Vancouver

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What Vancouver is:

1. A full City/Metropolis that invites nature into its life
2. A jumping off point for great hiking and camping
3. Full of vegan restaurant gems

What Vancouver is not:

1. Warm and dry
2. Lacking in activities
3. Pretentious

Emily and I visited Vancouver in 2018 and 2019. Originally Emily surprised me with a trip for my birthday in September 2018. Literally, she told me to pack a bag with three days of clothes and meet me at her work, and only then told me we were going to Vancouver! We had always heard it was very Seattle-like, and we love Seattle, so we were really excited for the trip! On that trip Emily bought us tickets for the Gondola to Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge. We didn’t have time to do both while we were there in 2018, so we went back in 2019 after our honeymoon.

We had a blast both times in Vancouver, we loved the city, the surrounding nature, and the world class Stanley Park (a must-do if you only have one day in Vancouver!). Both trips were deals we found on Scott’s Cheap Flights, with one roundtrip ticket priced in the low $200s from SFO to YVR. YESSSS!

Even though this was an international flight (Hello Canada!) we didn’t really prepare ahead of time. We didn’t worry about currency exchanges, language differences (they do speak a bit of French), or travel warnings. We just picked up and left – and it worked out. Since Vancouver is right over the U.S. border from Seattle, it’s an area that is pretty setup to welcome U.S. visitors with few issues.

We’ll get into the details of our trip below, including transit, lodging, our favorite activities, restaurants, and bars – but first… we’ve been to Vancouver twice now…and would we go back a third time? Absolutely, yes, we wish we could live in Vancouver. It’s our kind of city…cold, moody weather, it emphasizes nature and recreation, and it has great food and beer. When we go back though, we would probably focus on using the city as a jumping off point for a wilderness/camping adventure.

Vancouver

It’s weird, we can’t really tell if Vancouver is smaller or larger than San Francisco. It has a huge skyline, but somehow doesn’t seem overwhelmingly populous…and yet it has a ton of restaurants and bars. It’s also spread out and some of the surrounding cities have pretty large skylines as well. Vancouver seems like it is separated into two distinct areas, the City (downtown) and North Vancouver (more nature-like suburbs). The city has breweries, a collection of great vegan restaurants, and access to Stanley Park (don’t leave Vancouver without biking around it!). North Vancouver is connected to the city by bus or ferry and has Grouse Mountain and two great suspension bridges (Capilano and Lynn Canyon). Both areas are worth exploring.

Transit

Vancouver is mainly a bus city, although it does have the Canada Line (a subway that goes from the airport to the city). Getting around to main downtown stops is possible along the Canada Line, but if you want to really explore the city you’ll be hopping on the bus, which can also connect you to North Vancouver.

Unfortunately, Vancouver transit is divided into zones, which is super annoying…but if you just buy the day pass you won’t have to worry about it. However, take note that the day pass is not good for “24 hours” it’s good until “12am”. We did NOT know that on our first trip to Vancouver and ended up buying the day pass at 10pm, which meant we totally overpaid to get to our Airbnb. On our second trip we got it right– don’t make the same mistake we did the first time around.

Buses to North Vancouver run sort of infrequently (every 30-ish mins), but other buses in the city run at 15 minute intervals.

NOTE: Day Passes are only sold at select locations like SeaBus, SkyTrain, and certain Drug stores. We were able to buy one on the bus at one point, but needed exact change. Plan out where you will buy your day passes.

Lodging

We stayed at two different locations for each Vancouver trip.

1. The first trip we spent at an Airbnb in North Vancouver since it’s closer to Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain. The host was really kind and offered lots of great tips about Vancouver. It was nice to spend this trip in the very chill North Vancouver and walk around the suburbs to see how folks live there.
2. The second trip we spent at the Moda Hotel in downtown Vancouver. It was a fantastic central location to explore, and there were a lot of great coffee shops nearby. It was also priced much more reasonably compared to other downtown hotels and the accommodations were clean. I will note that it’s on a busy street with lots of bars and clubs, we didn’t have any problems with noise, but if you have a room facing Seymour street it might be a different experience. The check-in desk is also right next to a night club, so you’ll want to avoid a room on that side of the hotel as well.

Food/Drinks

There are a surprising amount of DELICIOUS vegan spots in Vancouver, including the best vegan pizza we’ve had, and probably the best vegan breakfast we’ve had. There’s also no shortage of breweries in both North Vancouver (Black Kettle and the super-convenient Green Leaf) and downtown (too many to name). We’ll list some great options below.

