We have collected the top 20 best things to do in Vancouver
While it might not be the largest city in Canada, Vancouver is just as important as any. It’s a globally acclaimed city for its high quality of life and its ethnical linguistical diversity. It held and still holds numerous internation conferences and events, including the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, as well as the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. It’s located on a shore, so, naturally, its seaport is of great importance on an economical level. The city is also popular among tourists, so for this reason, we have collected the top 20 best things to do in Vancouver.
- Stanley Park
Located on the border of Vancouver, the Stanley Park is a large park that is exceptionally great for recreational purposes. If you come here with kids, it’s all the better, as there are numerous features for them as well, including an outdoor water park and a separate heated, outdoor pool, four playgrounds and a miniature train that snakes through more than a mile of forest. Alternatively, you can rent a bike, jog, take a nap, have a picnic or just take a stroll surrounded by beautiful trees.
2. Granville Island
Granville Island is a district of Vancouver that is known for both its industrial look and its large amount of shops, restaurants and markets. The Granville Island Public Market is probably one of the best open-air markets in all of North America. It serves everything from ethnic snacks, to local foods and of course souvenirs and regular goods. There is also a smaller market area just for kids, and a brewery which can be accessed by visitors.
3. Queen Elizabeth Park
Queen Elizabeth Park is both beloved for its spectacular view of the city, as it’s located on one of the highest points in Vancouver, but it’s also frequently visited for its own natural beauty. The park is filled with exotic and local trees, flowers and much more, as well as a conservatory for exotic birds and tropical plants. Statues and fountains can be found here as well, out of which the most popular is the Dancing Waters fountain event. It’s a must see among the things to do in Vancouver for anyone who loves nature even just a little.
4. Kitsilano Beach
Kitsilano Beach is one of the most popular beaches in the city. There are numerous activities for both those who want to swim or those who just want to enjoy the beach in a drier way. These include volleyball, a playground, a tennis court, restaurants, heated saltwater pools and much more.
5. Spanish Banks Beach
Another popular beach site of the city is the Spanish Banks Beach. It’s divided into three parts with quite different but equally great aspects. The activities one can do at the beaches include volleyball, visiting concession stands, skimboarding, sailing, kitesurfing and so on. It has low tides and waves which might be preferred by many.
6. VanDusen Botanical Garden
The VanDusen Botanical Garden is another great spot in Vancouver for taking a break. It has a stone garden, and even a hedge maze, which is probably its most popular feature. The Laburrnum Walk is just as famous though, as it is a magnificently beautiful path with yellow chain-like blooms hanging down from the hybrid trees called Laburnum x watereri ‘Vossii’.
7. Yaletown
Yaletown was originally a warehouse district, but it has since been turned into a district with a famous nightlife. It has numerous hotels, restaurants and boutiques, but those are more expensive, and the district if more visited for its clubs and bars during the night. It has less busy parks as well for those coming here during the day, so it shouldn’t be missed either way.
8. Grouse Mountain
Towering over the city is the Grouse Mountain, a popular place for outdoor actvities like skiing, hiking, and so on. Other features include a grizzly bear habitat, a lumberjack show and other wildlife exhibitions. It’s a great way to enjoy nature both alone and with others, so be sure to see this mountain, as it’s high among the things to do in Vancouver. Not to mention the view it can provide of the city and the surrounding region.
9. Museum of Anthropology
The Museum of Anthropology can be found at the University of British Columbia. You can find a large collection of Native American totem poles, masks, ornately decorated canoes and other artifacts and relics, but also many 15th century European pottery, priceless jewelry and local art. The very building itself is a work of art thanks to its wonderful design.
10. Vancouver Lookout
Vancouver Lookout is a highly popular tourist spot, as it’s a great way to take in the view of the entirety of the city. You can enjoy a panoramic view of the whole city by going up to the observational deck of this tower. It might not be as high as other famous lookouts throughout the world, but it’s just as spectacular.
11. Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium is a large exhibition dedicated to the sealife of Canada. Visitors can see around 50 thousand local and exotic animals from nearly 800 species in outdoor and indoor areas. The aquarium is more focused on providing interactive exhibitions than animal performances, so don’t expect those, but these are just as great, if not better, especially for educational purposes.
12. Capilano Suspension Bridge
The Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of the oldest attractions in the city, as it was built in 1889. It’s a 140 m long and 70 m high suspension bridge crossing the Capilano River. Once you reach the other side of the canyon more suspension bridges and terrific activities await visitors at the Treetops Adventure. The Cliff Hanger Walk, a path that goes along the canyon’s edge is also popular. If you have vertigo and are afraid, then you can stay on the ground and see totem poles and other old wood carvings in the area.
13. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is one of the first Chinese gardens built outside of China. It’s located in the Chinatown district of Vancouver, and it’s popular among both tourists and citizens, as it is very beautiful. Winding paths, lily pads, willow trees, moongates, fishes and other features complete the idea of Feng Shui and the harmony of the four elements. Regular events in the garden include concerts, yoga lessons, and tai chi lessons, as well as season events like music and lantern festivals.
14. Marine Building
The Marine Building is a popular structure thanks to its wonderful art deco style architecture. The terra cotta exterior is inlaid with reliefs of state of the art forms of transportation from the 1920s: zeppelins, steamships, and biplanes, and the the marine theme of the brass doors with intricately carved seaweed, turtles, crabs and seahorses are just as spectacular. The lobby is another example, as the walls are decorated in similar way, providing a great experience even just by walking into the building.
15. Steam Clock
The Steam Clock of Vancouver is one of very few in the world. Incorporating a steam engine and electric motors, the steam clock displays the time on its four faces and announces the quarter hours with a whistle chime, which plays the Westminster Quarters. The clock produces a puff of steam from its top every hour. For obvious reasons, it’s a quite popular attraction.
16. Salmagundi West
Salmagundi West is an antique shop with countless postcards, watch parts, antique cameras, doll parts, spectacles, and other rare antique items. It makes you feel like you just walked into an old shop of oddities. The best part is arguably the Chinese apothecary chest of drawers, that is filled with donut-scented air fresheners, Japanese soaps with a bluebird motif, wall hooks in the shape of fingers, fortune telling cards, and other many more.
17. Shameful Tiki Room
The Shameful Tiki Room is a bar with a great Polynesian style, decorated with tiki carvings, South Seas decor and pufferfish lamps. The surf rock and gentle ukulele music playing in the background really sets the mood, while you can enjoy your Zombie, the Hurricane, and the Mai Tai cocktails.
18. Sam Kee Building
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the Sam Kee Building is the “shallowest commercial building in the world”. From the front to the back, it measures around 1.5 meters, which many found impossible before the building was completed, but the Sam Kee company was determined. The basement extends beneath the sidewalk and originally housed public baths, while the ground floor was used for offices and shops and the top story for living quarters.
19. Jimi Hendrix Shrine
The Jimi Hendrix Shrine is a little shed dedicated to the musician, with photos, flyers, vinyl records, letters and copies of his infamous guitars. Jimi Hendrix was said to often come to the neighborhood for inspiration and enjoyment during his youth, thus the location for the shrine. For some, it might seem a bit too eccentric, but it is clearly built out of love and appreciation for the man and his music.
20. Dude Chilling Park
The Dude Chilling Park, as funny as it may sound, is a sign and nickname for a small park in Vancouver. The prank sign was created by a local artist named Viktor Briestensky as a reference to a public art piece at the park, the Reclining Figure by Michael Dennis. Officials took down the sign, but people liked it so much that after a petition it was put back there. It’s not the most spectacular attraction of Vancouver, but it’s clearly original and memorable.
