My sister and I have always dreamed of visiting Vancouver. We heard so much about the beautiful mountains, the aquarium and of course the fact that it hosted the Olympics recently made it an even more attractive city. Going to Seattle for a wedding, we decided to make a special 3 days stop in Vancouver and discover what this beautiful Canadian city had to offer. So here’s our top 10 things to do in Vancouver.
Day 0
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We arrived at YVR airport early in the morning, bringing with us just the basic. A backpack each and our passports. Easy ride from the airport to Vancouver downtown. Unlike many cities where you have to pay a fortune in cab to go to downtown, Vancouver airport has a built-in transit system (Canada Line) which brings you from the airport to downtown for less than 4$! 22 minutes later and we were already at the Opus hotel where we staying at.
Day 1
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1. Aquarium
After a good night of sleep and a quick breakfast at Elixir bistro, we went to the Aquarium which is located in Stanley Park. This is one of the biggest Vancouver attraction and with its 70 000 species, it is one of the biggest aquarium in all of North America. After exploring some of the most interesting marine animals of the West Coast, including the very fascinating jelly fishes, we attended a spectacular 20 minutes 3D show.
My favorite part was by far the special under water area where you can observe and watch dolphins, belugas, sea lions, seals and sea utters. Most guides suggest you book at least 2 hours on your schedule to visit the Aquarium, but if you want to take your time, look at every animal, read all the information, have lunch and attend all the daily events (talks and shows), I would even easily recommend 4 hours!
2. Stanley Park
Since we are already in Stanley Park, we decided to make good use of our time and to visit this giant park. The nice thing about Stanley Park is the many options you have to visit the park. You can go for a walk (a long walk!), roller blade around the park, bike, or take a horse-drawn tour. We opted for this fun option which brought us to every highlights of the park. I learned that the park was planned by Frederick Law Olmsted, the very same man who drew the plans of Mont-Royal Park in Montreal, and that the park was named after the Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley, just like the Stanley Cup (hockey). We also stopped to admire the magnificent totems that remind us of the strong native culture of the West Coast.
3. English Bay
To go back to downtown and our hotel, we walked along the SeaWall through English Bay. English Bay is located in the West End, which is a very nice ans lively neighborhood which major streets are Denman street (where you will find lovely ice cream shops) and Davie street (home to the gay village).
4. Yaletown
Back to the hotel, we took a long nap, and woke up in time to take part of the the fun nightlife in Yaletown. Yaletown is considered the hip part of Vancouver. Before full of storage buildings, the transformation of Yaletown into that hot spot started in the early 90′s. Now boutique, bars, hip restaurants and high-end condo buildings are what make Yaletown. We enjoyed our dinner at the Blue Water Cafe, well known for its excellent martinis and great seafood. We had there a delightful evening with a fantastic meal and an outstanding service.
Day 2
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5. Grouse Mountain
We spent the next day in North Vancouver, where we attempted the historical “Grouse Grind”. A 10 minutes seabus and 20 min bus ride got us there. This 2.9-kilometre hiking trail is sometimes referred as “Mother Nature’s Stairmasters” with good reason. Although it is not a very long hike, it is probably one of the more steep hiking trail. What can I say… If you love working out, you will curse but absolutely love this hiking trail in the same time. If you don’t like working out, you will only curse this stairway… The official record for going up Grouse Grind is 25:24min. However, unless you are in extremely good shape, doing it in less than an hour is even almost impossible. Luckily, you have the option of either doing the trail by foot, or taking a gondola up. Of course, I wanted to experience the real Vancouver experience… Believe me, there was not a minute I did not wish to stop and just go back down. But perseverance and stubbornness pushed me to finish the grind… Once you reach the top, you will weirdly feel like a hero who just accomplished their impossible mission!
6. Capilano Suspension Bridge
If you are not afraid of heights, a day in North Vancouver is not complete without a stop at Capilano Suspension Bridge. Capilano Suspension Bridge was built in 1889 and stretches over 450 feet, is 230 feet high above Capilano River. Capilano Suspension Bridge was easily accessible from Grouse Mountain, as the same bus brings stops at both attractions.
7. Granville Island
Back to the hotel, we were so exhausted from our run up the mountain we break for a 2 hours nap, then decided to visit Granville Island. The nice thing about Vancouver is that they seem to make transfers from one end to another very easy. We used, this time, the Aquabus, which salute the view from downtown and quickly brings one from one end (Yaletown) to another (Granville Island). Fun, quick and inexpensive, those Aquabus are so convenient. Granville Island consist of a market and many nice pubs and restaurants. We checked out a few street performers and had some fish and chips in one of the pubs. Unfortunately, we learned to late about the beer tour tasting, which introduce you about the history and craftmanship of Granville Island beers, with 4 tasters.
Day 3
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8. Robson Street – And sushi
We decided to take the last day easy and started our day with some shopping on Robson street. Robson is one of the most busy street in Vancouver. It is loud, lively and simply lovely! Walking down on Robson, we stopped at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and treated ourselves for a Candy Apple (at 11am!!). One of the best cuisine in Vancouver is Japanese cuisine. Not only sushi, but also Japanese tapas. The Japanese influence is so big that they even have their own Japanese hot dog stands (Japadog!). We therefore had to try one of their sushi restaurant. After doing some research online, we decided to go back on Davie street and to try Kadoya. This sushi restaurant is small, but well worth a visit! They have a lot of great speciality rolls, included a dessert roll with deep-fried banana and pop rocks. A truly unique dessert you ought to try at least once in your life!
9. Chinatown
After our great lunch at Kadoya, we decided to head for a long walk to Chinatown. This is the second biggest Chinatown in North America, after the San Francisco one. Of course, it is not quite as large as SF’s, but still quite big! Like in most (if not all) Chinatowns, some buildings badly need some renos and cleaning, but overall, Chinatown is colorful and certainly is worth a stop. We made a serenity stop at Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden (578, Carrall Street). Admire 100 years old bonsais trees, a calm pond with frogs, turtles, gold fishes and water lilies. As you are visiting Gastown and Chinatown, try to stay away from Hasting Street, as it is the worst and poorer area in Vancouver, with major drug use problems.
10. Gastown
Last stop was Gastown. Gastown is the most historical part of Vancouver, with a Steam Clock and many souvenir shops. The neighborhood is colouful and family friendly.
We picked Guu restaurant on Thurlow street for our last dinner stop for some Japanese tapas. Very loud, very friendly and very lively. We tried some odd things, some delicious and others… much more less delicious! But a great experience overall. If you ever go there, try the pumpkin balls… yummiest thing on the menu!
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