Vancouver, British Columbia — Where to Go
Vancouver Sightseeing Overview
The Lower Mainland was originally home to various First Nations peoples (belonging to the Coast Salish linguistic group) when George Vancouver explored the area in 1792. In the 1820s, European settlers set up a fur and salmon trading post at Fort Langley, east of present-day Vancouver.
Gold rushes in 1858 bolstered the local population; the town itself grew around a saw mill and the transcontinental railway terminus. The city was known as Granville for a while but, in 1886, it was renamed Vancouver.
Downtown Vancouver is a compact area full of activity, day and night. Robson Square is a focal point, with a series of landscaped terraces, a congress center and the Vancouver Art Gallery. To the west lie the shops and restaurants of Robson Street, while to the southeast are the renovated warehouses of Yaletown, Vancouver's ‘Soho', with its trendy shops, galleries, bars and restaurants.
You can take in an incredible view of the mountains to the north of the city from Canada Place, which houses the convention center and whose striking sail-like roof echoes its role as a cruise ship terminal. East of here lies Gastown (the reconstructed old center of Vancouver) and the largest Chinatown in Canada where you can find a variety of ethnic eating places.
Beyond that, Commercial Drive offers a more alternative scene, interspersed with older Italian cafés, while South Main (or SoMa) is the latest hot neighborhood, packed with art galleries and vintage stores.
Separating Downtown from Stanley Park is the West End, whose green and tranquil streets belie the fact that it has one of the highest population densities in North America. Davie and Denman Streets typify the lifestyle, with shops and cafés and a fantastic sunset view over English Bay where they meet.
False Creek and Granville Island separate Downtown from the rest of Vancouver to the south. The University of British Columbia is much further to the west, beyond the now-gentrified, former hippy district of Kitsilano.
On the North Shore, the mountains dominate the skyline. Beyond the highly sought-after homes of the lower slopes, there are numerous hiking and skiing trails.
Vancouver Tourist Information
Tourism Vancouver Visitor Center
Plaza Level, 200 Burrard Street
Tel: (604) 683 2000.
Website: www.tourismvancouver.com
Opening hours: Daily 0830-1800.
Tourism Vancouver Satellite Visitor Center
Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza, Robson Street
Opening hours vary according to season.
Tourism BC (tel: 1 800 435 5622; www.hellobc.com) operates tourist information centers in both terminals at the airport as well as at the Peace Arch border crossing (Highway 99). They can provide information on travel throughout the province.
Vancouver Sightseeing
The See Vancouver & Beyond Smartvisit Card (www.seevancouvercard.com) allows free entry to over 50 attractions in Vancouver, Victoria and the surrounding area. You can buy passes for two, three or five consecutive days, but do need to visit at least two attractions each day to make it worthwhile. Alternatively, you can purchase discounted attraction tickets in advance at the Visitor Center.
Vancouver Sightseeing
The See Vancouver & Beyond Smartvisit Card (www.seevancouvercard.com) allows free entry to over 50 attractions in Vancouver, Victoria and the surrounding area. You can buy passes for two, three or five consecutive days, but do need to visit at least two attractions each day to make it worthwhile. Alternatively, you can purchase discounted attraction tickets in advance at the Visitor Center.
Key Attractions in Vancouver, British Columbia
Capilano Suspension Bridge
High over the canyon to the west of Grouse Mountain is the Capilano Suspension Bridge, one of the world's longest (and highest) suspended footbridges at 140m (450ft) long, which offers a stomach-churning view into the gorge, some 70m (230ft) below. On-site attractions include Treetops Adventure (an elevated walk in the rainforest), a totem pole park, a native carving center and nature trails. Less touristy yet still impressive (and free of charge) is the suspension bridge between the Ecology Center and network of trails in Lynn Canyon Park (www.dnv.org/ecology).
3735 Capilano Road, North Vancouver
Tel: (604) 985 7474.
