What to Do in Vancouver: A Complete Guide for First Timers

We love a good public green space – it’s part of the reason why we love Portland so much – and having a massive public park right in the downtown core of the city is a really unique feature that speaks to Vancouver’s appreciation for outdoor activities. 

It’s also a massive urban planning win to have a public park taking up such prime real estate without being sold off to developers to build more housing (which Vancouver does desperately need).

Stanley Park is well worth a few hours of your time while you’re in Vancouver, and we’ll get into the ways to see it in a second.  

One thing to know is that we really love the walk along the northern waterfront from Canada Place (here on Google Maps) to the border of Stanley Park, where you have great views of boats and seaplanes (sometimes landing or taking off) to keep you company with the mountains in the background. 

For that reason, we’d recommend starting your journey there, and working your way west into the park, making your way around the peninsula that is Stanley Park counterclockwise (you can also easily do it in the opposite direction). 

Here’s a map of the rough route that we’d take around the exterior of the park, which is our favorite part. 

One place this route does miss is Prospect Point (here on Google Maps), which is elevated above the Seawall (the mixed use path that runs along the perimeter of the park) and has a great view of the Lions Gate Bridge heading into North Vancouver. 

Now, you may be saying something to the effect of “whoa, that’s a long walk!”

And yes, even for the two of us who love walking, it is certainly a long walk. 

A more time-efficient option for exploring Stanley Park is to rent a bike and see the park on two wheels, which will take about an hour with limited stops (though we’d recommend lingering a little more than that, because it’s a beautiful ride). 

We’ve done it both ways, and both are a really nice way to see the park at slightly different paces (walking means more opportunity for pictures, which I, Matt, am very much here for). 

There are a couple of options for renting bikes here. 

First is Vancouver’s public bike share program, Mobi, which allows you to pick up a bike at a station around town using an app, pay per minute, and drop it off at a different station. 

Lucky for you, there are plenty of stations near the park (for example, there’s one here in Coal Harbor, and one here at Sunset Beach).

You should download the app and complete the sign up process before you want to get a bike. 

This makes it pretty easy to do a one-way ride and avoid backtracking (and having to ride through the busy city streets). 

The downside of this approach is twofold. 

First, bike inventory can be unpredictable (especially in the summer, when everyone wants to do this ride). 

Second, it can get expensive, especially if you make a longer stop in the park without returning the bike to a station (a 90 minute ride will cost approximately $27 CAD, more for an e-bike).

Worth noting that there are a couple of stations inside Stanley Park, and we’d drop off the bike if you stop for a beer or something. 

The second option is renting from a bike rental shop near the park, which means you’ll have to make a loop (which involves riding on city streets no matter which way you slice it) and is likely going to be more expensive. 

Cycle City and Yes Cycle are two good options on the north side of downtown with good access to the bike paths leading into the park.

You can rent in advance, you get equipment like a helmet and nicer bikes, and the pricing makes the most sense with a two hour trip, give or take. 

Browse and Graze on Granville Island

Look, I grew up in Seattle and lived there for 20+ years, so I’m extremely familiar with the idea of a touristy public market that locals don’t really visit unless there’s someone from out of town to enjoy it with them. 

That being said, I unironically love going to Pike Place Market in Seattle whether or not there are people who I’m showing around town, and I kind of feel the same way about Granville Island Public Market. 

There’s a certain energy that comes with a public market that you don’t really find elsewhere, and I, for one, am here for it (even if most of the places to eat and drink aren’t going to be great quality or value because they cater to tourists). 

It’s a fun place to wander, and I’d encourage you to walk down to the eastern end of the island, where you’ll find far fewer tourists and a couple of cool businesses. 

There is one note I want to make here, and that is the fact that I, Matt, have Celiac Disease and need to eat gluten free (hence the name of this website). 

There aren’t many gluten free options at the Granville Island market (here’s my gluten free guide to Vancouver, if you’re curious), but I love asking people I meet along the way where I should eat anyway, which is where I got most of my recommendations below. 

Here are some spots that are worth your time, in no particular order. 

Bon Macaron: This leads the list for exactly one reason: it’s the only place selling ready-to-eat gluten free food that I can actually eat.

The texture, in particular, was as close to perfect as it gets, with a nice crunchy crust that sort of melts away when you bite into it.

