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Hover your mouse over the numbers on the map to learn more about each region. Alternatively, I’ve added summary tabs of each region below the map.
Vancouver is a coastal city within Canada’s western province of British Columbia. In addition to featuring a diverse mix of nature, water, mountains, entertainment, and nightlife, it is consistently one of the best-ranked cities in the world for quality of life.
As a major city covering a mere 44.39 square miles (115 square kilometers), Vancouver appears deceptively simple. First-time visitors would be surprised that it is one of the most diverse and highest-ranked cities in the world.
In its own right, Vancouver boasts a cosmopolitan populace and a downright overwhelming range of options for entertainment and nightlife—all within one easy to access region.
As a central hub, it’s within very reasonable driving distance from the winter sports haven that is Whistler, the bustling city of Seattle, and a piece of nature that is nothing short of sublime. Not only will you have plenty of things to do, but you will also be visiting, quite literally, one of the best cities in the world. And this adventure guide will help you get the most out of your Vancouver experience.
Note: I highly recommend looking at Canada’s main destination page. It has an overview of the entire country (various cities, some history, synopsis, climate, communication, navigation, costs, ratings on cost/food/popularity, attractions/activities, special considerations, etc.) alongside some interesting facts about the country as a whole.
Recommended Duration of Visit
4 days (ideal), 3 days (doable), 2 days (difficult)
The Vancouver In-depth Itinerary includes more details on how to spend your time in Vancouver.
Click for some interesting facts about Vancouver
Flights / Getting There: This city is quite special by virtue of its excellent location, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to fly into Seattle and book a separate roundtrip between Vancouver and Seattle. It might not be much more expensive at all (I did this myself), and you get to see two great places while avoiding the potential layover (which is probably going to be in Seattle anyway 😁).
Parking in central Vancouver is a pain, especially if you plan to drive to Vancouver. Otherwise, I recommend flying and renting a vehicle here and there for short durations.
Climate: Vancouver’s climate intuitively follows the normal pattern of North America. There is one distinction: winters (December, January, February) are colder and summers (June, July, August) are less warm compared to the United States. Summer temperatures average 64 °F to 72 °F (18 °C to 22 °C) while winter temperatures average 32 °F to 41 °F (0 °C to 5 °C).
Communication: English is the official language. Chinese is very common as well (almost 1/3rd of the population is Chinese).
Navigation: Of all the cities I’ve been to, Vancouver is one of the easiest to navigate. The city itself is not very big, so you can walk almost everywhere (although driving around is a pain). Public transportation is also quite reliable. Unfortunately, there is no Uber or similar rideshare service. The last part of the “Attractions and Activities” section will cover the specific regions of Vancouver in more detail.
If you plan on driving around, it’s helpful to download the paybyphone app. Many parking meters only accept coins for some ridiculous reason, so paying via the app is more efficient.
Lodging: If you can, prioritize staying in hostels/hotels on or near Granville Street—a central location where most of the festivities are. As for specific places, Samesun Hostel is one of the best hostels in the area. The hotels are pretty standard.
Activities Planning: This Vancouver attractions website will cover pretty much all of your ticket needs. It offers a wide variety of package deals to reduce the overall cost of seeing the many attractions.
I’ve actually never had a problem showing up randomly and getting tickets, but it helps to know the price beforehand. Student ID’s are very helpful for reducing the cost of many attractions.
Special Considerations
General: The city is quite cosmopolitan and a very popular tourist destination for Australians, New Zealanders, English, Irish, and Americans. Student IDs are tremendously useful for reducing the costs of tickets to many popular attractions.
Peak Seasons: Summer (June to August) is the peak season due to the great weather. Winter (December to February) is, to a lesser extent, the secondary peak season due to the snow, mostly around Whistler. So, if you’re going to Whistler during the winter, you’re going to have a hard time.
Currency: Canadian Dollars (CAD). Currency Converter.
One of Vancouver’s biggest appeals comes from its blend of nature and civilization. Here is a convenient website for Vancouver that lists many of the attractions/activities and their prices. I had no issues showing up in person, so you can just buy as you go. Currency: Canadian Dollars (CAD).
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park: The Capilano Suspension Bridge, one of the defining and most famous attractions in the Vancouver region, is 460 feet (140 meters) long and hovers 230 feet (70 meters) over the Capilano River.
Surprisingly, the best attraction is on the other side as you enter the luxuriant park and are given the opportunity to walk among the treetops. Buy Capilano tickets here.
Cost: $40 – $50. The lower cost is for students. Recommended Duration of Visit: 2 – 3 hours.
Lynn Canyon Park: Lynn Canyon Park is a municipal park with cascading waterfalls, winding hiking trails, exquisite nature, its own suspension bridge, and the Lynn Canyon Ecology Center—a fun and interactive building with exhibits that draw attention to the ecology of the park and global environmental issues.
