Vancouver in 1, 2, 3, or 7 Days

SD › Vancouver › Itineraries
Updated: December 7, 2020
By Santorini Dave

One Day in Vancouver

• Walk the 8.5km Stanley Park Seawall trail, making sure to stop for photos at the Brockton Point totem poles, Siwash Rock, and both Second and Third Beach. Alternatively, hire a bike at nearby Spokes and cycle the trail.
• Take an entertaining Forbidden Vancouver walking tour of the city’s historic Gastown area.
• Time for an early dinner? Dive into a juicy pork belly sandwich with the locals at the Alibi Room.
• Conclude the day on a sunset kayak tour of False Creek with Vancouver Water Adventures – twinkling cityscape views included.

Two Days in Vancouver

• Walk or bike the Stanley Park Seawall trail.
• Take the Gastown Forbidden Vancouver tour and grab dinner (and a few B.C. craft beers) in the area’s Alibi Room.
• Explore Granville Island’s Public Market – taste-tripping guided food tour recommended – plus the area’s many studios, galleries, and artisan stores. Also on Granville Island, rent a kayak from Vancouver Water Adventures to explore False Creek or take one of their popular guided paddle tours.
• Dive into the city’s highly authentic Asian dining scene – consider Miku for sushi, Ramen Danbo for brothy noodle bowls, or Dinesty Dumpling House for classic Chinese dishes.

Three Days in Vancouver

• Walk or bike the Stanley Park Seawall trail.
• Take the Gastown Forbidden Vancouver tour and grab dinner in the Alibi Room.
• Do Granville Island’s Public Market – guided food tour recommended – plus the area’s studios, galleries, and artisan stores. Rent a kayak or take a guided tour of False Creek with Vancouver Water Adventures.
• Dine at some of Vancouver’s authentic Asian restaurants or explore the city’s other culinary highlights.
• Take a SeaBus transit ferry to North Vancouver. Explore Lonsdale Quay Market, then hop on transit bus Number 236 to Capilano Suspension Bridge for a leg-wobbling walk across the lofty river span. Back on the bus, ride a few minutes further to Grouse Mountain for a scenic gondola ride, jaw-dropping views across the city, and well-marked trails through the mountain forest.

One Week in Vancouver

• Walk or bike the Stanley Park Seawall trail.
• Take the Gastown Forbidden Vancouver tour and grab dinner in the Alibi Room.
• Do Granville Island’s Public Market – guided food tour recommended – plus the area’s studios, galleries, and artisan stores. Rent a kayak or take a guided tour of False Creek with Vancouver Water Adventures.
• Dine at some of Vancouver’s authentic Asian restaurants or explore the city’s other culinary highlights.
• Take the SeaBus to North Vancouver and visit Lonsdale Quay Market, Capilano Suspension Bridge, and Grouse Mountain.
• Check out some of the area’s other amazing hikes.
• Explore the eclectic, independent-minded East Vancouver neighborhoods of Main Street and Commercial Drive, especially for their one-of-a-kind stores and restaurants.
• Discover the city’s delicious craft beer scene via a self-plotted microbrewery tour or a guided minibus exploration (samples included) with the friendly folks at Vancouver Brewery Tours.
• Head to the University of British Columbia campus to visit the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) – Vancouver’s best cultural attraction – plus the nearby Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Pacific Museum of Earth, and the UBC Botanical Garden.
• Hangout with the locals at some of Vancouver’s most distinctive nightlife spots: consider table tennis and craft beers at Chinatown’s Back & Forth Bar; role-playing board games at nerd pub Storm Crow Alehouse; live music at Gastown’s subterranean Guilt & Co; and retro-cool cocktails at Main Street’s windowless Shameful Tiki Room.