Top 10 things to do in Vancouver
We've also included some unexpected activities, like a sightseeing flight that never leaves the ground!
Much of Vancouver's hotel accommodation can be found in the Downtown area of the city. From here you'll find it easy to get around on foot or by catching the exciting Sky Train – an automated rapid transit system that runs above and below ground. If you ever get lost while trying to find one of the suggestions on this list of what to do in Vancouver, just ask a local – they're famously friendly.
1. Walk the Seawall
When you feel like some fresh air and exercise, the Seawall tops the list of free things to do in Vancouver. Choose the nine-kilometre stretch that runs around Stanley Park and you'll get fantastic scenery in every direction. To make the trip go faster, hire bikes or skates. Keep your eyes out for sea otters and seals in Vancouver Harbour.
2. Learn about the First Nations people in Stanley Park
The big, beautiful area of green near Vancouver's CBD is Stanley Park, a place for walking, biking and stories. A great way to discover the park is with a 90-minute interpretive walking tour. Your First Nations guide will keep you enthralled with stories about nature, people and places. The totem poles at the edge of Vancouver Harbour make more sense when you know what they mean.
3. Meet the bears at Grouse Mountain
Almost everyone visiting Canada wants to see bears in their natural habitat. At Grouse Mountain, just half an hour from the CBD, you can meet Grinder and Coola, two grizzly bears who live in a protected wildlife refuge. In winter they spend about five months hibernating, so check they're up and about before visiting. At Grouse Mountain you can also see a live 'Birds in Motion' show starring owls, hawks and eagles and a vulture.
4. Shop at Granville Island Public Market
If your accommodation has a fridge or kitchen, Granville Island Public Market is the place to stock up with snacks and ready-made local delicacies. As well as artisan edibles and drinks, this market has a community of crafts people and musicians. You'll find something unique to take home while you enjoy some great sounds.
5. Visit Canada Place
Right next to the Port of Vancouver, the observation deck at Canada Place delivers free entertainment for sightseers and selfie-takers. You can watch a never-ending live show of cruise ships arriving, seaplanes landing, helicopters taking off, freighters loading and fishing boats returning home to port. To top it all off, the FlyOver Canada simulation ride will get you acquainted with the whole country.
6. Find a maritime feast
From oysters and gooseneck barnacles to Dungeness crab and smoked sockeye salmon, Vancouver's proximity to fishing grounds makes it a seafood lover's dream come true. The city is also respected for its Japanese cuisine - the best outside Tokyo according to some. Bring these two facts together and you're all set for a sublime seafoodie time.
7. Explore the forbidden history of Gastown
The historic neighbourhood of Gastown has a dark and interesting past that you can hear about on a night-time walking adventure called 'Lost Souls of Gastown'. Based on real history, the tour takes you through cobbled back streets and alleyways, where it's easy to imagine the gold prospectors, gamblers, saloon girls and tricksters of Gastown's murky past. The tour includes a visit to Vancouver's oldest hotel.
8. Watch a game of ice hockey or indoor lacrosse
Being a spectator at a live sports match is an excellent way to witness everyday Canadian culture in action. From September to April, ice hockey rules supreme at Rogers Arena as the Vancouver Canucks take on teams from the National Hockey League (Canada and USA). In summer, indoor lacrosse is what you'll be looking for. It's played within an ice hockey rink on turf carpet, and the action is fast and furious.
9. Walk through the treetops at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
You may have heard of the Capilano Suspension Bridge – it's possibly the most famous of Vancouver's attractions. But did you know about Cliffwalk in the same park? It's a vertiginous cliff-side journey along cantilevered and suspended walkways that are attached to the granite cliff face above Capilano River. Trees all around you, sky above, water below – awesome!
10. Head north to Whistler
Two hours from Vancouver by bus or car, Whistler is a year-round destination loved for its breathtaking scenery, world-class ski slopes, hiking and biking trails, adventure activities and charming village. As an add-on for your Vancouver holiday, this side trip promises a captivating blend of nature, excitement, exercise and indulgence.