Vancouver
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Vancouver - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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21. Capilano River Regional Park
This small, but spectacular, park is where you'll find old-growth Douglas fir trees approaching 61 meters (200 feet). There are 26 km (16 miles) of hiking trails and footbridges over the Capilano River, which cuts through a dramatic gorge. At the park's Capilano River Hatchery (4500 Capilano Park Rd., 604/666–1790), viewing areas and exhibits illustrate the life cycle of the salmon. The best time to see the salmon run is between July and November. The Cleveland Dam (Capilano Rd., about 1½ km [1 mile] past main park entrance) is at the north end of the park. Built in 1954, it dams the Capilano River to create the 5½-km-long (3½-mile-long) Capilano Reservoir. A hundred yards from the parking lot, you can walk across the top of the dam to enjoy striking views of the reservoir and mountains behind it. The two sharp peaks to the west are the Lions, for which the Lions Gate Bridge is named. The park is off Capilano Road in North Vancouver, just north of Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.
Capilano Park Rd., Vancouver, British Columbia, V7R 4L2, Canada604-224–5739Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
22. Capilano Suspension Bridge
At Vancouver's oldest tourist attraction (the original bridge was built in 1889), you can get a taste of rainforest scenery, and test your mettle on the swaying, 137-meter (450-foot), cedar-plank suspension bridge that hangs 70 meters (230 feet) above the rushing Capilano River. Across the bridge is the Treetops Adventure, where you can walk along 198 meters (650 feet) of cable bridges suspended among the trees. If you're even braver, you can follow the Cliffwalk, a series of narrow cantilevered bridges and walkways hanging out over the edge of the canyon. Without crossing the bridge, you can enjoy the site's viewing decks, nature trails, and totem park, as well as history and forestry exhibits. There's also a massive gift shop in the original 1911 teahouse, and a restaurant. May through October, guides conduct free tours on themes related to history, nature, or ecology, while fiddle bands, and other entertainers keep things lively. In December, more than 1.5 million lights illuminate the canyon during the Canyon Lights winter celebration. Catch the attraction's free shuttle service from Canada Place; it also stops at hotels along Burrard and Robson Streets.
View Tours and Activities3735 Capilano Rd., Vancouver, British Columbia, V7R 4J1, Canada877-985-7474Sight Details
Rate Includes: C$66; Parking: $8 -
23. Cathedral Place
One of Vancouver's most handsome postmodern buildings, the 23-story Shaw Tower at Cathedral Place has a faux-copper roof that mimics that of the nearby Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The three large sculptures of nurses at the building's corners are replicas of the statues that adorned the Georgia Medical-Dental Building, the art deco structure that previously occupied this site. Step into the lobby to see another interesting sculpture: Robert Studer's Navigational Device, suspended high up on the north wall. The small garden courtyard, which also leads to the entrance of the Bill Reid Gallery, is an unexpected respite from Downtown's bustle.
925 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3L2, Canada604-684--0925 -
24. Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Chinatown Storytelling Centre, a cultural center on Pender Street, celebrates the Chinese-Canadian community's contributions to Vancouver and Canada with photos, artifacts, videos, and more. Highlights include a phone booth where you can dial a number to listen to personal stories in Cantonese and English, as well as the Yucho Chow photo studio, where you can take a free picture as a memento of your experience. There's also a fantastic gift shop, Foo Hung Curios, filled with stationery, candles, prints, and more.
168 E. Pender St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1T3, Canada604-225--0055Sight Details
Rate Includes: C$13, Closed Tues.–Wed. -
25. Chinese Cultural Centre Museum & Archives
Chinese people have a rich, grueling, and enduring history in British Columbia, and it's well represented in this Ming Dynasty-style facility. The art gallery upstairs hosts traveling exhibits by Chinese and Canadian artists, and an on-site military museum recalls the role of Chinese Canadians in the two world wars. Across the street is the Chinatown Memorial Monument, commemorating the Chinese-Canadian community's contribution to the city, province, and country. The monument, shaped in the Chinese character "zhong," symbolizing moderation and harmony, is flanked by bronze statues of a railroad worker and a World War II soldier.
