Editor’s pick
West End · Vancouver
Stanley Park & Seawall
Ten kilometres of seawall, old-growth forest, and the city’s most famous loop.
Family
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
From Peak Chair · North Vancouver
Grouse Mountain
Skyride views, wildlife refuge, and the infamous Grouse Grind below.
Editor’s pick
False Creek · Vancouver
Granville Island
Produce stalls, studios, and a working industrial island turned playground.
Editor’s pick
Lynn Valley · North Vancouver
Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge
A free suspension bridge, swimming holes, and rainforest trails without the Capilano ticket.
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
Jack Poole Plaza
Vancouver Christmas Market
Chalets, lights, and glühwein on the downtown waterfront when November turns cold.
Editor’s pick
New Brighton Park
Labour Day picnic at New Brighton Park
Pool, salt air, and a long table of neighbours on the civic holiday.
Family friendly
Richmond Night Market
Richmond Night Market
The weekend’s first night: grilled squid, bubble tea, and a long wander under the lights.
Family friendly
Deep Cove Kayak
Sunset paddle from Deep Cove
A guided evening on Indian Arm before the light drops behind the ridge.
Free
John Hendry Park
Trout Lake Farmers Market
Late-summer peaches, salmon, flowers, and the East Side’s Saturday ritual.
Free
Lost Lagoon, Stanley Park
Lost Lagoon morning bird walk
Fall migration is moving. Binoculars help; a slow walk around the lagoon is enough.
Family friendly
BC Place
Whitecaps FC at BC Place
A Saturday night under the roof — scarves, drums, and the walk back through Yaletown.
Family friendly
Richmond Night Market
Richmond Night Market
Saturday is the crush. Go for the stalls you skipped on Friday.
Free
Kitsilano Community Centre lot
Kitsilano Farmers Market
Sunday vegetables, baked goods, and a short walk to the beach after.
Family friendly
Queen Elizabeth Park
Bloedel Conservatory afternoon
Tropical birds under the dome, then city-and-mountain views from the quarry garden.
Family friendly
Richmond Night Market
Richmond Night Market
Last night of the weekend. Slightly softer lines, same squid.
Free
Gastown · Vancouver
Gastown
Maple-leaf cobblestones, the steam clock, and the city’s oldest commercial block.
Editor’s pick
Coal Harbour · Vancouver
Canada Place & the waterfront
Sail-shaped roofs, cruise ships, and a seawall start with mountain backdrops.
Rainy-day OK
False Creek · Vancouver
Science World
The geodesic dome at the end of False Creek, built for Expo 86.
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.
Rainy-day OK
Canada Place · Vancouver
FlyOver Canada
A flying-theatre ride from coast to coast, parked under the sails.
Free
Deer Lake · Burnaby
Burnaby Village Museum
A living 1920s streetscape, a working carousel, and seasonal festivals.
Free
West Vancouver
Lighthouse Park
Old-growth Douglas firs and granite bluffs looking across to Vancouver Island.
Free
Horseshoe Bay · West Vancouver
Whytecliff Park
A marine protected area with emerald water, picnic lawns, and a tiny island at low tide.
Free
University Endowment Lands · Vancouver
Pacific Spirit Regional Park
A vast second-growth forest between UBC and the city, dropping to Wreck Beach.
Family friendly
Golden Ears · Maple Ridge
Golden Ears Provincial Park
Alouette Lake, big mountain trails, and Metro Vancouver’s wildest backyard.
Free
Belcarra · Port Moody
Sasamat Lake & Belcarra
A floating walkway, warm-for-the-region swimming, and a village at the end of the road.
Free
Sea Island · Richmond
Iona Beach Regional Park
A long jetty into the Strait of Georgia and some of the best birding in the region.
Free
Burnaby Mountain · Burnaby
Burnaby Mountain Park
A high lookout over Burrard Inlet, plus the rose garden and totem poles at the summit.
Free
Minnekhada · Coquitlam
Minnekhada Regional Park
Marshes, a lodge, and a knoll with a wide view of Pitt River country.
Free
Cypress Provincial Park · West Vancouver
Cypress Mountain lookouts
The highway viewpoint everyone stops at, plus alpine trails above Howe Sound.
