Vancouver in 3(ish) days – what we discovered

The city of Vancouver is one of Canada’s densest, most ethnically diverse cities, which means there is a lot to see and do suitable for all tastes. Here’s what we did in the limited time we had there:

What we did

Cycle around Stanley Park

It was a lovely sunny day in Vancouver, the perfect weather for a gentle cycle around the famous Stanley Park. It is pretty much a completely flat route around the whole park, so as you would probably imagine it was quite busy with families – but the park is plenty big enough.

We hired our bikes from Jo.e Cycles, but there are plenty of bike hire shops around so don’t worry if they have run out! They were all very friendly in the shop and, even though it was busy, they made sure we were all properly set up.

On our cycle we stopped plenty of times so we could see the Totem Poles; lighthouse; Lions Gate Bridge; the harbour and plenty of other things dotted around the park. We stopped for lunch at a hot dog stand in the park and sat on the beach opposite to enjoy them and have a well-earned rest.

You do have to be very vigilant when cycling around the park as there are lots and lots of bikes. If you need to stop, signal and do so at the side of the cycle path. If you need to pass someone, make them aware by saying “on your left” (or right if that’s the side you are passing!) and they should let you past. Keep an ear out for when people say that to you too. There are also a couple of sections that are shared with pedestrians and you are instructed to get off and push your bike – please don’t be one of those idiots who dangerously zoom through, just get off and walk.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a little bit out of main Vancouver but there is a shuttle available for you to use. Here we conquered a rather wobbly bridge 70m up and 137m long across Capilano River. I was rather surprised that dad managed it if I’m honest, it was a lot more wobbly than the one in Whistler and he didn’t go on that – but maybe that was because going across the bridge was the only way to explore the rest of the park!

We also walked along the Cliff Walk which is a walkway pinned to the side of a cliff by just a few anchor points – you got some great views from there though! There’s lots more to do in the park too, such as Raptor’s Ridge, Story Centre and Kia’palano. Also, if you are childish like Abby and I you can also get an activity book where you collect embossed stamps around the park and, when you collect them all, you get a certificate saying you made it across the bridge… I said we were childish, but it was a good thing to get to remember the experience.

For an afternoon snack we stopped at The Cabin to refuel. Mum and I shared some ‘beaver balls’ which were basically tiny pancakes drenched in maple syrup and icing sugar – they were rather yummy! Dad and Abby had an ice cream each which they both said were equally as good.

BC Water Bikes

I spotted these when looking for unique things to do in Vancouver, and these certainly fit the bill! Basically, they are bikes on a catamaran type contraption what you pedal to turn the propeller and move – a novel idea and really easy and fun to use!

We pedalled towards Granville Island and got to see the skyline from a unique angle and got plenty of attention as many people, like us, had never seen these before! As we had the first slot of the day the four of us were the only ones out which meant that we were getting all the attention. It was such a great way to spend some time on the water and it was good exercise too.

Granville Island

There are different parts to the area they call Granville Island, so make sure you wander around all of it. The Public Market is mainly food vendors which made us all very hungry to look around! In the surrounding area there are lost of independent shops which are always fun to have a browse in.

Kitsilano Salt Pool

The Kitsilano Salt Pool is the largest saltwater pool in all of North America at a whopping 137.5m long! It is very popular with both locals and tourists as a place to relax, exercise and cool off. Mum and I swam 2 lengths then got tired so bobbed around with the other two in the water. It was weird swimming in salt water that wasn’t the sea, it felt different to a chlorine swimming pool which we were all used to. It was nice though, it was a really hot day so being in the water was a welcome relief.

There was also plenty of room on the side of the pool to relax, but unfortunately the vast majority of it was concrete so a little uncomfortable if you stayed in the same position for too long! But we did chill there for a bit and read / listen to music / write this post!

Where we ate

Earls – Dinner

This eatery was very classy inside, even if the outside looked a little dodgy – there was just a sign pointing up some back-alley stairs telling you the restaurant was up there. We ventured up and came into a lovely outside terrace with the restaurant just next to it.

There was a bit of a wait to get a table but we said we’d be happy to sit outside so we were seated a bit quicker. The food was lovely, I had Chicken Hunan Kung Pao which was so good but I couldn’t finish it all so that got boxed up ready for breakfast the next day!

As the evening drew on we started to get a little chilly despite the heaters, so we managed to ask for some blankets from the staff and after that we were nice and cosy. We all really enjoyed our evening meal here, I would definitely recommend paying this place a visit.

Joeys – Dinner

This place is actually quite reasonable for Vancouver, and the food is good too. I had a Peanut Chicken Noodle Bowl, as did mum which we really enjoyed as it was nice and fresh but still filling.

Market Grill – Lunch

This is actually a food vendor in Granville’s Public Market and they do some banging sausages using all sorts of meat – pork, lamb, beef, and even a mixture of pork and beef! There were also plenty of toppers you could add to your sausage like fried onions and pickles, and of course all the classic sauces. We sat outside the market to enjoy these, looking out into the harbour which was lovely.

Moxie’s Bar & Grill – Dinner

Their fish tacos are amazing. Enough said. Mexican fish-based food are my new favourite!

Brioche Doree – Breakfast

After checking in at Vancouver Airport for our internal flight to Toronto, we stopped for breakfast here before boarding. I had granola with yoghurt and fruit – something a bit healthier after the last few days! There isn’t much to be said about this place, it was expensive because it was in an airport and busy because it was the morning, but the food was nice enough.

Where we stayed

Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre

This hotel spanned 48 levels and was the first ‘high rise’ accommodation we had stayed in on the whole trip – we were used to apartments and lodges! We were 21 stories up and there were some really great views of the city from up there. The floor-to-ceiling window was so cool if a bit scary, you could stand right up to the edge and look down to the street far below. The room itself was really nice, and the beds considerably more comfortable than the one we had on Vancouver Island!

Transport

This was the first part of our road trip where we didn’t have a car, so we had to rely on public transport. There are plenty of places to get tickets from such as 711’s and all the train stations. We found that a day pass was the best value for money, you get a card that can be used on all the buses and trains around Vancouver. We used this public transport card to get to and from Capilano Suspension Bridge; BC Water Bikes and Kitsilano Salt Pool, so we definitely got our money’s worth!

Another form of transport we used were the water ferries to get from the Water Bikes to Granville Market and from Granville Market to Kitsilano salt pool. I think we probably could have got a bus to these places but it would have taken slightly longer and the boat is more fun anyway! They were very small and could only sit about 10 people at most, and sometimes water got into the boat if a much bigger one went past – it was all quite fun.

There’s still so much of Vancouver I want to see, I think I’ll definitely be back there one day. Can you think of anything I’ve missed out on? Let me know in the comments!

Happy travelling!

Zoe and David x

Written by Zoe