Vancouver is one of the most popular destinations in Canada with foreigners and it is easy to see why. This city is very laid-back with spectacular scenery and amazing activities available all year round. View my guide to visiting Vancouver for the first time with tips for where to stay, what to do and how to save money.
Vancouver Travel Booking Resources
These are my favourite companies to use when I travel.
• Search cheap flights with Skyscanner.
• Find the best deals on hotels on Booking.com.
Vancouver Tours
• Book sightseeing tours & attraction tickets on GetYourGuide or Viator.
Vancouver Facts
• Along with Victoria, Vancouver has the mildest climate in Canada.
• Despite its mild climate it rains an average 165 days a year in Vancouver.
• The city is named after explorer Captain Vancouver.
• 35% of Vancouver’s population were born abroad.
• In Vancouver you can play golf, sail, kayak and ski on the same day.
• The Vancouver Aquarium is ranked fifth in the world.
Getting from Vancouver Airport
Vancouver airport is located 13 km from the city. A taxi costs around $25 and the journey will take 20–45 minutes. A scheduled bus departs every 30 minutes and costs $13.50 or you can take a public bus.
Main Attractions
Vancouver’s China Town has been a bustling cultural location for over 100 years. It is rich in history with some incredible architecture and hosts festivals, parades and summertime night markets. Popular features include the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and the Chinese Cultural Centre.
Science World is the place to go in Vancouver if you want to expand your mind and have some hands on fun. Its jam packed with feature exhibitions, interactive displays and unbelievable since demonstrations. Despite already being pretty sizable its currently being expanded so it can include twice as much.
If you want to get a really good look at Vancouver take a walk around the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Within the park are the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Treetops Adventure and the Cliff Walk. The Capilano Suspension Bridge is 137 metres long, 70 metres high and has been a Vancouver landmark since 1889. Knowledgeable staff present visitors with a unique perspective of history, culture and nature, giving them as much (or as little) information as they want.
With over 70,000 creatures Vancouver Aquarium holds almost as many interesting sights as the sea. Sharks, whales, pacific white-sided dolphins, sea otters, seals, sea lions, octopi, tree toed sloths and anaconda’s make up just some of the exhibitions. The Vancouver Aquarium opened in 1956 and has grown in size and reputation with every passing decade. It is now one of the most famous Aquariums in the world with nearly 1 million visitors every year.
Best Things to See and Do in Vancouver
While we would all love to spend an infinite amount of time visiting a new city, sometimes it just isn’t possible. Whether it’s visiting a new area for work or only having a certain amount of vacation days, time is usually not on the traveler’s side.
When I visited Vancouver I knew that my time would be limited because of an already packed itinerary. Instead of bemoaning the little bit of time I had, and despite the rainy weather on my only free day in the city, I managed to see and experience quite a bit in only a rainy afternoon in Vancouver.
It was proof that as long as you are motivated to make it happen, you can experience and get the feel of a city no matter how little time you have.
If you are planning a city break to Vancouver, if only for an afternoon, check out these following attractions.
1. Rent a bike
Despite the fact that the city is growing and construction has been everywhere in the past few years as they geared up and hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, and thus, is getting more crowded, cycling around is still really safe and easy, even in the most crowded and popular areas.
The many bike lanes are all over, making it extremely easy to pedal around. The friendly, laid back demeanor of many Canadians makes the road rage and ignorance towards cyclists much less frequent than many of its American counterparts.
Add in the fact that the city itself is gorgeous, with sleek architecture, bays, harbors, rivers and creeks surrounding it on nearly all sides, and white-capped mountains serving as the backdrop, and you have all the makings for an awesome ride.
Check out Denman Street near Stanley Park for a glut of rental companies. Bayshore Rentals charge about $12/hour or $30/day (all prices in Canadian dollars).
2. Stanley Park
It’s always a pleasure to discover a massive green area in a major, metropolitan area. New York has Central Park, Buenos Aires has Parque 3 de Febrero, and Vancouver has Stanley Park. Visiting Stanley Park is a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and it has plenty of attractions for any traveler.
Miles of biking, rollerblading, and walking trails (separated for safety) meander around and through the park, making it easy to explore. There’s a rose garden, a rowing club, a pitch and putt course, lighthouses, and beaches, among others.
Even if you only have a few hours, it’s worth checking out. Renting a bike from a nearby rental company is a great way to see more of park in a quicker time, and most of the bike trails in and around the park are flat, making for a nice, leisurely ride.
3. Vancouver Aquarium
One of the major attractions in Stanley Park is the Vancouver Aquarium, which makes for a fun-filled day of exploration, especially for families. The usual suspects are here, with sharks, dolphins, and all manner of aqua-marine life in and around British Columbia on display. Add in the entertaining shows throughout the day, and it’s easy to spend hours here.
But there are also a few other unique attractions that make the Vancouver Aquarium stand out against others I’ve been to. The Amazon Rainforest attraction was very interesting, with caimans, monkeys, tropical birds, pelicans, and vibrantly colored butterflies fluttering by your head in the hot, humid greenhouse. Jellyfish, with their transparent appearance and unique make-up, was a very cool and interesting area of the exploration gallery.
But no other area of the aquarium intrigued me more than Canada’s Arctic section. Since this was an area of the world I’ve never visited, I was eager to see and read more about it, and the arctic section certainly delivered. The massive and playful belugas (arctic whales) were a big hit, and the educational area in the lower level was fascinating, albeit depressing.
Reading and learning about the diminishing polar ice caps and its effect on the environment and the local, indigenous people who live there was something that everyone should experience and know more about.
4. Seawall Path
It’s always a highlight of mine to visit a city that prides itself on activity and promotes exploration. In addition to the cycling lanes and walking paths in the city and Stanley Park, there is also the Seawall Path, which circumnavigates the city.
Again, separate walking and biking/rollerblading paths make it safe and easy to get some exercise amongst fantastic sea, mountain, and city views.
If you are really motivated, head over to North Vancouver and ride or hike along their miles of coastline. It will give you a different vantage point of downtown Vancouver and affords visitors an opportunity to see a different part of the city.
5. Granville Island Public Market
It would be next to impossible for me visit a new place without seeking out its most famous market. I am drawn to them no matter where I go, so when I heard about the plethora of food options at the Granville Island Public Market, I just knew I had to go.
Various ferries and boats take visitors across to the island, with buses and cars crossing the Granville Street Bridge to reach the market as well. The giant sign on top of the decades old building can be seen from a few miles away, and upon approach, you know you’ve come to the right place.
An older gentlemen playing his accordion was a welcome greeting, and the smells hit you immediately upon entering the doors. The scents of fresh fish, aromatic curries, and numerous freshly baked treats waft in the air, and the only downfall is trying to decide how it’s going to be possible to stuff your face with all the goodies.
Glorious truffles, delectable donuts, and a wonderful collection of sausage and cheese were also on display, along with fresh fruit and veggies and numerous stands selling maple syrup. If markets are your thing, then it’s easy to wander here for hours.
It would have been easy to spend weeks in Vancouver and the surrounding areas, but sometimes our trips just don’t give us that amount of time. But with a bit of planning and some determination, even if you only have an afternoon, it’s possible to see and do quite a bit in this fantastic British Columbian city.
If you are visiting for a limited time, check out my ultimate 24 hour guide to Vancouver.