Vancouver, British Columbia is one of the largest cities in Canada, and is one of its most popular tourist destinations, offering a wide variety of things to see and do for people of all ages. With a reputation for being one of the cleanest, safest cities in the world, Vancouver is also a place of multiculturalism and diversity — there are more than 15 languages spoken by residents living within the city. Named after George Vancouver, the British naval captain who explored the Pacific Northwest in the 1790s, the area was originally inhabited by the Squamish Nation, an indigenous people who called the area K'emk'emeláy̓, meaning “place of many maple trees.”ultimate Canadian adventure.
Top Downtown Vancouver Attractions: Stanley Park
Vancouver is best known for its mild climate, friendly people, and scenic mountain views, as well as for its largest city park, Stanley Park. Commissioned in 1888 by Lord Stanley, then Governor General of Canada, Stanley Park is more than 1,000 acres of urban greenspace (larger than the Big Apple’s Central Park), and is home to more than half a million trees and numerous animal species, including blue herons, racoons, skunks, coyotes, beavers, rabbits, and squirrels. The park sits adjacent to the city’s downtown core, and is considered to be the “crown jewel” of the city, beloved by the more than 8 million people who visit the park each year. Named best park in the world by TripAdvisor in 2013, Stanley Park has been a National Historic Site of Canada since 1988. It’s the hottest of all Vancouver tourist spots, and is home to numerous cool things to see and do.
For starters, Stanley Park offers playgrounds, gardens, a seaside swimming pool, spray park, beaches, golf course, tennis courts, and an outdoor amphitheater, but none of these are the main attraction. The park’s collection of First Nations Totem Poles is its most popular site, and is the most visited attraction in British Columbia. Carved from Western Red Cedar, each of the nine totems tells the story of a Native American legend through intricately carved artistic representations of the story. Walking is a popular activity in the park, and there are more than 16 miles of forest trails to explore, as well as a paved walking path along the waterfront known as the Vancouver Seawall. The longest uninterrupted waterfront path in the world, the seawall is 14 miles long and is the most popular recreation spot in Vancouver. More than half of the seawall walkway runs along Stanley Park’s outer edge, and locals and tourists alike use the walkway for walking, jogging, cycling, inline skating, and more.
The Vancouver Aquarium, located within Stanley Park, is one of the top Vancouver tourist attractions. Canada’s first public aquarium and the largest one in Canada today, the Vancouver Aquarium is home to 30 exhibits and 65,000 animals representing thousands of species of marine wildlife, including otters, seals, sea lions, and even sea turtles. The museum was long famous for its resident beluga whales, and at times in its more than 70-year history, was home to numerous cetacean species, including orcas, narwhals, dolphins, and porpoises, in addition to its belugas. Following a Canadian law banning the captivity of cetaceans, the museum no longer houses any of these large marine mammals, instead focusing on education and conservation, as well as marine mammal rehabilitation.
The park’s miniature railway is a popular attraction, and operates seasonally in spring and summer, as well as limited holidays throughout the year. Departing from Stanley Park Junction, the tiny train takes scenic 15-minute journeys throughout the park, including through one tunnel and over one water trestle. Although miniature, the train can accommodate both children and adults, and even offers a special wheelchair-accessible railcar so that people of all abilities can enjoy a ride on a replica passenger steam train.
Stanley Park’s numerous gardens are all well worth visiting, and each is dedicated to a different plant species or theme. The Ted and Mary Grieg Rhododendron Garden is full of brilliantly colored rhododendron plants, which generally bloom between April and June. The Shakespeare Garden is home to a variety of plant species that the famous Bard specifically mentioned in his many writings, and was dedicated in the early 1900s to mark the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. The Rose Garden has more than 3,500 plants, most in the rose family, as well as a large arbor covered in beautiful climbing roses. The roses are in bloom May through September each year. The Rock Garden was the city of Vancouver’s first public garden, dedicated in 1920. The rocks were forgotten over the years and were reclaimed by the forest until 2006, when they were rediscovered and partially restored. There are many interesting rocks to see, and as the restoration efforts are ongoing, there will be more in future.
