We have miles, we have passports and we have a week off for spring break, where do we head? We decided to spend a part of that trip in Vancouver Canada, a short 2.5-hour flight from the San Francisco Bay Area. Known for its outdoor lifestyle and adventure, its bustling food scene, and its First Nation Art and Culture, we knew it was a great place to explore a bit of Canada and keep our teenagers busy. But, we found it is friendly for all ages and stages! Here is our Ultimate Guide to spending a few days in Vancouver.
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How to Get There
- Flying: Flying into Vancouver is easy via YVR, Vancouver International Airport. If you are flying in from out of Canada, the immigration process is extremely easy with its digital stands to scan your passport and take your picture. Each family uses one machine, and there is one receipt for each family. Then it is checked and leaves the customs area. After customs, you turn in the receipt. Note, an on-site picture is required for all people aged 16 and above. For my daughter, who was 13 at the time, it pulled up the picture from her passport, and they needed to recheck her passport when leaving immigration.
- Driving: Vancouver is very straightforward, and it is about two and a half hours from Seattle. It is straight up I-5 which turns into BC-99 N in Canada. When driving into Canada, you will need to go through the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which will inspect your passport and importantly your vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Make sure to have that handy, as well as anything you need to declare for inspection.
- Train: It is a four-hour train ride between Seattle and Vancouver that covers beautiful landscapes and waterways. The train has Wi-Fi, a food car, comfortable seats, and tables to work. If you are going into Canada, you will go through immigration at the Pacific Central Station in Vancouver, though officials may occasionally board for checks at the border. If traveling from Vancouver to Seattle, you go through US immigration in Canada, and the train will stop at the border for the US inspectors to come through to take the custom forms and to check for anyone bringing fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seeds, or dairy.
3 Day Itinerary
We went for three days mid-week, but you can just as easily do this itinerary as a weekend trip. An extra day would allow you to do more far flung adventures, or spend more time exploring the museums. But three days is a great amount of time to have lots of fun in Vancouver.
Day 1
Waking up in Vancouver, you are ready to explore the wonderful city that is around you! I love to always start with a tour of the city to get yourself grounded in the place and history. We chose to download the Vancouver Historic Downtown Walking Tour from WalknTours, which took us from the port, through Gastown, and ending in Chinatown at a beautiful Chinese garden in the middle of urban Vancouver. If your family are foodies, there is a Gastown Historical Walking Food Tour. Whatever tour you do, I think walking around and getting a feel of the neighborhood in the morning is the best way to get grounded. (Pro Tip: If you have extra time, check out the Flyover Vancouver Experience. Similar to the Disneyland ride, “Soarin’ Around the world” it takes you flying all over the magnificent scenery in Canada).
Once done, head to the closest Aquabus stop, and take the water taxi to Granville Island for lunch. Head into the Public Market and explore all the amazing food options available. We love food courts like this because it lets everyone eat what they want. After lunch, take your time to explore Granville Island. With teenagers? Walk the Public Market and the cute boutiques all over the island, with all its unique offerings. Have little ones? Check out the Kids Market which has an indoor playground, arcade games, and fun displays. There is also an arts center that has exhibits and plays. It is a wonderful place to enjoy the afternoon.
Day 2
Today, I would start at a museum. We choose to visit the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. There you can see some amazing examples of First Nations art, from totem poles to carved bone boxes and canoes. But there is an extensive collection of artifacts from all over the world, from the people of Fiji to the Solomon Islands. A friend went to the Aquarium in Stanley Park and mentioned that it was high quality, with an extensive outdoor section and an Axolotl! We also considered Science World. A friend who lives in Vancouver suggested that it is best for those 10 and under. Either way, there are many ways that you explore Vancouver through its museums.
After lunch, head to Stanley Park. Stanley Park is a 400-hectare park with trails, beaches, trails and even an aquarium. The best part of the park is to go around the Seawall and see the beautiful views of the city. You can rent bikes or just walk. Make sure to stop by the Totem Poles to see more of that beautiful First Nations Art. After you cannot walk anymore, head to dinner and have an evening of rest.
Day 3
Today is the adventure day! Start the day by heading to Grouse Mountain. Get the Mountain Admission and take the gondola up the steep mountain to the top! If it is ski season, you can get passes to ski down the mountain. But even those who are not as athletic, there is still lots to do! There is a nice little hike you can do, even in the snow (though you should wear shoes that have grip, my eldest mentioned that there were many times where they almost tripped), and there is sledding for $5, and you can go down as much as you want. There is also a ropes course for kids and a more advanced one for teens, and even ziplining. If you go during non-peak times, check the availability of these activities on the day you wish to visit.
After lunch, you can head over to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, which is just a five-minute Lyft ride down the road. This was everyone’s favorite part of the trip. There was an amazing Cliff Walk, where you walk on elevated walk paths looking at the Canyon. Then there is a beautiful suspension bridge that crosses the Canyon. If you fear heights or swinging, this isn’t for you. But if you can get over it, it’s so fun and beautiful. On the other side is the Treetop walk, where you go on smaller suspension bridges that connect to treetops and see the forest form up high. After your walk, take the free shuttle back to Downtown Vancouver for a rest and dinner to wrap up your time in this fantastic city.
