Planning a long-weekend to Vancouver? Here is my 5-day guide bringing you through the city, mountains and everything in between. Equipped with restaurant and activity recommendations, you will not be wondering how to fill your time.

This guide will be formatted as a storytime, with a recap of itinerary & recommendations at the bottom if you want to skip to the good stuff.

Whistler, BC, Canada

Squamish, BC, Canada

Vancouver, BC, Canada

Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC, Canada

5 days in Vancouver

Day 1: Arrive in Vancouver & Explore Granville Island

We landed at YVR and picked up a car to get to our AirBnb. Here is the link to where we stayed, it was slightly outside of the downtown core, but on a Skytrain stop (Commercial Broadway on the Expo Line)!

After dropping our belongings at our place (we were lucky enough to get an early check-in), we got ready to head to Granville Island.

We opted to Uber since we were not familiar with the transit yet, and frankly, we were lazy and hungry lol

Once we arrived, we headed into the Main Building and wandered around the stands, talking to the owners and getting a feel for what was around

- Hobbs Pickles ~ the Sweet Chili Pickles are a must-try, we bought a big container and ate them all week! They offered samples and we tried almost all of them. Other hits among our group were the Jalapeno pickles and the Mustard pickles

- Segel's Bagels ~ The Rosemary Rock Salt bagels were the biggest hit amongst the group, along with the regular cream cheese. We also got a bag of these to eat throughout the week!

- Lee's Donuts ~ We finished off the meal with something sweet! Grabbing a box of 6 for our group and trying a few flavours; the Dutch Crumb and Honey Dip were my favourite. Classics!

- Oyama Sausage & Dusow Italian ~ From these stands, we grabbed some cheese, meats and olives to complete the spread. The castelvetrano and kalamata olives were amazing, along with some beef salami, applewood smoked cheddar and creamy havarti cheeses. Imagine this, topped with one of those sweet chili pickles? To die for. 

All of these snacks were brought to the dock out back and we ate our picnic over-looking the water. Be mindful, there are a lot of seagulls in this area and they are interested! It didn't bother us too much, but is something to be aware of.

After our food-filled afternoon at Granville, we found an Evo in the parking lot and drove back home.

At this point, we were exhausted from our day of travelling (keep in mind we are operating on a 3-hour time difference as well) so after a quick stop by Safeway, we dropped the Evo in front of our Airbnb and called it a night.

Day 2: Kitsilano + An Evening in Davie Village

Today started slow. The jet lag was still hovering and none of us were in a rush anywhere. That was one of my favourite things about this trip actually!

We started the day by catching a bus over to Kitsilano. We had wanted to eat at Jam Cafe as we read some rave reviews; but that showed to be true when we arrived to a line down the block (on a Thursday). As we were reaching “hangry” levels, we decided to walk along W 4th some more and decided to turn down Yew to try out Cafe Zen. The walk along here was so cute; some of your popular stores mixed in with some independent coffee shops. At this time of year, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom as well, lining all of the street.

We arrived at Cafe Zen ready to eat! I would say that this was your standard diner; overall good vibes, nothing crazy. The pricing was fabulous and they had great portion sizes. We all opted for the Classic Breakfast which came with eggs, hashbrowns and toast, with an option for added meats. I also got a grapefruit juice, which needless to say, was the star of the show. I didn't expect much (because then you avoid disappointment right?), but it was exactly what I was hoping for. Freshly. Squeezed. Grapefruit. Juice. My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it. Overall, a really good meal and fuelled us perfectly for the rest of the day. 

At this point, we were right by Kitsilano beach and so that is where we headed next. It was quite a foggy day with off and on misty-rain, but we made the most of it. The fog kind of added to the moodiness of the beach which was pretty cool. I imagine Kitsilano beach to be an amazing place to hangout in the summer; I would spend hours there. We walked along the sand and scoped out shells, there were so many pretty and unique ones that we all ended up bringing some home. It was so cool to look out over the water and see the mountains in the back (again, since it was foggy you could not see much, but I was grateful). We spent quite a bit of time here just wandering and having our 'mouse moments' before walking back up the hill to W 4th to do some shopping. 

From here, we wandered the stores on the strip, popping into Urban Outfitters, the original Lululemon and more. Eventually, we got a little thirsty (I was particularly craving a matcha, as I do), and we found O-Five Tea Bar. We had no idea what to expect, but this place was so cool. For me, it was one of the highlights of the trip! The second we walked in, I felt at peace. It was almost eerily quiet and the vibe was very zen. It turned out it was a store selling loose-leaf tea, where you could also purchase kombucha on tap. We got a whole lesson on the teas and the kombuchas from the employee who was working there, and I was suggested a kombucha with a matcha shot. This was right up my alley and after sampling all of them, I went with the Hojicha kombucha + a shot of matcha. It was the most beautiful deep green colour and it was SO good. I liked that these kombuchas were not super bubbly; they tasted really earthy and real but also flavourful and kind of sweet. 

