VANCOUVER: 6 MUST VISIT SPOTS
GRANVILLE ISLAND
Granville Island is full of so much life and culture! Here you can except markets, art, artisan shops, boutiques for EVERYTHING, places to grab a bite or sit down and admire the place. There's also a great place to sit down to relax and enjoy the great views over the vancouver area!
This cute little island has SO many good spots for eating, drinks, hanging out, walking around, grabbing a snack, shopping sprees - really endless possibilities. Here are our favourite eat / drink spots on the island!
This literally only scratches the surface of whats going on here. Be sure to check out their website for a full list of all the restaurants, bars, boutiques, and events going on (plus tons of useful information).
Granville Island Market Tour: This tour offers 20 different food tastings for a VIP experience! Education, samples, and insight is what you can expect from this tour as your knowledgeable guide will walk you through all the best spots. Granville Island and the market can be a little overwhelming as it's busy and has SO much, so a tasting like this lets you try a bit of everything and learn so much more. A great way to make the most out of your time with this two hour tour,
STANLEY PARK
Everytime we are in Vancouver we love to come here for a stroll, drive, or run! From the sea wall, Vancouver views, or at prospect point this is a fantastic place year round to enjoy Vancouver.
Within Stanley Park theres a few spots to check out specifically. Although even just wandering around the entire park you'll definitely enjoy your time.
Here are some tours in the Stanley Park area that will help you see all corners of the park!
Stanley Park Bike Tour: Head out on this bike tour to see and learn all about Stanley Park. It's for all levels and is a fantastic way to explore so many parts of the park in one visit.
KITSILANO
This part of town is a great area for SO many reasons. Play a game of tennis, head for a run, hit the bars, go to a restaurant, or even head for a swim at the beach! This area is beautiful and has so much to offer.
The beach is the highlight of this area in my opinion. It's a great spot to spend a day, afternoon, or whatever you're interested in!
And ofcourse in any good neighbourhood is so many good restaurants.
GASTOWN
Vancouver's first downtown area is this charming place called Gastown. Cobblestone streets lined with shops, great bars, and top rated restaurants - this is a great place to come in the evening.
Here are some of our favourite places to eat and drink in this area, however you really can't go wrong at the majority of places here!
Gastown even has their own website where you can see EVERYTHING that the area has to offer including seasonal and occasional events. Check this link out to see all the shops, restaurants, and everything else happening in this busy area.
Gastown Pub Crawl: SO many cities host pub crawls and they are such a great way to see the city, get insider info, meet new people, and have a good time. During this tour you'll get some free drinks & visit 4 of the best bars/pubs in the area!
Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: Check out this food tour for some history and diverse eats! Craft beers, diverse food, sweet treats, and a good time guaranteed. Seven food tastings and three different drinks accompanied by history and a fantastic atmosphere. What a great way to see the town.
CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE
This is a pretty touristy place but has a very cute atmosphere! Here you're able to learn about some of the history, walk across suspensions bridges, through rainforest canopies, on glass floors over rivers below, canyon cliff walks, and they even have a few cafes and restaurants along the way. They also have small events throughout the year to add festive themes to the park.
This also happens to be a great place to snap some stunning photos amongst the scenery, and there are a few souvenir shops that have great gifts if you plan on bringing some home.
GROUSE MOUNTAIN
If you're into anything outdoors (skiing, hiking, or just admiring the views) this is SUCH a good place.
Grouse Mountain isn't simply a mountain to take the cable car or hike up. They have SO much here. They have a ski mountain during the winter, refuge centre for animals (grizzlies, owls, reindeers, lots!), a souvenir shop, a variety of restaurants, a hiking trail (for the TOUGH), amazing views, and they have events year-round. To find out everything here, check out below:
The Grouse Grind trail brings many people here on a regular basis for a good workout with a great view at the end. Someone referred to this trail as natures stair master and I think that hits the nail on the head! A constant uphill battle but it's a great challenge. Finish at the top with a drink and a snack before taking the cable car back down. Check the all trails link below for the stats.
Grouse Mountain Admission: this ticket gives you access to grouse mountain, access to the shows and wildlife exhibits, and includes a ride on the skyline aerial tram plus a trip on the chairlift during the summer. Theres even a roundtrip shuttle from downtown Vancouver.
There are a few different restaurants at the top of Grouse Mountain. Beavertails, cafes, casual eats and drinks, and even fine dining. We went to the Observatory for a fine-dining experience during the winter and it was a great experience. The atmosphere is SO romantic at night with the warm lights in a room with floor to ceiling windows so you can see the sparkling lights and snow falling below. They have 2 or 3 course meals with a great wine and drink list.
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY VANCOUVER
Before you head off, consider a few other tours that showcase much more of the city. Vancouver is probably our favourite city we have lived near / visited in Canada (and we have lived and visited quite a few). Theres just no place like it.
Vancouver Hop On Hop Off Tour: This bus actually stops at the majority of the places listed above and SO much more. So if you don't have a vehicle whilst visiting the city, this is a great way to explore a bunch of the places listed above.
Vancouver Day Tour: This tour also hits up a bunch of the spots listed above and a few extras! Gastown, Chinatown, Vancouver Lookout, Granville Island, the Suspension Bridge, and a few more. Pick up is included if in the downtown area so it's a great way to see everything in a short time period.
Vancouver Seaplane Tour: Probably the coolest way to see the city - from the air! Take a seaplane and get incredible views of the downtown Vancouver area whilst riding in style. Plus you get to take off and land from the water - such a cool experience.
Vancouver Highlights Bike Tour: If being active is your thing, consider seeing a bunch of the places listed above by biking around the city. You'll see the same thing (and more) from your bike with lots of stops along the way!
Vancouver By Boat (Seals & Scenery): Vancouver, being on the coast, has incredible marine life. See the city from a different point of view - take a boat tour to see highlights of the Vancouver skyline from the sea, marine life such as seals, famous parks (lighthouse park of Vancouver), and so many more attractions.
We love Vancouver and especially these spots. We hope you'll love it just as much! We have so much more over on our blog about Vancouver, Canada, and different places around the world, Head over to our blog to find out more!
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