In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Lions Bay-Britannia Beach
Stop 2–4 h on the Sea-to-Sky drive for Britannia Mine Museum and Porteau Cove; sleep only if you have a campsite or cabin booked.
This is a 30 km strip of Howe Sound shoreline on Hwy 99 between West Vancouver and Squamish: four small communities, a mine museum, a dive-friendly marine park and almost no beds. Most travellers pass through in 45 minutes; the stop pays off if you book Porteau Cove or want the mine tour.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- May–Sep for the museum, camping and diving; Oct–Apr for cheap cabins and quiet roads
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (rain, short days, some Porteau Cove facilities closed)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$60–110 excl. bed · Mid C$120–200 excl. bed · High C$220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and a baked good at the Lions Bay general store-cafe | C$3–11 |
| Burger, fish and chips or poutine at Mountain Woman, Britannia Beach | C$5–11 |
| Britannia Mine Museum admission | check |
| Porteau Cove campsite, drive-in | C$30 (C$16 low season) |
| TransLink fare, Lions Bay to Horseshoe Bay | C$3–5 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YVR · Vancouver International
- About 45–60 min by car to Lions Bay via Hwy 99; no direct transit, so rent a car or take a taxi/rideshare
Typical fares
- TransLink bus 262, Lions Bay → Caulfeild Village
- hourly service, about 20 min
- Drive, Vancouver → Lions Bay
- 30–45 min on Hwy 99
- Drive, Britannia Beach → Squamish
- 15–25 min
Get around
A car is the only practical way: Hwy 99 is the single road in and out, hilly and fast, with no gas between West Vancouver (exit 7) and Squamish. TransLink bus 262 links Lions Bay to Caulfeild Village and Horseshoe Bay hourly; Porteau Cove and Britannia Beach have no public transit. Lyft serves Lions Bay only.
See and do
Known for
- Britannia Mine Museum
- Porteau Cove marine park
- Howe Sound views from Hwy 99
- Shannon Falls and the Sea-to-Sky drive
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Squamish | Drive north on Hwy 99 | 15–25 min |
| Whistler | Drive north on Hwy 99 | About 1 h from Britannia Beach |
| Pemberton, British Columbia | Hwy 99 north past Whistler | About 1 h 30 min from Britannia Beach |
Sleep
- Porteau Cove Provincial Park
- The only real beds here: drive-in and walk-in campsites plus four-person legacy cabins on the water. Book ahead; three-night minimum Mar–Oct for cabins.
- Lions Bay village
- One general store-cafe and a handful of private rentals; no hotel. 30–45 min from Vancouver, so it works as a base only if you have a car.
- Britannia Beach
- Museum, a food stop and a souvenir shop; lodging is limited to short-term rentals. Squamish, 15 min north, has the nearest hotels.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the nearest gas station? | Where is the nearest gas station? |
| One campsite for two nights, please | One campsite for two nights, please |
| Is the museum tour running today? | Is the museum tour running today? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- No gas stations between West Vancouver and Squamish: fill up before you leave.
- Hwy 99 is winding and fast-moving; cycling is for confident riders only.
- Cell coverage is patchy along the highway and drops on trails.
- Nearest hospitals are in North Vancouver and Squamish, roughly equal time from Lions Bay; Squamish is closer if you are north of it.
- Porteau Cove's low season (Nov–Feb) can close some facilities.
Low-crime, low-traffic area; the real risks are highway driving, cold water at Porteau Cove and no cell signal on trails. Tell someone your plan before hiking.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Lions Bay-Britannia Beach yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Britannia Mine Museum
- Porteau Cove marine park
- Howe Sound views from Hwy 99
- Shannon Falls and the Sea-to-Sky drive
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Britannia Mine Museum: www.britanniaminemuseum.ca/
- BC Parks — Porteau Cove Provincial Park: bcparks.ca/porteau-cove-park/
- TransLink: www.translink.ca/
- Wikivoyage: Lions Bay-Britannia Beach, revision 5297261 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5297261
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Lions Bay-Britannia Beach
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies here; nearest consulates are in Vancouver. US consulate general: Vancouver (check the address).
Tipping: 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lions-bay-britannia-beach). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.