How to Spend Time in Vancouver: In-depth Itinerary
Explanation for the In-depth Itinerary Series
Welcome to the In-Depth Itinerary series. These in-depth itineraries cover some of my favorite destinations alongside very popular ones as well. They can cover a single city, road trips, or multi-destination trips.
The itineraries’ aim is to allow you to visualize yourself, through my eyes (and plenty of photos), navigating a foreign land without actually being there first. I hope you will be inspired to visit these destinations. And, if you do visit, the itineraries will give you an idea on how to plan an enjoyable experience. Naturally, should you prefer to customize a trip to your liking, the specific Adventure Guides are available as well.
Vancouver is one of my favorite places in the world. It boasts a cosmopolitan populace and a downright overwhelming range of options for nature, entertainment, and nightlife—all within one easy to access region.
In the In-depth Itinerary for Vancouver I cover pretty much everything I did during my time in Vancouver—starting with the flight in and ending with the flight out. Note: There are photo sliders that contain multiple photos.
You can also obtain more helpful information in the very comprehensive Vancouver Adventure Guide.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Airport Navigation, Getting Settled
Day 2: Stanley Park Attractions, Yaletown, Gastown, and Chinatown
Day 3: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Lynn Canyon Park, West End, and Waterfront
Day 4: Stanley Park, Lighthouse Park, and Olympic Village / Sea to Sky Gondola and Whistler
Day 5: Granville Island and Onesie Party / Victoria
Day 6: Breakfast and return flight
Day 1: Airport Navigation, Getting Settled
Customs
Upon landing, enter your information into one of the many kiosks available.
If you don’t want to click yes, smoke some fat joints in the bathroom or something.
Airport Transporation
Find your way out of the airport and look for the sign pointing to the train. Follow the arrow to “Train to the City.”
Route Navigation
Buy the ticket based on the zone you’d like to travel to. If you’re just going to Vancouver, then zone 1 is all you need. Note: Some kiosk machines require that you press Ok for them to work. Things do not happen automatically, and your card will be stuck unless you press Ok.
I booked Samesun, a hostel located on Granville Street and one of the best hostels in Vancouver, so I took the train to Vancouver City Centre. The hostel is no more than a 10-minute walk from there.
Main Lodging: Samesun Hostel
As one of the best hostels in Vancouver, Samesun has comfortable beds/blankets, free towels, free breakfast, daily group activities, and a bar on the first floor. They also have a storage unit (the one with the giant moose in it) for $3/day.
Do remember to bring your own combination lock, because they will charge you for a lock.
Winding Down
I arrived around evening, so there was not much time left for activities. I walked around the city for a bit and then had dinner at Sweet Mandarin.
If you’ve already seen the Vancouver Adventure Guide, then you’ll know that the Szechuan Smoked Chicken from Sweet Mandarin is one of my favorite dishes from this trip. It’s orgasmic I tell you. Orgasmic. If nothing else on the menu appeals to you, at least try it.
Naturally, if you arrive much earlier, you can easily get a head start on many of the activities. Personally, I always take a relaxed pace on the first day of travel. The first day is the transportation/settling day, so it can be hectic. Moreover, it sets the momentum for the rest of the trip. If you are sleep-deprived or get sick/hurt, your entire trip is essentially ruined.
On that note, I just went to bed early. Before that, I booked a one-day rental from the Enterprise Rent-A-Car down the street and bought tickets to the Vancouver Lookout.
Day 2: Visiting Stanley Park Attractions, Yaletown, Gastown, and Chinatown
The planning is pretty simple for a city like Vancouver. Nature/scenery during the day and city/nightlife at night. There was an Enterprise Rent-A-Car down the street. For Vancouver, I only rented vehicles in one-day increments. I pick up the car in the morning and drop them off at night (because the parking is a pain in the ass).
Daytime (Stanley Park Attractions)
Today’s morning activities are all within Stanley Park—a beautiful and massive 1000 acre park that features numerous destinations within.
