Cruise Port Essentials: Exploring Vancouver

Weather / best time to visit

Vancouver has one of Canada’s mildest climates, but the best time to visit is May through September. You’ll find milder weather (65-75) that's mostly sunny and pleasant. There are numerous festivals to enjoy and lots of outdoor activities. In April and October, you will still enjoy milder weather but with fewer crowds. Winter (December to February) tends to be rainy and cold (35-45), but these are ideal months for skiing at Whistler or Grouse Mountains. Wearing layers is always a good choice if you tend to get cold, and comfortable shoes are a must.

Pro tip: A quick method to convert approximate Fahrenheit temperatures from Celsius is to double the Celsius number and add 30. 25 Celsius is 77 degrees, or with this method: 25+25=50 + 30 = 80.

Transportation

Public transit

Vancouver has a plethora of options, including SkyTrain, buses, and SeaBus ferries.

• SkyTrain: Vancouver’s rapid transit system has three lines. 90-minute tickets or day passes are available. Trains run every two to eight minutes.

  • Expo Line: Connects downtown to Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey.

  • Millennium Line: Serves East Vancouver, Burnaby, Port Moody, and Coquitlam.

  • Canada Line: Runs from downtown to Richmond and Vancouver International Airport.

• Bus network: Vancouver’s TransLink buses cover the entire city and surrounding areas. RapidBus and B-Line services are faster and have fewer stops. All buses have bike racks and are accessible.

• SeaBus: A passenger ferry that crosses Burrard Inlet between downtown and North Vancouver. It’s a 12-minute ride with spectacular views.

Other transit

• Car and ride share: Uber, Lyft, Evo, and Modo are all available, and taxis are easy to find.

• Bike rentals: Vancouver is one of North America's most bike-friendly cities, so bike rentals are widely available. Mobi by Roberts is the local public bike share system. You can also find numerous bike rental shops, especially near Stanley Park and the seawall.

• Aquabus and False Creek Ferries: These are small passenger ferries that take you across False Creek. This is a great way to get to Granville Island and Science World.

• HandyDART: This is a door-to-door ride share service for people with mobility challenges. It must be pre-booked through TransLink.

SkyTrain, all TransLink buses, SeaBus, and ferries are all ACA compliant. Mobi bike share has adaptive cycling programs and rentals for people with mobility challenges, but check ahead of time for specifics.

Local cuisine

Vancouver is known for its fresh Pacific seafood and flavors influenced by its multicultural roots. Here are a few top recommendations:

• Cardero's Restaurant: Located on the marina, they serve seafood, burgers at lunch, steaks, and delicious appetizers and sides with a beautiful view.

• Blue Water Cafe: Seafood—in every delicious way you can think of—is served here. If the vast seafood menu is not what you're hungry for, they serve steaks and chicken as well. At lunchtime, burgers are on the menu.

• Western Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant: Vancouver is known for its dim sum restaurants, and this well-known spot offers traditional Cantonese dim sum.

• Floata Seafood Restaurant: Located in Chinatown, this large casual dining establishment offers award-winning, classic dim sum and delicious seafood. After dinner, stay and enjoy some karaoke fun.

• Rocky Mountain Flatbread: A great place for adults and kids. Located on Main Street, they serve pizza, pasta, and salads.

Breweries & bars

Here are a few popular spots:

• Superflux Beer Company: A taproom that likes to experiment with IPAs and beers with unique flavor profiles but also has something for everyone's taste. The brewery has tasty dishes with seating indoors and a covered patio.

• Taylight Local Craft Beer and Kitchen: It has an upscale flair that serves locally crafted beers and farm-to-table dishes that reflect the best of Vancouver's flavors. Tasting menus are offered, and you can vote for your favorites. Visit during happy hour and try out some fun cocktails or flights of beer.

• Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant and Brewpub: Located in Stanley Park, this is a rustic brewpub that started as a sports pavilion and now has two large covered outdoor patios, with a cozy indoor dining room that serves West Coast-inspired food with beers brewed on site. You’ll love the view, and it’s the perfect place to stop after a day at the park.

• The 515 Bar: A cozy bar downtown that has innovative cocktails and comforting food. It has a relaxed vibe and seating is first come, first serve.

Shopping

• Burrard Landing: A sleek waterfront shopping complex with retail stores, dining, and a seaplane terminal. It’s a scenic spot with spectacular views and outdoor free concerts.

