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25 things to do when visiting Vancouver (FOR TOURISTS ONLY!)

If you're a tourist, welcome! Enjoy this list of things you should check out! If you're a local, bookmark this and send it to your friends when they ask you what they should consider doing and seeing while they're here.
If you're a tourist, welcome! Enjoy this list of things you should check out! If you're a local, bookmark this and send it to your friends when they ask you what they should consider doing and seeing while they're here.

25 AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN VANCOUVER!

By Vancouver Is Awesome

Here's a quick list of 25 awesome things to do in and around our beautiful city!

  • WALK, RUN, or BIKE THE SEAWALL!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    One of the best ways to get to know our city is the famous seawall...22km of waterfront pathway that you can take in by foot or pedal power! Rent a bike or take a stroll and breathe some fresh air.

  • EAT SOME (SUSTAINABLE) SEAFOOD!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    The Ocean Wise initiative educates consumers on sustainable seafood, and if you click the link above, you can see which restaurants participate in the program, and feel great about what you're eating!

  • TAKE A HIKE!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    There are so many trails and hikes around Vancouver to chose from, most culminating in a gorgeous view of the landscapes. Check out our post in the link above of some of our favourites!

  • GO TO THE BEACH!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    No matter what time of year, a stroll along one of Vancouver's NINE beaches will help make your trip complete. Dog along for the trip? We've got dog beaches too! Hope you brought your swimsuit!

  • BUY LOCAL at a FARMERS MARKET!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Fresh. Local. What more could you ask for? Check out the seasonal farmers markets located all throughout the city, and get some in-season eats, or artisan crafts!

  • LEARN and EXPERIENCE at THE VANCOUVER AQUARIUM!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Head to Stanley Park and see the Vancouver Aquarium. Learn about their conservation and education efforts, check out the exhibits and activities, or attend one of their many events! (See our posts.)

  • GO SEE SOME LIVE MUSIC!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Every week on our blog we post listings for amazing local, national, and international bands performing at venues all over our city. Click the link above to see what's going on while you're here!

  • CATCH A GAME!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    There are sports you can PLAY in the city, but if spectating is more your speed you can catch games all year long! Hockey - Canucks, Soccer - Whitecaps, Football - Lions, Baseball - Canadians +more

  • EXPLORE on GRANVILLE ISLAND

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Spend a whole day on Granville Island! From the strolling the public market & shops of all kinds, to dining at the many restaurants, or drinks at the brewery, distillery or even local sake maker!

  • TAKE A WATER TAXI RIDE!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Two different companies (Aquabus, and False Creek Ferries) run water taxi service around False Creek. Take the scenic route to your destination or go for a leisurely guided tour around the waterfront!

  • TAKE IN SOME CULTURE AT A MUSEUM!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    There are so many museums in our city to cover anyone's interests! Museum of Vancouver, the Police Museum, Museum of Anthropology, Maritime Museum, Beaty Biodiversity Museum and more!

  • GRAB A PINT!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    The craft beer revolution is growing and expanding every year in Vancouver, which means more choices for you! Camra Vancouver (linked) has a list of events, and breweries in our city!

  • FEAST AT A FOOD CART!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Vancity has a huge fleet of food carts that travel around daily, and on top of that there are many festivals throughout the year. Kill two birds with one stone and visit a food truck at a brewery!

  • CHECK OUT THE VANCOUVER ART GALLERY!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    With rotating exhibitions and permanent installations, as well as guest speakers and special events, there's always something happening at the Vancouver Art Gallery!

  • DISCOVER IT at SCIENCE WORLD!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    There's always something to learn at Science World, a fixture in our stunning skyline. Always great for families, but there are adult evenings as well. See link for more!

  • PARK IT!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    With hundreds of parks to choose from you can seek some solitude in nature. Fan favourites are Stanley Park (of course), Queen Elizabeth Park, Pacific Spirit Regional Park + more

  • TAKE IN SOME THEATRE!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Vancouver is chock full of theatre! From the PuSh Festival, to Bard On The Beach, Theatre Under The Stars, the Stanley Theatre, Arts Club, or improv nights, you're never short of acting of all sorts!

  • TAKE THE SEABUS TO LONSDALE QUAY

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    The Lonsdale Quay is a short, awesome, Seabus ride through Vancouver Harbour. You get great views of the city on the ride and from the Quay on the other side, where you can stroll through the market.

  • SHOP TIL YOU DROP!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Bring out your inner fashionista in the many shopping neighbourhoods of Van! Get fancy on Robson St or South Granville, find some vintage on Main St or Commercial Drive, and don't forget the Fluevogs!

  • BRAVE NEW HEIGHTS @ the CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Take the FREE shuttle to the Capilano Suspension Bridge and spend an afternoon walking amongst the trees above the Capilano River.

  • DRIVE FROM SEA TO SKY!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Grab a car and do the drive on the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler. Great stops along the way include Porteau Cove, the Britannia Mine, Shannon Falls, Stawamus Chief, Squamish, +more

  • SPOT A CELEBRITY!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Vancity plays backdrop for many TV shows and movies, thus many celebrities end up here in Hollywood North. It's not an unusual sight to see film crews everywhere from downtown, to the side streets! 

  • BONE UP ON YOUR HISTORY!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Historical walking tours are everywhere here in Vancouver, as are our heritage houses. Take a tour or a wander and find out more about our past. (Also, check out our Vancouver WAS Awesome series.)

  • PADDLE AROUND!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    Since the weather is so mild here, you can adventure out onto the water all year long! Rent a kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddle board and unplug on the water. False Creek & Deep Cove are favourites.

  • FIND A GOOD BOOK!

    By Vancouver Is Awesome

    There are hundreds of books written about Vancouver/by talented Vancouver authors...we suggest you find a good one at one of the great independent book stores in town like: Pulpfiction, or Blackberry

Our mandate is (and will always be) to remind our fellow residents of all the Awesome things that keep us living here, despite the bad. However we build no walls around this thing and there are still a lot of folks checking out our site from elsewhere, looking in on what the locals are doing. Some are ex-pats pining for home, some make their way here by random web searches (we've got some decent SEO), and the most common are travellers looking for ideas on what to do when they get here. Almost daily, tourists will reach out to our @VIAwesome Twitter account asking what they should check out when they're in the city, and while we often respond we decided to put together a list of 25 of our editors' top picks of things to do while visiting Vancouver so in the future we'll just tweet them back the link.