After some more exploring (hitting up the original Saje store and getting some Peppermint Halo relief), we stopped in at the nearby Safeway, got a little snack and picked up an Evo to head to the UBC campus.

We had heard that this campus was beautiful, and it did not disappoint. There was also Evo-specific lots which was amazing, because we had an easily place to leave ours and a central place to pick one up when we were done. 

We wandered the campus in the rain and checked out the bookstore, and then stumbled upon a food truck festival that was happening. By this point, we were reaching our 'walls' for the day, but if I were you, I would continue on to Wreck Beach. This is super close to UBC and a really nice space to explore!

The drive back in the Evo was really nice since we were able to explore areas that we hadn't just yet. We then dropped the Evo in front of our place and took a few hours to decompress, and research dinner plans.

We opted for Tom Sushi in Davie Village, as per many suggestions. This was an easy Skytrain into Burrard Station and then a bit of a walk but we didn't mind. The suggestions rang true as the wait for Tom Sushi was ... well, extensive. We put our name on the waitlist and popped into a nearby Blenz coffee to wait it out (this is a chain that I have only seen in BC). This ended up being really nice because we took the hour or so to tell old stories and we shared lots of laughs. 

After a while, our table was ready at Tom Sushi and we got settled. It was pretty late by this point but we were seated right by the window and got to watch the bustle of the streets pick-up. They started us out with some Jasmine tea and to be honest, I really loved the atmosphere in here. It was very zen and simple but I loved even the dish-ware they used. 

We ordered a bunch of different rolls and appetizers to share, and some of our favourites were the Yam Tempura, the Forest Roll (a vegetarian roll with mango, it was really fresh), the Veggie Roll and the Salmon Avocado Roll. 

PICTURED: Forest Roll (left), Salmon Avocado, Yam Tempura (right)

That was it for the night as we walked back to the Skytrain and headed home!

Today was mountain day, aka, my favourite day!

This was the day that we planned to road trip up to Whistler and drive through the mountains since I had never done this before. We pre-booked an Evo and stopped for a quick Mcdonalds breakfast before getting on the road.

To be honest, one of my most memorable parts of the trip as a whole were the drives that took place this day. We were surrounded by amazing scenery (even though it was once again, rainy & foggy), and we were just singing to some of our favourite songs (cue: All Too Well 10 Minute Version).

Our first stop of the day was "Sea to Sky". Here, you can ride a gondola for about 10 minutes up to the top of the mountains, where there is an observatory, a few hikes and a little chalet. You can also opt to do lots of hiking around here as well if that is up your alley (I would recommend the Chief hike)

We rode the gondola up to the top and after many happy tears, we made it to the incredible views. Just freaking look at that!

This day was still quite chilly and rainy and so we did do some of the smaller walks but we kept it pretty simple since the snow was a little bit slippery. What we did decide to do, was tubing!

A tube pass for the day was $5 and we headed over to a spot just down the mountain, and all 4 of us held onto each other and flew down this hill. It was nothing super crazy but it was lots of fun, and we rode it 4-5 times.

After grabbing a quick granola bar at the chalet, and sitting for a minute to take in the views, it was time to head back down and back to the car to continue our road trip. By this point, we had poutine on our minds. 

We arrived in Whistler about mid-day and I don't know why I was so shocked by how big the Village was. I have been to Blue Mountain in Ontario and Mont Tremblant in Montreal, and expected this to be something similar. It was not. It was huge. 

We found a small diner that ended up being EXACTLY what we needed after a long-ish drive; called Splitz Grill. The pricing here was awesome and it was super casual which is what we were going for. 

A few of us got poutine and a few got hot dogs. Some of the favs were; the poutine (obviously), especially with the Happy Hour pricing, and the Dirty Dog (hot dog with bacon and all the fixins).

After filling our stomachs, we walked and shopped around Whistler Village. It was super fun to pop into the stores and see everyone decked out in ski gear. Right at the bottom of the hill at some of the restaurants, it was like an outdoor party! The restaurants had the patio heaters and everyone was dancing on the tables in their snowpants - it was awesome. The energy was amazing.

The two other shops we stopped into were Pure Bread for some pastries (way too many pastries) and Moguls for a coffee (and a local kombucha, which rated pretty high on our list!)