In addition, Stanley Park has two lighthouses, a public teahouse, numerous restaurants, two lakes, and many other artistic installations and monuments. Horse-drawn carriage rides are a popular way to see the park’s many sites, and the park hosts regular outdoor markets and festivals, as well as live concerts and other public events. The Brockton Point naval cannon known as the 9 O’Clock Gun has been firing daily at 9 p.m. for more than a hundred years, the original purpose of which was to signal to local fisherman that fishing hours were over for the day. It’s also a good signal to tourists that the time has come to depart for the day.
Granville Island
Another great spot for Vancouver sightseeing is Granville Island, a neighborhood just south of the downtown core that is home to a large public market, as well as shops, restaurants, artists’ studios, and performing arts spaces. Technically a sandspit and not an island, the area can be accessed by aquabus or water taxi, or by car across the Granville Street Bridge. The Granville Island Public Market is the most popular attraction on Granville Island and is one of the top must do’s in Vancouver. Open seven days a week, the indoor market houses more than 50 independent food vendors selling a variety of colorful produce and other food items, as well as handcrafted gifts from local artisans. Along the far end of the island, Railspur Alley is home to artisan studios featuring glass-blowing, pottery, jewelry, and more. The Net Loft Building houses unique boutiques selling things like First Nations artwork, local wine, and handcrafted clothing, among myriad other things. Granville Island Brewery is the place to go for beer tasting and brewery tours, and there are many theaters playing host to live musical or theatrical performances on a daily basis. When it comes to Vancouver tourist spots, Granville Island is a biggie.
Historic Gastown
The original Vancouver settlement was called Gastown after a man named Gassy Jack, the owner/operator of the settlement’s first saloon and a popular figure in the area (the town was renamed Vancouver in 1886 when it was incorporated). Today, the area that housed the original settlement is called Gastown, and is the city’s historic district and a National Historic Site of Canada. Gastown is full of heritage brick buildings, and in spite of its historic character has also turned into a trendy, contemporary area known for vibrant nightlife. Water Street is the area’s main thoroughfare, and along its sidewalks you’ll find quaint shops and boutiques, art galleries, and cafes. The Vancouver Lookout is a key Gastown attraction, a 550-foot tower with an observation deck at the top, offering panoramic views of the city below. One of the top Vancouver tourist attractions is Gastown’s steam clock, one of only a handful of steam-powered clocks in the world. Built over a steam grate, this vintage clock whistles and blows out steam on the hour.
Chinatown
Adjacent to the historic district of Gastown, Vancouver’s Chinatown neighborhood is the largest Chinatown in Canada and the third largest in North America (after San Francisco and New York). Established in the 1890s by Chinese immigrant families who came to work on the trans-Canada railway, Chinatown is a vibrant, colorful neighborhood home to a variety of Asian specialty stores, restaurants, and galleries. Browse produce markets selling live seafood and uncommon (at least in North America) produce, artisan shops selling hand-crafted jade items and imported silks, and apothecaries with a wide variety of pills and powders to cure what ails you in the old-fashioned Chinese way. Make sure to visit the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden, one of the top Vancouver tourist attractions in Chinatown. As the first classical Chinese garden built in Canada, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden is home to beautiful pavilions and covered walkways leading to ponds full of koi fish, imported tu hai rock, and imported miniature trees that are more than 150 years old. The garden also hosts regular public tea ceremonies (tickets required).
Other Must Do’s In Vancouver: Museums
Vancouver is home to more than a dozen museums, many of which are top Vancouver tourist spots. The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia is the city’s most popular museum, with its mixture of indigenous art and artifacts from around the world. With an emphasis on historic and modern works from the Pacific Northwest, MOA is home to giant totem poles, hand-carved cedar canoes and sculptures, and many more First Nations pieces. Along the same lines is the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, a museum dedicated to the stunning creations of world-famous Haida artist Bill Reid. As a master wood-carver, sculptor, and goldsmith, Bill Reid’s stunning works of art helped to bring indigenous artwork to the front and center of 20th-century Canadian culture, and his works along with the works of other indigenous local artists have been immortalized in the gallery.
