Top Things to Do in Vancouver
12 must-see attractions and experiences
Vancouver occupies a geographical position that other cities can only envy: ocean on three sides, mountains immediately to the north, and ancient rainforest threaded through its urban fabric. This is a city where you can taste spot prawns pulled from the Pacific that morning, feel the cool cedar-scented air of a thousand-year-old forest, and watch tankers move silently through Burrard Inlet as snow-dusted peaks glow orange at dusk, all before dinner. The compression of experience here is unusual: the North Shore mountains rise so abruptly from the city's edge that Vancouverites ski in the morning and eat ramen on Robson Street in the afternoon. What distinguishes Vancouver from other Pacific Rim cities is the seriousness of its Asian food culture. The city's Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast Asian communities have shaped a culinary landscape that is exceptional by any global standard: dim sum in Richmond rivals anything in Hong Kong, the ramen shops on Robson Street are serious, and the summer night markets smell of scallion pancakes and char siu smoke drifting across the parking lot long after dark. This is not cultural performance for tourists but the actual texture of daily life in a city where immigration has continuously reshaped what it means to eat well. First-time visitors tend to underestimate the scale of the outdoors and overestimate the hostility of the weather. Vancouver's rain arrives soft and fine, rarely in torrential sheets, and the city barely slows for it. Summer runs from July through September, delivering cool, luminous days with evenings that stay light until nearly ten o'clock. Winter brings more cloud cover but far less cold than eastern Canada, and the mountains above the city turn white while the streets below stay green. Vancouver rewards visitors who come not just for the postcard landscapes but for the texture of what happens between them: the ferry-crossing commuters, the fishermen at the foot of Gore Avenue, the coffee shop arguments about hockey.
Hand-Picked Experiences in Vancouver
The best of every kind, whatever you're in the mood for
Adventure & the Outdoors
Garibaldi Lake Hike & Photography
hike a Steep trail through old growth rainforest to a turquoise-coloured alpine lake.
Insider tip expect a Steep trail through old growth rainforest with mountain viewpoints.
Photography & Hiking in Nature
get photography lessons while sightseeing and driving to Vancouver's top locations.
Insider tip if you have a short time in Vancouver and want to explore the city, this complete tour is the way to go.
Vancouver Waterfront Guided Bike / Ebike Tour
take a guided bike tour of Vancouver's extensive and beautiful waterfront.
Insider tip the tour includes a ride around Stanley Park and a stop to explore Granville Island.
Culture & History
Ancient Trees of Vancouver Walking Tour
walk with a big tree seeker through Vancouver's last ancient forest in historic Stanley park.
Insider tip the tour lasts around three hours. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
Vancouver private tour and sightseeing.Explore the city with ease
explore the city with ease with a friendly, professional private driver.
Insider tip We'll assist in customizing the right tour package that suits you.
Spoken Treasures: Stanley Park Indigenous Walking Tour
hear the rich stories and true history of Stanley Park from indigenous guides.
Insider tip you will hear stories and accounts directly from the people who have lived here for millennia.
On the Water
Vancouver Sailing Experience on a 50 foot Sailboat
sail Vancouver waterways on a 50 foot sailboat with extensive local sailing knowledge.
Insider tip the skipper has extensive sailing and local knowledge from decades on the water.
Vancouver: Snorkeling Seals Kayaking Scenic Boat Tour
snorkel and kayak in the Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve to see marine wildlife.
Insider tip Howe Sound is home to a varied range of marine wildlife, including seals.
Aquabus Ferry Hop on Hop off Day Pass
hop on hop off to enjoy the sights of False Creek without barriers.
Insider tip our larger vessels are wheelchair accessible, stroller and bike-friendly.
Food & Drink
Vancouver Craft Brewery Neighbourhood Walking Tour
take a craft beer Neighborhood Tasting Experience Like no Other in Vancouver.
Insider tip This is a popular neighbourhood culture crawl among Vancouver's most interesting local breweries.
Vancouver Foodie Tour: Downtown Vancouver Asian Food Tour
Start a flavorful journey through downtown Vancouver's lively Asian culinary scene.
Insider tip the tour has a visit to a Japanese center and authentic Asian Eats.
Day Trips Further Afield
Private Airport Transfer from Vancouver Airport to Downtown Hotel
enjoy a Door to Door private Transfer in a Luxury vehicle from the Airport.
Insider tip your chauffeur meets you inside the Airport with a personalized name sign.
More to Explore
Even more of the best of Vancouver
Vancouver Local Taste Trail
OtherThis trail moves through Vancouver's neighbourhood food culture at the pace of someone who lives here: without a checklist, without a coach bus, without being herded from one photo opportunity to the next. The stops are chosen for what they reveal about how Vancouverites eat on ordinary days, the Japanese bakery that starts selling out of milk bread by nine in the morning, the Portuguese chicken counter with a line that forms before the doors open, the small-batch honey producer who sells only within the surrounding blocks. The smells shift block by block, coffee roasting, then cardamom from the Persian grocer, then the sharp fermented tang of a natural wine shop with its door propped open.
Photography & Sightseeing in Whistler & Squamish
Guided ExperienceThe Sea-to-Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler is one of those routes where the journey is not merely a means to an end but is the point entirely. The highway hugs the eastern edge of Howe Sound, a fjord whose grey-green water reflects granite walls that rise nearly vertically from the surface. Shannon Falls outside Squamish drops in a white curtain that you can hear from the road before you see it. The Squamish Chief, a granite monolith bigger than Gibraltar, commands the valley floor below it. By the time you arrive in Whistler, the mountain air is noticeably cooler and thinner, and the village below the ski runs smells of pine resin in summer and wood smoke in the colder months.
Planning Your Visit
Practical tips for getting the most out of Vancouver
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