Vancouver

[Tonesky 948]

Am doing initial planning for family trip (wife and almost 17 year old twins) to Seattle and Vancouver CA in June 2024.  There is a long Seattle thread, but I don't see a dedicated Vancouver thread.

How many days is optimal for Vancouver?  What are recommended sights/activities/excursions/restaurants?  Any essential overnight (not day trip) destination?

[6th Street 6508]

I think 2-3 days is good in Vancouver

Ramen on Robson St, rent bikes in Stanley Park, Capilano Bridge; walk through Granville Island, dinner in Yaletown, Vij's for Indian. Can also venture out to Grouse Mountain or even Whistler time permitting. 

[4th&Five 41590]

Doing the same trip in June as well. Booked a whale watching trip, planning on Capilano and Stanley Park and just enjoying being out of the blastfurnace for a week. 

[SimonBolivar 10959]

Museum of Vancouver is old but tells a great story especially about Asian Canadians of all types. 

Granville Island is fun if not a bit too touristy.

University of British Columbia has a neat anthropology museum and is also a nice campus to visit to compare with US colleges.

Yaletown is great for eating. 

Edited March 8 by SimonBolivar

[DFWTexEx 278]

Rodney’s Oyster House in Yaletown.

[Mitch Cumsteen 18575]

We did that trip last June plus Victoria, which I would highly recommend. We flew into Vancouver for a couple of days, took the ferry to Victoria for two nights at the Empress and then took another ferry to Seattle for a couple of days before coming home. 

I’ll try to remember some of the Vancouver spots but I would advise avoiding Chinatown (or at least the part of it we walked through) unless you want to watch folks shooting up in the middle of the street at 10:00 am. 

[Ebeye 116]

Just finishing up a whale watching trip with Price of Whales here now.  Great trip with orca and humpback whale sightings. Captain even kept us out later as the humpbacks were super active. 

[4th&Five 41590]

We’re doing the same one in 10 days!

[Wally Pryor 5263]

11 hours ago, Ebeye said:

Just finishing up a whale watching trip with Price of Whales here now.  Great trip with orca and humpback whale sightings. Captain even kept us out later as the humpbacks were super active. 

 

Did the same one in July 2019. Actually saw an orca pod make a kill toward the end of the trip. Couple of calves moved in to clean up and get some nutrition.

Was some of the coolest shit I've ever witnessed.

[Tonesky 948]

Started this thread, but abandoned Vancouver….  Beginning descent to Sea-Tac now. Going on whale trip with Eagle Wing out of Victoria BC one week from today. 

[Ebeye 116]

3 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

We’re doing the same one in 10 days!

When they say dress warmly, do so.  Temp itself wasn’t bad but the wind was blowing solid on the trip out. There were a lot of folks on our boat that didn’t listen and were in shorts and tshirts. Also they do take pics of everything you see and post them later that evening for you to download, so if you are a crappy photographer like I am, don’t sweat it. 
 

 

[Chopper 17245]

1 hour ago, Tonesky said:

Started this thread, but abandoned Vancouver….  Beginning descent to Sea-Tac now. Going on whale trip with Eagle Wing out of Victoria BC one week from today. 

Butchart Gardens on Victoria is absolutely amazing. It's huge and just a great place to wander. They're also open late. I'd recommend going so you can be there for part daylight and part dusk, when their light display turns on. We rented a car, stopped at some small wineries and then went to the gardens.

[Degenerate Gardner 4085]

7 hours ago, Tonesky said:

Started this thread, but abandoned Vancouver….  Beginning descent to Sea-Tac now. Going on whale trip with Eagle Wing out of Victoria BC one week from today. 

The bug museum in Victoria is top notch.

[Tonesky 948]

10 hours ago, Chopper said:

Butchart Gardens on Victoria is absolutely amazing. It's huge and just a great place to wander. They're also open late. I'd recommend going so you can be there for part daylight and part dusk, when their light display turns on. We rented a car, stopped at some small wineries and then went to the gardens.

We already have tickets. Looking forward to it. 

[Tonesky 948]

4 hours ago, Degenerate Gardner said:

The bug museum in Victoria is top notch.

This looks great. Thanks!

[Tonesky 948]

Gorgeous today in Seattle - Kerry Park. 

[4th&Five 41590]

Great trip with perfect weather. I’d go back to the area anytime. 

[Chewbacca 7785]

Any of you fuckers been there? Wife and I are going in late August. Any can't miss places to eat? Any great places to stay?

[4th&Five 41590]

We stayed near Granville, which was perfect for our family (kids are 16 & 12).  We probably ate half of our meals by just walking around the food stands in the market. Plenty of great sushi and Japanese food in the area.  The fish and chips at Go Fish was probably the best thing I ate all week.  Go early.

[Wally Pryor 5263]

Grouse Mountain. Great views, hiking, lumberjack-type shows, watching grizzlies (safely). They're orphans who are full grown and have the run of the park in an enclosed area. But the grizzlies typically stay near the viewing areas. We watched one last summer for about 15 minutes make waste of a big tree carcass as he clawed his way through the bark in search of ants / insects. Cool shit.

You can also do the tram, open air style. 

 

[Shaddie 1651]

5 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

We stayed near Granville, which was perfect for our family (kids are 16 & 12).  We probably ate half of our meals by just walking around the food stands in the market. Plenty of great sushi and Japanese food in the area.  The fish and chips at Go Fish was probably the best thing I ate all week.  Go early.

Get everyone something from Granville and then go to Stanley park and find a picnic table. Good stuff.  
 

Must be 10 years since I’ve been to Vancouver that wasn’t work. Need to maybe plan another trip. 

[Ebeye 116]

We stayed at the Westin Bayshore. Great location just outside Stanley Park and most of downtown is walkable.