FREE Vancouver 4-day Itinerary
FREE Vancouver 4-day Itinerary
Jennifer H.
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Short on time, and want to make the most of your time in Vancouver? Then this itinerary is perfect for you!
We visited Vancouver in August-September 2024 (Labor Day weekend)
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Where to Stay
Downtown Vancouver - This is a central location close to the harbor with good shopping/food options
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Day 1
BREAKFAST OPTIONS
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New Town Bakery & Restaurant
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If you want Chinese baked goods/pastries and/or dim sum! Their steamed buns are popular items. The buns are soft and have a great texture! I loved the chicken deluxe one. The pork one needed more filling. This place only accepts cash or debit card
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MORNING ACTIVITIES
Gastown Steam Clock
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10 AM - Explore the Gastown neighborhood and check out one of the few working steam clocks in the world. The clock supposedly sounds every 15 minutes. We went late at night and saw some steam coming from the clock, but didn't hear anything special at the 15-minute mark
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Vancouver Lookout
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11 AM - Take a glass elevator to the top of the lookout to enjoy 360 views of Vancouver (including Stanley Park, Gastown, downtown, and more). There's a free 15-minute audio tour. Perfect way to get to know Vancouver and the neighborhoods!
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Advanced tickets can be purchased at Viator:
LUNCH
Nightingale
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12 PM - This restaurant has been named Canada's Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant. It's pricey, but if you want to splurge for a nice dining experience/ambiance, it's fun to try a variety of small plates. My favorites were the focaccia (warm and buttery, but a little too salty) and the branzino (tender, but the chimichurri sauce was a little too spicy). I personally didn't like the veal tongue because of the texture. The eggplants were solid
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AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES
VanDusen Botanical Garden
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2 PM - This is a 55-acre garden that also has an Elizabethan hedge maze. My favorite part was the lake with the mini fountain, but otherwise, it was a pretty standard garden
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Advanced tickets can be purchased at Viator:
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Bloedel Conservatory
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5 PM - This conservatory is located in Queen Elizabeth Park. You can enjoy the tropical forest and some birds. It's pretty small. The walk around the conservatory takes around 10-15 minutes
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Advanced tickets can be purchased at Viator:
DINNER OPTIONS
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Farmer's Apprentice Restaurant
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This is a Bib Gourmand with a rustic vibe with seasonal menu options
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iDen & Quan Ju De Beijing Duck House
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This is the only Michelin Start Chinese restaurant in Canada. It is known for its Peking duck
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Day 2
BREAKFAST
Bread x Butter Cafe Downtown
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8 AM - This breakfast spot offers traditional breakfast items and egg toasts. The Hawaiian Luau Egg Toast was amazing!! Definitely recommend
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MORNING ACTIVITIES
Grouse Mountain
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9:30 AM - Grouse Mountain offers both summer and winter activities. We went during summer. Admission tickets include the chairlift to the peak, hiking trails, lookouts, a lumberjack show, a bird show, and more
During summer, there is a free shuttle that operates between Canada Place and Grouse Mountain. Shuttle times are available on the website
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Advanced tickets can be purchased from Viator (Tickets are kind of expensive, but you can use Rakuten to get cash back if you buy on Viator)
LUNCH
Altitudes Bistro
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1 PM - This is a convenient restaurant on Grouse Mountain that offers views of the mountain. The Carnivore Peak Feast was surprisingly good!
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AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES
Cleveland Dam
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2:30 - The dam didn't have water when we visited. There are nearby trails with shade, so it's a nice walk around the dam
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Capilano River Hatchery
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3:30 PM - This attraction is free! The hatchery offers exhibits where you learn about the development of salmon. They also had this aquarium, where you can see the fish jump up the waterfall. Check the website to see what salmon you can see depending on which month you visit.
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Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
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4:30 PM - This is one of the top attractions when visiting Vancouver. The admission ticket not only includes access to the suspension bridge, but also other attractions like the Treetops Adventure, Cliffwalk, and more. The main suspension bridge was a little underwhelming and crowded. The mini bridges at the Treetops Adventure were pretty cool
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Advanced tickets can be purchased from Viator (Tickets are kind of expensive, but you can use Rakuten to get cash back if you buy on Viator)
DINNER
St. Lawrence Restaurant
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9 PM - This is French restaurant with 1 Michelin Star. The inside of the restaurant was not upscale - it was small, dark, and intimate. We did the 4-course meal. My favorite item was the escargot (this was an add-on). The menu changes, so make sure to check the website for the menu! Overall, enjoyed the experience
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Day 3
BREAKFAST
Cafe Medina
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9 AM - This is a popular brunch spot. We didn't get a chance to go because the line was too long. A table can be reserved with a donation of $10 per person
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MORNING ACTIVITIES
Vancouver Public Library, Central Library
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10 AM - The library is near Cafe Medina, so check it out if you love visiting libraries!
