8 Incredible Places in Vancouver, Canada

Published on Aug. 23, 2013 by Matt van Vuuren

These are my 8 best places to visit in Vancouver ranging from the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Gastown to Stanley Park and Granville Island. Vancouver is a tiny city which you can easily explore within 2 days.

After a heavy hangover in Tokyo I returned back to Canada with a short stopover to explore the gorgeous city of Vancouver on route to Toronto.

Places

1. Robson Street
The main shopping artery of Vancouver
2. Sandbar
Seafood hot spot under the Granville Island bridge
3. Capilano Suspension Bridge
One of the most popular Vancouver tourism attractions in British Columbia
4. Stanley Park
1,001-acre public park that borders the downtown of Vancouver
5. Chinatown
One of the largest historic Chinatowns in North America
6. Gastown
Gastown is a mix of hip contemporary fashion and interior furnishing boutiques

7. Granville Island
Make sure to visit the farmers market and day vendors offering local Vancouver goods
8. Yaletown
Upscale districts with lots of great restaurants and bars

Since I only had 3 days to explore Vancouver I tried to make the most of it. Luckily, the weather was bright and sunny. I will summarize the places I visited below.

exploring Vancouver on the west coast of Canada

One: After jumping in a cab at the airport I went downtown to check into the Le Soleil Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The hotel room was beautiful which came with one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in.

Two: After a short nap at the hotel, I went to Robson Street for some shopping and brunch. I found an awesome shirt of Vancouver at a local souvenir shop.

beautiful house on Stanley Park

Three: I came across the Vancouver Trolley Company which had tours throughout the entire city. I bought my ticket and hopped along.

Four: The first major stop was Stanley Park whic is a 1,001-acre public park that borders the downtown of Vancouver and is almost entirely surrounded by waters of the Pacific Ocean. The park has a long history and was one of the first areas to be explored in the city.

grilled salmon on rice at the SandBar on Granville Island, Vancouver

Five: For brunch I took the ferry towards Grandville Island where I ate top-notch Salmon at the Sandbar restaurant. The Granville Island Public Market features a farmers' market, day vendors, and artists offering a various of local Vancouver culinary offerings.

Six: After brunch I jumped back on the Trolley towards Yaletown and the Canucks Stadium passing through Chinatown and Gastown.

view of Vancouver from Stanley Park

Seven: For my last stop I decided to explore the cruise ship docks. A giant cruise ship called the Zuiderdam of the Holland America Line was docked. This gigantic ship takes people all the way to Alaska and the Artic.