Cradled between snow-capped mountains and the glowing waters of the Pacific, Vancouver is a metropolis in Canada that blends wild magnificence with city sophistication like nowhere else. Right here, you possibly can swap from glass-fronted skyscrapers and bustling streets to hovering peaks, pristine seashores, forested slopes, and idyllic waterfronts inside minutes.
Usually ranked among the many world’s most scenic cities and a gateway to Canada’s spectacular nationwide parks and the Rocky Mountains, Vancouver is greater than only a fairly face. Whether or not you are drawn to the thrilling out of doors adventures or the various tapestry of cultures mirrored within the metropolis’s eclectic neighbourhoods, impartial purchasing, and modern nightlife scene, we’ve picked one of the best issues to do in Vancouver to be sure you don’t miss a factor.
Go inexperienced within the metropolis at Stanley Park
Stanley Park is Vancouver’s inexperienced coronary heart and certainly one of North America’s most spectacular city areas. This large 405-hectare (1,000-acre) peninsula of lush rainforest and pristine seashores gives an escape from metropolis life with out leaving downtown. Take a trip or stroll across the whole peninsula on the park’s well-known 9km (5.59 mi) Seawall, the place you possibly can absorb spectacular views of town skyline, ocean, and mountains at each flip. Elsewhere, take your time to take a look at the traditional 450-year-old Douglas firs on hidden strolling trails, watch marine life on the aquarium, and uncover Indigenous historical past on the iconic totem poles at Brockton Level. In summer time, dive into the heated oceanside pool at Second Seashore, cool off on English Bay’s waterslide, or get pleasure from a peaceable barbecue at Third Seashore.
High tip: Stanley Park is massive, so seize a map from an area reward store or concession kiosk to plan your go to.
Expertise it for your self on: Journeys: Uncover the Canadian Rockies – Westbound
Fulfill your urge for food at Granville Island
Granville Island lives as much as its repute because the beating coronary heart and comeback child of Vancouver, remodeling from an industrial centre into town’s most tempting spot for wandering, consuming, and people-watching. This fashionable spot blends its warehouse previous with a thriving arts scene, and its transformed industrial buildings now home galleries, theatres, eating places, and artist studios alongside charming houseboats and waterfront cafes.
The crown jewel of this cultural hub is the Granville Island Public Market, the undisputed Vancouver spotlight for food-loving travellers. This foodie paradise gives an unbelievable number of native specialties, recent seafood, artisanal merchandise, and ready-made treats from dozens of kiosks and cafés. Summer season weekends see the market buzzing with individuals absorbing the relaxed environment, whereas night guests can discover wonderful eating places and stylish bars and catch a present on the famend Arts Membership Theatre.
High tip: Take a look at Canada’s first domestically produced sake with a tasting on the maker’s kiosk in Granville Island Public Market.
Expertise it for your self on: Canadian Rockies Categorical
Soak up epic views from Grouse Mountain
In the event you’re chasing journey however don’t have the time for the close by out of doors scorching spots of Whistler, Jasper, and Banff, Grouse Mountain delivers another near town centre. Simply hop on the Skyride gondola, North America’s greatest aerial tramway, and soar from road stage to 1,231m (4,039 ft) in eight minutes flat. On the high, a wild playground and spectacular cityscapes await.
In winter, be a part of Vancouverites and carve up recent powder on illuminated beginner-intermediate ski runs, strap on snowshoes for a hike, or ice skate below the celebs. Come summer time, swap skis for climbing boots and deal with the Grouse Grind, often known as “Mom Nature’s Stairmaster.” It’s a lung burner, however the summit views are value each sweaty step. On a transparent day, you’ll spot the San Juan Islands, 160km (99 mi) away in Washington state. There’s eating, assorted trails, intricate wooden carvings, and resident wildlife on the high.
High tip: Go to at evening to observe town lights twinkle beneath.