They have some really fun, unique flavors, including a series partnering with other businesses on Granville Island.

I had a jasmine macaron that I was very skeptical of, but it ended up being amazing. 

Oyama Sausage: A big case full of cured meats, various pates, porchetta, and more. This plus Benton Brothers below are a great one-two punch if you’re looking to make a picnic to take to the beach. 

Benton Brothers Fine Cheese: Two former engineers turned cheesemongers! Good selection of cheeses, including a bunch of local options (I grabbed some cheese from B.C. to take to my apartment and enjoy) and famous cheeses from around the world, like Basque and Burgundian cheeses. 

Siegel’s Bagels: A few years ago, we fell in love with Montreal after our first foray into Quebec, and Seigel’s makes Montreal-style bagels, which are levered into a wood-fired oven on a long wooden stick, and are a distinctly different texture and taste from the more common NYC-style bagel.

This was a top recommendation from the guide on my bike tour of Vancouver, and while I can’t partake due to gluten, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t! Bagels and bagel sandwiches are the highlights. 

Sen Pad Thai: Good pad thai and other noodle dishes, though not the best in Vancouver. 

Kasama Chocolate: An underrated gem on the southeastern side of the island, their hot chocolate is magic in a cup.

Get the drinking style chocolate, which is rich, creamy, and is basically joy in a cup.

They also have chocolate bars, which would make a great souvenir for a foodie back home. 

We highly recommend utilizing the fun False Creek Ferries – a series of tiny passenger ferries running from Granville Island to the east and west – to get to Granville Island.

It’s a fun way to see the city from the water, and it’s usually the quickest way to get to the island. 

Walk the Southern Seawall

Maybe it’s just because London is top of mind after a relatively recent trip, but walking the southern seawall of Vancouver from Kitsilano past the Olympic Village to Science World very much reminded me of walking the south bank of the Thames, which is one of my favorite things to do in London. 

Throughout the walk, you’re looking across the inlet towards the skyline of Vancouver, and you’ll see it change from the (marginally) less dense West End to the numerous towers of Yaletown with B.C. Place. 

About halfway through the walk, you’re going to pass right by Granville Island Public Market, which we have an entire separate section for because it’s worth visiting. 

Here’s a map of what the walk could look like, including a stop at Granville Island along the way for a drink and a bite to eat. 

Here are some stops along the way that we think are worth your time (and the slight detour).

Elsje Point: One of our favorite views in Vancouver? Definitely.

From this mini peninsula northeast of Kitsilano Beach, you get a great view of Stanley Park and the West End across False Creek, with the snowcapped mountains in the background. Find it here on Google Maps. 

Oidé Coffee: A tiny detour from the waterfront path brings you to this excellent coffee shop, which has coffees from roasters all over the world and brews them expertly, whether it’s a latte or a fancy pour over. 

Go Fish: THE place that got recommended to me most by local Vancouverites, this fish and chips joint is just outside the entrance to Granville Island on the boat docks. 

Habitat Island: A nice little diversion from the concrete path onto an island with great views across the inlet (it’s here on Google Maps). 

The Olympic Village: It’s wild to think about the amount of development that went into building up this part of the city, which was built for the 2010 Winter Olympics that were held in Vancouver.

It took a while for it to fill up as a residential neighborhood, but today it’s a fantastic example of mixed use zoning and high-density housing.

The waterfront path through this part of town has stunning views of the skyscrapers of Yaletown and B.C. Place across the inlet. 

Whether or not you make any stops along the way is up to you, but I highly recommend walking all the way from Kitsilano Beach to Science World, if you’re up for it physically. It’s a lovely walk with great views of the city throughout the entire route. 

You can also do it by bike, using Mobi Bikes (explained in the Stanley Park section), which is Vancouver’s bike share program.

Hit the Beaches!

Did you know that Vancouver is a beach city? Neither did we until we spent a little more time here and discovered the series of beaches – running from Kitsilano Beach out west towards the peninsula where you’ll find the University of British Columbia – that often have excellent views of the Vancouver skyline backed by snowcapped mountains.  

One of the things we enjoy the most about living in the Pacific Northwest is the sheer joy that is unleashed upon the city when summer finally arrives after months and months of grey, drizzly weather. 

