: $190. A family of four on the family ticket with three hours of parking pays $239, or $189 at the Lower Mainland rate; against four single tickets for two adults and two children aged 5–12, the family ticket saves $47. Coming by SeaBus and bus instead? Show your transit fare at Guest Services for $10 off Mountain Admission (not combinable with other offers). Food at the top and any paid activity come on top of that.
Grouse lists all of these as included with Mountain Admission. Several are seasonal, so check Today on Grouse on the day.
Not included: the Grouse Gravity Coaster, new in 2026 ($29 a ride, $12 to add a passenger, $42 for two rides, or the $49 Sunset bundle after 6pm with admission and one ride), the ziplines, the Mountain Ropes Adventure, the Grouse Bike Park and Breakfast with the Bears. Skyride Surf, tandem paragliding and Birds in Motion have finished for the 2026 season.
Before promising the coaster to a child, read the rules: no riders under 3, children under 9 ride only as a passenger with a driver aged 16 or over, and drivers must be at least 132 cm tall. A booking gives you a 30-minute window to start your ride.
From the lookouts, North Vancouver, the harbour, Stanley Park and downtown spread out below, and the city's layout between the mountains and the sea finally makes sense. Pick the clearest day of your trip. In early October the mountain stayed open until 9pm, so a late-afternoon ride up gives you daylight, sunset and the city lights in one visit.
A bear in a pond, a lumberjack show, the kids' canopy area and a gondola ride make a half-day without a car. Teenagers usually want the coaster or the ziplines, so budget for one paid extra. More ideas in Vancouver with kids.
In cloud you see the inside of the cloud. Check the Grouse webcams and Today on Grouse the morning you go; if the top is grey, swap in a rainy-day plan and go up on the next clear day.
Cypress Bowl Road has free lookouts over the city on the drive up to the ski area. For rainforest and a suspension bridge without a ticket, Lynn Canyon Park is free; see Capilano vs Lynn Canyon. If you are driving to Whistler anyway, compare the Sea to Sky Gondola.
The cheapest way up is on foot. The Grouse Grind climbs 800 m in 2.5 km, up 2,830 steps, and Grouse puts the average at two to 2.5 hours for a fit hiker. The trail is free, but you cannot walk back down: Metro Vancouver does not permit downhill travel, so you ride the gondola or Skyride down on a Download Ticket, $20 for adults and $10 for children aged 5–12 when bought online. Grouse also sells a $39 Download Ticket Bundle for hikers that includes a coaster ride.
Metro Vancouver decides when the trail opens and closes. Hours shorten in autumn (7am to 4:30pm in early October), and the Grind is a spring-to-fall hike that closes once snow and ice arrive. Dogs are not allowed on the trail or at the top. Carry at least a litre of water and a warm layer for the summit; there are no washrooms or bins on the way. The BCMC Trail is another steep climb to the top. More North Shore hikes are in our hiking guide.
Take the SeaBus from Waterfront Station to Lonsdale Quay, then bus 236 to the base, about 25 minutes; from Phibbs Exchange, take bus 232. Grouse's tip: if you use single Compass tickets, buy your return at the station before you go up, because a cash fare bought on the bus is valid on buses only, not on the SeaBus home. Fares and zones are in our transit guide for visitors.
Drive through Stanley Park and over the Lions Gate Bridge, take the North Vancouver exit to Marine Drive, then turn left up Capilano Road for 5 km. From the Second Narrows Bridge, follow Highway 1 west to exit 14. All base lots are pay parking: $10 for 3 hours, $12 for the day or $60 for an annual pass, paid with the Pay-By-Phone app or at the machines. Evo car-share trips can end at Grouse with free parking, and Club OpenRoad members park free. The EV charging stations have been removed for now.
In summer Grouse runs a free shuttle from Canada Place for anyone with a round-trip Mountain Admission ticket; check the shuttle page for this season's last date. Capilano Suspension Bridge is on the same road, which is why so many visitors do both in one day: see downtown to Capilano and Grouse and is Capilano worth it?
Summer has the full programme: Ranger and Owl Talks, the Peak Chairlift, ziplines and long evenings. Early autumn keeps most of it with smaller crowds, but the summer extras (Skyride Surf, paragliding and Birds in Motion) have finished for 2026, and the Grind closes when the snow comes. In winter Grouse becomes a ski hill with night skiing until 10pm, snowshoe trails, a mountaintop skating pond, the Light Walk and, before Christmas, the Peak of Christmas, which last year ran from 21 November to 24 December. Coola hibernates through the winter. For the ski season, see Grouse Mountain skiing 2026-27 and Grouse vs Seymour vs Cypress; for December, Christmas lights in Vancouver.
Sources: grousemountain.com: Mountain Admission prices and terms, summer activities (what is included, what has finished for 2026), Today on Grouse (early-October hours), Wildlife Refuge (Coola; Grinder's death on 31 July 2026), Grouse Gravity Coaster (prices and rider rules), Grouse Grind FAQ, and Getting Here and Parking. Checked 4 October 2026; prices in Canadian dollars before tax.
Mountain Admission is $89 for adults (19–64), $79 for seniors, $69 for youth (13–18), $49 for children (5–12) and $5 for tots (3–4); infants ride free. A family ticket for two adults and two children is $229. Lower Mainland residents pay $74 per adult and $179 for a family. The ticket includes the round trip on the Skyride or the gondola.
On a clear day, yes, especially on a first visit or with children: the $89 ticket covers the ride both ways, the grizzly habitat, the Lumberjack Show and the lookouts. When the summit is in cloud, no. Tickets are dated and non-refundable, so check the webcams before you buy.
Yes. Mountain Admission includes the round trip on the red Skyride or the Blue Grouse Gondola. The gondola opened in December 2024 and reaches the top in about 5.5 minutes.
All base lots are pay parking: $10 for three hours, $12 for the day or $60 for an annual pass, paid with the Pay-By-Phone app or at the machines. Evo car-share trips can end at Grouse with free parking, and Club OpenRoad members park free.
Take the SeaBus from Waterfront Station to Lonsdale Quay, then bus 236 to the base: about 45 to 50 minutes in all. Show your transit fare at Guest Services for $10 off Mountain Admission. In summer there is also a free shuttle from Canada Place with a round-trip admission ticket.
Climbing the Grind is free. Hiking down is not allowed, so you ride down on a Download Ticket: $20 for adults and $10 for children aged 5–12 when bought online. The trail is open from spring to fall, with hours set by Metro Vancouver.
One. Grinder died on 31 July 2026 after 25 years on the mountain. Coola, rescued as an orphaned cub near Bella Coola in 2001, still lives in the habitat, which is included with admission. He hibernates in winter.
$29 a ride, plus $12 to add a passenger, or $42 for two rides; the Sunset bundle after 6pm is $49 with admission and one ride. The coaster is not included with Mountain Admission. Children under 3 cannot ride, and children under 9 ride only as a passenger.
Three to four hours at the top covers the ride up, the bear, a show and the lookouts. Add the coaster, ziplines or the Grind and plan for most of a day. From downtown, allow 45 to 50 minutes each way by SeaBus and bus 236.
In early October the mountain was open from 9am to 9pm, with the Lumberjack Show at 11am, 1pm and 4pm, the Peak Chairlift, the Gravity Coaster and the Grind (7am to 4:30pm). Skyride Surf, paragliding and Birds in Motion have finished for 2026. Today on Grouse lists each day's schedule.
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