There is a parking lot about a quarter of the way into the park (you can turn into the parking lot along Pipeline Road). You have to pay a small fee to park there for several hours.
Once in the park, there are many activities to choose from. I hiked several hours around the park, visited the Rose Garden, Beaver Lake, Vancouver Aquarium, Totem Poles, and the Hollow Tree (all photos shown in the slide below). This park is so massive that I actually went back for a second visit on another day in order to explore further. However, you should be able to hit all of these major attractions before sundown.
On the way back to Central Vancouver, I recommend eating at Ramen Santouka or Ma Dang Goul in the West End (below Stanley Park). Asian food is exquisite in Vancouver, and these places are among the best of them.
Nighttime (Vancouver Lookout, Parq Casino, Yaletown, Gastown, and Chinatown)
- Vancouver Lookout – The Vancouver Lookout provides a great panoramic view of the city. I timed my visit around sunset so I could see the city during the day and at night. Buy Vancouver Lookout tickets here.
- Parq Vancouver – This luxurious building features a casino alongside restaurants and lounges. I went here briefly and gambled away my life savings. I advise you do the same (nah, just kidding).
- Yaletown, Gastown, and Chinatown – These three regions within Vancouver each offer very unique experiences. Yaletown is the region that features warehouse buildings, fashion boutiques, fancy restaurants, and cocktail lounges, and Granville Street—the central point for most of the festivities. Gastown, the trendy region with cobble streets, features restaurants, art galleries, souvenir shops, coffee shops, Victorian-style buildings, and the Gastown Steam Clock. And Chinatown is where the usual Chinese stuff. The Vancouver Adventure Guide has a map with more detailed explanations of the different regions of Vancouver.
Day 3: Visiting Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Lynn Canyon Park, West End, and the Waterfront
Daytime (Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Lynn Canyon Park)
- Capilano Suspension Bridge – I rented a car from Enterprise for another day and spent 3 hours at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park—a lovely park featuring lights, nature, and a 460-feet (140 meters) suspension bridge. There is a parking spot near the Bridge House Café, across the street from Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. It’s a small fee to park there. If you want to see the Capilano’s Christmas lights, the time range for that is last week of November till last week January. Buy Capilano tickets here.
- Lynn Canyon Park – Afterwards, I headed east to Lynn Canyon Park—another wonderful park with cascading waterfalls, winding hiking trails, exquisite nature, and its own suspension bridge. Unlike Capilano, Lynn Canyon Park is free to visit. On the way, if you’re hungry, I recommend stopping at Wonderful Szechuan. I arrived while it was raining, so I had the bridge all to myself. In fact, a rainy day is your best chance for an amazing solo picture on the bridge.
Nighttime (West End and Waterfront)
- West End – I eat in this region often because it has two of my favorite Asian places (Ramen Santouka and Ma Dang Goul). It is also near the Olympic torch next to the waterfront. The whole waterfront region near the Olympic torch is very lively.
As the evening drew to a close, I returned the car and wandered around West End and the Waterfront. I returned to Parq Vancouver that night and won all my money back.
Day 4: Visiting Stanley Park, Lighthouse Park, and Olympic Village / Sea to Sky Gondola and Whistler
Daytime (Stanley Park, Lighthouse Park, and Olympic Village / Sea to Sky Gondola and Whistler)
- Lighthouse Park – I rented a car one last time and headed off to Stanley Park. I spent a couple of hours hiking around the park to thoroughly explore it. Afterward, I headed off to Lighthouse Park for a leisurely hike to Atkinson Point Lighthouse (shown in photo above).
- Olympic Village – This region features the accomodations center built for the Olympic Games. It’s also a very nice area by the water and has plenty of entertainment options and restaurants. For a small fee, you can ride the numerous small boats that frequently return to the pier to pick up passengers. Ironically, the Olympic Torch is in the West End region and not in Olympic Village.
- Sea to Sky Gondola – I had planned to visit the Gondola today. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations. It will very likely be open when you visit, so I highly recommend you check it out for the hiking trails, restaurants, and a view of Howe Sound and the surrounding mountains.