555 Columbia St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 4H5, Canada604-658–8850Sight Details
Rate Includes: Donations welcome, Closed Mon. -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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26. Christ Church Cathedral
Built between 1889 and 1895, this is the oldest church in Vancouver. Constructed in the Gothic style, the Anglican church looks like the parish church of an English village from the outside, though underneath the sandstone-clad exterior it's made of Douglas fir from what is now south Vancouver. The 32 stained-glass windows depict Old and New Testament scenes, often set against Vancouver landmarks (St. Nicholas presiding over the Lions Gate Bridge, for example). The building's excellent acoustics enhance the choral evensong, and it hosts many concerts. Gregorian chants are performed every Sunday evening at 8 pm. The cathedral's Labyrinth makes for a meditative walk that's hard to find anywhere else in the city's core.
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27. Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery
The collection of First Nations jewelry, ceremonial masks, prints, and carvings at this gallery is impressive. If you're looking for more affordable souvenirs, check out the gorgeous books and art cards.
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28. Contemporary Art Gallery
On the lobby level of a modern apartment tower, this small nonprofit public gallery has regularly changing exhibits of contemporary local and international visual art. Events include artists' talks, lectures, and tours.
555 Nelson St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 6R5, Canada604-681–2700Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Mon. -
29. English Bay Beach
The city's best-known beach, English Bay, lies just to the east of Stanley Park's southern entrance. A long stretch of golden sand, a waterslide, volleyball courts, kayak rentals, and food trucks keep things interesting all summer. Known locally for being gay-friendly, it draws a diverse crowd. Special events include summer Celebration of Light fireworks and a New Year's Day "Polar Bear" swim. The oversized A-maze-ing Laughter sculptures will make you smile. Amenities: food and drink, lifeguards, parking (for a fee), toilets, and water sports. Best for: sunset, swimming, and walking.
View Tours and Activities1700 Beach Ave., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6E 1V3, Canada604-665–3424 -
30. Gaoler's Mews
Once the site of the city's first civic buildings—the constable's cabin and customs house, and a two-cell log jail—this atmospheric brick-paved courtyard is now home to cafés and offices.
Behind 12 Water St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 1A5, Canada -
31. Gastown Steam Clock
An underground steam system, which also heats many local buildings, supplies the world's first steam clock—possibly Vancouver's most photographed attraction. On the quarter hour, a steam whistle rings out the Westminster chimes, and on the hour a huge cloud of steam spews from the apparatus. The ingenious design, based on an 1875 mechanism, was built in 1977 by Ray Saunders of Landmark Clocks to commemorate the community effort that saved Gastown from demolition. Fun fact: yes, the clock does use steam power, but three electric motors help it run, too.
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 1B2, Canada -
32. Gordon Southam Observatory
When the sky is clear, the telescope at the Gordon Southam Observatory is focused on whatever stars or planets are worth watching that night. Admission to the observatory is by donation and it's open year-round Saturday evenings, from 7 to 11, weather permitting.
1100 Chestnut St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6J 3J9, Canada604-738--7827Sight Details
Rate Includes: By donation, Advance online booking recommended -
33. Granville Island Brewing
This small-brewery-gone-big is where the craft beer revolution began. Back in 1984, it was Canada’s first microbrewery. Since then, it has grown rapidly. The bustling Granville Island atmosphere is perfect for a tour and tasting of beer history. Tours, which run daily and are booked on a first-come, first-served basis, last about 30 minutes and include a taste of four brews.
1441 Cartwright St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3R7, Canada604-687--2739Sight Details
Rate Includes: Summer 11-9, Winter 12-8 -
34. Granville Island Water Park
North America's largest free public water park has multiple sprays and fountains for children to run through and a great slide to zoom down. There's a grassy patch for picnics, and clean washrooms are at the adjacent community center.