Then was time to pack up and start the 2 hour drive back to Vancouver. We did stop at a 7Eleven on the way back for a sweet treat, and on the side of the road to take a few pictures. But then it was home and straight into cozies!

Today started with a skytrain to Chinatown as we optimistically walked past Jam Cafe (not to be confused with the Kitsilano location, this one is on Beatty street in Chinatown area). Another long line up at this one so we headed to the next spot on our list, and I am so glad we did. 

Breakfast was at Birds & Beets and this was my kinda spot. Smaller and relaxed, it is the kind of place you maybe wouldn't bat an eye at while walking past, but inside it is so cute. It has exposed brick and sort of a rugged feel, for lack of a better term. My favourite was the taps for still and sparkling water, but get this, underneath them were all of these plants so that when the water dripped, it fed the plants 🥺 Somehow I've never seen this done, so this place got brownie points for that!

Fresh orange juice, real ingredients, my friend even claimed that this was the 'best breakfast sandwich she's ever had'! I had the Coconut Chia Bircher Muesli and it was incredible. I am a sweet over savoury breakfast person, but don't like my breakfast too sweet, if that makes any sense at all. This was so creamy and the base was almost whipped, with a fresh blueberry compote on top (It is possible they switch up the topping). Everyone tried it and raved about it - it was so unlike anything I've tried before. Other fan favourites were the Breakfast Sandwich and the Cinnamon Bun. This was a top meal for many of us (and I loved that it was so casual)!

PICTURED: Breakfast sandwich (front), avocado toast (back)

We then walked over to the Vancouver Public Library, which is HUGE. We took a little break here so that some could wander and others could sit and read or journal.

After this midday break, we were getting hungry. Of course. 

One of the top places on our list to try was of course, Tacofino. With multiple locations but originating in Tofino; this was somewhere we all wanted to go. 

We walked over to the Yaletown location and got comfortable for a filling lunch. I really liked the atmosphere in here, it was like one narrow hall with tables on either side. We all got our own tacos and then shared a few orders of the Loaded Tots. Some taco favs were the Cauliflower (my personal fav) and the Lemongrass Chicken. The reviews were mixed (it is definitely a very hyped place so that will play a part in the review process); everyone enjoyed it, some are still thinking about it to this day, others have said they have had better tacos. The Coconut Mint Margarita also got some pretty rave reviews. 

After lunch, I was craving a green juice so we went across the street and I picked up the Digestive juice from the Juice Truck. I loved that they had small sizes and I carried this around with me as we kept walking the city. It was really tasty!

We walked through Yaletown and then took the Skytrain over to Robson and wandered the stores there, into the Pacific Centre.

After doing a bit of shopping, there was one last place we wanted to go for the day; Mello Donuts. This was back in Chinatown so we bussed over there, and picked up some brioche donuts. 

We took these back to the Air Bnb to have a dinner at home, snacking on all of our leftovers and watching Magic Mike. 

Back to the donuts though, they were incredible. They were brioche and were all stuffed with a flavoured cream. I had the Taromochi donut and it had a taro filling with little mochi pieces - it was perfect. Not too sweet, I loved the contrast of textures and the mochi pieces just made it. Amazing. Other fan favourites were tiramisu and Nutella. 

Today, we were determined to go to Jam Cafe. It was our last full day in the city and so we planned for it, and we were there bright an early. I would say we waited about 30 minutes or so, and we arrived around 10am on a Sunday (at the Beatty location downtown). The staff were so nice to provide umbrellas to everyone waiting outside, I guess they are used to having long lines in the rain. 

It was quite busy inside and like your typical brunch type of setting, but everyone was super nice and the food really was incredible. It was Easter Sunday when we were there and we really enjoyed having our Easter breakfast together. I got the Fat Elvis Waffle (peanut butter, maple bacon, carmelized bananas... yeah) and a few from our group got the Fried Chicken Benny (this is a popular menu item and lived up to the hype). Overall, really solid food. 

After this we bussed to Stanley Park since that was one bucket list item we had not checked off yet. We were blessed with a downpour type of day, so in different weather, we may have lasted longer. Nonetheless, we walked quite a bit of the Seawall and Stanley Park and had a blast. The little store over by the Totem Poles came in handy when we decided to purchase $2 rain ponchos to wear over top of our rain jackets because THAT is how wet it was. The Seawall is really beautiful and I would love to be able to do that walk regularly - it is very long and stretches out around the water with beautiful views of the mountains. 