Website: www.capbridge.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (Jan-Feb, Oct-Nov); daily 0900-1800 (Mar-Apr, Sep); daily 0900-1900 (May, Sep weekends); daily 0830-2000 (Jun-Aug); daily 1000-2100 (Dec).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: N.
Chinatown and Dr Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden
Vancouver's large Chinatown district, Canada's biggest, centers on Pender Street and Main Street, and offers a kaleidoscope of colors and rich scents. A wide range of restaurants is the focus for morning dim sum and more elaborate evening meals. The night market (weekend nights from mid-May to mid-September) is especially worth a visit. Chinese Canadians are just as likely to shop in the southern suburb of Richmond however, where there are a number of malls comprising mostly Asian shops. At the western edge of Chinatown, the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden was the first full-sized, classical Chinese garden to be built outside of China and offers an oasis from the gritty urbanity that surrounds it.
Website: www.vancouverchinatown.ca
Dr Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden
578 Carrall Street
Tel: (604) 662 3207.
Website: www.vancouverchinesegarden.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (May-mid-Jun, Sep); daily 0930-1900 (mid-Jun-Aug); daily 1000-1630 (Oct); Tues-Sun 1000-1630 (Nov-Apr).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Gastown District
The reconstructed old center of Vancouver is a pleasant array of cobblestone streets, cafés and shops. It is named after Gassy Jack, a voluble saloon owner who offered the local mill-workers all the whisky they could drink if they helped construct his saloon - he was open for business the next day. Gastown is also the site of the unique Steam Clock, driven by steam from the system used to heat Downtown's office buildings. Though based on 19th-century design, the world's first steam clock was actually built in 1975. Gastown is one of the best spots in which to find souvenirs such as Inuit art and works by native Pacific Northwest artists.
Website: www.gastown.org
Granville Island
This regenerated former industrial district is home to a lively mix of entertainment and eating spots, shops and a large public market. Visitors can watch artists, potters, weavers and glassblowers as they work (www.granvilleislandartists.com) and there are often concerts and outdoor events during the summer months. Visitors with children will appreciate the Kids' Market and water park (summer only). The best way to get to Granville Island is an experience in itself - on one of the tiny ferryboats that connect various points along False Creek.
Website: www.granvilleisland.com
Grouse Mountain
Just 20 minutes to the north of the city and clearly visible from almost anywhere in downtown Vancouver, Grouse Mountain beckons the visitor. You can ski here in winter, and hike, mountain bike, speed along ziplines or paraglide in summer. The Skyride gondola offers a dramatic approach to Grouse Mountain, making the 1,100m (3,700ft) ascent every 15 minutes. Rugged individuals usually do the ‘Grouse Grind' (a steep one-and-a-half-hour hike up) instead. At the top, trails branch out, with impressive views of the city, ocean and mountains. The Peak Chair travels right up to the 1,250m (4,100ft) summit with its 360-degree panoramic view.
Grouse Mountain Skyride & Ski Resort, North Vancouver
Tel: (604) 980 9311 or 986 6262 (snow line).
Website: www.grousemountain.com
Opening hours: Daily 0845-2200 (Skyride); daily 0900-2200 (ski and snowboard trails, Nov-Apr).
Admission charge: Y (Skyride).
Disabled access: Y.
Museum of Anthropology
The Museum of Anthropology on the UBC campus is a striking building designed by Arthur Erickson for the purpose of displaying a comprehensive collection of British Columbia's First Nations heritage. The simple concrete forms allow the star attraction, totem poles, to stand out against the view of the ocean visible through the expanse of glass walls. The museum has recently undergone a massive renewal project creating a new research center and redesigned visible storage galleries.
6393 Northwest Marine Drive
Tel: (604) 822 5932/3825.
