For the last stop on our Pacific Northwest road trip, we drove to Vancouver from Whistler for a couple of days, retracing our journey down the Sea-to-Sky Highway and continuing past the ferry port of Horseshoe Bay, south to metro Vancouver, British Columbia. We were sad to leave the mountains behind, and to make matters worse, rain was forecast for the first time on our road trip, so what are the things to see in Vancouver, BC, on a short visit?
Two days is enough for the outdoor half of Vancouver, which is the best half. Day one for Stanley Park by bike and the sea wall, then Granville Island Public Market for lunch and the False Creek ferries across to Kitsilano. Day two for Grouse Mountain and the cable car. If it rains, and it might, do Granville Island first and save the park for the dry day.
The city of Vancouver sits in the southwestern corner of Canadian province, British Columbia (BC). It has Vancouver Island to the west, and Washington State to the south. Vancouver is around 235 kms north of Seattle, USA, so ignoring the border crossing time, it would take you around 2.5 hours to drive to Seattle.
That said, you should allow a decent amount of time to cross the border from Canada to the USA (or vice versa).
Number one on our list of things to see in Vancouver was Stanley Park – an enormous urban park in the north of Vancouver offering forest, beaches, art sculptures and historical landmarks. In fact, it is 10% larger than Central Park, New York. Stanley Park was once home to many indigenous peoples and therefore has cultural significance for the local First Nations people.
We had booked a cycle tour of Stanley Park, however because of the heavy rain, only two out of four family members braved the rain for the bike tour. Armed with ponchos to keep the worst of the rain off, my eldest daughter and I headed out on the bike tour of Stanley Park to discover:
A hub for cruise ships which can hold up to 4 cruise ships at a time. There was only one in port when we cycled past. When in port the cruise ships apparently hook up to electric points to stop burning fuel and polluting the air and harbour.
A 10 km sea wall running around Stanley Park which you can ride as a full loop. We cycled along one stretch of the wall before heading inland, spotting a great blue heron along the way (once endangered but growing in numbers).
There are many sculptures in Stanley Park and along the sea wall, but I particularly liked the ‘Girl in a Wetsuit’ sculpture. When Vancouver asked Denmark for the rights to put a ‘Little Mermaid’ statue (inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale) along the sea wall of Stanley Park, the Danish authorities refused, so the Canadians cheekily designed their own version, complete with flippers and snorkel!
We had driven over the turquoise painted Lions Gate Bridge on our way into Vancouver from Whistler. It is a very impressive and tall bridge, which all the cruise ships have to pass under to get into the harbour.
There is a group of totems at Brockton Point in Stanley Park, brought from the north of the country, plus a new totem carved to commemorate the oldest member of the First Nations people who stopped living in Stanley Park, aged 102. One of the totems is a Mortuary totem, where the upper frame represents a burial box.
Despite getting absolutely soaked on the bike tour of Stanley Park (I had to throw my trainers away afterwards as all the colour dye ran giving me bright pink feet), we still enjoyed the trip with Cycle Vancouver and learning about Stanley Park from the guides.
You can book a similar cycle tour of Stanley Park, hopefully without the rain, through Get Your Guide:
The second place on our list of things to see in Vancouver was the Granville Island Public Market – a large market and entertainment area on Granville Island, which sits on a peninsula in the Fairview neighbourhood of Vancouver. From downtown walk 15-minutes to the south end of Hornby Street where you can catch a ferry (Aquabus Ferries) across False Creek to the Granville Island Public Market.
The market is open from 9am to 6pm each day and offers a range of stalls selling local food produce, gifts, and clothing. In the summer months, there are usually buskers or entertainers outside the public market, and there are other places to explore on Granville Island other than the market.
If it’s raining, Granville Island Public Market is a good bet (probably a better bet than cycling around Stanley Park in the rain!) as you can spend a lot of your time indoors.
Granville Island is just one of the 9 stops on the False Creek Ferries route which allows you to move around the city via the water and visit the following stops:
Maritime Museum: Kitsilano Point.
Aquatic Centre: 50 m pool and gym.
Granville Island: Public Market and Brewery.
David Lam Park
Stamp's Landing
Yaletown
Spyglass
Plaza of Nations
The Village Ferry Dock: For the Olympic Village and Science World.
Taking False Creek Ferries is a lovely way to explore the Vancouver waterways, reach different areas of the city, and tick off some things to see in Vancouver from your list. We used it to visit the Kitsilano Pool.
