David & Jenna spent a weekend walking, rollerblading, and drinking through the city!
Vancouver
Activities
Stanley Park
Our favorite activity was rollerblading around Stanley Park. You can rent bikes or rollerblades at a few places close to there and it’s a 9km path round trip. There are lots of people out and several fun places to stop and grab an ice cream or go to the beach.
English Bay Beach
English Bay Beach is another fun place to hang out. You get great views of the city and the countryside across the bay, and there are rentals there too for basically all of your water sports.
Walking around the city
Usually when we travel our favorite part is walking around the city- that’s how we spent most of our time. We walked through downtown (mostly industrial, found a couple of cool bars), around Granville Island (so cute! it’s own tiny town with great restaurants and shops), and Yaletown (very trendy area).
Other things to do in Vancouver:
We were only there for the weekend and truly enjoyed the city. There is a lot to do there, but we didn’t have time for everything that was recommended to us. If we had more time, we would do:
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a series of footbridges 110 feet above a beautiful rainforest. Each offers stunning views of the forest and makes you feel like you’re in a remote wilderness – when you’re actually 15 minutes outside the city! Don’t go if you’re afraid of heights though. There is a free shuttle bus from Canada Place waterfront to the park. They also have a small museum onsite about the history of British Columbia.
Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain is a ski resort in the winter, but offers a wide variety of unique events in the summer. Ride the skyride (suspended gondola) up to the top for stunning mountain views. You can either ride enclosed inside the gondola, or outside on the rooftop. At the top, there are a variety of talks offered by the Rangers about local wildlife, as well as activities such as lumberjack shows. If you’re feeling adventurous, there are a series of thrilling zip-lines down the mountain. Hop on the free shuttle from Canada Place to get here. It’s located near Capilano (above), so plan to do both in the same day.
Museum of Anthropology
The Museum of Anthropology is one of the biggest museums in Vancouver. It features an extensive collection of indigenous artifacts from British Columbia, Inuit (‘Eskimo’) pieces from around the world, a calligraphy exhibit, and totem poles. Take the free guided tour; it really enhances your understanding of the exhibits.
Restaurants
Gastown Neighborhood
We went to Gastown the first night we were in Vancouver, which was the trendy bar/nightlife neighborhood just NE of downtown. So much fun! Great vibe, lots of options, lots of people out and about, but not so crowded you can’t find a place to sit. We really enjoyed The Flying Pig for supper/drinks.
Score on Davie
We went to Score on Davie the next day for the best/biggest Bloody Mary’s. Go there. Delish.
Eat Poutine!
It doesn’t matter where you get it, but Poutine, the traditional Canadian dish of fries with cheese curds smothered in gravy will not disappoint.
Hotel
We stayed at an Airbnb in Oakridge, which is a little south of downtown. It was fine. It was just a block from the Skytrain, so we were able to go out and about without having to worry about parking. Airbnb is great option to find rentals when traveling. Here, you’ll find a large range of unique accommodations to rent in Vancouver, and most of the places on Airbnb are far better value for your money than traditional hotels. Though my favorite part about it is you really feel like a local when staying in a new city! Sign up here to get $40 off your first visit!
Transportation
We used the Skytrain a lot and drove just the last day we were there. The downtown area is very walkable, so we mainly used the Skytrain to get into the city. If you stay downtown you’d be good to go just walking or using the Skytrain every now and then.
Other Travel Guides You Might Like:
Portland, Oregon – Get Weird & Experience Portland, Oregon
Northern California – Road Trip Guide to the Northern California Coast
Las Vegas, Nevada – Guide to Gambling and Eating in Las Vegas, Nevada
Cape Cod, Massachusetts – Beaches and Lobsters: Cape Cod, Massachusetts
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