Vancouver is one of the most popular Canadian cities with foreigners. Vancouver is located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, near the Pacific Ocean.
The name Vancouver is from a British sea captain, George Vancouver. He discovered the current Vancouver region at the end of the 18th century. In homage to him, the region received the name “Vancouver” in 1885.
Vancouver is reputed for being a cosmopolite town and more than half of its citizens speak other language skills. The town is often mentioned by the Economist Intelligence Unit as one of the fifth-best cities in the world. This choice criterion depends on the quality of life there. For 5 consecutive years, Vancouver was selected as one of the ten best cities in the world.
Some archeologic traces of Indigenes people were found. Their traces said Indigenes peoples were living in the Vancouver area from 8 000 to 10 000 years ago. But the city does not deny those origins and choose to show and develop them through the incredible museum of Anthropology.
There are so many things to do in Vancouver. It might be complicated to choose what to do in this beautiful city. So, here are some tips for helping you to plan your trip to Vancouver!
Vancouver’s Best Attractions
Vancouver Art Gallery
This Art gallery is an art museum that has 10,000 artwork collections. Among them, 200 worldwide reputed creations such as:
- “Path Among”, by Emily Carr, 1930.
- “Untitled #66”, by Cindy Sherman, 1980.
- “The Pine on the Corner”, by Jeff Wall, 1990.
The Art Gallery was opened in 1931 and is “recognized as one of the most respected institutions of North America and also, an innovative visual arts institution. Vancouver Art Gallery welcomes the public all the year in the permanent exhibition, temporary exhibitions, and the Institute of Asian Arts.
Various guided tours are available, especially in English or Chinese languages. For more information, please visit the guided tours page.
Opening time
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday: From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Tuesday & Friday: From 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
(By donation on Tuesday from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm).
Prices (Permanent exhibition prices)
Adult $24
Senior $20
Student $18
Children (age 6 – 12) $6.50
Children under 5 Free
Persons with disabilities $24*
(* Includes free admission for one attendant)
For more information about temporary exhibitions prices, please refer to the official page.
Address
Vancouver Art Gallery
750 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H7
How to get there
By bus, line n° 22, 17, get off at the downtown station. Walk 8 min.
Bus, line R5, get off at the Burrard station. Walk 7 min.
By subway, Canada line, or Expo Line, get off at Waterfront station.
Capilano Suspension Bridge
This is a rope bridge that crosses the Capilano River. Located in the North Vancouver district into a beautiful forest, the bridge 137 meters long and is 70 meters high above the river.
At the end of the bridge, have a break on the totems poles to discover the Indian sculptors’ arts. These artists work according to ancestral methods.
Plan the visit to be about 2 hours.
Capilano Suspension Bridge is located at just 20 minutes by car from Vancouver downtown. A free shuttle is also available from downtown to the site. Departure every 15 minutes from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Return to the downtown from 10:45 am to 5:30 pm.
3 pickup locations in Vancouver:
Canada Place (near the info kiosk), Hyatt Hotel (located on the Melville Street Entrance), and Blue Horizon Hotel (located at 1225 Robson St.).
Opening time
Capilano Suspension Bridge is generally opened between 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, depends on the season. Before going there, we recommend you to check the schedule on the official page.
Prices
Adults (age 17 – 64 years) $54.95
Youth (age 13- 16 years) $29.95
Students (age 17 years) $41.95
Seniors (over 65 years)$49.95
Children (age 6 -12 years) $18.95
Children under 6 years old Free
Address
3735 Capilano Road
North Vancouver, BC
Canada V7R 4J1
Seawall
Seawall is a stone wall constructed around Stanley Park. This wall was opened in 1980 to prevent erosion of the park.
This is the perfect place for a walk, jog, or using your bicycle. There are two divided parts: one for walkers and joggers and another one for cyclists.
With 28km longer, the Seawall is the longest uninterrupted waterfront route in the world. This wall extends from the Vancouver Convention Center to the Spanish Banks Park.
You can download the Seawall map here.
Science World
Science World at Telus World of Science is a scientific place run by a not-for-profit organization. Located at least of False Creek, the museum presents various permanent and temporary exhibitions for the whole family. The Science World’s goal is to introduce science to all visitors through many interactive exhibits.