If you’re an avid hiker, this massive park’s trails are sure to delight.
Cost: Free to visit, but there is an option to donate. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.
If you want to see the Capilano’s Christmas lights, the time range for that is last week of November till last week January. |
This park can take up half a day if you want it to. A private photo is possible if you visit the bridge on rainy days. |
Lighthouse Park: Far left of West Vancouver lies Lighthouse Park—one of the national historic sites of Canada. Unlike Lynn Canyon Park or Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, this park is smaller and more well-suited for a light and casual walk.
In addition to scenic hiking trails, it also features the Atkinson Point Lighthouse (at the southernmost tip), named by Captain George Vancouver himself.
Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.
Stanley Park: Stanley Park is a massive 1000 acre park that is north of West End. One of the most unique things about the park is, being a peninsula, it’s surrounded by water. Even if you cannot enjoy the park thoroughly, you’ll catch a glimpse of nature here and there as you drive through it on your way to the North Vancouver region.
Alongside breathtaking scenery, the park also features Beaver Lake, the Stanley Park Rose Garden, Third Beach, totem poles, Brockton Point Lighthouse, and the Vancouver Aquarium.
Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 4 – 6 hours.
The designated observation point higher up is actually obstructed by trees. You'll get a much better view by choosing the lower route. Since the park is quite far, I recommend driving or biking. |
One interesting attraction, the Hollow Tree, is towards the top left side of the park. Also note that Stanley Park is massive, so one day might not be enough to see everything. |
Vancouver Aquarium: Towards the southeast side of Stanley Park is the Vancouver Aquarium. Aside from being a center for marine research, conservation, and rehabilitation, the aquarium is one of the five largest in North America. Buy Vancouver Aquarium tickets here.
Cost: $30 – $38. The lowest cost is for students. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.
Harbour Center / Vancouver Lookout: The Harbour Center—the skyscraper in downtown Vancouver—offers a panoramic view of the city from 482 feet (147 meters). Buy Vancouver Lookout tickets here.
Cost: $13 – $18. The lower cost is for students. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.
I highly recommend looking up the times for the sea lion training event. |
If you try to time the sunset, you will have excellent lighting for your photos. |
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park & Garden: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park & Garden is the first Chinese garden built outside of China. If you decide to visit China Town, drop by this garden and enjoy a moment of zen as you view its Chinese-inspired statues and structures. Buy tickets here.
Cost: The park is free to visit, but there is an admission fee of $9 – $13 for the garden. The lower cost is for students. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.
This place looks really nice and is free to see, so checking it out isn’t a bad idea. Alternatively, you can come on by for all your luxury, gambling, and money laundering needs. |
Phnom Penh, an amazing Vietnamese-Cambodian restaurant, is just a short walk east of the garden. And if you're lucky, there might be festivals going on nearby as well. |
One of Vancouver’s biggest appeals comes from its blend of nature and civilization. Here is a convenient website for Vancouver that lists many of the attractions/activities and their prices. I had no issues showing up in person, so you can just buy as you go. Currency: Canadian Dollars (CAD).
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park: The Capilano Suspension Bridge, one of the defining and most famous attractions in the Vancouver region, is 460 feet (140 meters) long and hovers 230 feet (70 meters) over the Capilano River.
Surprisingly, the best attraction is on the other side as you enter the luxuriant park and are given the opportunity to walk among the treetops. Buy Capilano tickets here.
Cost: $40 – $50. The lower cost is for students. Recommended Duration of Visit: 2 – 3 hours.
If you want to see the Capilano’s Christmas lights, the time range for that is last week of November till last week January. |
Lynn Canyon Park: Lynn Canyon Park is a municipal park with cascading waterfalls, winding hiking trails, exquisite nature, its own suspension bridge, and the Lynn Canyon Ecology Center—a fun and interactive building with exhibits that draw attention to the ecology of the park and global environmental issues.
If you’re an avid hiker, this massive park’s trails are sure to delight.
Cost: Free to visit, but there is an option to donate. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.
This park can take up half a day if you want it to. A private photo is possible if you visit the bridge on rainy days. |
Lighthouse Park: Far left of West Vancouver lies Lighthouse Park—one of the national historic sites of Canada. Unlike Lynn Canyon Park or Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, this park is smaller and more well-suited for a light and casual walk.
In addition to scenic hiking trails, it also features the Atkinson Point Lighthouse (at the southernmost tip), named by Captain George Vancouver himself.
Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.
The designated observation point higher up is actually obstructed by trees. You'll get a much better view by choosing the lower route. Since the park is quite far, I recommend driving or biking. |
Stanley Park: Stanley Park is a massive 1000 acre park that is north of West End. One of the most unique things about the park is, being a peninsula, it’s surrounded by water. Even if you cannot enjoy the park thoroughly, you’ll catch a glimpse of nature here and there as you drive through it on your way to the North Vancouver region.