Expertise it for your self on: Vancouver Island & Northern Rockies
Check your nerve on a suspension bridge
Immerse your self in North Vancouver’s lush temperate rainforest with a visit to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, quarter-hour exterior town centre. Brace your self and put together to cross the long-lasting 70m-high (230 ft) suspension bridge, which sways excessive above the Capilano River, earlier than persevering with by the Treetops Journey path to stroll throughout seven suspension bridges excessive above the forest ground. Elsewhere, courageous the Cliffwalk, a heart-stopping walkway alongside the cliffside of Capilano Canyon some 30 tales above the river, and take within the wildlife and flora as you go. Whenever you’re accomplished with heights, discover the intricate totem poles and go to the Story Centre for fascinating reveals and seasonal leisure.
High tip: In the event you’re afraid of heights and don’t wish to courageous the bridge’s wobble, head to close by Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge Park, which gives a smaller and non-swaying various amid waterfalls.
Expertise it for your self on: Canadian Rockies Eastbound Categorical
Go to Gastown, Vancouver’s birthplace
Step again in time and take in Vancouver’s historical past with a go to to Gastown, town’s oldest and most charming neighbourhood. This revitalized district, a straightforward stroll east of downtown, has a distinctly European really feel with cobbled streets, antique-style lamp posts, and fantastically preserved Victorian structure. Wander these streets to discover impartial boutiques, avant-garde galleries, and a few of the metropolis’s hippest espresso homes, eating places, and bars, all housed inside its character-filled brick buildings. Cease at Maple Tree Sq., the historic coronary heart and birthplace of contemporary Vancouver, marked by a statue of Gassy Jack, the world’s vibrant founder.
High tip: A go to to Gastown is not full with out snapping a photograph with the long-lasting Gastown Steam Clock on the nook of Cambie and Water streets. This distinctive, two-tonne landmark cheerfully puffs steam and chimes each quarter-hour. Go early or late within the day to get one of the best snaps.
Expertise it for your self on: Lively West Coast & Canadian Rockies
Take in the great life on Kitsilano Seashore
Epitomizing the laid-back Vancouver life-style, Kitsilano Seashore (or simply Kits if you wish to sound in-the-know) is the place Vancouver’s easygoing souls come to sunbathe and take in the whole lot they love about their metropolis. Suppose sandy shores, mountain views, and Canada’s longest heated saltwater pool proper on the sting of the ocean — it’s as dreamy because it sounds. In summer time, be a part of Vancouverites as they sprawl on the sand, spike volleyballs, or take within the downtown views on a stroll alongside the shoreline path. Come winter, spend your time wandering as much as West 4th Avenue for indie retailers, wellness studios, and brunch spots. Kits is all about gradual days, salty air, and absorbing that West Coast spirit.
High tip: Barely east is Vanier Park, the place you possibly can nerd out on the Vancouver Maritime Museum or bounce on the Aquabus for a breezy trip to Granville Island or downtown.
Expertise it for your self on: Canadian Rockies Encompassed
Go on a Vancouver whale-watching journey
Surrounded by water on all sides, Vancouver is the right place to set off on a whale-watching journey seeking these unbelievable marine giants. Most boat journeys head to the Salish Sea, the place you absorb jaw-dropping views as you bounce by the waves, scanning the horizon for the tell-tale spray of a humpback whale breaching or the smooth dorsal fin of an orca pod surfacing. On the wildlife bingo card, you possibly can anticipate the whole lot from orcas, humpback whales, and porpoises to pleasant sea lions, fluffy seals, and hovering bald eagles. Peak season runs from April to November when these ocean legends come out to play: breaching, tail-slapping, and customarily being showoffs. One of the best launch spots embrace Granville Island, Steveston, and Horseshoe Bay, and with luck, you’ll catch pods of orcas towards a backdrop of snow-capped peaks.
High tip: Humpback whales cruise by from June to November, whereas orcas and blue whales present up between Could and October.