• Pacific Centre: In the heart of downtown, it’s a high-end mall with a food court and brand-name stores.

• District Factory Outlet: A factory outlet with Canadian-themed souvenirs: T-shirts, mugs, hats, etc.

Things to do

• Stanley Park
  Stanley Park is a must-see if you are visiting Vancouver. It’s 1,000 acres on the edge of the city, featuring beautiful woodlands, beaches, forest trails, gardens, and two lakes. It has spectacular views of Burrard Inlet, English Bay, and the North Shore Mountains. You can walk, cycle, or jog around the 20-mile seawall that offers stunning views and beautiful surroundings. You’ll see totem poles, a Shakespeare Garden, and a memorial to Canadian Japanese soldiers who passed away in WWII. From March to November, you can tour the park with a horse-drawn carriage tour. It’s a unique way to visit some of the most popular highlights. Be on the lookout for bald eagles, herons, and other birds; it’s a wonderful place to birdwatch and the grounds offer beautiful settings for nature photography.
  
  For families and children, there is an outdoor water park, a heated outdoor pool, a variety of playgrounds, and a miniature train. For an additional cost, the Vancouver Aquarium, which is Canada’s largest aquarium, is also located there. There are several dining options to choose from, including concession stands, food trucks, and casual and fine dining. There are also public restrooms located throughout the park and gift shops. The park is very accessible; the Seawall is fully paved and mostly flat so it’s accessible for wheelchairs or strollers. All of the key attractions can be reached through accessible paths and restrooms, and both parking lots have designated accessibility areas. The aquarium and restaurants are also accessible. The park is free and open from 6 am to 10 pm, but always double-check times before you visit.

Stanley Park

• Granville Island
  Granville Island is home to the Public Market. It’s considered one of the best markets in North America. It’s so large that they offer guided tours. The market is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm, and it is free to visit. It’s a can’t-miss if you are a foodie. The stalls sell everything from fresh produce, seafood, baked goods, gourmet treats, handmade pasta, and local honey to a variety of local crafts. Three don’t-miss stalls are Lee’s Donuts, Oyama Sausage, and Benton Brothers Cheese. Once you’ve found your favorite dish, you can have a seat on the waterfront and enjoy the view, along with the various street performances. There is also a fantastic kids' market that has toy shops, crafts, games, and an indoor play area. For the adults, Granville Island Brewing is one of Canada's first microbreweries, which has a great selection of ales and India pale ales. If you are still hungry, there are many dining choices on the island, many being waterfront restaurants with beautiful views. You can get to the island from central Vancouver by car, bus, ferry, or water taxi. Some of the surfaces on the island are uneven due to its historic layout, so it would be best to check ahead on the accessibility of the area you are visiting.

Granville Island Public Market

• Queen Elizabeth Park
  Queen Elizabeth Park is one of the most popular outdoor spaces in Vancouver. The park is located at the highest point of Vancouver, which gives you panoramic views of the downtown area skyline, along with the North Shore mountains and shoreline. The view is stunning and it’s a favorite with photographers. In the park, you will also find a beautiful rose garden, a former quarry turned into a vibrant garden, and an arboretum that is home to a large collection of exotic native trees. On site is the Bloedel Conservatory, which is a tropical garden with free-flying exotic birds and over 500 tropical plants. Outside of the conservatory, you'll see the Dancing Waters fountain along with several sculptures by Henry Moore.
  
  The path to the “top of the city” is a quarter mile and there is a marked pass for wheelchair access. Recreation includes tennis, lawn bowling, roller hockey, basketball, and pitch and putt. Seasons in the Park is the only restaurant in the park, but the food and views are fantastic. If you are looking for a unique souvenir, Painter’s Corner has original, local, hand-painted and photographic gifts. The park is open daily until 10 pm (24/7 for the park itself) and is free, although parking fees vary. You can get here by car in about 15 minutes or by public transportation in about 30 minutes. Be aware that the King Edward Skytrain is the closest stop and it entails a 10-minute walk.