Alongside breathtaking scenery, the park also features Beaver Lake, the Stanley Park Rose Garden, Third Beach, totem poles, Brockton Point Lighthouse, and the Vancouver Aquarium.
Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 4 – 6 hours.
One interesting attraction, the Hollow Tree, is towards the top left side of the park. Also note that Stanley Park is massive, so one day might not be enough to see everything. |
Vancouver Aquarium: Towards the southeast side of Stanley Park is the Vancouver Aquarium. Aside from being a center for marine research, conservation, and rehabilitation, the aquarium is one of the five largest in North America. Buy Vancouver Aquarium tickets here.
Cost: $30 – $38. The lowest cost is for students. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.
I highly recommend looking up the times for the sea lion training event. |
Harbour Center / Vancouver Lookout: The Harbour Center—the skyscraper in downtown Vancouver—offers a panoramic view of the city from 482 feet (147 meters). Buy Vancouver Lookout tickets here.
Cost: $13 – $18. The lower cost is for students. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.
If you try to time the sunset, you will have excellent lighting for your photos. |
This place looks really nice and is free to see, so checking it out isn’t a bad idea. Alternatively, you can come on by for all your luxury, gambling, and money laundering needs. |
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park & Garden: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park & Garden is the first Chinese garden built outside of China. If you decide to visit China Town, drop by this garden and enjoy a moment of zen as you view its Chinese-inspired statues and structures. Buy tickets here.
Cost: The park is free to visit, but there is an admission fee of $9 – $13 for the garden. The lower cost is for students. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.
Phnom Penh, an amazing Vietnamese-Cambodian restaurant, is just a short walk east of the garden. And if you're lucky, there might be festivals going on nearby as well. |
The 7 Main Regions of Vancouver: One of the charms of Vancouver revolves around its regions—each of them offering something wonderfully unique. Within this relatively small city, touring these regions on foot would be easy and thoroughly enjoyable.
North Vancouver Region: Past Stanley Park and North Vancouver (not shown on the map) lies the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Lighthouse Park to the West and Lynn Canyon Park to the East. Most of the incredible nature, alongside incredible suspension bridges, is in this region.
Gastown: This trendy region with cobble streets features restaurants, art galleries, souvenir shops, coffee shops, Victorian-style buildings, and the Gastown Steam Clock. Entering Gastown at the intersection of Water & Richards Streets (near the restaurant Steamworks) starts you at the beginning of Gastown and lets you avoid the undesirable parts of the region.
Chinatown: Chinese stuff. Nuff said. Just kidding. Chinatown features Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese garden, incredible Asian food, the Fortune Sound Club nightclub, and…pretty much the usual Chinese stuff you see in other Chinatowns.
Yaletown: Yaletown is the region that features warehouse buildings, fashion boutiques, fancy restaurants, and cocktail lounges, among others. On its outskirts is Granville Street (pictured above)—the central point for most of the festivities (many bars, clubs, and restaurants, among others, are on Granville Street).
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 (like cement trucks covered in art).
North Vancouver Region: Past Stanley Park and North Vancouver (not shown on the map) lies the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Lighthouse Park to the West and Lynn Canyon Park to the East. Most of the incredible nature, alongside incredible suspension bridges, is in this region.
Onesie Party & Bar Crawl
One of the best decisions I made on this trip was joining a onesie party (via Eventbrite). The objective was simple: join a large group of people (about 150 in attendance) and party the night away at various bars and clubs. They will give you a whistle, wristband (that changes color when its time to move to another bar/club), and some plastic eyewear that light up. Some bars and clubs were even privately reserved just for the group.
Due to the colder weather in November, population density, and a wide assortment of bars and clubs within a very convenient region, this was one of the best places to have a onesie party. I was warm throughout the night while effortlessly having fun wearing a mistletoe onesie. It was one of the best ways to see the town the way the locals do. The participants were very friendly and welcoming.
In the end, anyone can party and flirt in their best outfits, but you’d be legendary if you did it in a onesie. Cost: $23 CAD to join. A lot more if you want to drink the night away.
Pro Tip: The Urban Planet in North Vancouver sells the mistletoe onesie for about $40 CAD. Don’t say I never did anything for you 😉.
Thoroughly Exploring the Parks
There’s something special about exploring nature that invigorates the adventurous spirit. The vastness of the parks, especially Stanley Park, alongside the wide variety of attractions and entertainment options within, is sure to delight even the most demanding adventurers.
There are so many things to see, so many trails to traverse, and so many pictures to take—and all of it so close to civilization. Even with careful planning, it took me two days to explore Stanley Park alone.