Expertise it for your self on: Canadian Rockies: Nationwide Parks Westbound
See Vancouver’s Museum of Anthropology
Set on the sting of the College of British Columbia campus 20 minutes west of downtown, the Museum of Anthropology hits totally different — and never simply due to its large storytelling totem poles that tower over you within the glass-walled Nice Corridor. With a set of carvings, totem poles, and artifacts which are unequalled in North America, this place dives deep into the tales and artwork of the Indigenous individuals of British Columbia, particularly the Haida, whose work instructions each awe and respect. You’ll additionally discover treasures from Asia, Africa, and the South Pacific, though the museum’s focus is firmly rooted within the land you’re standing on.
The constructing itself is a WWII-era fort remodeled by an area structure legend. Make a day of it and swing by close by Wreck Seashore (it is a clothing-optional one), wander the UBC Botanical Gardens, or geek out on the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.
High tip: Go to the Museum of Anthropology on Thursdays when it’s open till 9pm for a extra intimate expertise. Tickets are half value after 5pm.
Expertise it for your self on: Canadian Rockies: Nationwide Parks Eastbound
Expertise Vancouver’s multicultural soul
Step by Chinatown’s ornate Millennium Gateway and dive into certainly one of North America’s largest Chinese language communities: an genuine and buzzing maze of hanging lanterns, natural retailers, dumpling joints, distinctive market stalls, and red-gold the whole lot. Get a really feel for Vancouver’s multicultural tapestry with a wander down Pender, Primary, and Keefer streets, the place old-school dim sum spots sit subsequent to edgy artwork areas and road murals.
Don’t miss the Sam Kee Constructing on Carrall and Pender. At simply 1.8m (5.9 ft) extensive, it’s the narrowest industrial constructing on the planet (sure, it’s Guinness official). Swap chaos for calm on the tranquil Dr. Solar Yat-Sen Classical Chinese language Backyard, the primary genuine Ming Dynasty backyard constructed exterior China — no nails, no shortcuts, simply excellent feng shui. Stroll by the peaceable courtyards and pavilions to marvel on the craftsmanship and to understand their yin-and-yang design.
High tip: Go to over Lunar New 12 months, which falls between January 21 and February 20, to expertise Vancouver’s unbelievable Chinatown parade.
Admire Vancouver Artwork Gallery’s assortment
Within the coronary heart of downtown, the Vancouver Artwork Gallery blends massive metropolis vitality with West Coast creativity. Housed in a former courthouse, this place serves up a rotating mixture of greater than 8,000 items, from Sixteenth-century European classics to pop artwork from Warhol and Lichtenstein, in addition to sculptures, images, and an enormous vary of latest multimedia installations. Don’t miss works by Emily Carr, a real Vancouver Island icon, whose artwork captures the wild spirit of the Pacific Northwest. Whether or not you’re deep into artwork or right here for the café, this venue hits the cultural candy spot.
High tip: Want a sightseeing breather? Seize a seat on the sun-drenched Gallery Café and take in the scene over espresso and people-watching.
Expertise it for your self on: Lively West Coast Canada Discovery
Odor the roses in VanDusen
Craving a dose of pure botanical bliss? Vancouver delivers with VanDusen Botanical Backyard, a vibrant oasis that is extra than simply fairly flowers. This meticulously cared-for inexperienced area is dwelling to greater than 7,000 plant species from throughout the globe, boasting intoxicating swaths of peonies, lilies, and magnolias, plus a whimsical Elizabethan hedge maze. Wander by themed gardens, chase butterflies, or simply sit back with a cup of one thing scorching at Truffles Café.
High tip: Examine what’s on the VanDusen’s occasions calendar as a result of the attractive gardens typically play host to stay music occasions, wine tastings, and different happenings among the many blooms.
Expertise it for your self on: Better of the Pacific Northwest
