Explore/Canada
Canada

Vancouver

Mountains at the door, ocean at your feet, forest between.

See a sample tripBrowse places to save
28
places to save
4
community lists
OverviewPlacesFood & drinkListsSample tripWhen to go
Understand

What it's like to be in Vancouver

Vancouver sits at an almost unfair intersection of geography: North Shore mountains rising directly behind the city, the Pacific at its doorstep, and temperate rainforest threading through it all. Stanley Park — a thousand-acre forest on a peninsula surrounded by water — sits minutes from downtown and remains the best argument for the city's livability.

The neighbourhoods tell the story of a genuinely multicultural city. Chinatown is one of the oldest in North America. Main Street runs indie and local. Gastown's cobblestones hold the original Victorian core. Kitsilano stretches along the beach. Commercial Drive brews coffee and argues politics. Together they make a city that is relaxed in a way that feels earned rather than arranged.

Food here pulls from the Pacific and from Asia with equal confidence. Sushi rivals Tokyo; dim sum on No. 3 Road in Richmond is a destination in itself; Dungeness crab and wild salmon show up on menus everywhere. The farmers markets are exceptional, and the craft beer scene has quietly become one of the best in Canada.

Context adapted from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA)
At a glance
LanguageEnglish
CurrencyCanadian Dollar (CAD)
Best monthsJun–Sep
Getting aroundSkyTrain, bus, bike & on foot
Tipping15–20% standard at restaurants
The library

Places worth saving in Vancouver

Real places in Vancouver, pulled from the public library. Tap Add on anything that appeals — it lands in your list, no account needed.

Restaurants

Burdock & Co

Main Street · Vancouver

Foraged, seasonal, deeply local.

Restaurants

Maenam

Kitsilano · Vancouver

Modern Thai, exceptional.

Restaurants

Published on Main

Main Street · Vancouver

Pacific Northwest tasting menu.

Restaurants

Savio Volpe

Fraserhood · Vancouver

Wood-fired Italian, neighbourhood favourite.

Restaurants

Kissa Tanto

Chinatown · Vancouver

Japanese-Italian, romantic and small.

Cafés

Nemesis Coffee

Gastown · Vancouver

Light-filled, consistent espresso.

Cafés

Prototype Coffee

Main Street · Vancouver

Tiny, meticulous, worth queuing.

Cafés

Pallet Coffee

East Vancouver · Vancouver

Neighbourhood roaster, no fuss.

Landmarks

Stanley Park Seawall

Stanley Park · Vancouver

10km loop, mountain views.

Landmarks

Lions Gate Bridge

Stanley Park · Vancouver

Best viewed from Prospect Point.

Landmarks

Gastown Steam Clock

Gastown · Vancouver

Victorian cobblestones, local anchor.

Landmarks

English Bay Beach

West End · Vancouver

Sunset crowds, ocean fire.

Landmarks

Capilano Suspension Bridge

North Vancouver · Vancouver

Rainforest canopy, vertigo optional.

Museums

Museum of Anthropology

UBC · Vancouver

Haida & Northwest Coast totem poles.

Museums

Vancouver Art Gallery

Downtown · Vancouver

Emily Carr & Pacific Northwest art.

Museums

Beaty Biodiversity Museum

UBC · Vancouver

Blue whale skeleton, remarkable.

Markets

Granville Island Public Market

Granville Island · Vancouver

Best food hall in the city.

Markets

Main Street Farmers Market

Riley Park · Vancouver

Saturday local produce, summer.

Markets

Hastings Sunrise Flea

Hastings · Vancouver

Sunday vintage and curiosities.

Parks

Stanley Park

West End · Vancouver

Towering old growth, must do.

Parks

Queen Elizabeth Park

Cambie · Vancouver

Quarry garden, city panorama.

Parks

Pacific Spirit Park

UBC · Vancouver

73km of forest trails.

