Things to do in Vancouver, Canada

This city on Canada’s Westcoast has a special place in my heart. In august 2022 I first went there to be one of these typical highschool-students for 5 months. Let’s say it short: I fell in love. I came back in summer 2023 and now December 2024. This article won’t be an itiniery, because the visits I do there are not really vacation, but mainly meetings with my friends. Over these years I still collected a few activities, places to visit and foodspots in Vancouver, eventhough I haven’t tried them all myself, but they’re still on my bucketlist. I’ll list them all below, so you can get some inspiration for your next visit in my favorite city. It’s safe to say, that Vancouver is the perfect place for people who love the outdoors. For this reason, I would probably recommend going in spring or summer, because in other seasons Vancouver is famous for its ridiculous amounts of rain.

Another thing you should be aware of, if you have never been there, is that they have quite a big Drug addicts/ Homeless problem. (I don’t want to disrespect any of these people by using the word ‘problem’ but I’m not sure how else to name it). I never felt unsafe walking through the city, but I remember how shocked my mom was, when I took her there in summer 2023, because there are really a lot of people on the sidewalks, who obviously take very strong drugs. I actually feel quite sorry for them, because when you look at them, you know that there’s no way back for them. The street, where most of them are, is called East Hastings, which is partly Chinatown but also continues out of the city on the east side. Nothing has ever happened to me when I met one of them, but I would always keep some distance and not look for accommodation near this area.

Things to do:

Outdoor activities

Lynn canyon park (free): If you’re looking for a nice place to go for a walk, I would recommend going to Lynn canyon. The entrance to the park is free and it has a suspension bridge and a lot of nice trails through the forest. I’ve been wanting to go there for a while now and I finally managed to go. If you go there in spring or summer, you can go swimming in the river and lots of people do cliff jumping (please only do it in safe areas). But even in late December, it was a really nice walk, even with a bit of rain. I just spent a few hours there to walk along the water, but it’s quite a big area with also more difficult hikes. I think it’s a good alternative to the Capilano suspension bridge, which is more famous, but you also have to pay 60 CAD as a student and 72 CAD as a regular adult to enter. From downtown Vancouver it takes around 1:30h with public transport and 30min with the car.

Renting bikes in Stanley Park: This is something I haven’t done yet personally, because I’m not a huge fan of cycling, but I know it’s quite popular. There are a lot of stores that rent out bikes, but you can also take the public ones that you can rent on the street. Stanley Park itself is huge, but there is a way that goes all around it, along the seaside. Within Stanley Park, there’s also an Aquarium and some restaurants. You can also visit one of the beaches on the west side. In the Christmas time there’s also a light installation in the center.
Skiing: There are two skiing areas in Vancouver: Grouse Mountain and Cypress Mountain. They’re both visible from downtown and you can get there with public transport, which takes around 1hr. I have never been to these two, I was only in Whistler once, which is one of the most famous ski resorts of North America, but it’s also a further distance. I believe Grouse and Cypress Mountain are nicer if you only stay in the city and have to rely on public transport. What I could see from the city, there was not that much snow this December, so make sure you always check that before. Of course you can also go there without skiing, if you want to go hiking or just enjoy the views over the city. There are also public fireworks on NYE.
Beaches: Since Vancouver is located at the Pacific Ocean, it also has beaches, apart from the ones in Stanley Park, that I mentioned. I actually never went swimming there, because I never really got the chance to. (I only went swimming on Vancouver Island, which is the same Ocean of course.) In summer there are also lots of events happening on the beaches, especially in English bay, like parties, shows and also fireworks for the Celebration of Light in July.

Places to visit:

As a person, who loves exploring new cities, I think Vancouver is a great place to just walk around and visit the different districts. Very popular amongst tourists is Gastown, which is in fact a very aesthetic area. I’d definitely recommend visiting Mount pleasant and Commercial drive, because as a German, the stores there give me this typical North American vibe and I love it. Chinatown is also a very interesting place to visit, especially if you want to try some authentic east Asian food. As I mentioned before, you will meet quite a lot of homeless people there, but it’s still worth a visit.

Queen Elizabeth Park: A very nice park at one of the highest points of Vancouver. I went in December, so obviously that’s not the best time to visit a park, and the Bloedel Conservatory was closed unfortunately, but I would definitely recommend going between spring and early fall.

VanDusen Botanical Garden: A botanical garden close to the Queen Elizabeth Park with a big variety of plants. They also have a light installation during Christmas season. (I have never been there so I can’t add any photos).