When considering things to see in Vancouver, I would strongly suggest heading to Kitsilano Beach from Granville Island, either on a 25-minute walk or by catching False Creek Ferries to the Maritime Museum Ferry Dock. Then, either enjoy this lovely stretch of beach, or visit the neighbouring Kitsilano Pool for an open-air swimming pool with ocean views.
Kitsilano Pool really is a treat, with 137-meter swimming lanes and a view over the water to the mountains. However, it is very busy in the summer months and so I would advise booking tickets in advance during July and August. There are changing rooms, but no food and drink facilities so have your refreshments before or after your swim.
Just north of Vancouver, a 20-minute drive away, you will find Grouse Mountain which is accessible via a cable car up into the mountains.
Having been in the natural splendour of Whistler earlier in our Pacific Northwest road trip, Grouse Mountain felt a bit more like a ‘theme park for the outdoors’, with the following entertainment:
Make your way around a series of elevated platforms, rope bridges and zip wires in harnesses. Feel the fear and do it anyway!
Listen to a handler talk about, and fly, birds such as a Bald Eagle, Harris Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Eagle Owl.
Watch lumberjacks in checked shirts chopping wood, throwing axes, running on logs in the water and climbing 20-meter poles, accompanied by a commentary full of toilet humour!
Take a small chairlift right to the top of the mountain for super views over the Vancouver area.
Visit the two resident 18-year-old Grizzlies who were found as cubs within 4 months of each other and who have grown up together in captivity. Whilst I don’t like seeing animals in captivity, the bears looked healthy and happy enough and I guess haven’t really known any different, and they have each other for company.
Whilst we were listening to the Ranger telling us about the two Grizzlies, one of our girls piped up with “look there’s a bear on the hill” and sure enough, there was a Momma black bear with her 2 cubs on the hill just behind us. This sparked an emergency operation, with staff trying to redirect a group of hikers away from the bears – the hikers were coming down a path beneath the grass where the bears were, so they couldn’t see the bears above them.
With so many tourists on the mountain, the Rangers did not take their eyes off the bears until they eventually ambled away across the top of Grouse Mountain and into the trees. The Ranger’s talk had very much been upstaged!
Seeing black bears in the wild so close to the city was not on my expected list of things to see in Vancouver, so that was a lovely surprise.
We booked a table at the Cactus Café in English Bay, Vancouver, to watch the sunset over the large bay. It really was a great spot and lots of people were sitting on large logs on the beach in front of the Cactus Café enjoying the sunset.
Nuba in Gastown offered lovely Lebanese food which we really enjoyed, and which made a change from all the seafood we had been eating. However, Gastown felt edgy with lots of visible homelessness and hostels for those in need. We walked there but ordered a taxi after the meal when it got dark
Our last meal of the holiday was at Joe Fortes, an upmarket restaurant with white tablecloths, wooden panels, black and white photos, and a pianist playing. The menu offered delicious New York Clam Chowder and seafood platters; however, it was definitely the most expensive meal of the holiday.
We booked the Blue Horizon Hotel, which was fine and functional, however there are more luxurious hotels if preferred. As Vancouver is a big city then there are lots of different accommodation options, something to suit everyone.
If you’re looking to stay somewhere with kids and/or teenagers, you may wish to check out the following neighbourhoods:
Highly central, walkable to the Seawall, and right next to Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront or transit hubs like Waterfront Station for the SeaBus to North Vancouver.
Quiet, residential feel next to beaches like English Bay and the trails of Stanley Park. Great for families wanting a slower pace close to nature.
Modern, upscale and right on the False Creek seawall, with easy access to Aquabuses heading to Granville Island.
To be honest, Vancouver was not our holiday highlight, although I’m sure that the rain didn’t help. We struggled to find the heart of the city and were surprised by the level of open-air drug taking and homelessness. That said, there is no denying that Vancouver is situated in a wonderful position surrounded by water with mountains on the horizon. I really enjoyed Stanley Park as well, even in the rain.
There is a chance that I was feeling resistant to being back in a city after so much time in the great outdoors and more remote places. If I visit Vancouver again in the future, my strategy would be to take a city tour with a local to get the insider’s view of the city, which I’m sure would help me bond with Vancouver. Note to self!
Vancouver was our final stop before the drive back to Seattle, which is written up as the last leg of our Pacific Northwest road trip.
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