Tips for Vancouver

[Newmum738]

We're heading to Vancouver for a couple of weeks in September. 2 adults and 4y/o DS. I was thinking we would start by exploring downtown Vancouver, head to Vancouver Island and then to North Vancouver for a few days before heading home. Anyone who knows the area - what tips or must visit recommendations do you have for us?

Stanley park is lovely, on Vancouver island there's a lovely botanical garden, north of the city are mountains and you can take a cable car up.

Just a word of warning, it had been many years since I was there when I went just before covid and I was shocked by the amount of homeless people and open drug taking on the streets - I didn't feel threatened at all but shocking to me, that's in the centre.

Cora’s is excellent for breakfast

Capilano park is worth a visit and so is Vancouver Aquarium.

The waterfront is nice as is Granville island

Agree with the poster who said the homelessness is shocking,

The museum of BC in Victoria is fab

Check out Earl’s - it’s a bar chain and they have different offers each day. Food is good.

There’s a good hop on/hop off bus to get the feel of the place

Buchart gardens on the island, butterfly museum in Nanaimo or Combs. The mini putt in Parksville (classic must do for a four year old).
City of Van is a waste of time, I can’t even think of one “street” worth seeing.

I haven’t been to Vancouver…. But if I did I’d definitely go whale watching!

Gastown for evening food. Try to sit near the clock!! Capilano suspension. bridge, (high and wide enough to fly a plane underneath) Stanley park with a totem pole collection, there was an aquarium there. If you're into Christmas stuff there were not one, but two brilliant Christmas shops.(your 4yr old would love that) The tower which gives brilliant views out over. I could go on. Wonderful place

If you’re there for two weeks, I’d be thinking about getting out to the Rockies for a few days.

www.viator.com/en-GB/tours/Vancouver/Circle-West-4-Days-Canadian-Rockies-Bus-Tour/d616-165614P1?m=64814&supag=127985999160&supsc=aud-944458486216:dsa-694098303764&supai=537208497557&supdv=c&supnt=g&suplp=9044865&supli=&supti=aud-944458486216:dsa-694098303764&tsem=true&supci=aud-944458486216:dsa-694098303764&supap1=&supap2=&gclid=CjwKCAjwloCSBhAeEiwA3hVo_cBhYFk-PJ3TmYbBEfwoTAnCUIgGFYVaL1h7qo3CYWBuKRUge1_SeRoC_5cQAvD_BwE

Something like this, for example (weird long hyperlink - sorry)

Canada Place is nice to wander around. Vancouver Island is great also

Hire a car and drive up to Whistler for a couple of nights. The cable cars across the mountain are epic, lots of walks, mountain biking, bear tours.

VI is a destination in itself. We’ve done 2 nights in Vancouver centre, a week on VI (been to Ukulet one time and Sooke another time) staying in an air bnb cabin on the Pacific coast, then back to the mainland for 2 nights in Whistler.
We did whale watching from VI. From Ukulet we also visited Victoria for a day - it’s a lovely small city. The ferry trip over to VI is beautiful too.

Definitely grouse mountain is worth a visit, and capilano suspension bridge too. You can take a sea plane to Victoria, thats an amazing flight, and the aquarium and Stanley Park too.

Do take a light raincoat as it can be really wet though!

Watch a sunset from the beaches in vancouver and a trip on the little boat across to Granville Island. Also a walk around the Olympic village has good views of the city center. Its a fab city and great views of the mountains from most streets. If you don't want to drive/fly out to the rockies then head up the road to Squarmish and get the sea to sky gondola. Its just over an hour away and amazing views, it feels like the rockies!

Stanley Park. You can walk right round the seawall but it's also worth venturing into the interior on the trails

Granville Island. Take the Aquabus across.

Seaplane tour or across to Vancouver Island

Van Dusan botanic gardens

Gastown for food

Grouse Mountain. Either walk the Grouse grind up (tough walk) or take the cable car.

Sun Yat Sen chinese garden in Chinatown

Vancouver Art gallery

See an ice hockey game

Museum of Anthropology

Robson Street for shopping in downtown.

Been a few years since I lived there so my knowledge isn't necessarily up to date

The science museum is great too.
Definitely Vancouver Island for the gardens and whale watching.
Echo most of what everyone else said - Stanley Park, aquarium, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Kitsilano (weather still usually pleasant in Sept), Gastown, Granville Island.
Canadian 5 pin bowling on Granville Street is fun for a 4 year old as they can handle the balls easier.

Oh and definitely cable car to Grouse.

For a four year old.. science world, a ride on the skytrain followed by the sea bus to londsdale quay for ice cream. There's an illusion museum that's cool too.

Capilano is beautiful if you're not afraid of heights. On the island there's a bug museum and the Salish aquarium which I prefer to the Vancouver aquarium.

I had a holiday 5 years ago which included Vancouver and Vancouver Island and have no desire to ever return. As others have said the homelessness/drug problem in central Vancouver was the worst I've ever witnessed anywhere. Google for some photos - it seems to be worse than ever.
In other country park areas on walks (trails as they call them) I was constantly on tenterhooks over the possibility of meeting dangerous bears and cougar en route. It was also extremely expensive and we had to change our route at one point because of forest fires....never again.

@scaryhols, I’m living in BC. No joke Gastown is a big problem right now. Yes Granville island might be okay. But I’d do less in Van and more on the island.