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CF Pacific Centre
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10:30 AM - If you have time and you want to shop, you can check out this shopping mall
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Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
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11 AM - This Chinese garden is located in Vancouver's Chinatown. Note: it is closed on Mondays. There's a public access to part of the garden that's free, but there's a charge for a part of the garden. It's a pretty small garden, so the free access is probably sufficient
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LUNCH
Phnom Penh Restaurant
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12:30 PM - This Cambodian/Vietnamese restaurant is known for their chicken wings and butter beef. Wait times can be long (we waited 1.5 hours), but you can wander Chinatown while you wait, and they will text you. The menu is extensive, but we just tried the squid and the butter beef. They were average in our opinion
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AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES
Science World
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1:30 PM - If you are interested in going inside, you may want to include enough time in your schedule to explore. We only wanted to see the outside
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Olympic Village Square
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2 PM - This area was initially developed to house athletes for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The square has cool bird sculptures
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Take the False Creek ferry from the Village to Granville Island. Ferry routes/times/prices available on the website
Granville Island
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3 PM - Explore Granville Island and get a snack at the Public Market
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Stanley Park
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5 PM - Stanley Park is a huge and popular park in Vancouver. Make sure to see the Totem Poles and the Rose Garden. Definitely recommend renting bikes if you want to see more of the park. The park is nice during sunset
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DINNER
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House
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8 PM - This is an award-winning restaurant in Vancouver with tons of seafood dishes. Tried the beef tartare, cioppino, and sablefish. The food was yummy! Pricey, but the seafood was of good quality
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Day 4
We did a day trip from Vancouver to Victoria. If you would like to book a tour for the day from Vancouver, you can do so here:
We decided to explore on our own. The seaplane was a convenient and quick option that was a unique experience on its own. We took a seaplane through Harbour Air from Vancouver Harbor to Victoria Harbor at 8:10 AM and arrived at 8:45 AM
BREAKFAST
Murchie's Fine Tea & Coffee - Victoria
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9 AM - Check out this tea store and get something quick for breakfast. I got this egg and sausage scone, and it was delicious!
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MORNING ACTIVITIES
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
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9:30 AM - This stunning Parliament building offers free guided and self-guided tours. During the summer weekends, visitors must join a free guided tour to enter the Parliament buildings (tickets are first-come, first-served basis). During fall/winter, the Parliament Buildings are closed on weekends
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Fairmont Empress
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12:30 PM - This stunning hotel is known as Canada’s Castle on the Coast. The inside is pretty. If you are interested, make sure to book a reservation for afternoon tea
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Miniature World
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1 PM - This unique museum has over 85 miniature displays. The museum was larger than I expected. My favorite parts were the storybook displays and the King Arthur displays
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LUNCH
Pagliacci's
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1:30 PM - This is an Italian/brunch restaurant with some unique menu items. I tried the seafood lasagna, which was solid, but needed more crab pieces
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Red Fish Blue Fish
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Another lunch option that is located along the harbor. They are known for fish and chips and tacones (hand-roll style tacos)
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AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES
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Victoria’s Chinatown National Historic Site
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3:30 PM - Walk around the Chinatown and check out Fan Tan Alley
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Victoria Public Market at the Hudson
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4 PM - When we visited, the market was pretty deserted. There was only like 1 vendor open so we didn't spend much time here
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Butchart Gardens
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4:30 PM - This 120-year-old world-famous 55-acre display garden is a popular attraction if visiting Victoria. The garden had some beautiful flowers and fountains.
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We took the 7 PM ferry from Swartz Bay back to Vancouver (Tsawwassen terminal). I would recommend getting to the ferry terminal 30-60 minutes before departure
DINNER
Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
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9 PM - If you're craving more seafood and want some Chinese dishes!
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Richmond Night Market
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Alternative option - If you happen to be visiting Vancouver in the summer when this night market is happening, I would definitely recommend visiting! They had so much good food! Check the website for opening hours. When we visited, they were only open on Fri, Sat, and Sun until ~ 11pm-12am.
Depending on the lines, you may make it to the night market on the way back to Vancouver from the ferry. We went to the night market on a different day, and the entry line was crazy long, so either go very early (their website recommends 30 mins early) or buy a Zoom Pass. Many stalls take cash only. ATMs are available on-site.
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Thank you for reading! Follow @Jenuine_reviews on Instagram for more food and travel inspirations! Feel free to message me on Instagram or email me at Jenuine_reviews@yahoo.com with any questions, comments, or suggestions!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer H.
Available for hire
Hello! My name is Jennifer! I’m a pharmacist with a passion for traveling and trying new foods! As a busy healthcare professional, vacation time is limited, so I create jam-packed itineraries to make the most of my traveling experiences! I spend hours of research to make organized itineraries to optimize my time to see the most popular attractions in each place and to find the best food to eat! I'd love to share my experiences and tips with you!
If you have any questions, you can contact me via direct message on Instagram (@jenuine_reviews) or send me an email at Jhum8@yahoo.com!
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