The Science World museum purposes 3 Live Shows. Those are available each hour and are 10 minutes in duration:
- Peter Brown Family Centre Stage
- Ken Spencer Science Park Outdoor Stage
- Science Theatre
Established in 1977, now 650,000 visitors discover the museum every year.
Opening times
Open from Thursday to Sunday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Closed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (except holidays).
Address
1455 Quebec Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Prices
Adult (age 19+) $27.62
Child (age 3 – 12) $18.57 (Free for children age 2 or under)
Youth (age 13 – 18) $22.14
Senior (age 65+) $22.14
Granville Island
Granville Island is a Vancouver district located at False Creek, at the south of the Granville Street Bridge. That bridge relieves the downtown to False Creek.
Granville is the old name of Vancouver city. The district has preserved the former name.
Early 1900, Granville Island was a sawmills and factory’s place. Nowadays, Granville Island is often called the “food lover’s paradise” and is one of the favorite places for tourists and locals.
This is the best spot for enjoying your dinner by the waterfront.
How to get there
The best way to get there is to take mini tugboat ferries that cross False Creek.
Queen Elizabeth Park
Queen Elizabeth Park is an urban park located at the geographic center of Vancouver.
The 52 hectares park is a horticultural jewel that includes the Bloedel Conservatory, an arboretum, and diverse recreational places like tennis, lawn bowling, roller hockey, and basketball. Opened in 1902, the park includes man sculptures and some of them were created by reputed international artists such as Henry Moore.
The Arboretum is a precious place with an incredible collection of exotic and native trees. The Bloedel Conservatory is a tropical greenhouse with around a hundred races of birds and more than 500 different plants.
There are a lot of things to do in this huge and beautiful park. A great spot if you want to leave the city and rejuvenate with nature. You can go there with your picnic or take advantage of the catering offers in the park.
Opening time
Open every day from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.
Address
4600 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2Z1, Canada
How to get there
By subway, take the Canada Line and get off at King Edward Station. Walk around 15 min.
Museum of Anthropology
Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia or also called MOA is a research and teaching museum about anthropology, archaeology, and conservation.
The Museum of Anthropology’s objective is to promote awareness and understanding of diverse cultures through partnerships with indigenous and local communities. In the immense museum, 539 m2 are dedicated to temporary exhibitions. The incredible collection of MOA includes around 50,000 ethnographic objects and 535,000 archaeological objects.
In this collection, about 40% of it is from Asia. Objects came from China (with around 1000 ~ 1500 pieces of Chinese ceramics, calligraphy, paintings, coins, and amulets), Japan (Japanese prints, mask fro Noe), Indian (calendar prints), Sri Lanka (Sunni and Kolam), Korea (Pongsan and Yangju) and more … There is also a large selection of religious objects such as Buddhist art, Hindu art or also Tibetan robes.
There are also approximately 2800 articles from African cultures. That includes masks, Makonde figures, weaponry from South Africa, mortuary objects (from Egypt), and others.
The MOA collection is really rich and precious. A good place if you want to know more about civilization!
Opening time
Open every day from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Closed on Mondays.
Prices
Adult $18
Student $16
Senior (age 65+) $16
Children (age 6 or under) Free
Family (2 adults, 4 children) $47
Address
6393 NW Marine Drive
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z2
How to get there
By bus, take the lines 4, 14, 25, 33, R4, 44, 49, 84, 99 B-Line, and 480 and get off at UBC (University of British Columbia).
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
This classical Chinese garden was built between 1985 and 1986 in Chinatown in Vancouver. Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden is the first Chinese garden raised outside of China. The objective of this one is to promote the Chinese culture and maintain the bridge of understanding between China and western cultures.
Find peace and tranquility in this unique garden built in an authentic representation of the Ming Dynasty. Throughout your walk, discover pagodas, unique rock form, and water pond.
Opening times
Open every day from Wednesday to Sunday, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Admission price:
Adult $16
Student (age 6 – 17 or over with a student ID) $12
Senior $13
Family (2 adults and up to 3 children under 17) $32
There is also annual pass with that you can receive exclusive benefits and discounts such as Unlimited Garden visits, complimentary tickets to the Garden, discount for concerts and festivals, and others. Click here for more information on the garden website.
