Having fun in Vancouver can sometimes get a little expensive.
With ballooning prices, spending on anything but rent can feel like a guilty pleasure. Nonetheless, as pricey as the city can get, it is also just as beautiful (especially in the summer) and there are lots of entertaining activities one can do. The best part? It's free!
Here are some budget-friendly things to do during the warmer months in Vancouver:
- Grab a book and blanket and laze around at Kits Beach (or any beach, really).
- Speaking of the beach, why not get a full-body tan at Wreck Beach?
- See how many steps it takes to walk all of Vancouver's scenic route a.k.a. the seawall.
- Save the date for the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks (they'll dazzle the sky on three separate nights).
- Watch an outdoor movie at the Vancouver Art Gallery or Stanley Park (it's a BYOP event (bring your own popcorn).
- Go on a self-guided Ryan Reynolds tour of Vancouver.
- Take that same book and blanket and sprawl on the grass between aromatic blooms at the Stanley Park Rose Garden.
- Say bye-bye to the barge, but don't climb it as this guy did.
- Enjoy a summer concert at the Kitsilano Showboat.
- Learn to salsa dance at Robson Square (yes, this is free).
- Attend a free workshop, event or film screening at a Vancouver Public Library (VPL) branch.
- The VPL's city branch is great for another thing: taking in the pretty Vancouver sights.
- Experience the city's many cultural festivals, like Bastille Day or Vancouver Chinatown Festival. Just keep an eye out!
- Escape the city on a hike. There's no shortage of pretty nature walks in B.C.
- Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge also makes for a great city-free getaway.
- Dance the day away at an open-air public disco.
- Be a tourist in your own city and take a photo next to the Gastown Steam Clock (and tag us).
- If you're brave enough, ask someone playing volleyball at the beach if you can join.
- Look for Vancouver's prettiest murals. They're pretty much everywhere thanks to the Vancouver Mural Festival, and they make great Instagram photo backdrops.
- Practice financial restraint while window-shopping all over Vancouver, from Yaletown's boutiques to Main Street's thrift stores.
