Editor’s pick
West End · Vancouver
Stanley Park & Seawall
Ten kilometres of seawall, old-growth forest, and the city’s most famous loop.
This Weekend
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
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
Waterfront · Vancouver
Miku
Aburi sushi with a front-row seat to Burrard Inlet and the North Shore.
Editor’s pick
Granville Island & Main Street venues
Vancouver Fringe Festival
Independent theatre, oddball comedy, and late shows across the island all week.
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.
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.
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.
Free
Belcarra · Port Moody
Sasamat Lake & Belcarra
A floating walkway, warm-for-the-region swimming, and a village at the end of the road.
Editor’s pick
Village · Whistler
Whistler Village
Pedestrian alpine village, gondolas, and a basecamp for both winter and summer.
Free
Kitsilano · Vancouver
Kitsilano Beach
Saltwater pool, volleyball, and a downtown skyline across English Bay.
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.
Gastown · Vancouver
Tacofino
Tofino-born tacos that became a city staple, lingcod and all.
Rainy-day OK
Downtown · Vancouver
Jam Café
Fried chicken and waffles, long weekend lines, and a second room in Victoria.
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.
North Shore · North Vancouver
A North Shore weekend
Capilano or Lynn, Deep Cove in the afternoon, Grouse if the sky is clear.
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
Downtown · New Westminster
The Quay
New Westminster’s Fraser riverfront — boardwalk, market, and the old capital looking at the water.
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
Steveston · Richmond
Steveston
A fishing village at the mouth of the Fraser — boardwalk, fish shops, and Gulf of Georgia Cannery.
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
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
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
Crescent Beach · Surrey
Crescent Beach
A village beach on Boundary Bay — pier, ice cream, and a walkable street behind the dunes.
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
Fort Langley · Langley
Fort Langley Village
A heritage village on the Fraser — the national historic fort, independent shops, and a walkable main street.