It starts in March or April, when we get the first (of multiple, usually) false spring where it’s relatively warm and sunny (we’re still talking 50’s or 60’s fahrenheit, so not THAT warm) and the city is all of a sudden packed with people out and about in short shorts and sundresses. 

Then, the rain returns, and it’s back to several layers of clothes covering those pale legs for another couple of months. 

When summer finally comes, we Pacific Northwesters embrace it fully.

Mostly in an effort to hold onto it so tight that it can never leave. 

In the summer, Kitsilano Beach in particular is a raucous party, with all of the pale people who just spend six months indoors or covered in multiple layers out and about enjoying their small slice of paradise that is Vancouver between June and September. 

While the summer and fall are great times to experience the beaches of Vancouver, they’re equally worth visiting in the winter and spring, when instead of swimsuits and volleyball, you’ll find puffy down jackets and snow-dusted mountains behind the city’s skyline. 

Sure, it’s not quite as pleasant to lay out on the beach, but we still think it’s worth coming out here to see the skyline and driftwood-laden beaches within the city limits. 

Here are our favorite beaches (outside of Stanley Park) to visit in southern Vancouver: 

Kitsilano Beach: The most popular beach in town? We came here multiple times during our longer summer stay in Vancouver, and every single day the beach was packed with people playing volleyball, picnicking with friends, and just soaking up the sunshine.

It’s a nice, sandy beach with great views of the skyline, especially from the northern point (here on Google Maps), where you have an essentially unobstructed view of the West End across False Creek. 

Spanish Banks Beach: The place where we discovered that Vancouver is a beach city – Spanish Banks Beach is like Kitsilano, but with far fewer people because it’s just a bit further from Downtown Vancouver (though it’s still busy on a summer day).

Great views of the skyline, and lots of nice facilities like volleyball courts and picnic tables. 

Wreck Beach: Wreck Beach is on the southwest side of UBC (just south of the Anthropology Museum), and you should know going in that it’s clothing optional, so you may see some naked people.

The other thing to know is that it’s a big descent from the road to the beach down a long flight of stairs, and what goes down must come back up.

With those two notes out of the way, it’s a lovely driftwood-laden sandy beach that looks west across the Strait of Georgia towards Vancouver Island.

You can find it here on Google Maps. Oasis Beach, which is a little further south, is also worth a visit. 

You can make a nice afternoon by starting at Spanish Banks Beach (or Jericho Beach, which is just west) and walking along the coast around the peninsula, alternating between the beachfront path and the forested Admiralty trail (which is just across Marine Dr.). 

Something like this would be lovely, which is a 6-7km walk (that’s around four miles, for us Americans). 

Learn at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC

On my (Matt) latest trip to Vancouver, the top thing on my list was the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, which I have heard numerous excellent things about over the course of my time in Vancouver. 

However, it was closed for a few years for the more in-depth trips leading up to this last trip, so I never got to make it out there until very recently. 

I really enjoyed it, and think it gives you great insight into the diversity of cultures that exist in the northwest corner of North America. 

A lot of the pieces in the gallery are also just downright impressive, like massive totem poles with all sorts of creatures, huge canoes, inventive little dry boxes that are built to be watertight for transporting important goods on the water. 

One of the things that I found really interesting – and it’s something that makes a ton of sense once you think about it – is the fact that most of the big artifacts you’ll find here are not things that were taken from existing villages, but they were commissioned by the museum (not all, because some were collected before that policy was in place). 

A great example of this is the famous Raven and the First Men, which is in the Bill Reid Gallery (more on him in a second) and is displayed beautifully. 

Worth noting that I tried to come at a day and time when they had a guided tour running, and the people at the front basically said that the website wasn’t updated and not to trust it. Which was a bummer for me, but is good context for you. 

The museum is open late on Thursday evenings (until 9pm), and admission is half off between 5pm and 9pm. 

Now for the logistics. One of the most challenging parts of visiting is the location on the peninsula on the southern side of False Creek (and the Burrard Inlet).

If you have a car, it’s easy, and you can make a nice day of it by including all the beaches around the point! 

If not, you’ll have to take a long bus ride from the downtown core out there, which is what I did. 

If you don’t have time to make it all the way out to UBC, I’d highly recommend going to the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art.

It is right downtown and has some great work from Bill Reid (as you might have guessed from the name), a Haida man who was into making all sorts of things with his hands. 

