Editor’s pick
West End · Vancouver
Stanley Park & Seawall
Ten kilometres of seawall, old-growth forest, and the city’s most famous loop.
Date Ideas
A short list from the guide, grouped by mood rather than neighbourhood.
Editor’s pick
Capilano · North Vancouver
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
A 137-metre swaying bridge over a rainforest canyon, plus treetop walks.
Editor’s pick
False Creek · Vancouver
Granville Island
Produce stalls, studios, and a working industrial island turned playground.
Editor’s pick
Deep Cove · North Vancouver
Deep Cove & Quarry Rock
Kayaks on a sheltered inlet and a short hike to a lookout over Indian Arm.
Editor’s pick
Waterfront · Vancouver
Miku
Aburi sushi with a front-row seat to Burrard Inlet and the North Shore.
Editor’s pick
Jack Poole Plaza
Vancouver Christmas Market
Chalets, lights, and glühwein on the downtown waterfront when November turns cold.
Free
Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch
Noon concert at VPL Central
A free lunch-hour set in the atrium — drop in between errands.
Rainy-day OK
Museum of Anthropology at UBC
Afternoon tour at the Museum of Anthropology
A guided hour in the Great Hall, looking out over the Salish Sea.
Free
Water Street & Blood Alley
Gastown Thursday gallery crawl
Open doors, new hangings, and a pour if you linger at the right desk.
Rainy-day OK
Frankie’s Jazz Box
Late set at Frankie’s Jazz Box
A tight downtown room, a local quartet, and a Thursday that feels like a night out.
Free
Gastown · Vancouver
Gastown
Maple-leaf cobblestones, the steam clock, and the city’s oldest commercial block.
Rainy-day OK
Point Grey · Vancouver
Museum of Anthropology at UBC
Monumental poles, a soaring great hall, and the Pacific collection of Arthur Erickson’s museum.
Rainy-day OK
Chinatown · Vancouver
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
The first full-scale classical Chinese garden built outside China.
Family friendly
Shaughnessy · Vancouver
VanDusen Botanical Garden
Fifty-five acres of themed plantings, a hedge maze, and the Bloedel Floral Conservatory nearby.
Free
West Vancouver
Lighthouse Park
Old-growth Douglas firs and granite bluffs looking across to Vancouver Island.
Free
Cypress Provincial Park · West Vancouver
Cypress Mountain lookouts
The highway viewpoint everyone stops at, plus alpine trails above Howe Sound.
Free
Highway 99 · Squamish
Sea to Sky Highway
The drive from Horseshoe Bay to Whistler, with pullouts that earn the name.
Rainy-day OK
Lost Lake · Whistler
Scandinave Spa Whistler
Outdoor baths, steam, and silence under the trees — phones stay in the locker.
Free
Kitsilano · Vancouver
Kitsilano Beach
Saltwater pool, volleyball, and a downtown skyline across English Bay.
Editor’s pick
Cambie Village · Vancouver
Vij’s
The restaurant that put Vancouver Indian cooking on the world map.
Family friendly
City Centre · Richmond
Coast & Cedar Kitchen
Contemporary Pacific Northwest dining featuring fresh, locally inspired ingredients.
West End · Vancouver
Guu with Garlic
Loud, generous izakaya cooking on Thurlow Street.
Mount Pleasant · Vancouver
Anh and Chi
Modern Vietnamese on Main Street, with a patio that fills the second the rain stops.
Broadway · Vancouver
Salmon n’ Bannock
One of the city’s few Indigenous restaurants, centred on wild salmon and bannock.
Editor’s pick
Coal Harbour · Vancouver
Pacific Harbour Hotel
A modern waterfront-inspired hotel experience in the heart of Vancouver.
- Parking
- Fitness Centre
- Restaurant on site
- Wi-Fi
- Air conditioning
Family friendly
Coal Harbour · Vancouver
Fairmont Pacific Rim
A modern waterfront palace between the convention centre and the park.
- Pool
- Fitness Centre
- Spa
- Restaurant on site
- Wi-Fi
Upper Village · Whistler
Fairmont Chateau Whistler
A ski-in chateau at the base of Blackcomb — the obvious overnight.
- Parking
- Pool
- Hot tub
- Fitness Centre
- Spa
Rainy-day OK
Gastown · Vancouver
Gastown independent shops
Canadian labels, homeware, and galleries in brick warehouses.
Editor’s pick
Bridgeport
Richmond Night Market
Seasonal evening stalls for bubble tea, grilled squid, and neon souvenirs.
Editor’s pick
Downtown · Vancouver
Vancouver Lookout
A glass-elevator tower over Harbour Centre — the downtown panorama in one turn.
Editor’s pick
Downtown · Vancouver
Robson Square Ice Rink
A public outdoor rink under the provincial courthouse — seasonal, downtown, and free to watch.
Editor’s pick
West End · Vancouver
English Bay
The city’s sunset beach — tankers on the horizon and the Seawall at your back.
Editor’s pick
Riley Park · Vancouver
Queen Elizabeth Park
The city’s highest point in town: quarry garden, Bloedel Conservatory, and a lookout over the plain.
Editor’s pick
Downtown · Vancouver
Vancouver Art Gallery
The former courthouse on Robson Square — rotating exhibitions and a granite lawn for sitting.
Editor’s pick
Steveston · Richmond
Steveston
A fishing village at the mouth of the Fraser — boardwalk, fish shops, and Gulf of Georgia Cannery.
Editor’s pick
East Richmond · Richmond
Lavenderland
A seasonal lavender farm on the Richmond flats — rows of purple, a shop, and photo light in July.
Editor’s pick
Lower Lonsdale · North Vancouver
The Shipyards
The restored Burrard Dry Dock district — plazas, the shipyard market, and harbour light beside Lonsdale Quay.
Editor’s pick
Downtown · Chilliwack
District 1881
Chilliwack’s historic downtown block — brick, heritage façades, and a walkable evening.
Editor’s pick
Waterfront · White Rock
White Rock Pier
A long wooden pier into Semiahmoo Bay — the namesake rock, the promenade, and a sunset that stops traffic.
Editor’s pick
Fort Langley · Langley
Fort Langley Village
A heritage village on the Fraser — the national historic fort, independent shops, and a walkable main street.
Editor’s pick
Downtown · Vancouver
Commodore Lanes
Vintage lanes under Granville Street — a rainy-day game, an arcade, and a late downtown crowd.
Editor’s pick
Gastown · Vancouver
Escape Hour Gastown
Timed puzzle rooms in Gastown — a compact indoor outing for a wet afternoon or a small group.