We did our little lap of Stanley Park and hit up our next must-visit spot; Jingle Bao. This is in the Coal Harbour area and was the perfect cozy lunch after a long wet walk. 

This was actually my first time having Dim Sum and it most certainly will not be my last. The soup dumplings here were amazing! We got the Classic Xiao Long Bao and split a bunch of them. Ask for the chili sauce too, incredible. They also serve pots of green tea, which just made it that much better. 10/10 experience for all of us. 

After that, I had been craving bubble tea and lucky for us, there was a spot right next door. We headed over to the Baroness for bubble tea and I got the Roasted Oolong Tea which did not disappoint. I think anything here would have been a good choice!

Today, since we had a dinner reservation, we wanted to made sure we had time at home to get ready and relax (and pack) beforehand so we headed to the nearby Safeway and then took a bus back home. 

Our reservation was at Di Beppe, (in the same Chinatown area as Jam Cafe and Birds & Beets). We had passed it on our travels and decided it would be the perfect place for our Easter Sunday 'family' meal. This is really the only sit-down dinner that we had and it was really nice to enjoy that on our last night. 

I really loved the atmosphere here, it was dimly lit with candles on the tables and it felt really nice. We started out with some olives and wine (two of my favourite things), and then ordered some pasta. I ordered the Pomodoro, along with a few others and my one friend raved about the Puttanesca. 

Full from all of our pasta, we wandered the streets of Gastown since it was shockingly, not raining. This was the only evening we didn't have rain and we were taking advantage of it! We accidentally stumbled upon an ice cream shop, and well, I never turn down ice cream, so we headed inside. 

This was called Soft Peaks in Gastown and they did soft serve ice cream with sauces and toppings. My friends got the Tiramisu (can you sense a tiramisu theme), and I tried the Salty (himalayan salt and my choice of sauce, I picked condensed milk). Honestly, this was to die for. It was 100% worth how full we all were after all of it. 

We ended the night by walking off our, now pasta AND ice cream, and taking the long way to the Skytrain. We then hopped on the Skytrain home and settled in to packing for our flight the next day.

Because we had a mid-day flight, we spent the morning preparing and packing, and cleaning up the Air Bnb. There is nothing fun to report for this day EXCEPT that when we got to the airport, after going through security, we made it to the only Joe and the Juice that exists in Canada. 

This is a popular coffee and juice chain in the States, with many raving about the "Tunacado" (a flatbread tuna and avocado sandwich). We can all say that this did indeed live up to the hype. I also got a green juice (like seriously kale, celery and cucumber I think), and that really refreshed me for the flight home. 

Then, it was on board our plane and back to Ontario we flew! 

AIR BNB

(PROTIP: Evo is a more-innovative car rental service available all over BC. You can pick up and drop off cars all throughout the “home zone” and pay a set hourly rate while you use it. We used these many times throughout our stay, and I’m only hopeful that Ontario will adapt a similar system because it rocks)

Thanks for sticking around to read about our 5-day adventure. I hope this was helpful for your future trip to Vancouver, or if anything, just entertaining to read. Happy travels!

- Settle in and make your way over to Granville Island

- Wander the Public Market stands and pickup some goodies to have a picnic on the dock

- Set up behind the market to eat by the water (and watch out for seagulls!)

- Pop back inside to Lee's Donuts for a sweet treat, before heading home for the evening for an early night

- Take the bus to Kitsilano and get off around W4th & Yew St (Stop #60574 if you are coming Westbound or Stop #60572 if you are coming Eastbound)

- Walk South on Yew St to Cafe Zen and head inside for a hearty and affordable breakfast

- Continue South on Yew St to Kitsilano Beach and walk the beach to see the gorgeous views and hunt for shells

- Walk North (up Yew St or any other street depending how far down the beach you go!) to W 4th to do some shopping! Here you will find the Flagship Lululemon store as well as Saje, Urban Outfitters and more. 

- Stumble into O-Five Tea Bar for a tea or kombucha to continue your shopping

- Find an EVO (or take transit) over to the UBC campus

- Wander UBC campus and bookstore (this campus is gorgeous and nestled right into nature), and make your way over to Wreck Beach if time permits

- Skytrain to Burrard Station and walk over to Davie Village to put your name down at Tom Sushi. Since there was a wait here, we went to the nearby Blenz to decompress before - but you could walk around Davie Village as well as there are a few cute stores. 

- Dinner at Tom Sushi (recommendations below) and back home for the night

- Wake up and get sorted to find a nearby EVO for the day

- Breakfast at home or on the road (a Mcdonalds breakfast is perfect for this) for some starting fuel for the day

5 days in Vancouver

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