The thing I found interesting about him is the fact that he only started exploring his ancestry when he was well into his 20’s, and eventually became one of the most well known artists in the northwest. 

He actually worked with UBC on a lot of their projects, both as an artist and as an advisor and cultural ambassador (the famous Raven and the First Men at the Anthropology Museum is Reid’s work). 

It’s worth a stop even if you do visit the Anthropology Museum, but it’s DEFINITELY worth stopping by if you can’t make it out there because it will give you a nice introduction. 

Explore Vancouver’s Coolest Neighborhoods

Like most cities around the world, our favorite slices of Vancouver are not in the commercial downtown core, but in places where people actually live (and there are businesses there to serve those people).

While Downtown Vancouver is nice to visit, we’d encourage you to dedicate some time on your trip to getting out to the peripheral neighborhoods to do some eating, drinking, and strolling. 

While there are many good candidates for this section, we’re going to focus on three of them: Gastown, Kitsilano, and Mount Pleasant. 

The first is arguably within the downtown core (but is still worth a mention), and the other two are quieter, more residential areas on the south side of False Creek.  

Gastown: The Clock is Fake, But It’s Charming!

As we mentioned above, you could absolutely argue that Gastown is a part of the downtown core, and we wouldn’t really argue with you. 

However, what sets is apart from the rest of downtown Vancouver in our minds – aside from the obvious business people in suits vs. hipsters in Gastown – is the fact that, rather than the flood of chain restaurants and coffee shops that are littered around downtown, in Gastown, you’ll find a great selection of places to eat and drink.

Plus, the cobblestone streets and more industrial feeling (especially as you head east towards Railtown) is definitely a different vibe from the concrete jungle that is Downtown Vancouver. 

We should talk about the steam clock, which is a cool gimmick, but is not really authentic because it was built in the 1970’s, well after steam clocks were rendered obsolete.

Cool to see, but I wouldn’t get too excited about it. 

Here are our favorite places to go in Gastown, in no particular order. 

Revolver Coffee: Near the top of my list of the best coffee shops in Vancouver, and they’ve been doing it for a long time now.

Great selection of coffee, especially if you want to buy a bag or two to take home because they have an entire wall of coffee sourced from roasters all over the world. 

Ask for Luigi: Legitimately the best gluten free Italian food I’ve had outside of Italy. And it’s not particularly close.

Proper Italian food, too, not the Italian-American variant we so often find at home. Cute little dining room – we loved the atmosphere.

It’s a very popular spot, and reservations are hard to come by, so reserve as far in advance as you can (usually the first of the month, the month before your reservation). 

Alibi Room: A great bar in the heart of Gastown with an excellent craft beer and cider menu from local breweries and surprisingly good happy hour deals (that feature all of the beers on tap!). 

Is that French: A wine bar on a back alley (that we have actually been to when it was called something different a few years ago), this is where we’d go if you’re looking for wine and cheese plates.

They also have a dinner menu, but we’d say it’s a good spot for a glass of wine or two and an appetizer. 

One note about Gastown that you should know going in: it’s adjacent to the Downtown Eastside, which has become (in)famous for the open air drug activity. 

We have lived in Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland, so we are very familiar with the convergent housing / mental health crises affecting most of the big cities on the west coast, and Vancouver isn’t much different in that regard (even though it’s a different country). 

There is a visible homeless population in this part of town, and you’ll occasionally see open air drug use. 

However, if you head east of Carrall Street, the situation gets a lot more intense FAST. 

We know because we walked straight through it from Chinatown to Railtown on the way to lunch one day, crossing E Hastings St at Main St. 

Whether you stay here or not, we’d strongly recommend avoiding going east of Carrall Street on E. Hastings if you can avoid it. Once you get a block or two north or south of E Hastings, it gets a little better. 

Kitsilano: It’s Not Just the Beach

While we’ve already covered Kitsilano’s Beach above, the rest of the neighborhood that exists up the hill to the south of the beach is actually one of our favorite slices of the city. 

W 4th and W Broadway are the two main east-west thoroughfares here, and they run parallel to each other and form a really nice one-two punch of places to eat, drink, and shop. 

It’s a perfect afternoon walk, where you make a nice little loop starting at the beach, heading out on 4th, and making your way back on Broadway. 

