MUST SEE PLACES IN VANCOUVER
10 places to see while in Vancouver:
Sightseeing; A classic touristy thing to do. Some travellers hate crowded touristy places whereas others love the feeling of being among tons of other travellers. It can be debated whether it’s worth it or not. Sometimes all you have to do to avoid the crowds is to go during the week, wake up early and go before everyone else goes and other times it’s just impossible to avoid the crowds but the experience might be worth it anyways.
Below is a list of places in Vancouver that is definitely worth a visit:
- Kitsilano
- Stanley Park
- Granville Island Public Market
- Capilano Suspension Bridge
- The Seawall
- English Bay Beach
- Gastown and its famous steam work clock
- Lost Lagoon
- Shopping on Robson St.
- Granville St. at night
1. Kitsilano
Kitsilano is a neighbourhood in Vancouver known as “Kits”, which is located just across the water of “English Bay”. The reason why everyone loves Kitsilano is because everything is so much different from downtown Vancouver (not that downtown Vancouver isn’t worth a visit, but sometimes you just need something different). In Kitsilano you will find cool clothing stores with a different vibe and style from the ones Downtown. In the summer it is very popular to hang out at Kitsilano Beach, or go for a walk in Kitsilano Beach Park where you will have an amazing skyline view of Downtown.
A popular café in Kitsilano is 49thparallel which is a cute Café that makes amazing lattes and homemade donuts. Most people have one word on their mind after having paid this place a visit: DELICIOUS.
One last thing that is a must do when in Kitsilano is to go and take a picture in front of the big instagrammable wall with the “kits wings” painted on it!
2. Stanley Park
Fun fact: The area of Stanley park is 4,049 km2 and it is therefore bigger than Central Park in New York City.
Stanley Park is a perfect place to go if you feel like spending a day outside but do not want to go all the way to the mountains in North Vancouver. It is a public park where there’s peace and quite from all the city noise. It is an easy “getaway” opportunity from downtown even though it is actually located right downtown. If you ask most people in New York City there will not be many saying that they do not appreciate Central Park being downtown. And it is the same in Vancouver.
3. Granville Island Public Market
Are you a food lover? Then Granville Island Public Market is a place you absolutely MUST visit! It is with no doubt a place that you will love! Whether you like gourmet food or fast food there is something for everybody. Granville Island Public Market is basically a huge market featuring all different kinds of delicious and colourful food. Vancouver happens to be a very rainy city, and this is definitely a place to go on a rainy day since most of it is indoors.
4. Capilano Suspension Bridge
Get high at Capilano Suspension Bridge! Seriously. If you are not scared of heights, walking on the edge of the cliffs and in the tops of the trees this is a beauty of a place to go to! This is one of those places that are very touristy. It is therefore recommended to go early in the morning during the weekdays when most people are at work. Make sure to bring your camera for this one, as you can take many cool and creative pictures here!
The only downside about this place is that you have to pay for the entry, but it is definitely worth the money!
Here is the online ticket prices as of 2020:
Adult (18-64 years): $53.95
Senior (65+ years): $48.95
Student (17 years + with valid ID): $39.95
Youth (13-16 years): $29.95
Child (6-12 years): $16.95
Child under 6 years: Free
You can buy your tickets here:
https://www.capbridge.com
5. The Seawall
When the weather is good rent a bike and bike around The Seawall. As a tourist this is probably the best and cheapest way to experience the beautiful views of North Vancouver as well as downtown as you will be going all the way around Stanley Park, continue through English Bay Beach and bike all the way around beautiful False Creek till you end up in Kitsilano. If you want to enjoy this ride and stop for pictures and food on the way, you will need to plan to spend the whole day for this.
6. English Bay
Are you a sunset lover? Then English Bay Beach is your place to be on a beautiful sunset night! Bring a blanket, some snacks and find a good spot in the sand to enjoy the view of the sun settling down behind all the ships that are laying in the ocean. It is absolutely gorgeous.
7. Gastown and its famous steamwork clock
Gastown old Gastown… Literally! This is the “older” part of the city where the buildings have a completely different architecture and the vintage style street lamps and cobblestone roads make you feel like taking a step back in time. This is why Gastown is a well visited place and this is why you must go! Also, if you like Nutella and lattes there is a perfect place for you to go visit! The café is called “Smart Mouth Café” and they make Nutella lattes. OH YES. You heard it right! Nutella AND lattes combined! How amazing does that sound?!
8. Lost Lagoon
Lost Lagoon is a part of Stanley Park. It is nice and quite, and you have the opportunity to feed the cute little ducks there if you bring some bread. This lake is on the list because you get a different point of view of the city than what you are used to, especially if you are living in Vancouver. Also, not a lot of tourists choose to walk around this lake, and it is therefore not as crowded as English Bay Beach can be sometimes.
9. Shopping on Robson St.
Lululemon, Aritzia Victoria Secret, M.A.C., Banana Republic…. Every big city in the world has a shopping district where all the international known stores can be found. As for Vancouver, this district is on Robson Street. Some favourable Canadian stores to visit amongst both locals and tourists are:
- Lululemon (High quality sportswear store)
- Lush (Vegan-free handmade cosmetics)
- Roots (Clothing store)
10. Granville St. at night
As a traveller you have got to explore the nightlife of the city you are in. That is how you meet other travellers and make funny memories that will last forever! Granville St. is a busy street at night in Vancouver with colourful electro lights on all the buildings and nightclubs lined up down the street! If you are not much of a nightclub person, there are also plenty of bars to choose from. The best of all is that once the night is over and it is time to head back to your hotel/hostel, there are plenty of places to get food, so you do not have to go to bed hungry. Most party people can probably agree on the fact that a slice of pizza is the perfect way to end a not so sober night!
HAVE FUN EXPLORING VANCOUVER!