Planning

Because of Vancouver's geographical layout -- with Burrard Inlet separating the downtown core from the "North Shore" communities of North Vancouver and West Vancouver on the one hand and English Bay and False Creek separating the downtown core from communities like Kitsilano, Point Grey, and the University of British Columbia to the south on the other hand -- it makes sense to plan your sight seeing activities with Vancouver's physical layout in mind.  You will make effective use of your time if you group together landmarks that are close to each other. 

Downtown Itinerary

It is recommended that you devote at least one day to Vancouver's centrally located attractions.  These might include Stanley Park , Granville Island , Yaletown and Robson Street.  

Stanley Park is a 1,000 acre park adjacent to a high-to-medium density residential neighbourhood called the West End and within walking distance of downtown Vancouver.  Admission to Stanley Park itself is free, but you do need to pay for parking.  In addition to that, some of the attractions located in Stanley Park charge admission.  

Vancouver Aquarium alone could keep you in Stanley Park for a few hours. Add to that the heated Second Beach Pool , the Children's Farmyard, Miniature Train and Traffic School , and Stanley Park easily could hold your family's interest for a couple of days. Cycling, rollerblading and walking along Stanley Park's seawall are very popular activities. There are places to rent bikes near the perimiter of the park.

If you have only a short time in Vancouver, you will not be able to linger in Stanley Park and take advantage of all the amenities it has to offer.  In that case you will want to get a relatively quick overview of Stanley Park and move on to other attractions.  If you visit between late  June and late September, you can avail yourself of Stanley Park's FREE Shuttle Bus . This will enable you to get a sense of Stanley Park's magnificent trees and of popular stops along the shuttle bus's circuit -- the Totem Poles , Brockton Point, Prospect Point, Third Beach and Lost Lagoon.

Granville Island is another very popular destination in downtown. You can pick up one of the many little pedestrian ferries (either Aquabus or False Creek Ferries) from several docks around the False Creek area and ride them to several popular destinations: Science World, Yaletown, Granville Island and the Maritime Museum at Vanier Park. Vanier Park is also home to the HR McMillan Space Centre, the Vancouver Museum and the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival.

 A third destination possibility is Chinatown. A lot of work has been done lately to improve Chinatown. Visitors should be aware that Chintown sits only a couple of blocks south of Vancouver's famed "east end", the poorest community in Canada. Visitors should avoid drifting north when visiting Chinatown. Chinatown itself is charming, with a lot of Chinese character and the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden as its centrepiece. This lovely garden is a surprise in the middle of this very urban landscape. 

 Yaletown, on the north shore of False Creek, is another popular destination, with a seawall walk and numerous trendy shops and restaurants. Nearby attractions include the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum and the Telus World of Science.

North Shore Itinerary

Popular attractions on Vancouver's "North Shore" include Capilano Canyon Suspension Bridge and the Skyride up Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver and a visit to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.  An alternative to the Capilano Canyon Suspension Bridge is the FREE Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. Also along the Capilano Road route is Capilano River Regional Park and the federal Capilano Fish Hatchery.  All of these places are accessible by public transportation.  However, if you are a large family group it might make more sense to share a car. Horseshoe Bay is best known as the ferry terminal for central island destinations like Tofino, but is also a cute village in itself with nice restaurants and boating opportunities.

 A second north shore option is a day trip to Bowen Island. Drive or bus to Horseshoe Bay and walk on to the ferry to Snug Cove for a quiet walk through the little village and the trails of Crippen Regional Park, including a visit to the Terminal Creek Hatchery. Enjoy stunning views back across Howe Sound or perhaps book a kayaking trip.

The north shore is also a very popular destination for outdoor pursuits. Hiking, mountain biking and, in winter, skiing are all possible right on the edge of the city. Winter snow sports are available at Cypress, Grouse and Seymour mountains. These parks also provide summer hiking trails. Other popular hiking destinations include Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver and Lynn Headwaters Regional Park and Deep Cove in North Vancouver. Deep Cove is also a popular kayaking destination.

South of Downtown

Attractions to the south of downtown include the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, Queen Elizabeth II Park (with or without optional entry to Bloedel Floral Conservatory ), and VanDusen Botanical Garden .  All of these places are accessible by public transportation.  If you have a car, however, you might consider concluding the day with a drive along English Bay. If you like to shop, you will love strolling along 10th Avenue through Kitsilano/Point Grey or 41st Avenue in Kerrisdale.