Kits Beach Coffee: Hip cafe right on the border of the park where you’ll find the beach. Definitely leans a little brunch-y for me, but it’s a nice space with good coffee made with locally roasted beans from a variety of roasters. Good happy hour deals, too!

O5 Rare Tea Bar: If you’re into tea, this is a must-do while you’re in Vancouver. We came here because Alysha loves tea like I love coffee, and we ended up spending several hours on a slow weekday afternoon chatting with the barista and drinking some truly excellent teas. Great kombucha made in-house, too! 

Les amis du Fromage: A fun little cheese shop on the eastern end of the neighborhood, right across Burrard.

I can almost guarantee you’re going to walk in and be overwhelmed by the cheese selection, but I would say that you should definitely ask them to help you find some cheeses you like, which is what we did.

A truly mind boggling cheese selection, plus things like crackers, spreads, and more to make a perfect picnic to take to the beach (which is what we did). 

La Quercia: Anytime I see an Italian restaurant outside of Italy with “primi”, “secondi”, etc etc on the menu, I know I’m in for a good time!

They don’t have gluten free options, sadly, but they do make a bunch of stuff in-house and have a menu focused on northern Italian cuisine.

It’s very popular and comes highly recommended, so make reservations if you want to go.

They also have a deli where you can grab ready-to-eat meals and sandwiches. 

Cockney Kings Fish & Chips: I walked by this place multiple times, and got a kick out of the name each time.

Then, when I asked someone where to get good fish and chips in Vancouver, this place was the first place he recommended, and I immediately recognized it because of the name.

They have mushy peas on the menu, so you know it’s going to be good (definitely not gluten free, though).  

If you’re in town on a Sunday morning between May and November, it’s worth heading out to the Kitsilano Farmers Market, which we did on a recent trip and really enjoyed.

It’s very much a neighborhood affair, with some good produce stands and ready-to-eat food stands (and food trucks) with baked goods, cheese, etc etc. 

Mount Pleasant: Residential Charm

When we think about neighborhoods similar to where we live in Portland (southeast, near Division St), Mount Pleasant is about as close as it gets in Vancouver. 

Similar to Southeast Portland, Mount Pleasant is a residential area tucked between two main thoroughfares that starts industrial near the water, and gets more charming the further away from the water you go. 

Similar to our neighborhood, it was one of the first places where people started to settle outside of the downtown core, and has gone from a slightly sketchy neighborhood with lots of poverty to one of the hippest spots in Vancouver over the past several decades (which is a strikingly similar story to Division Street in Portland). 

The two main thoroughfares through Mount Pleasant are Main Street and Cambie Street, and they are packed with places to eat, drink, and shop. 

Similar to Kitsilano, it’s well worth doing a little loop that connects the two, and that will mean you get to walk through the neighborhood, which is fun if you’re into seeing different styles of older houses (which we very much are). 

We really like Mount Pleasant. Here are some of our favorite spots in no particular order. 

Prototype Coffee: This is actually the place I’ve personally been to the most, but I’ve only ever been to their original location up on E Hastings.

The thing I like about them is the sheer number of coffee options on the menu, which is a theme that has continued here.

They roast in tiny batches (you can see their roasters working on the counters at their original location) which allows them to have a bunch of different options, from clean classic washed coffees to crazy fermentations. 

Coffee Roastery Modus: Located right on a major artery, which means it’s not the most charming location, I really like the coffees I’ve had at Modus.

They characterize their coffee menu by flavor profile, and have a bunch of coffee options for pour over and espresso (if you’re into that) along with your standard milk drinks. 

Melo Patisserie: For pastries, like cakes, scones, and croissants, this is the place. They do have more savory options, like a couple of versions of a breakfast sandwich or quiche, but I think the highlight is probably the sweeter items. 

Purebread Bakery: If you’re in the mood for something savory, this is where we’d go. They do have sweet pastries – danishes, muffins, etc etc – but they have a wider range of savory options than Melo, from pastries to sandwiches, which is what we think stands out here. 

Lemonade Gluten Free Bakery: A gluten free bakery! They have a great selection of gluten free pastries, including croissants (a rarity) that are pretty good. It’s a little further south, over on Cambie St, but it’s worth the journey for gluten free folks.

The Fish Counter: The best place to get gluten free fish and chips in Vancouver because they have a dedicated prep space and fryer. It’s tiny, but the food is really good (get the mushy peas!). 