Parks

Lighthouse Park

West Vancouver · Vancouver

Old growth, rocky coastline.

Stays

Rosewood Hotel Georgia

Downtown · Vancouver

1927 landmark, beautifully restored.

Stays

Loden Hotel

Coal Harbour · Vancouver

Boutique, harbour-adjacent.

Stays

Burrard Hotel

West End · Vancouver

Mid-century updated, great value.

Stays

The Burrard

Downtown · Vancouver

Retro-chic converted 1950s motor hotel around a tropical courtyard..

Stays

Sutton Place

Robson Street · Vancouver

Full-service, central, reliable.

Eat & drink

How to eat like you live here

The experiences worth planning a day around — not a restaurant list, a way to eat the place.

01

Dim sum in Richmond

The suburb south of Vancouver is home to some of the best Cantonese dim sum outside Hong Kong — carts, har gow, and weekend chaos that's completely worth it.

02

Spot prawn season

For a few weeks in May, BC's sweet Pacific spot prawns hit the docks. Eat them simply steamed, butter optional, with local white wine.

03

Salmon and cedar

Wild sockeye or chinook salmon, often cedar-planked, at a restaurant with a view of the water it came from. Very BC, very correct.

04

Japadog at the kerb

A Japanese-inflected hot dog from a street cart — miso, nori, daikon — that somehow became a Vancouver institution. A perfect five-minute lunch.

From the community

Lists that feature Vancouver

Curated routes through Vancouver from Sunday's editors and well-travelled members. Open one to see every place — or save the whole list at once.

Sample lists
Sunday Editorial

48 hours in Vancouver

The high-impact first-timer route — nothing padded.

14 placesOpen list
MMaya's list

Where Vancouver actually eats

Neighbourhood tables, no tourist traps. Built over three trips.

22 placesOpen list
Sunday Editorial

Slow mornings in Vancouver

Cafés, parks and a market — the unhurried half of town.

9 placesOpen list
TTheo's list

Vancouver after dark

Wine rooms, viewpoints at dusk, the last tram home.

16 placesOpen list
See it come together

3 easy days in Vancouver

A starter itinerary built from the city's most-saved places. Make it yours, then reshape it however you like.

Sample itinerary
Editing, maps and timings unlock when you make this trip your own.
9:00
Slow start
Nemesis Coffee
Gastown
10:30
The big one
Stanley Park Seawall
Stanley Park
13:00
Market lunch
Granville Island Public Market
Granville Island
20:00
Dinner
Burdock & Co
Main Street
Know before you go

Seasons & a few words

The two things every trip starts with: when to come, and what to say when you get there.

When to go
Spring
8–17°C
Mar–May

Cherry blossoms in mid-March, patios open early, mountains still skiable.

Summer
18–26°C
Jun–Aug

Brilliant and dry — beaches, trails, and festivals define the season.

Autumn
10–18°C
Sep–Oct

Warm days linger, leaves turn gold, crowds thin and the city exhales.

Winter
2–8°C
Nov–Feb

Rainy and mild in the city; an hour north, Whistler runs a full ski season.

A few words of English
Hey, how's it going?—
Hello (standard)
Thanks so much—
Thank you
Can we get the bill?—
The bill, please
Cheers!—
Cheers!
The Sea to Sky—
Highway 99 to Whistler

Vancouver is a good place to start.
Keep what you've found.

Your list lives on this device for now. A free account keeps it safe, lets you share it, and turns it into a real itinerary.

Free, forever for the basics

Turn Vancouver into a trip

Keep your saved places, build the days out on a map, and bring whoever you're travelling with. Free to start, thirty seconds to join.

Sign up free
Returning

Already with us?

Sign in to add these places to your existing lists and trips.

Sign in to see your data
Sunday Planning
Plan well, travel well.
PrivacyTermsUpdatesAbout
© Sundays Online · 2026
Sunday PlanningSunday Planning
ExploreListsGuidesTrips