Family friendly
Cypress Bowl · West Vancouver
Cypress Mountain
The closest ski hill to downtown — night runs over the city grid.
Free
Highway 99 · Squamish
Sea to Sky Highway
The drive from Horseshoe Bay to Whistler, with pullouts that earn the name.
Family friendly
The Chief · Squamish
The Stawamus Chief
Three granite peaks above Squamish — the classic Sea to Sky hike.
Editor’s pick
Village · Whistler
Whistler Village
Pedestrian alpine village, gondolas, and a basecamp for both winter and summer.
Family friendly
Whistler Mountain · Whistler
Whistler Blackcomb
North America’s largest ski resort, two mountains linked by the Peak 2 Peak.
Family friendly
Whistler Mountain · Whistler
High Note Trail
A high alpine loop with Cheakamus Lake in the distance — summer only.
Free
The Spit · Squamish
Squamish Spit / wind sports
A world-class kite and windsurfing site where the Squamish River meets Howe Sound.
Free
Shannon Falls · Squamish
Shannon Falls
A 335-metre waterfall beside the highway — the easiest Sea to Sky stop.
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.
Free
False Creek · Vancouver
False Creek & Seawall cycle
A flat, protected ride from Science World to Kits, with city and water the whole way.
Editor’s pick
Cambie Village · Vancouver
Vij’s
The restaurant that put Vancouver Indian cooking on the world map.
Family friendly
Chinatown · Vancouver
Phnom Penh
Butter beef, garlic prawns, and a Chinatown institution since 1985.
Editor’s pick
City Centre · Richmond
Kirin Restaurant
Cantonese banquet cooking and some of the region’s most reliable dim sum.
Family friendly
City Centre · Richmond
Coast & Cedar Kitchen
Contemporary Pacific Northwest dining featuring fresh, locally inspired ingredients.
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
Family friendly
West End · Vancouver
The Sylvia Hotel
Ivy, English Bay, and a 1912 hotel that still feels like Vancouver.
- Parking
- Restaurant on site
- Wi-Fi
- Pet Friendly
- Waterfront
Family friendly
Downtown Squamish · Squamish
Squamish Adventure Inn
A practical base for the Chief, the spit, and the highway north.
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
- Kitchen / kitchenette
- Mountain view
- Family-friendly
Rainy-day OK
Lonsdale · North Vancouver
Lonsdale Quay Market
A working market at the foot of the SeaBus, with stalls and harbour light.
Editor’s pick
Bridgeport
Richmond Night Market
Seasonal evening stalls for bubble tea, grilled squid, and neon souvenirs.
Rainy-day OK
Metrotown · Burnaby
Metropolis at Metrotown
The region’s largest mall — a rainy-day retail city of its own.
Family friendly
North Vancouver
North Shore Summit Tours
Guided mountain, sightseeing and outdoor experiences across Vancouver’s North Shore.
Family friendly
False Creek · Vancouver
False Creek with kids
Science World, the mini ferries, Granville Island cinnamon buns, and a seawall scooter.
Editor’s pick
Downtown · Vancouver
Vancouver Lookout
A glass-elevator tower over Harbour Centre — the downtown panorama in one turn.
Editor’s pick
Hastings Park · Vancouver
Playland & the PNE
A classic fairground, wooden coaster, and the late-summer Pacific National Exhibition.
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
Point Grey · Vancouver
Spanish Banks
A wide, tidal beach looking back at downtown — fires allowed in the rings, mountains over the inlet.
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
Deer Lake · Burnaby
Deer Lake Park
A lake loop, painters’ studios, and a beach in the middle of Burnaby.
Editor’s pick
Downtown · New Westminster
The Quay
New Westminster’s Fraser riverfront — boardwalk, market, and the old capital looking at the water.
Editor’s pick
Downtown · New Westminster
Westminster Pier Park
A long pier park over the Fraser, with swings, lookouts, and working river traffic.
Editor’s pick
The Quay · New Westminster
River Market
An indoor public market on the Fraser — produce, lunch counters, and river light through the glass.
Editor’s pick
The Quay · New Westminster
Fraser River Discovery Centre
A small museum about the river that built the region — fish, flood, and working boats.
