Things to Do in Vancouver in December

December is when the temperate rainforest glows. Constant damp ignites moss on Lighthouse Park Douglas firs into neon green. Rain drumming the canopy a hundred feet above is pure immersion. Trails to Whytecliff Park or along the Capilano River lose the summer joggers, and low clouds often rip open to reveal a clearing-storm seascape. You get the soggy, authentic Pacific Northwest almost to yourself.

Vancouver sparkles for the holidays, best savored on foot in the half-light. Mulled wine and bratwurst scent the Christmas Market air while synchronized lights turn Canada Place sails into a kaleidoscope. Start with glühwein, stroll the waterfront past glowing cruise ships to Gastown, where the steam clock hisses under string lights. Wet pavement doubles the neon glow.

When the sky opens, Vancouver slurps noodles. December is prime time for Denman Street ramen bowls where porky tonkotsu broth fogs the windows. Locals dive into Richmond mall food courts for hand-pulled noodles and soup dumplings. The damp cold outside makes the steamy, fragrant refuge inside feel like survival, not just lunch.

Storm watching is pure West Coast December. Outfitters run van trips to Tofino on Vancouver Island where you watch Pacific gales slam the shore from a lodge or guided beach walk. The roar of waves and hiss of rain in shoreline pines beats any museum for drama. In town, a Stanley Park seawall stroll under a wind warning delivers a tamer but still wild show.

December's short, wet days were made for the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Arthur Erickson's concrete hall feels even grander under grey skies with rain streaking the giant windows. The Vancouver Art Gallery's blockbusters offer dry, brilliant color against the monochrome outside. Crowds thin, so you can study a Bill Reid sculpture without a tour group breathing down your neck.