Science World: I heard a lot of good things about this and it’s still on my bucket list. This is a museum, which is, as the name says, all about science. I believe this is really nice for children, because they have a lot of experiments to try and new things to learn

Granville Island: This is one of my all-time favs. I’d describe it as a small peninsula on False Creek, that you can either reach with the sea bus, which is the fastest option, but I usually walk from downtown even if it takes some time. On Granville Island you will find a public market with fresh produce, like fruits, cheese, meat and baked good being sold. They also have a section with a lot of different restaurant stalls where you can try different cuisines. Outside that market you’ll find more Restaurants, Souvenir stores and mainly a lot of Craftsman stores and art galleries. If the weather is nice you can sit near the water and enjoy the view over Downtown.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden: This park is located in Chinatown and consists of two parts, one is open to the public without an entrance fee, the other part costs 16 CAD for adults and 12 CAD for students. I only went to the public one and didn’t spend much time there but I think this is a great example of how culturally diverse Vancouver is. I definitely want to come back in summer and spend some time there.

Vancouver Art Gallery: I believe this is probably Vancouver’s most famous museum, located in downtown. I have never been in there, because I’m usually not a huge fan of museums, but even the building itself is worth visiting. They always have changing exhibitions, so check out their website to see the current ones. Admission is 35 CAD and it’s free up to 18 years.

Lonsdale Quay Market North Vancouver: It’s been on my bucketlist for forever to go to North Vancouver, but I haven’t gotten the chance so far. Lonsdale Quay Market is a public market, located near the water with different stores and changing events happening.

International Buddhist Temple Richmond: This temple is located in South Richmond and it takes around 1 hour to get there from downtown with public transport. I really want to visit this temple, but I didn’t have the time to, yet. They offer tours and meditation classes in different languages and different other events that happen year-round. There’s a lot to learn about the Buddhist religion and you can enjoy traditional vegetarian food.

Richmond Public Market: This is a public food market located in Richmond, offering lots of different, mainly Asian food stalls. I didn’t get the chance to visit it yet, but based on the photos I saw, it looks very authentic.

The Crystal Mall: Similar to the Richmond Public market is this mall, located in metrotown, Burnaby, with mainly Asian stores and also a very authentic looking Food court.

Best views over the city

Vancouver city hall: The building itself is definitely not worth visiting in my opinion, but the area has my favorite view over downtown Vancouver.

Lookout: This Lookout is located on top of a skyscraper in downtown Vancouver and offers an amazing view over the rest of the buildings. If you’re lucky with the weather, you’ll be able to look at the neighboring cities like Burnaby and North Vancouver. The tickets cost 21 CAD for adults and 15CAD for students.

Queen Elizabeth Park: I already mentioned this park before, but as one of the highest points of Vancouver, you also get nice views of the skyline. It’s quite far away so you won’t see it that well but you’ll be able to also admire the nature around it.

Mountains: Of course there are a lot of hikes on the mountains around Vancouver, from where you can look down at the city, but I haven’t been there yet.

Food spots:

Cafés:

One thing about Vancouver, there are endless options for cafés. You will find one on every corner, but I thought I would just show you the ones I have tried so far and really liked.

Nelson the seagull: First café I ever went to in Vancouver. Love the atmosphere and I’m dying to try their sourdough breads some day.

Purebread bakery: Love their huge variety of pastries and everything I tried so far, tasted great.

Cafe Monet: Went there for the first time this December and loved the cookie that I tried. I think this is the right address if you’re looking for all the trending pastries.

Lumine Coffee: Love their minimalistic interior and will definitely come back. The cookie was bomb, it had a soft caramel filling if I remember it correctly.

Caffe Mira:They have multiple locations around town and I haven’t tried any of their pastries yet, but the matcha I had was very delicious.

Prado Cafe: They also have multiple locations around metro Vancouver and I really like their atmosphere and pastries.

Uprising breads and bakery: Come here for their happy hour tea time! You’ll get a small hot drink and a dessert of your choice for 5$. They’re also across from “Slice of life” which is a great spot to take vintage Photo Booth pictures.

Cinnzeo bakery: Located in Metro Town or Surrey, this might not seem too special but they’re probably my facvorite cinnamon rolls out there.

I am aware that these foodspots were only cafés so far, but unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to try enough restaurants for me to be able to recommend something. Next time I’ll visit the city, I’ll test a few from my bucket list, to know whether I should recommend them or not.

Speaking of which, this article is not over, it’s just on hold, because I’m already planning two more trips to Vancouver in 2025, so every time I go, I will add something to make this article perfect in the end.