Vancouver 3-Day Itinerary

This plan assumes a dry season and a hotel downtown or in the West End. In the rain, swap day 1 and day 2 around. Nothing here needs a car.

Day 1: The park and the island

9am: Rent a bike on Denman Street and ride the seawall around Stanley Park, stopping at the Brockton Point totem poles and Siwash Rock.

11.30am: Carry on along the English Bay seawall to Sunset Beach, drop the bike, and take the Aquabus from Hornby Street to Granville Island.

12pm: Lunch from the Public Market on the dock. Afternoon in the studios of Railspur Alley.

4pm: Walk the seawall west to Kitsilano Beach for a swim, or sit and watch the volleyball.

Evening: Sunset at English Bay, dinner on Denman or Davie Street.

Day 2: Old town and the museum

9am: Coffee in Gastown, then the steam clock and the brick lanes around Maple Tree Square, where the city began.

10.30am: Chinatown and the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.

12.30pm: Lunch, then a bus out to UBC for the Museum of Anthropology. Allow two hours at least.

4pm: Walk down to Spanish Banks or Jericho Beach for the view back at the city and the mountains.

Evening: Sushi. It's what Vancouver does best, at every price.

Day 3: Across the water

9am: SeaBus from Waterfront to Lonsdale Quay, breakfast at the market.

10.30am: Bus to Lynn Canyon: cross the suspension bridge and walk the trail to the Twin Falls. Or go to Capilano instead, if you want the big bridge and the treetop walks.

2pm: Grouse Mountain. Ride the Skyride up, see the grizzlies, and stay for sunset over the city if the weather is clear.

Evening: Back across the inlet by SeaBus, with the lit-up skyline ahead of you.

With a fourth day, go to Victoria or up the Sea to Sky Highway. Both are covered in our day trips guide.