A bit further south is the City of Richmond, south of the airport. Steveston is a charming fishing village in south Richmond at the mouth of the Fraser River. The village is cute, and the docks are active with commercial fishers. Steveston is also home to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site. This museum is well done and interesting - plan on a couple of hours. Steveston is a good destination if you have some time to kill before going to the airport.

Even further south is the City of White Rock, and the neighbouring community of Crescent Beach (part of the City of Surrey). If the rain is getting to you, try White Rock, if it's sunny anywhere, then it's sunny there! The beach is stunning, and there are lots of cute little shops along the front. Near Crescent Beach is the Historic Stewart Farmhouse (see the Surrey link for info). There are plenty of beach front trails and places to fly kites or enjoy the sun. A great day out.

East of the City

Many of the best destinations immediately east of Vancouver require a car. While public transit is possible, it can be a lengthy journey where you spend as much time on the bus as at the attraction.

The most noteworthy attraction is the birthplace of British Columbia in the Village of Fort Langley (within the Township of Langley) and the Fort Langley National Historic Site. The village is home to many historical buildings, cute shops, riverfront scenery and the Langley Centennial Museum. Walkers or cyclists will enjoy the 5 km Fort-to-Fort Trail along the river to Derby Reach Regional Park. Currently, from Fort Langley, you can take a free car ferry across the river to Maple Ridge, but this will be replaced with a massive toll bridge in 2009, so ride the Albion Ferry while you still can! Another charming option for getting to Fort Langley is to ride Skytrain from downtown to New Westminster and pick up the M.V. Native Paddlewheeler for a narrated cruise along the Fraser River to the Village of Fort Langley.

On the north side of the river, the history and scenery continues in Maple Ridge. Stops of note include Cliff Falls in Kanaka Creek Regional Park, the Maple Ridge Museum, Golden Ears Provincial Park, and, just east in Mission, the Power Station at Stave Falls.

You can make a good day of a trip to the Deer Lake area in Burnaby. This is close enough to the downtown core to be accessible by transit, and there are several good attractions all in the one location. Burnaby Village Museum is very well done and worth a couple of hours touring the heritage buildings, and make sure to take a ride on the fully restored heritage carousel. Nearby is the Burnaby Art Gallery and the trails of Deer Lake park itself. At the east end of the lake is a popular swimming beach where you can find boat rentals.

Day trip to Victoria 

It would be more ideal to visit Victoria on Vancouver Island overnight.  Provided you are willing to make a long day of it, however, it is possible to visit Victoria on a day trip basis.  The highest priorities for most people are to visit Butchart Gardens and then stroll around the Inner Harbour, where the Fairmont Empress Hotel , the Parliament  Buildings and the Royal BC Museum are located.

If you use the car / ferry combination or the bus / ferry combination, it will take you between 3.5 hours and 4 hours to get from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria.  Using the same method for the return journey means that between 7 hours and 8 hours of your day will be taken up by travel alone.  Mind you, that is not wasted time, because the ferry crossing through the Southern Gulf Islands is pretty.  Still, it does make for a long day. You need to be willing to make an early start and / or get back to your hotel rather late.  

If you can afford the air fare, you can speed up your travel by taking the 35-minute floatplane flight from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour.  A nice compromise is to go by floatplane in one direction and bus / ferry in the other direction.  

Day trip to Whistler

The drive along Howe Sound to Squamish and then inland through the mountains to Whistler along the Sea to Sky Highway (Hwy #99) is very beautiful.  The mountain resort town of Whistler is two hours' drive from Vancouver.  Although Whistler is a vacation destination in its own right, it also is possible to visit it as a day trip from Vancouver.  Two worthwhile stops along the way are Shannon Falls just before Squamish and Brandywine Falls just before Whistler.  You can reach Whistler by car, scheduled bus, train, guided coach tour and helicopter.      

Other websites 

Tourism Vancouver has put together a collection of themed itineraries, such as First Nations Culture and Adventures, West Cost Wellness, Seat to Sky Adventure, Adventures in Nature, A West Cost Culinary Experience, and many others.

Vancouver residents, David and Bill, have created a non-commercial website called Walk Vancouver .  It provides suggested walking itineraries in downtown Vancouver and further afield in the Greater Vancouver Area.  The authors provide descriptions, photos and maps of their suggested walking routes.

The Find Family Fun website has been created by a real-life Vancouver family with three children.  Although they focus on attractions that appeal to the young and young-at-heart, it actually is a great website for people of all ages.  You can sort their recommended attractions by various criteria (price range, geographic location, etc.).

Beyond Vancouver

If your trip to Vancouver also is going to incorporate the Canadian Rockies, you may be interested in checking out some coast and mountain itineraries.