- Whistler – This wintersports haven, surprisingly, did not have a decent amount of snow this year, so I decided against visiting it. Otherwise, I highly recommend that you visit in order to enjoy the pristine scenery and snow. Visiting Whistler should take up an entire day.
Nighttime (Gastown Tour and Shopping)
- Gastown – Gastown is one of my favorite regions in Vancouver, especially during winter when the beautiful Christmas lights are up. I spent the rest of the night touring and shopping in this region.
Day 5: Visiting Granville Island and Attending a Onesie Party / Victoria
Daytime (Granville Island / Victoria)
- Granville Island – This peninsula is the shopping and tourism district of Vancouver. It features the Granville Island Public Market, hundreds of shops and restaurants, a marina, and a wide assortment of generally unique and quirky things. The food here are a combination of wildly unique and wildly delicious. And the island also provide opportunities to join whale watching tours.
- Victoria – South of Vancouver and across the water lies Victoria—the capital of British Columbia known for its outdoor activities, Victorian style buildings, and nature. I had actually visited Victoria on a second trip back to Vancouver. However, I am assuming that you will not be spending most of your day attending a onesie bar crawl. In that case, you can easily spend an entire day (or several days) in Victoria. Check out the Victoria Guide for more information and a list of activities.
Nighttime (Onesie Bar Crawl)
- Onesie Party – The onesie bar crawl started at 4 p.m. at Donellan’s Irish Pub, so I went to North Vancouver to get a mistletoe onesie. I then proceeded to party the night away. If partying the night away in a warm and ridiculous outfit isn’t your thing, then Victoria will more than suffice.
Day 6: Breakfast and Return Flight
Alas, today is the day I fly out. With the flight in a matter of hours, I only had time to enjoy one last meal at Burgoo—a local breakfast and comfort food spot.
Vancouver is a wonderful city. It is one of my favorite places in the world because it has so much fun and variety packed into such a small region. With the aid of the itinerary and guides, I hope you now have a better idea on how to plan your trip so you too will have an enjoyable time in this part of the world.
As a final reminder, much more information (including a list restaurants, bars, and clubs) can be found in the Vancouver and Victoria guides.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Like what you read? Subscribe to keep up with the best content!
Related Content
© Copyright - Ace Adventurer
https://www.aceadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Ace-at-the-Montreal-Safari-Zone-Montreal-Canada.jpg
1000
1500
Ace
https://www.aceadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Sigma-Wolf-Logo-e1563487157643.png
Ace2020-02-12 12:00:152020-03-05 17:01:47Catching Pokémon at the Montreal Safari Zone
© Copyright - Ace Adventurer
https://www.aceadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Lake-of-Legend-Panorama-Montreal-Botanical-Garden-Montreal-Canada.jpg
837
1500
Ace
https://www.aceadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Sigma-Wolf-Logo-e1563487157643.png
Ace2020-02-10 12:00:042020-10-19 11:27:07A Guide to the Montreal Botanical Garden: Things to See and Do
© Copyright - Ace Adventurer
https://www.aceadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Saint-Josephs-Oratory-Montreal-Canada.jpg
1000
1500
Ace
https://www.aceadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Sigma-Wolf-Logo-e1563487157643.png
Ace2020-02-06 12:00:042021-02-16 09:48:05A Guide to Saint Joseph’s Oratory: Things to See and Do
© Copyright - Ace Adventurer
https://www.aceadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Notre-Dame-Basilica-of-Montreal-Montreal-Canada.jpg
1000
1500
Ace
https://www.aceadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Sigma-Wolf-Logo-e1563487157643.png
Ace2020-02-04 12:00:542020-10-14 09:38:24A Guide to Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal: Things to See and Do
© Copyright - Ace Adventurer
© Copyright - Ace Adventurer
Hi, very nice guide. So specific! Really makes planning less stressful. Vancouver is definitely one of my favorite cities in the world. There’s just so much nature here, and everything is within walking distance.