A Guide to Vancouver, BC Canada

City bus tour

Taking a city bus tour was a great chance for us to figure out the lay of the city and visit some great places with a guide. Our tour stopped at Stanley Park, Granville Island Market and the Vancouver Lookout, a glass elevator that goes to the top of a skyscraper in downtown, giving you stunning views of the city and nearby ocean. On the tour we also drove through China Town and then Gas Town, where we parked and heard the steam clock as it rang.

Stanley Park

Visiting Stanley Park is a must do in Vancouver. It is a huge park, larger than New York's Central Park, located along the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean. You can walk leisurely along the Seawall, a sidewalk right on the shoreline, all around the park. The park houses flower gardens, beautiful walking paths and the Aquarium.

Granville Island

This little “Island” in the middle of the city, is a market district right along the water. There are several cute shops, restaurants with a view, and then, “The Market”. The Market has hundreds of vendors with various specialty foods: Fresh fruit, meat, cookies, bakeries, coffee shops, etc.! I had some Asian food for lunch that was amazing! Then, I tried some salted caramel gelato, also amazing! We actually liked Granville Island so much, that we visited here twice on our trip. I had to get the exact same meal and gelato the second time as well, it was that good!

Sunset dinner cruise

Grab dinner on an elegant little ship, while cruising around the harbor with a sunset view? It doesn’t get much better than that in my opinion! Our dinner cruise had a live singer, delicious food and dessert and was overall a wonderful time! It was very relaxing.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Located near North Vancouver, (about 20 minutes from downtown), a suspension bridge hovers over the Capilano river, which offers a chance to revel in the beauty of nature. Walk among the trees in the rainforest with the best view there is. There is not only the famous suspension bridge crossing the river; but other walkways as well. Walk along the treetops in the treetop adventure and along the gravity defying cliff walk.

Whale watching tour

See these marine animals up close with a guided tour on a covered catamaran. Tours last approximately four to five hours.

Seaplane flying tours

Take off from the beautiful harbor waters and see aerial views of the city, parks and stunning coastline. Tours last approximately 30-45 minutes.

Day trips:

We had a day trip booked to visit Whistler, a ski town north of Vancouver; however, the weather did not cooperate, and it had to be canceled for safety reasons. Our planned day trip consisted of riding along the “Sea to Sky Highway”, a scenic stretch that offers views of the mountains, forests and ocean, including a stop at a waterfall and hiking area. At Whistler, there is a gondola to ride for even more stunning views. Then, a visit to the local shops in the area.

I hope to visit Whistler on my next trip! I recommend scheduling your day trip as one of the first days of your trip. If there are any weather delays or rescheduling needed, you have some wiggle room to try another day. The Pacific Northwest sees many rain days. It’s always good to have a backup, or two, rainy day plan!

The Flying Beaver

This restaurant is actually in Richmond, right outside of Vancouver. However, it is close to the airport. It is well worth the trip! We ended up going here twice because it was so good. This restaurant sits on the edge of the waters, joined to the building where you can book sea plane tours. While you eat the amazingly delicious food, like the best food I have ever tasted, you can sit and relax with a great view and watch the sea planes take off and land. We even happened to see a Beaver swimming below when we were there!

I personally recommend:

• Poutine: A Canadian meal which consist of french fries, gravy and cheese curds. Their dish includes shredded rib meat as well.

• Steak bites: The best steak I have ever had!

• Cheesecake: Their cheesecake with raspberry sauce was oh so good!

Granville Island

As mentioned before, Granville Island has several restaurants and bars to choose from.

Lunch Lady

A popular Vietnamese restaurant offering delicious authentic food.

Maxines Café & Bar

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The perfect comfort food and cocktails to eat on a cozy rainy day.

Parker Rooftop

A living room styled restaurant on top of the Parker Hotel offers stunning views of the city. Enjoy a glass of wine and some fine dining.