For a completely different museum experience, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre is an astronomy-based museum that also houses a planetarium and observatory. Learn about space, the planets, the stars, and the galaxy through interactive exhibits and educational experiences. Housed in the same building as the Space Centre is the Museum of Vancouver, a museum dedicated to the history of the Vancouver area. See artifacts from the area’s indigenous people and original settlers, and explore the area’s rich history through educational displays. Science World is another unique museum, dedicated to exploring the cutting edges of science and technology. Housed in an unusual building shaped like a large metallic orb, Science World is perfect for science enthusiasts of all ages.
Beaches
No trip to Vancouver would be complete without paying a visit to one or more of the city’s world-class Pacific Ocean beaches. Featuring scenic views, golden brown sand, and a clean family-friendly atmosphere, Vancouver’s beaches are a major draw for locals and tourists alike. The most popular and well known of the bunch is Kitsilano Beach (aka Kits Beach). Kits is one of the city’s most beautiful beaches, and also offers a saltwater swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, and beach volleyball, as well as a playground, concessions stand, and waterfront restaurant. English Bay Beach is another great beach within the city limits. English Bay offers volleyball courts, a raft swimming platform, a slide, and kayak rentals — it’s a great spot for launching kayaks and exploring the area by water. Like all of the large Vancouver beaches, both Kits and English Bay offer accessibility features like Mobi-Mats and water wheelchairs, making the beaches a wheelchair-friendly experience. For a smaller beach with fewer crowds, Spanish Banks Beach offers a quieter, more residential beach experience than the larger ones. Spanish Banks is a designated “quiet” beach, meaning there are no amplified sounds (like loud music or parties) allowed. It’s a great place to lay down a blanket for a picnic, or to watch the sun setting over scenic views.
Public Parks And Gardens
In addition to the impressive Stanley Park, Vancouver is home to many other large public parks and gardens, many of which are popular spots for Vancouver sightseeing. Queen Elizabeth Park, a 130-acre park built on the site of an old basalt quarry, was named for and dedicated by Queen (Consort) Elizabeth, wife of King George VI, during their 1939 Canadian tour. In addition to greenspace and landscaped areas, the park is home to a large arboretum, pavilion, and floral conservatory, as well as many fountains, gardens, and sculptures. The conservatory is home to 500 exotic plants and more than 100 species of free-flying tropical birds. The VanDusen Botanical Garden offers 55 acres of cultivated plants from all over the world, including many that are native to British Columbia, like the more than 1,000 varieties of rhododendron plants. Additionally, the gardens are home to First Nations Totem Poles, a children’s maze, stone sculptures, and a Japanese garden. Pacific Spirit Regional Park is Canada’s third-largest forested urban area, and at more than 2,000 acres, is home to more than 30 miles of forest trails and paths. It’s the perfect place to connect with nature — home to bald eagles, barred owls, salamanders, hummingbirds, butterflies, and coyotes, as well as old growth forest and three ocean beaches (two of which are clothing optional).
Other Unique Vancouver Tourist Attractions
Not surprisingly, there is no shortage of other cool and unique things to see and do in Vancouver. Canada Place is an iconic Vancouver plaza, identifiable by its tall fabric roofing that represents maritime sails. Built to house the 1986 World’s Fair, Canada Place is home to multiple attractions, the most popular being FlyOver Canada, a virtual flight simulator modeled after a similar experience developed by Disney for its theme parks. Vancouver is home to several well-known Art Deco buildings, including the Commodore Ballroom and the Marine Building, both of which are open to tourists. The Commodore was built in the roarin’ 20s as a cabaret, and has developed a notable reputation over the years, regularly hosting concerts and performances by award-winning musicians. It has been named as one of “North America’s Top 10 Most Influential Clubs” by Billboard Magazine, and as one of “North America’s Finest Live Music Venues” by Conde Naste Traveler. The Marine Building had the distinction of being the tallest building in the British Empire when it was built in 1930, and it is still known as one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in existence anywhere in the world. Decorated with aquatic detailing, this popular building has been featured in many films and television shows, including several Marvel movies.