1318 Cartwright St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3R8, Canada604-257--8194Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Labor Day–mid-May; closed weekdays from mid-May to end of June -
35. Grouse Mountain
North America's largest aerial tramway, the Skyride is a great way to take in the city, sea, and mountain vistas (be sure to pick a clear day or evening). The Skyride makes the 2-km (1-mile) climb to the peak of Grouse Mountain every 15 minutes. Once at the top, there are plenty of activities included in the ticket price. From spring through fall, you can catch a lumberjack show, a ranger talk, a documentary video, or a falconry demonstration. Go hiking, ride the chairlift, play disc golf, or visit a pair of grizzly bears in the mountain's wildlife refuge. For an extra fee, you can mountain bike, tackle a ropes course, go zip-lining, or take a helicopter flight. You can even pay extra to ride on top of the Skyride car. Popular family extras include a treetop canopy course and a chance to have breakfast with the bears. In the winter, you can ski, snowshoe, snowboard, sled, ice skate on a mountaintop pond, or stroll through the Light Walk, an illuminated pathway around a lake. A stone-and-cedar lodge is home to snack shops, a pub-style bistro, and a high-end restaurant, all with expansive city views. The Grouse Grind—a hiking trail up the face of the mountain—is one of the best workouts on the North Shore. Depending on your fitness level, allow between 40 minutes and two hours to complete it (90 minutes is an average time). Then you can take the Skyride down. The BCMC Trail is a less crowded, slightly longer alternative. From late May through September, you can catch a free shuttle to Grouse Mountain from Canada Place. Bus 236 from Lonsdale Quay stops at the base of Grouse Mountain year-round.
View Tours and Activities6400 Nancy Greene Way, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6R 4K9, Canada604-980–9311Sight Details
Rate Includes: Skyride and many activities C$69, Closed mid-late Oct. -
36. H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
The interactive exhibits and high-tech learning systems at this center include GroundStation Canada, showcasing Canada's achievements in space, and the Cosmic Courtyard, full of hands-on, space-oriented exhibits including a moon rock and a computer program that shows what you would look like as an alien. You can catch daytime astronomy shows or evening music-and-laser shows at the H.R. MacMillan Planetarium.
1100 Chestnut St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6J 3J9, Canada604-738--7827Sight Details
Rate Includes: C$18, Advance online booking recommended. -
37. Hollow Tree
Near Siwash Rock, this centuries-old, 56-foot-wide burnt cedar stump has shrunk over the years but still gives an idea of how large some of the old-growth trees can grow. A Hollow Tree Society, made up of private citizens and donations, acts as the tree's unofficial caretaker. (You can also view an exact replica of the 43-foot-high Hollow Tree, coated in gold finish, at the corner of Marine and Cambie Streets, designed by Canadian Artist Douglas Coupland.)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -
38. Horseshoe Bay
This little town, tucked under the Coast Mountains on the shore of Howe Sound, marks the western edge of West Vancouver. Best known for its BC Ferries terminal, with service to Vancouver Island, Bowen Island, and the Sunshine Coast, Horseshoe Bay also marks the start of the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. Most people pass through, but it's worth making time for a fish-and-chips lunch at Troll's (operated by the same family since the 1940s) or any of several restaurants with ocean- and mountain-view decks. You can also make a day of it, swimming or scuba diving at Whytecliffe Park or joining an eco-tour with Sewell's Marina.
Hwy. 1, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -
39. Hotel Europe
Once billed as the best hotel in the city, this 1908 flatiron building is one of the world's finest examples of triangular architecture. Now used for government-subsidized housing and not open to the public, the building still has its original Italian tile work and lead-glass windows. The glass tiles in the sidewalk on Alexander Street were the former "skylight" for an underground saloon.
43 Powell St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1E9, Canada -
40. HSBC Bank Building
Kitty-corner to the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, this building has a five-story-high public atrium, regularly changing art exhibitions, and one of the city's more intriguing public art installations. Pendulum, by British Columbia artist Alan Storey, is a 90-foot-long hollow aluminum sculpture that arcs hypnotically overhead.
885 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 2A4, Canada604-525–4722
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