Jumping Off the Capilano Suspension Bridge
Tired of the troubles and monotony of life? You’re in luck! A 230-foot (70-meter) freedive from the Capilano Suspension Bridge is just what you need! Live your final moments in pure exhilaration and ecstasy knowing that all the crap that comes with life is behind you! Cost: Everything.
Seriously though. I’m just joking. Don’t do that.
More information on Burgoo
What to order: The Chicken Pot Pie, made from free-range chicken, is a good choice for a light breakfast. I’m guessing chickens taste better when they get to walk around, hang with friends, and potentially cross the road.
More information on Sweet Mandarin
What to order: You absolutely must try the Szechuan Smoked Chicken. The Salt & Pepper Chili Ribs is delicious as well.
More information on Phnom Penh
What to order: The BBQ Porkchop Lemongrass on Rice is a safe bet if many items on the menu seem unfamiliar. The Pho (Beef Noodle) is a classic and beloved Vietnamese soup. The Hu Tieu (Phnom Penh Rice Noodle) is another great and alternative style of Vietnamese noodle soup.
More information on Ramen Santouka
What to order: The (Spicy) Miso is a tasty classic. Try the Tsukemen if you’re adventurous. It’s a different style of dipping ramen, but it’s quite rare to find in most ramen establishments. And, if you’re really hungry, try the Rice + Ramen Combo.
More information on Ma Dang Goul
What to order: The Bulgalbi (short ribs) with Spicy Tofu combo is a must if are a fan of Korean barbecue.
More information on Two Parrots
What to order: Wings…on Thursdays.
More information on Granville Island food
What to order: Whatever your heart desires.
More information on On Yogurt
What to order: Crème Brûlée Fish Waffle, Crème Brûlée Fish Waffle, and Crème Brûlée Fish Waffle. This delicacy is a combination of cool Crème Brule on top and hot custard deep down—all coated in a warm fishlike waffle. It is so good that it takes 10-15 minutes to make.
More information on Sulmida
What to order: The Mango Cheesecake was delicious and very unique. Each flavor usually comes with a corresponding syrup (mango comes with mangos and mango syrup, strawberry comes with strawberries and strawberry syrup). If you’re uncertain, classic Strawberry would do just fine.
The cups are about half as cheap as the bowls, so you can get two flavors for about the same price. However, the bowls are very photogenic if you want an epic dessert photo.
More information on Burgoo
What to order: The Chicken Pot Pie, made from free-range chicken, is a good choice for a light breakfast. I’m guessing chickens taste better when they get to walk around, hang with friends, and potentially cross the road.
More information on Sweet Mandarin
What to order: You absolutely must try the Szechuan Smoked Chicken. The Salt & Pepper Chili Ribs is delicious as well.
More information on Phnom Penh
What to order: The BBQ Porkchop Lemongrass on Rice is a safe bet if many items on the menu seem unfamiliar. The Pho (Beef Noodle) is a classic and beloved Vietnamese soup. The Hu Tieu (Phnom Penh Rice Noodle) is another great and alternative style of Vietnamese noodle soup.
More information on Ramen Santouka
What to order: The (Spicy) Miso is a tasty classic. Try the Tsukemen if you’re adventurous. It’s a different style of dipping ramen, but it’s quite rare to find in most ramen establishments. And, if you’re really hungry, try the Rice + Ramen Combo.
More information on Ma Dang Goul
What to order: The Bulgalbi (short ribs) with Spicy Tofu combo is a must if are a fan of Korean barbecue.
More information on Two Parrots
What to order: Wings…on Thursdays.
More information on Granville Island food
What to order: Whatever your heart desires.
More information on On Yogurt
What to order: Crème Brûlée Fish Waffle, Crème Brûlée Fish Waffle, and Crème Brûlée Fish Waffle. This delicacy is a combination of cool Crème Brule on top and hot custard deep down—all coated in a warm fishlike waffle. It is so good that it takes 10-15 minutes to make.
More information on Sulmida
What to order: The Mango Cheesecake was delicious and very unique. Each flavor usually comes with a corresponding syrup (mango comes with mangos and mango syrup, strawberry comes with strawberries and strawberry syrup). If you’re uncertain, classic Strawberry would do just fine.
The cups are about half as cheap as the bowls, so you can get two flavors for about the same price. However, the bowls are very photogenic if you want an epic dessert photo.
There are way too many bars/clubs this close together. My favorite ones are on Granville Street (listed here). In the off chance that you do not like any of these recommendations—most of which were selected by the locals for the bar crawl—then there’s likely another one around the corner.
With so much civilization, nature, and fun crammed into such a compact and easily-navigated place, I can see why Vancouver is one of the best cities in the world. Its nature is breathtaking, the nightlife is exciting, and food is exquisite. With such a diverse range of entertainment options, I’d be surprised if you do not have a great time here.
On a final note, make sure to share this page so others will know more about Vancouver!