FOOD/DRINKS

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1. Cartem’s Donuts – Multiple vegan options, like…6 or more! WOW! This trendy donut shop is a vegan’s dream, check out the Earl Grey, Vanilla Bean, and Salted Carmel – YUM!
2. Virtuous Pie – Vegan pizza? Ice cream? Garlic Knots? YES, sign me up! While somewhat expensive, these vegans pies were some of the best we have ever had. They offer tons of creative options (as we write they offer 11 vastly different pizza options) and it’s great to see Chinatown and stop here for a bite. Just don’t forget to add the garlic knots, they’re soooo worth it.
3. Chickpea Restaurant – Within reasonable walking distance of Queen Elizabeth Park and the stunning VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Chickpea Restaurant is perfectly setup to be your breakfast spot before you spend the better part of a day walking through some stunning parks. They had awesome beer on tap, great coffee, friendly service, and the best vegan breakfast we have ever had! They even had a vegan take on eggs benedict – Emily’s favorite! Check out the menu and go for breakfast– we guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
4. Green Leaf Brewing – If you end up taking the Seabus to North Vancouver, this brewing is conveniently located right next to the terminal in North Vancouver. They have lots of options and the beer is decent, but the main attraction is the patio, you can sip your brew with an amazing view of downtown Vancouver.
5. Black Kettle Brewing – If you take the Seabus to North Vancouver there’s a fun little trail from the terminal along the waterfront called the Spirit Trail. Take the trail 0.8 miles and you’ll end up at a little garage called Black Kettle Brewing. It has a great, local, laid-back vibe and folks are really friendly. It was clearly started by a couple of folks that just love beer. Hangout and tip well– the beer is really good!
6. Luppolo Brewing – Cool little spot to grab a beer, and they have LOTS of good ones. Their stuff was quality and it’s within a few blocks of a lot of other breweries including Strathcona, Superflux, East Van, and Strange Fellows, to name a few.
7. Strange Fellows Brewing – This brewery is located down a desolate street, but the bus lets off pretty close to the brewery. When we walked in, there was a hoedown going on, there’s no other way to describe it. There was a folk band with a fiddle and a ton of folks going wild on the dance floor. It was packed, but we were able to find a standing bar on the side and enjoy their delicious beer. Their beer is top notch and they have something for every one, including a delicious sour or two!
8. Granville Brewing – If you’re familiar with San Francisco, going to Granville Brewing is like going to Anchor Brewing. It’s a big, corporate brewery that’s still kind of fun to visit. Granville Island is a fun little public market worth visiting, a lot like Fisherman’s Wharf (SF) and Pike’s Place (Seattle), while you’re there stop at the huge and ever busy Granville Brewing.

Activities

Like any city, Vancouver has a lot of fun nooks and crannies to explore, and while we loved both the urban and natural areas of Vancouver, the nature is where it really shines. From suspension bridges to mountain trams to botanical gardens, urban parks with views, and a one-of-a-kind, bike-able island park (Stanley Park), Vancouver has natural riches.

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1. Stanley Park – This is a must-do if you visit Vancouver, this was our favorite activity by far. Rent a bike via one of the many rental shops near the park and spend a good 4 hours leisurely riding the 8-9 miles around the park and drinking in the City/ocean/bay views. Don’t forget to visit the totem poles, take a photo of the “Girl in a Wetsuit” sculpture, and if you get a chance to stop and hike into the center of the park a little bit, do it!
2. Capilano Suspension Bridge – You haven’t visited Vancouver until you see one of the area’s suspension bridges. Capilano is a tourist favorite that’s located accessible via a 30 minute bus ride from downtown Vancouver. The nauture in the area is beautiful, but be ready for crowds. They have a fun scavenger hunt activity that gets you a certificate (yes, it’s fun for adults too!), and a totally under-rated cliff walk– Do the cliff walk!
3. Grouse Mountain – Located a little North of Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain includes a tram to the top of the mountain where there is a cafe, a series of paved and unpaved trails, a touristy yet fun lumberjack show, guided tours, and bears! Weather on the mountain can be much colder than the city so make sure you dress accordingly.
4. Granville Island Public Market – Like we mentioned in the food section, Granville Island is a fun little tourist destination with beautiful views looking back at the city. Wander around the shops to see what Vancouver trinkets you can find, explore the soap shop, and sip a cup of coffee enjoying the waterfront and views.
5. Queen Elizabeth Park – It’s amazing you can visit this park for free and the center of the park is incredibly well-kept– like a botanical garden. The top of the park actually does contain a fee-based green-house that’s in the shape of a giant sphere, but even if you don’t want to go inside (we didn’t) it’s still a great spot to walk to see a view of downtown.
6. Van Dusen Botanical Garden – This is one of the best botanical gardens we have ever visited, rivaling Botanisk Hage from our Norway trip. It’s well worth the $7-$8 it costs to get in and you could easily spend 4 hours walking through the grounds examining sculptures, gardens, and checking out the hedge maze! Bring coffee to enjoy as you walk around the garden.
7. Gastown Steam Clock – This seems to be on everyone’s list of things to do in Vancouver but….it’s just a little steamclock. We got a few gorgeous photos of it at night, but when it belches steam don’t expect to be blown away by its grandeur. (Emily loved the clock though).
8. Gordon Southam Observatory – Well off the beaten path and hard to get to via public transit from downtown Vancouver, this observatory is pretty rad. If it’s a clear night you can get an amazing view of the astrological event that is happening in the sky that night. We saw a few planets through the telescope and the wait wasn’t long. It’s also free! Bonus: Visit the neighboring Museum of Vancouver and enjoy the IMAX theatre.

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