Website: www.moa.ubc.ca
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700, Tues 1000-2100 (mid-May-mid-Oct); Tues-Sun 1000-1700, Tues 1000-2100 (mid-Oct-mid-May).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Museum of Vancouver
The rebranded Museum of Vancouver or MOV (formerly Vancouver Museum) houses an eclectic collection of over 100,000 artifacts relating to the city, from an early 20th-century wooden duck spear to a 1950s hotel neon sign or the 1986 Expo mascot. Permanent exhibitions include: The Gateway to the Pacific, which charts Vancouver's history in the early 1900s as waves of immigrants arrived from Asia; Boom, Bust and War, which guides visitors through the late 1920s, Depression and WWII; the 1950s Gallery; and You Say You Want a Revolution, which looks at Vancouver's 1960s hippy roots.
1100 Chestnut Street, Vanier Park
Tel: (604) 736 4431.
Website: www.museumofvancouver.ca
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700, Thurs 1000-2000 (Sep-Jun); daily 1000-1700, Thurs 1000-2000 (Jul-Aug).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Science World
The distinctive silver geodesic dome at the end of False Creek houses Science World - an interactive museum with a special appeal for children. However, the high quality of the exhibits, temporary exhibitions and fascinating demonstrations of science should keep audiences of all ages rapt. It is also the site of Vancouver's OMNIMAX cinema, with its enormous dome screen.
1455 Quebec Street
Tel: (604) 443 7443.
Website: www.scienceworld.ca
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Stanley Park and Vancouver Aquarium
The 9km (5.5-mile) seawall that circles Stanley Park provides incredible ocean views for strollers, joggers, cyclists and in-line skaters. A network of trails crisscrosses the 400 hectares (1,000 acres) of rainforest and parkland, connecting the seawall and beaches with an open-air swimming pool, restaurants, a totem pole park and the Vancouver Aquarium. The aquarium is home to West Coast marine life, as well as creatures from warmer waters. Highlights include the beluga viewing gallery, daily whale and dolphin shows, the feeding of the sea otters and the 4D multi-sensory cinematic experience.
Vancouver Aquarium
Tel: (604) 659 3474.
Website: www.vanaqua.org
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1900 (late Jun-early Sep); daily 0930-1700 (early Sep-late Jun).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Vancouver Art Gallery
Housed in the former provincial courthouse, the gallery's permanent collection includes a substantial number of paintings by Emily Carr, whose naturalistic style echoes that of the Group of Seven (the name given to a group of early 20th-century painters whose work highlighted Canada's beauty). The permanent collection also includes works by Canadian and international artists and is supplemented by a variety of touring exhibitions.
750 Hornby Street
Tel: (604) 662 4719.
Website: www.vanartgallery.bc.ca
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (until 2100 Tues).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Further Distractions
Roedde House Museum
Located in Barclay Heritage Square, a group of nine renovated houses in Vancouver's West End, Roedde House offers a fascinating insight into middle-class life at the turn of the 20th century. The late Victorian home was built for German immigrant Gustav Roedde (the city's first bookbinder), his wife Matilda and their children. The rooms have been thoughtfully restored with period furnishings and many of the family's own belongings.
1415 Barclay Street
Tel: (604) 684 7040.
Website: www.roeddehouse.org
Opening hours: Tues-Fri noon-1600, Sun 1400-1600 (tea and tour).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: N.
VanDusen Botanical Garden
The VanDusen Botanical Garden is home to a variety of beautiful and exotic plants. The main attraction for many visitors, however, is the Elizabethan hedge maze, one of only six in North America. The best time for tourists to visit the gardens is during the month of December, when the grounds are lit by thousands of Christmas lights. Plans are afoot for a renovated and enlarged visitor center and new Garden Pavilion, but this is still dependent on funding.
5251 Oak Street
Tel: (604) 878 9274.
Website: www.vandusengarden.org
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1600 (Nov-Feb); 1000-1700 (Mar, Oct); 1000-1800 (Apr); 1000-2000 (May); 1000-2100 (Jun-Aug); 1000-1900 (Sep).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
