Vancouver punches far above its size. Wedged between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains, the city packs in world-class restaurants, indigenous culture, rainforest hikes, mountain skiing and one of the most accessible seafronts in any major North American city. Here are 50 things every Vancouver visitor must experience.
The Vancouver Classics (1–15)
Walk or bike the Stanley Park seawall (10 km), visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge or the more dramatic Lynn Canyon, ride the Sea-to-Sky Gondola in Squamish, take the SeaBus across Burrard Inlet to Lonsdale Quay Market, hike the Grouse Grind ('Mother Nature's StairMaster'), explore Granville Island Public Market, ride a False Creek mini-ferry to Olympic Village, visit the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, walk Robson Street and Gastown, see the Steam Clock, browse Chinatown's Sun Yat-Sen Garden, take a sunset float plane to Vancouver Island, ride the Aquabus, watch the sunset at Third Beach in Stanley Park, and catch the Celebration of Light fireworks if you visit in July or August.
Food and Drink (16–30)
Book Hayato for omakase, eat dim sum at Sun Sui Wah, try izakaya at Guu, get the chef's tasting at Boulevard, drink cocktails at Botanist, eat ramen at Marutama, get burgers at the Save On Meats diner, splurge on Bishop's, drink natural wine at Bao Bei, try Cioppino's for Italian, eat sushi at Tojo's (the inventor of the California Roll), try West Coast tasting menus at Hawksworth, get vegan upscale at the Acorn, try French at Bouillon Bilk, and finish dessert at Beta5.
Outdoor and Adventure (31–40)
Kayak in English Bay, paddleboard around Granville Island, surf at Tofino (4 hours away), hike the Chief in Squamish, ski Whistler-Blackcomb (90 min), heli-ski with Whistler Heli, go whale watching from Steveston, take a seaplane to Bowen Island, mountain bike the North Shore, and zip-line through the Whistler treetops.
Culture and Nightlife (41–50)
Catch a show at the Orpheum or the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, visit the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, see Bard on the Beach Shakespeare festival, watch the Vancouver Symphony, hit Celebrities or Fortune for late-night, hear live jazz at Frankie's, drink at the Keefer Bar, see PNE Summer Nights concerts, watch the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place, and finish at a Coal Harbour rooftop sunset.
You won't do all 50 in a single visit — even locals haven't. But work down this list across two or three trips and you'll have a deeper understanding of Vancouver than most residents.
Plan with insiders
Ready to plan your Vancouver experience?
Our concierge team handles luxury cars, yacht charters, penthouse rentals, helicopters and private events. Tell us what you have in mind.