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
Steveston · Richmond
Garry Point Park
Open dyke, cherry trees in spring, and a wind that kite-flyers treat as a feature.
Editor’s pick
Brighouse · Richmond
Richmond Centre
The city’s main mall, on the Canada Line, with a food floor that is half the reason to go.
Editor’s pick
Sea Island · Richmond
YVR Flight Path Park
A dedicated aircraft-watching lawn under the approach — jets on final over the Fraser.
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
YVR · Richmond
McArthurGlen Designer Outlet
An open-air outlet village beside the airport — brands, a Canada Line stop, and planes overhead.
Editor’s pick
Whistler Blackcomb · Whistler
Peak 2 Peak Gondola
The record-span gondola linking Whistler and Blackcomb — a glass floor, alpine air, and two mountains in one ticket.
Editor’s pick
Fitzsimmons Creek · Whistler
Whistler zipline adventure
Tree-to-tree lines over the valley — several operators, all loud, all worth it once.
Editor’s pick
Lost Lake · Whistler
Lost Lake
A forest lake a few minutes from the village — swim in summer, ski-tour the trails in winter.
Editor’s pick
Brandywine · Whistler
Brandywine Falls
A 70-metre waterfall just off the Sea to Sky, south of Whistler — a short walk to a serious drop.
Editor’s pick
Green Lake · Whistler
Parkhurst ruins
The ghost mill town on Green Lake — weathered houses, forest reclaiming the mill, a quiet walk off the village circuit.
Editor’s pick
Coquihalla Canyon · Hope
Othello Tunnels
Five railway tunnels blasted through Coquihalla granite — a short, spectacular walk east of Hope.
Editor’s pick
Hope
Hope Lookout
A steep little climb to a platform over Hope, the Fraser, and the mountains that pinch the valley shut.
Editor’s pick
Harrison Hot Springs · Harrison
Harrison Lake
A long glacial lake with a sandy village beach, paddle boats, and mountains falling straight into the water.
Editor’s pick
Britannia Beach
Britannia Mine Museum
The old copper mine on Howe Sound — underground train, gravity mill, and a Sea to Sky stop that earns the pullout.
Editor’s pick
Mount Seymour · North Vancouver
Mount Seymour
The eastern North Shore hill — night skiing, snowshoe trails, and summer hiking to the pumps.
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
Capilano · North Vancouver
Cleveland Dam & Capilano Lake
A free look at Capilano Lake, the Lions, and the dam that holds Vancouver’s drinking water.
Editor’s pick
Ambleside · West Vancouver
Ambleside Park
West Vancouver’s town beach — seawall, pitch-and-putt, and downtown sitting across Burrard Inlet.
Editor’s pick
Joffre Lakes Provincial Park · Pemberton
Joffre Lakes
Three turquoise lakes in a hanging valley north of Pemberton — a permit hike, and worth the paperwork.
Editor’s pick
Shannon Falls · Squamish
Sea to Sky Gondola
A gondola above Howe Sound — suspension skybridge, summit lodge, and hiking ridges over Squamish.
Editor’s pick
Abbotsford
Castle Fun Park
Indoor-outdoor family amusement: mini golf, go-karts, arcade, and a castle kids actually want to enter.
Editor’s pick
West Abbotsford · Abbotsford
High Street Shopping Centre
An open-air lifestyle centre — shops, patios, and a practical pause on a Fraser Valley day.
Editor’s pick
Cultus Lake · Chilliwack
Cultus Lake
A warm swimming lake in a mountain bowl south of Chilliwack — the Fraser Valley’s summer weekend.
Editor’s pick
Bridal Veil Falls · Chilliwack
Bridal Veil Falls
A wide, lacy waterfall a few minutes off Highway 1 — short trail, big payoff.
Editor’s pick
Downtown · Chilliwack
District 1881
Chilliwack’s historic downtown block — brick, heritage façades, and a walkable evening.
Editor’s pick
Cultus Lake · Chilliwack
Cultus Lake Adventure Park
A compact amusement hill above the lake — rides, views, and a full family afternoon.
Editor’s pick
Cultus Lake · Chilliwack
Cultus Lake Waterslides
The valley’s classic slide park — loud, wet, and exactly what kids mean by a lake day.