If you’re interested in sports, Vancouver is home to a number of professional sports teams, several of which play at Rogers Arena. Between April and October, the arena is home to the Vancouver Canucks, a National Hockey League (NHL) team, and from December through June the facility is also used by the Vancouver Warriors, a National Lacrosse League (NLL) team. The city is also home to a wide variety of public art installations, designed to represent the city’s vibrant artistic culture. Two of the most well known are the Digital Orca and the Drop, one representing the iconic marine mammal that the area is known for, and the other representing a raindrop, which is fitting since Vancouver is the third rainiest city in Canada. Commissioned in 2009, the 25-foot-tall Digital Orca sits outside the Vancouver Convention Centre, and is made of aluminum and stainless steel in a pixelated pattern. Also commissioned in 2009, the 65-foot-tall Drop is housed at Bon Voyage Plaza, and is made of steel painted a light blue color. Both are great examples of the stunning public art installations Vancouver is known for.
Top Vancouver Tourist Spots Just Outside The City
In addition to the amazing Vancouver tourist attractions within the city limits, there are several cool things to do just outside the city. Just across Burrard Inlet on the far north edge of West Vancouver, the Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of the top must do’s in Vancouver. Originally built in 1889 (and then completely rebuilt in 1956), Capilano Suspension Bridge is a simple suspension bridge that receives more than 1.2 million visitors each year. Spanning the Capilano River, the bridge is 460 feet long and 230 feet high — definitely not for the faint of heart. Grouse Mountain overlooks the Vancouver metro area, and is a popular spot for Vancouver sightseeing. The mountain is more than 4,000 feet in elevation, and is home to a popular alpine ski resort in the winter, and a wide variety of outdoor adventures the rest of the year. Mountain biking, hiking, paragliding, zip-lining, disc golf, and scenic chairlift rides are just a few of the activities to choose from on Grouse Mountain. For scenic views of a completely different nature, venture outside the city and over the water on a whale watching excursion. The migratory routes for several whale species take them through the waters near Vancouver, generally between March and October each year. A whale watching tour offers the chance to see humpback whales, orcas, gray whales, and minke whales, as well as dolphins, sea lions, otters, and a wide variety of seabirds. There are multiple tour operators to choose from, most guaranteeing a whale sighting (and if no whales are seen, you get to repeat the tour free of charge the next day).
How Many Days To Spend In Vancouver
There is no right or wrong answer to the question of how many days to spend in Vancouver — the best answer is to spend as many as you can, allowing you to see as many of the top Vancouver tourist attractions as possible. If you were to attempt to visit all of the Vancouver tourist spots mentioned in this article, it would take you two weeks or longer to properly experience them all. Realistically, most tourists don’t have two weeks of vacation time to spend in a single city, so you’ll have to do the best you can and make do with as many days as you’re able to spend in the area. A minimum of three days is recommended, to ensure you are at least able to visit Stanley Park, Granville Island, and Gastown, three of the most popular must do’s in Vancouver.
For sample Vancouver itineraries, check out this itinerary for a weekend in Vancouver, and this itinerary for first timers looking to spend three full days in Vancouver.
The Best Time To Visit Vancouver
Vancouver is Canada’s third rainiest city, with measurable precipitation more than 160 days a year. The rainiest months are October through June, with July through September tending to be warm(er) and dry. For that reason, many visitors prefer to visit Vancouver during the dry months of summer, to decrease the chances of rain impacting their Vancouver sightseeing experiences. Summertime also brings with it higher prices and larger crowds, and for that reason, visiting in spring or fall (avoiding the coldest, wettest, darkest days of winter) may be preferred. If your desired Vancouver tourist spots are primarily indoors, like museums, galleries, and shops, then a winter visit may not be a bad choice, since you’ll be assured of smaller crowds and lower prices.
Where To Stay In Vancouver With RCI
Vacation Internationale Rosedale on Robson
Best Western Premier Chateau Granville Hotel & Suites & Conference Centre
Once you’ve finished in Vancouver, if you’re ready for further adventures into the heart of British Columbia, consider paying a visit to the capital city of Victoria, or the ski village of Whistler — both are full of amazing things to see and do, and both have great options for accommodations through RCI.