What to Eat
There are too many delicious places to eat in Vancouver, but here are a few of our favorites:
- Breakfast – Admittedly we mostly ate breakfast in our hotel, but we did get some breakfast food at a few places. I highly suggest you visit PureBreads Bakery which has amazing pastries and coffee.
- Lunch – I cannot emphasis enough to head to Grandville Island and get lunch at the Public Market. There are so many wonderful places to eat there, everyone will get something they like. I had a fantastic Smoked Salmon Sandwich from Blue Parrot Coffee and my oldest got a burger from Market Grill. We also had fantastic and filling sandwiches from Meat & Bread.
- Dinner – Vancouver is a foodie’s dream, with lots of Asian options and quality Canadian food. We enjoyed an amazing meal at The Flying Pig Yaletown where we had our first taste of poutine. We also ate some amazing Ramen at Zubu and an Izakaya Course at Eat Bar & Patio Haraheri (Japanese Street Food). My friend recommended the amazing food at the Lamplighter Public House in Gastown, and the sushi at Miku Vancouver.
- Snacks – You cannot go without snacks! Make sure to stop at Lee’s Donuts either in Gastown or on Granville Island. You can also head to Khyber Chai House, a hole in the wall café, for authentic Indian Chai and Samosas.
Where to Stay
There are several great hotels in Vancouver and Airbnb’s are abundant. There are not as many American chains as you may be used to, but if you do stay in one, they are typically nicer than you find in the US. Downtown is the place to stay as Vancouver is a flat and walkable city and there is a lot to see in that area. We stayed at The Canadian, a Wyndham property that we booked with points. It is central to downtown location and near public transit.
Getting Around
Vancouver downtown is a small city that is easy to get around the principal areas walking. There are a few public transit options available if you need to get further afield.
- SkyTrain– It is the automated light rapid transit system and has a line that goes always way form the airport to downtown. You can use tap to pay on your phone to pay for the fares.
- Bus – There are several bus routes all over the city, they are easy to catch, and you can tap your phone or credit card to pay for the ride.
- Water Taxis – I highly recommend you take this at least once. With several stops around the edge of the seawall, they take you to different points and are the most popular way to get to Granville Island. There are two agencies, and you can pay on the boat with both. Don’t pre-buy your tickets because they are locked in by that agency and not the first boat that comes.
- Lyft/Uber – There are plenty of Lyfts and Ubers in the city and we found it easy to quickly get a ride when little legs were tired, and we did not want to walk any more. We also found that once it was four of us, it was about the same price to Lyft around Downtown as it was to take public transit, and often faster.
What to Bring
I was prepared for cold and rain in Vancouver. We lucked out and the days we were there it was quite beautiful and pleasant weather; we got to see the city in all its glory. Even up on the mountain that had snow, the sun was still warm. We did find ourselves walking quite a bit more than we expected. A few things I recommend making sure you pack for your trip are:
- A good waterproof jacket: Vancouver has a reputation for being a rainy city. It can cause it to be a bit cold and damp. I like to pack a lightweight packable raincoat (I use the Columbia Arcadia jacket) and wear a warm layer, such as a Merino Wool Sweater underneath. I brought my packable 32 Degree Down Coat this trip and the only place it was really needed was at the top of Grouse Mountain.
- Good walking shoes: You will walk a lot especially up the mountain and in Stanley Park. Make sure you have shoes that can stand up to that. The whole family wore their Skechers GoWalk Sneakers. I would have liked to have something more waterproof or with better grip up on Grosue Mountain with the snow. My kids had no issues, but they have good knees.
- Selfie Stick/Tripod: There are a lot of “Instagram-able” places in Vancouver, and sometimes you do not want to hand out your camera to a stranger to get a picture. I have found that the selfie stick, while annoying, can get in the whole family with a nice background in the distance. But I have really liked this Self-Stick/Tripod, that allows you to set up your phone with a tripod so you can take pictures from a distance with a Bluetooth remote, and it does not feel as intrusive as a selfie stick.
- A Good Day Bag: You need a bag that will carry all the essentials for the day (hand sanitizer, masks, your phone and wallet, snacks, etc.) I like to use a small backpack such as the PINCNEL backpack.
- A Good Camera: The top of Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge are amazing, and you want a good camera for that. My husband always travels with his Nikon. I recently got an Insta360 Camera and wish it had arrived in time for crossing the bridge.
If you are looking for an easy International adventure not far from home, Vancouver is the perfect location. Stunning vistas, great food, lots to do, and great public transit makes it easy to enjoy the city with your kids or teenagers alike. Full of history and culture, my teens loved checking out the city and exploring some place new.
Edited by SKS
* Starred Photos taken by Atma Photography