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Vancouver is a wonderful place to live (and maybe an even better place to visit — prohibitive real estate pricing what what). It's a vibrant and multicultural city full of diverse neighbourhoods, great restaurants, microbreweries, parks, cafés, fun events, and an active cultural life. Plus it's really easy to explore: it's eminently bikeable, walkable, and has one of the most comprehensive public transit systems in the world. We get a lot of emails asking for recommendations about things to do in Vancouver, and we love answering them. It affords us a minute to pause and reflect on all the great places in our backyard, and on all the reasons we love living here. This post is a summation of all the Vancouver things we like to do and think you might like, too.
But often our most favourite thing to do is just get out of the city. Vancouver's close proximity to ocean beaches, isolated islands, temperate rainforests, and rugged mountain backcountry are really what set it apart and make it a perfect base to see some of the most beautiful landscapes Canada has to offer. If you want to get out of the city, check out our Vancouver Adventure Guide!
One of the best ways to get a feel for a city is to wander through its various neighbourhoods. If you only had a couple days in Vancouver we'd recommend dedicating a fair chunk of it to just walking around or hopping on a bikeshare and simply exploring, eating, and drinking in a somewhat haphazard way — I think it's sometimes best to discover a city on your own terms rather than treat it like a checklist to hurry through. But that said, visiting a new city can also be overwhelming, so here are some ideas to get you started.
Stanley Park is a must visit. It's the crowning jewel of Vancouver, and there are many reasons to check it out: you can walk the trails through the woods, visit the lawns for sports and picnics or the beaches for a snooze, stroll through the gardens, catch views from Prospect Point and the Lost Lagoon. But our favourite thing to do is bike or walk the Sea Wall and go for a sunset swim out at Third Beach. And of course grab a hot dog or ice cream.
While the most popular section of the Sea Wall is around Stanley Park, you can ride from the Convention Centre in downtown's Coal Harbour all the way to Science World, then on to Granville Island and Kitsilano. From there you can continue on mostly separated bike routes to Jericho and the Spanish Banks and all the way up to UBC. It's a good ride and a great way to see some of the city's best sights. So grab a bike! Vancouver has a bikeshare program called Mobi, and you'll likely see the bikes parked all over the city. But there are plenty of traditional rental places too, especially near Stanley Park and the Convention Centre.
