Vancouver, BC: A Short Travel Guide

Vancouver is located on the west coast of British Columbia in Canada. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Coastal Mountains, this city has stunning natural surroundings and a vibrant urban scene. But Vancouver is also renowned for its diverse culture and multicultural neighborhoods, offering a rich tapestry of cuisines, festivals, and arts. So whether you seek adventure, relaxation, or cultural immersion, this city has it all. In this travel guide, we share 12 of the best things to do in Vancouver as well as great places to stay, eat, and drink.

Downtown Vancouver

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Check out our video about Vancouver to see the best things to do through our camera!

Best Things To Do In Vancouver

• Meander around Gastown

• Take the gondola to Grouse Mountain (or hike the Grouse Grind)

• Relax at Kitsilano Beach

• Stroll around Queen Elizabeth Park

• Enjoy scenic views of the city from Cypress Mountain or the Vancouver Lookout Tower

• Go Whale Watching

• Visit Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge (Alternatively: Capilano Suspension Bridge)

• Explore the downtown area (Go on a free walking tour)

• Visit Granville Island

• Visit Deep Cove and hike Quarry Rock

• Bike around Stanley Park (guided bike tour)

• Go on a day tour to one of the beautiful mountain towns or provincial parks (Options include: Whistler, Squamish, Lions Bay, Golden Ears Provincial Park, Garibaldi Provincial Park, or Joffre Lakes Provincial Park)

Download our Google Map with all the places to go, eat, drink, and stay here.

Kitsilano Beach

Places To Stay In Vancouver

• King Edward house ($): Affordable rooms near Vancouver Olympic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Park, and South Granville. It has a garden and offers free Wi-Fi throughout the property. It's close to the King Edward SkyTrain station on the Canada Line.

• HI Vancouver Downtown - Hostel ($$): A hostel located in Vancouver's West End, one block from Davie Street and its shops, restaurants, and cafes. It offers free Wi-Fi, a coworking space, a fully equipped shared kitchen, a games room with free billiards, a sunny patio, and a library.

• Vancouver West Cozy Retreat by Host Launch ($$): A hotel located in Vancouver South, about a 15 minute walk to the Langara-49th Avenue Station (Canada Line). It offers free Wi-Fi throughout the property and rooms with air conditioning.

• Rosellen Suites At Stanley Park ($$$): A hotel located in a quiet residential neighborhood in downtown Vancouver, within walking distance of Stanley Park, English Bay beaches, and the shops of Robson Street. It offers spacious suites with full kitchens, separate bedrooms and bathrooms, dining areas, and living rooms.

Stanley Park seawall

Places To Eat And Drink In Vancouver

• 49th Parallel Café & Lucky's Doughnuts - Thurlow: big fat doughy donuts

• Black Frog Eatery: casual restaurant that serves pub food, including burgers, sandwiches, and salads.

• Brioche Ristorante & Catering: Italian restaurant that serves pasta, pizza, and other classic Italian dishes.

• Bump n Grind Cafe: great coffee shop with a variety of breakfast and lunch items, including sandwiches and pastries.

• Catch 122 Cafe Bistro: an amazing place for brunch, might get busy

• Cottage Deli Ltd: great deli for lunch, with sandwiches, soups, etc.

• Di Beppe Restaurant: Italian restaurant in Gastown with delicious pastas and pizzas

• Dosa Corner: southern Indian food, with huge delicious dosas

• Earnest Ice Cream: a city-wide favorite that has the most delicious ice cream – perfectly rich and flavorful

• Glowbal: fine-dining restaurant that serves global cuisine

• Granville Island Brewing: brewery and restaurant on Granville Island that serves a variety of craft beers (beer tasting available) and pub food

• Granville Island Public Market: public market with a variety of food stalls and vendors, serving everything from pastries to Italian, Asian, and Greek food.

• Honey Doughnuts & Goodies: great pastries, doughnut and coffee shop in Deep Cove, visit after you do the Quarry Rock hike

• Indian Delicacy: great Indian restaurant with tandoori dishes, curries, and other classic Indian dishes

• Jam Café: famous brunch spot, but also gets busy!

• JAPADOG: Japanese-style hot dogs that are to die for (try the Spicy Cheese Terimayo)

• Kinara Indian Cuisine: Indian restaurant that serves curries, biryanis, and other classic Indian dishes

• La Belle Patate: Canadian "poutine", with loads of different toppings to choose from.

• La Casa Gelato: 200+ different flavours of ice cream

• La Petit Belge: Belgian waffle and breakfast restaurant that serves a variety of sweet and savory waffles

• Lovelarte: another great coffee shop

• MeeT: vegan and vegetarian restaurant that serves a variety of creative dishes

• Momo Sushi: great sushi restaurant in the heart of Gastown

• Nuba: Lebanese restaurant that serves a variety of Lebanese dishes, including hummus, falafel, and shawarma.

• Oakberry Açaí Bowls & Smoothies: smoothie and açaí bowl chain

• Penang Bistro Fine Malaysian Cuisine: Malaysian restaurant that serves a variety of delicious Malaysian dishes, including laksa, nasi lemak, and roti canai

• Phnom Penh Restaurant: Cambodian restaurant that serves a variety of Cambodian dishes, including chicken wings, butter beef, and lok lak.

• Sake Maki: Japanese restaurant that serves some delicious sushi rolls as well as teriyaki, udon, and other classic Japanese dishes

• Salmon n’ Bannock: Native Canadian restaurant that serves a variety of Native Canadian dishes, such as wild fish, game meat, and bannock

• Steamworks Brewpub: Brewpub that serves a variety of craft beers and pub food

• Steve’s Poké Bar: Hawaiian-style poké bowls, made with fresh fish, vegetables, and toppings of your choice

• Tacofino taco bar: Mexican-inspired tacos, made with fresh and locally-sourced ingredients

• Tandoori Palace: Indian restaurant that serves a variety of classic Indian dishes, including tandoori chicken, butter chicken, and naan bread

• The Cambie Bar & Grill: casual restaurant that serves a variety of pub food, including burgers, sandwiches, and salads

• The Diamond: fine-dining restaurant that serves a variety of global dishes, made with seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients

• Twisted Fork: another great brunch place,

• Water St. Café: casual restaurant in Gastown that also has live music in the early evening

• WestOak: fine-dining restaurant that serves a variety dishes, such as pastas, steaks, and salads

• Zarak by Afghan Kitchen: Afghan restaurant that serves weekend brunch and dinner, with a variety of traditional Afghan dishes, such as kabobs, biryani, and mantu (need a reservation)

Indian curry

Map Vancouver

Find all the places to go, eat, drink, and stay in Vancouver on Google Maps. To follow and save the list, do the following:

1. Tap on the link to open it (click button below)

2. Tap Follow. This list will now be added to the group of lists you follow.

3. Optional: To unfollow a list someone shared with you, tap the list Saved.

If you follow the list we made, all our saved places of Vancouver will show up in Your Places. The places will also appear as suggested locations in Google Maps.

Save Google Maps Places

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Use These Websites To Save Money On Your Trip To Vancouver

• Booking.com for places to stay

• Skyscanner for cheap flights

• GetYourGuide for local tours

• Rentalcars.com for affordable car rentals

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Are you having a hard time planning your trip to Vancouver? Get our Interactive Travel Planner to keep it all organized.

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Need more travel inspiration? Check out our other destinations and articles about Canada:

• 20 Best Hikes Near Banff & Canmore

• Best things to do in Victoria, BC

• Powell River on the Sunshine Coast in BC