Mercato di Luigi: This place might be slightly east of the official borders of Mount Pleasant, but we’re including it anyway!

It’s on the list because we drove by their cute little corner location in Mount Pleasant on a sunny summer morning, saw that it was packed with people on the patio, and looked it up later.

Sure enough, looks like a fun spot for lunch or coffee, with coffee and pastries, sandwiches, and pasta throughout the day. 

33 Acres Brewing: An urban brewery right in the heart of the industrial part of Mount Pleasant (closer to the river).

Their Instagram is so hip it almost hurts, but we’ve actually been to their space (years ago now) and it’s very minimalist, but warm and inviting.

They have a bunch of non-beer options, like wine, cider, and cocktails, if beer isn’t your thing (or you have one person who wants beer, and one person who doesn’t). 

Don’t Miss Vancouver’s Other Green Spaces

On my (Matt here!) latest trip to Vancouver, I got outside of the city center to some of Vancouver’s other green spaces, which I hadn’t really done before.

And, similar to Portland, I came away impressed with the number of great green spaces within the city limits. 

We’ve already covered the beaches in a separate section above (I think beaches count as green spaces?), but those are also near the top of our list. 

My favorite of the bunch was Queen Elizabeth Park, which is southeast of the downtown core and is a beautiful manicured park that you could have convinced me is in London based on the style.

Walk up through the Quarry Gardens to the plaza at the top, which has great views out over the city and a domed conservatory and aviary that houses tropical birds and plants (it’s not free, but it’s a cool space especially for kids and in the winter and spring as a refuge from the rain and / or cold). 

It’s easily accessible via SkyTrain from the downtown stops (take the Canada Line towards Richmond / Brighouse to the King Edward stop), and you can go from there to Mount Pleasant by bus afterwards for lunch and some exploring. 

Another good option nearby is the VanDusen Botanical Garden, which is a short walk to the west of Queen Elizabeth Park (Alysha loves a good botanical garden). 

Last, but certainly not least, is the massive Pacific Spirit Regional Park, which is out on the peninsula west of Kitsilano where you’ll find UBC.

It’s a huge green space that surrounds the campus of the city’s biggest university, and it includes big swaths of temperate rainforest in its interior, and a bunch of beaches along the outer perimeter. 

There are tons of great hikes, particularly within the interior green spaces to the east of campus, and this would make a nice addition to a trip out to the Anthropology Museum. 

We’re going to cover some day trips to places on Vancouver’s north shore like the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Grind, and Lynn Canyon in a separate section, but those are also great green spaces that are a short journey from the city center. More on those in a second.  

Catch a Sporting Event (Mainly, Hockey)

The stereotype of the friendly Canadian is very much a stereotype for a reason. All of the Canadians I know personally are extremely friendly, helpful, and affable (hey Brian and Jenna!). 

However, when it comes to hockey, they turn into Philadelphians, who are famous for their rowdiness around sports (win or lose). 

You may remember back in 2011 when the Vancouver Canucks lost in the Stanley Cup and fans absolutely just lost their minds for 12 hours, rioted, and caused ~$5 million in damage to the city. 

The sports hub of Vancouver is in Yaletown, on the eastern end of the downtown core, where you’ll find the two main sporting venues; B.C. Place (home of the Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS, and the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League) and Rogers Arena (home of the Vancouver Canucks, the city’s NHL team). 

We’re big fans of cities where the sports infrastructure is nestled within the city center – like Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver – rather than an hour outside the city in a big parking lot, which is what you’ll find in many North American cities (read: American cities). 

Hockey season runs from roughly October to June, so if you’re here in summer and early fall (which are the best times to visit, we think), you’ll be in town outside of hockey season.

Otherwise, that’s the sport we’d recommend choosing while you’re in Vancouver. 

In the summer, we think the move is a Whitecaps game. Sure, this is partially driven by the fact that Matt is a big soccer nerd, but it’s also true that the long, warm summer evenings make for a lovely atmosphere to catch a soccer game at B.C. Place (also, the Whitecaps are good right now at the time of writing!). 

The BC Lions – the Canadian Football League team in Vancouver – also play during the summer, so that is another good option. 

Take the Ferry to North Vancouver

If there’s one thing we’re suckers for, it’s ferries that serve as public transit. 