Editor’s pick
Cultus Lake · Chilliwack
Teapot Hill
A short, steep hike above Cultus — a lookout, a teapot at the top, and a valley view.
Editor’s pick
Deas Island · Delta
Deas Island Regional Park
A Fraser island park under the Alex Fraser Bridge — dykes, heritage houses, and river birds.
Editor’s pick
Tsawwassen · Delta
Tsawwassen Mills
A huge indoor outlet mall near the ferry — rainy-day retail at the edge of the delta.
Editor’s pick
Tsawwassen · Delta
Centennial Beach
A long Boundary Bay beach with tidal flats, a pool, and sunsets toward the islands.
Editor’s pick
Tsawwassen · Delta
Splashdown Waterpark
South Delta’s outdoor waterpark — slides, a lazy river, and a full summer afternoon.
Editor’s pick
Westham Island · Delta
George C. Reifel Bird Sanctuary
A world-class Fraser estuary sanctuary — snow geese in season, dykes, and a gift shop of seed.
Editor’s pick
Tsawwassen · Delta
Fred Gingell Park
A pocket waterfront park on the Tsawwassen bluff — stairs to the beach and a clean look at the Strait.
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
Guildford · Surrey
Guildford Town Centre
One of the region’s largest malls — a full rainy-day city on the east side of Surrey.
Editor’s pick
Douglas · Surrey
Peace Arch Provincial Park
The white arch on the 49th parallel — gardens, a border lawn, and a peculiar little international park.
Editor’s pick
Crescent Beach · Surrey
Crescent Beach
A village beach on Boundary Bay — pier, ice cream, and a walkable street behind the dunes.
Editor’s pick
Ocean Park · Surrey
1001 Steps
A long staircase from Ocean Park down to Crescent Beach — the workout, then the bay.
Editor’s pick
Cloverdale · Surrey
Honeybee Centre
A working honey farm with tours, tasting, and a shop — unexpectedly charming for a Surrey industrial edge.
Editor’s pick
Town Centre · Coquitlam
Coquitlam Centre
The Tri-Cities’ main mall, on the Millennium Line — shops, a food court, and a rainy-day reset.
Editor’s pick
Town Centre · Coquitlam
Lafarge Lake
A former quarry turned city lake — fountain, loop trail, and Town Centre Park on the doorstep of the mall.
Editor’s pick
Mundy Park · Coquitlam
Mundy Park
A large second-growth forest in the middle of Coquitlam — lake loop, trails, and a neighbourhood woods.
Editor’s pick
Westwood Plateau · Coquitlam
Coquitlam Crunch
A steep urban staircase hike up the ridge — city views and a workout locals treat as a personality trait.
Editor’s pick
Anmore · Port Coquitlam
Buntzen Lake
A long forest reservoir north of the Tri-Cities — swimming beaches, a floating bridge, and ridge trails.
Editor’s pick
Pitt Lake · Pitt Meadows
Pitt Lake
The largest tidal lake in North America — dykes, boat launch, and a wall of mountains at the north end.
Editor’s pick
Golden Ears · Maple Ridge
Alouette Lake
The swimming and picnic lake inside Golden Ears Provincial Park — mountains on both sides of the water.
Editor’s pick
Haney · Maple Ridge
WildPlay Maple Ridge
Aerial adventure park — ropes, jumps, and a forest course aimed at families and groups.
Editor’s pick
Willowbrook · Langley
Willowbrook Shopping Centre
Langley’s main mall — a practical indoor circuit on the way to Fort Langley or the zoo.
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
Aldergrove · Langley
Greater Vancouver Zoo
A large zoo in Aldergrove — safari-style grounds, a family day, and space the city zoos cannot match.
Editor’s pick
Langley Airport · Langley
Canadian Museum of Flight
Hangars of historic aircraft beside Langley Airport — cockpits, restoration bays, and a nerd-friendly hour.
Editor’s pick
Aldergrove · Langley
Aldergrove Regional Park
A large regional park on the Langley–Abbotsford edge — trails, a beach-style swimming hole, and farm-country sky.
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.
Family friendly
See · Vancouver
Whytecliff Park | West Vancouver
Explore the natural beauty of Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver, perfect for hiking and enjoying stunning coastal views.