• Grouse Mountain
  Grouse Mountain has been a popular skiing resort for years, but it now offers year-round activities. In the winter, you can experience skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sledding, and ice skating. There are 33 ski and snowboard runs, four chairlifts, six terrain parks, and four snowshoeing trails. In the summer months, you will find hiking, zip-lining, and scenic chairlift rides. The mountain is known for the famous Grouse Grind, which is a two-mile hike with 2,830 steps, known as “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster.” If the Grouse Grind isn’t for you, you can take the Skyride gondola to the summit. It’s a breathtaking ride with stunning views of Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean. There is something for everyone with a Kids Canopy Adventure, a Mountain Ropes Adventure, a BCMC (British Columbia Mountaineering Club) trail, a bike park, mountain coaster, tandem paragliding, skyride roof adventure, and nature talks with rangers to learn about bears, owls, or birds of prey. And if you are interested in bears, they have a wildlife refuge with some resident bears. There’s even a bear cam on their website.
  
  There are numerous cafes, restaurants, and coffee shops on the premises, so you have plenty of dining choices. Tickets vary in price depending on the attraction. There are a few different specials, so make sure you check the website before you go for up-to-date information and the best pricing. It’s located under 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver by car, taxi, or rideshare, and it’s open daily from 9 am to 9 pm. If you take the Seabus, Skyride, seasonal shuttle, or ferry line, it will take about an hour to arrive. Grouse Mountain is accessible, but check their website for detailed information. The accessibility changes with the different seasons.

Grouse Mountain

• Capilano Suspension Bridge
  The Capilano Suspension Bridge is the oldest tourist attraction in the city. It’s 450 feet long and 230 feet high, offering stunning views of the Capilano River and rainforest. The walk is thrilling, but once you arrive on the other side of the canyon, there is still more excitement with a Treetop Adventure, a Cliffwalk, seasonal events, and hiking trails. The Treetop Adventure is a canopy walk that takes you 110 feet over the park’s Douglas fir trees on seven suspension bridges that take you from viewing platform to viewing platform. Cliffwalk is a series of narrow bridges and suspended walkways that hug the granite cliffs on the edge of the canyon. There is also a collection of totem poles to explore and one-of-a-kind Coastal First Nations art.
  
  There are kid-friendly activities, a few dining options, a gift shop, and convenient restrooms. The bridge is open daily, but the hours vary by season. Tickets can be purchased online to secure a spot, or you can book through a guided tour. The bridge, Treetop Adventure, and Cliffwalk are not wheelchair accessible. Visitors in wheelchairs do get free admission to the park and can access the gift shops, cafes, restrooms, and a viewing platform that offers some great views. Portions of the pathways are paved, but there may be some areas that are uneven or steep. You can get to the bridge by car, taxi, rideshare, or a seasonal free shuttle that runs from downtown.

Cliffwalk

Museums

• The Museum of Anthropology at UBC: Houses one of the largest collections of art and artifacts from the Northwest Coast First Nations.

• Museum of Vancouver: One of city's oldest museums tells the history of Vancouver through photographs, historic fashion, household items, documents, and interactive displays.

• Britannia Mine Museum: A museum that is an adventure. You can ride a real underground mining train, pan for gold, visit the mill, and attend an Experience the BOOM! Show.

• Vancouver Maritime Museum: Houses maritime art, interactive displays, and photography that preserve and tell the nautical history of this region.

Beaches

Vancouver has some beautiful beaches. If the weather is warm, they are beautiful places to swim. If the weather or water is too cold, you can still enjoy the recreational activities they have to offer, views, and stunning sunrises and sunsets.

Sunset at Kitsilano Beach

• Kitsilano Beach: On the northern edge of the city, this is a popular swim spot with volleyball, in-line skating, a playground, a dog park, and a heated pool.

• English Bay: An accessible beach with Mobi-Mat paths, and water wheelchairs (May through September). It offers kayaking, slides, volleyball, walking, biking, and jogging along the seawall.

• Spanish Banks Beach: Located five miles southwest of downtown, this is the quietest beach. It is divided into three sections:

  • East: Volleyball, skimboarding, water wheelchairs, and picnic tables

  • West: A designated quiet beach with volleyball, picnic tables, water wheelchairs, and an off-leash dog area

  • Extension: On the seaside seawall, with a kiteboarding launch zone and off-leash dog area.

Check your cruise itinerary as they may offer a variety of excursions sponsored by your cruise line before or after your cruise.

As you can see, Vancouver has something to offer for everyone. This is just a sampling of the many activities and adventures that Vancouver has to offer. You can have a wonderful day just strolling through the city and eating at local restaurants, visiting the beach, soaring over the city in a seaplane, or visiting the nearby mountains, parks, and gardens.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Vancouver page.