Maybe it’s the fact that I, Matt, grew up in Seattle, where ferries are a fairly common way to cross the Puget Sound to the islands, but I love hopping on a ferry to get around. 

The SeaBus is a passenger ferry that connects Lonsdale Quay on the north shore of Vancouver with downtown Vancouver.

As you might imagine, it’s a very scenic ride, which is part of the attraction, and it only takes 12 minutes, so it’s actually an efficient way to get between the two places. 

Here’s the SeaBus schedule – there’s only one route, and ferries run continuously back and forth all day, with more frequent ferries during commute hours. 

Once you’re up on the north shore, here are some stops we’d make. 

Nemesis Coffee: One of my favorite coffee spots in Vancouver that roasts their own coffee (versus buying coffee from someone else), they have a very nice space in the Polygon, an interesting building in North Vancouver.

Good coffee, whether you just want a simple latte or you want a fancy single-origin espresso. 

The Breweries: The area to the east of the main waterfront path gets very industrial, very quickly.

Which makes sense given that this is a key piece of the port of Vancouver, one of the busiest ports on the west coast of North America.

Similar to industrial spaces in Seattle and Portland, that industrial area soon attracts new businesses who need space…like breweries.

There are a few of them tucked away between the car repair shops and other warehouse-y businesses, like North Point Brewing and Cervecería Astilleros, that would make a nice self-guided brewery crawl. 

Windfall Cider: A cidery right in the heart of that industrial area! Good cider, too, especially if you’re into dry ciders. 

Lonsdale Quay Market: Part food hall, part artisan craft fair, this is a little covered market on the waterfront promenade that is worth a stop. We found a nice souvenir shop here to grab some gifts to bring home for friends and family (we also liked Makers, here on Google Maps).  

Earnest Ice Cream: A must in the summer, they have a scoop shop on a few blocks north of the main stretch along Lonsdale Quay. They also have a bunch of vegan flavors if dairy isn’t your thing. 

This is a very nice half day trip – ideally sometime in the afternoon if you want to take advantage of all the breweries and cidery – that makes for a nice escape from the concrete jungle that is Vancouver’s downtown core. 

Every Friday evening in the late spring and summer, there’s the Shipyards Night Market on the North Shore, which has live entertainment, food trucks, a beer garden, and more.

Worth the journey on a warm Friday night during the summer if that’s when you’re in town. 

Get Out of the City and Into Nature

Similar to both Portland and Seattle, Vancouver has some truly world-class natural beauty just outside of the city center. 

Specifically, there are four great half-day trips on the north shore of Vancouver that are worth considering if you’re looking to escape the dense urban center and go for a walk among the trees. 

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park: We have slightly mixed feelings on this one because on the one hand, walking along elevated suspension bridges high in the treetops is a cool idea, and it’s very accessible from the city thanks to a shuttle from downtown that’s included in your ticket.

On the other hand, it’s extremely expensive ($75 CAD per person is wild) AND extremely crowded.

We’d only really recommend coming here during the special events, like the Canyon Lights display that happens during the holidays.

More information here – make sure to buy tickets in advance. 

Lynn Canyon: If you’re looking for a suspension bridge for the low price of completely free, this is the place to go!

Sure, the facilities aren’t as neat as the ones at Capilano and it’s a bit harder to get to (especially without a car), but it’s a county park and it’s free to visit.

We’ve done it, and there’s a very nice forested loop that takes you to the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge and then down to the water level. More trail information here. 

Grouse Mountain: Home of the famous hike that features a never ending set of stairs, the Grouse Grind, this is a mountain just north of Vancouver with, among other things, a gondola, a small ski resort, and a grizzly bear habitat.

It’s a center of outdoor recreation in all seasons, but really comes alive in the summer when there’s a bike park, a zipline, and plenty of other activities to keep you busy (particularly with kids). Good views of Vancouver from the top, too.  

Lighthouse Park: Only really accessible by car, Lighthouse Park is out in West Vancouver at the western end of the city’s north shore before it turns north and has, you guessed it, a lighthouse that you can hike to on a nice little loop.

We came out here on a beautiful summer morning and found a very pleasant hike with nice coastal views towards Bowen Island and Vancouver Island in the distance.

If you have a car, this would be our second choice after Lynn Canyon, though it’s basically not possible if you can’t drive yourself. 

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