After reading a few of my posts, you’ll soon realize how much I love to visit Canada and other wintry, cool destinations in the summer or fall! The views, the crisp air, the comfort food, and the friendly people…reminds me of where I grew up in Upper Michigan. For this trip, my husband and I started with 3 days in Whistler, BC before coming to Vancouver, but you could certainly modify this itinerary to stay longer in one place instead…there’s so much to do and see! This itinerary is completely kid and teen-friendly as well.
Here’s a sample itinerary based on our 3-day trip to Vancouver in June:
DAY 1: ARRIVAL, GASTOWN STEAM CLOCK, & ROBSON STREET
This first day was really a half-day; we were traveling down from Whistler in the afternoon. Since we didn’t want to have a car to deal with in Vancouver (definitely stay downtown), we returned our car at the airport and took the train (very easy and efficient) in to the city. If you’re starting your trip in Vancouver, you might be spending the first half of your day traveling in as well (don’t forget your passport if you’re coming from the US). We stayed at the Exchange Hotel, which was the original Stock Exchange building in Vancouver, built in 1929. It has a boutique-y feel to it, and elements of the financial institution are all around the building. Highly recommend staying here.
Since it was pretty late in the day by the time we settled in, we took a short detour to go see the famous Gastown Steam Clock (it goes off every 15 minutes), and then headed to Robson Street where there are a ton of shops and restaurants to choose from. We were feeling like Italian food, so we chose Zefferelli’s; a cozy restaurant right in the middle of the action. Ask for a table near the window on the second floor…really neat, cozy spot to relax and watch the street below. We did a little shopping, and then called it a night.
DAY 2: CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE, GROUSE MOUNTAIN, & WATERFRONT
We started our first full-day in Vancouver with breakfast at a cute cafe Cafe Artigiano around the corner from our hotel; wonderful pastries, coffees, and teas. We had booked a combination Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Grouse Mountain half-day trip through Trip Advisor (I use Trip Advisor all the time to find great tours). The Suspension Bridge Park is a must-do, and there are a lot of tour options out there to choose from. If you have a car you could easily drive yourself (although parking wasn’t great) instead. They picked us up at our hotel, and we drove about 20 minutes to the bridge. The park was very kid-friendly as well. We spent at least an hour there, exploring the park, and then walking the bridge…wow! Then we got back on the tour bus and drove another 10 minutes to Grouse Mountain. We took a gondola ride up, hiked around a bit, and watched a bird show, but we were there a little too long…there wasn’t that much to do. We were glad to get back on the bus and to our hotel!
By the time we got back and cleaned up we were starving, so we opted for a late lunch / early dinner at the nearest place…Hydra Mediterranean restaurant attached to our hotel! It was so good, we ended up eating there on Day 3 as well! It’s a beautiful space with really fun cocktails and delicious food. After our dinner, since it was still early, we walked down to the waterfront, near the cruise ship terminal and Canada Place events center (really neat place to see). There’s a pretty long sea wall there that you can walk along, watch the sea planes, and read about the history of the area on signs along the way.
DAY 3: STANLEY PARK, WEST END, HARBOR CRUISE, & FLY OVER CANADA
Our last full day in Vancouver did not go as planned…we had booked a full-day guided bike tour (via Trip Advisor of course) of Vancouver Island, that included the ferry ride (approximately 90 minutes each way), bikes and equipment, and even some wine tasting. It sounded like the perfect day, and I’ve read such great things about Vancouver Island, but unfortunately our guide cancelled on us the day before. It was such a bummer, but these things happen and I always have a list of things to do on standby! If you have time, definitely plan a full day to see Vancouver Island. You can take the ferry on your own and do self-guided tours as well…if you go, send me a message and let me know what I missed!
Another top thing to see in Vancouver is Stanley Park; it’s right in Vancouver and is 20% larger than Central Park in New York City. It’s about 5.5 miles (9 km) around the entire island, and there are a number of things to stop and see along the way. I’d recommend renting bikes to get around if you have kids or teens with you), but we chose to walk it (plus the extra mile walk each way to/from our hotel)! Plan on 2-3 hours to fully see everything the park has to offer. We found a self-guided tour online (there are lots of options both walking and biking; I think I found ours on Pinterest) that included a map of all of the key things to see along the path. There were totem poles, statues, beaches, sea walls, gardens, and great views from all sides. There are also a couple of restaurants to stop and refuel.
On the way back from Stanley Park, we grabbed some ice cream and pastries at Pappa Roti (very unique and the kids will love it!), and walked along the waterfront again where we hopped on a Harbor Cruise; there are lots of options, including sunset, dinner, whale watching, etc., but we just did a standard 1 hour tour. It was a great way to sit and relax for a bit, soak in the views, and learn a bit about the area and its history. After the cruise, we grabbed a drink and some appetizers at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Lobby Lounge, which had live music and a really fun vibe…great for people watching! Not suitable for kids or teens, but there are plenty of other places to grab dinner along the waterfront.
For our final activity in Vancouver, we took a ride on FlyOver Canada. If you’ve ridden Soarin’ in Disney World or FlyOver Las Vegas, it’s the same concept; an immersive ride through various areas of Canada (think Canadian Rockies, Calgary Stampede, Niagra Falls). We bought tickets in advance for the time slot we wanted, but it’s probably not necessary. Tickets are sold on the sidewalk near Canada Place. It’s a pretty short ride, but totally worth it!
The next day, we hopped on the train back to the airport and headed home. In total, we spent six days in Whistler and Vancouver, and fit in a lot. Other suggestions that we weren’t able to fit in are Granville Island Public Market, Queen Elizabeth Park, and of course, my biggest regret was not getting to Vancouver Island. Guess I’ll just have to make a trip back!