Address
578 Carrall Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6B 5K2 Canada
How to get there
By Bus, take lines 19 and 22 from the Downtown and get off at Pender Street.
By Train, Take Skytrain line and get off at Stadium – Chinatown Station.
Burnaby Village
The Burnaby village is an underrated place where visitors forget to go when they are visiting Vancouver.
What is the Burnaby Village? It is a reconstruction of a Canadian village from the 19th century. Most part of the buildings is originally from the 19th century and were just moved to the current place. In the village, there are old houses and also old shops that were necessary for daily life. The Burnaby village is a kind of ecomuseum located in a natural space.
In the village, there is also a lake, called Burnaby Lake. The Lake 3,11 km2 area is home to an important variety of wildlife. If you are lucky, you could have a chance to see animals enjoy the pond.
How to get there
By train (Skytrain), from downtown take The Expo or the Millennium lines to Burnaby.
Prices
The village and the lake are free.
Lighthouse Park
Located in a residential area in West Vancouver, Lighthouse Park is one of the most favorite and popular places for tourists and visitors in Vancouver. This National Historic Site of Canada is the perfect place for reconnecting people to nature with the 75 hectares area large.
Lighthouse Park is also one of the most beautiful parks in Vancouver. Here, you can enjoy nature through trekking and hiking. The small elevation gain of the path allows all visitors to walk. Different routes are available for all visitors profiles: reasonable trails are around 2 hours and short trails are around 20 minutes. The complete trail is around 6 km. There are also a lot of picnic benches located in the park for having a break time.
You can go there and enjoy the place all year because the park is open during all 4 seasons.
Opening time
The park is open every day from 6:30 am to 10:00 pm.
Prices: The park is free
Address
4902 Beacon Ln, West Vancouver, BC V7W 1K5, Canada
How to get there
By bus, from downtown Vancouver take bus #250. The station for Lighthouse Park is just before the Horseshoe Bay Station. On the official website, they recommend you to let the bus driver know that you would like to get off at that stop.
Gastown
In 1967, Gastown was originally the place of sawmills. Located in the northeast of Vancouver downtown, Gastown became a national historic site. Now, this district is a trendy neighborhood furnished with contemporary and fashion buildings as restaurants, shops, and nightclubs. There are also some authentic old buildings built in a victorian style and still used today. One of the third largest cities in Canada, Gastown is now one of the most important and lively neighborhoods with a lot of chic apartments, European restaurants, and cocktail lounges.
With flashy boutiques and art galleries, Gastown is a great district for enjoying life in Vancouver, as a real citizen. At night, the neighborhood mood changes, with nightclubs and various lounges opening. The most reputed of them is “The Cambie,” “The Columbia,” “Lamplighter Public House,” or also the “19 Below.”
Opening time
You can enjoy the Gastown district during the day and at night time. The mood depends on what you are searching for.
Address
GastownVancouver, BC, Canada.
How to get there
By bus, take lines n° 022, 240, or N15.
Train, take lines n° 980 or 992.
Ferry, take the ferry n°998.
There are all the nearest stations around the Gastown neighborhood:
- Eb W Cordova St Fs Abbott St
- Eb W Cordova St Fs Homer St
- Wb W Hastings St Ns Abbott St
- Wb W Hastings St Fs Abbott St
Vancouver Food Specialties
JapaDog
This is a hotdog with Japanese inspirations. The hotdog is a mix of different tastes as salty, sweet, and spicy. You can also choose various Asian sauces like teriyaki sauce, miso, wasabi, or also kimchi.
Salmon Candy
Smoked salmon glazed with maple syrup or local honey. This is a salty and sweet snack with the real taste of salmon. You should absolutely try these sticks. But be careful, when you start, it is impossible to stop eating. It can also be a good present for your friends or family when you come back home.
Seafood
Vancouver is a Pacific coastal city. And as all Pacific coastal cities, Vancouver is proud of its fresh seafood that can be freshly and easily catch. During your trip to Vancouver, you can try to order West Coast Oysters, or Spot Prawns.
Indigenous Cuisine
Vancouver had indigenous origins. So, you can find some indigenous cuisine in the town made with native food originally found on the Vancouver territory. So you can discover some meals cooked with salmon, fiddleheads, or also elk.
We hope this post will help you plan your future journey in Vancouver!
