Someone the other day asked me for a Vancouver City Guide for an upcoming trip and I lost their message so I am putting the info here for everyone. I love a city guide and obsessively search for them when I am travelling to a new city. but the thought of making one for my own city feels very daunting. I’ve lived here my whole life, born in Kitsilano, then the suburbs for my childhood and then various Vancouver-proper neighbourhoods since the age of 22. My relationship with this city has changed so much over the years. Sometimes I love it, sometimes it drives me crazy. I know too much… what was once great that is now gone, all the things it could be… But I will put all that aside and pretend I am visiting for a few days or week and share some of our favourite spots. We choose to live here and it is full of natural beauty and creativity.

Like many major city, each neighborhood has their best spots and you could spend a week in each. Here is a short list of favourites.

Small Kid Favourites:

Science World
Vancouver Aquarium
Douglas Park
Rainbow Park with coffee from Kafka’s
Collage Collage

Activities for Everyone:

Beaches (Kits Beach, Jericho, Spanish Banks)

Granville Island - Kids Only Market, Lee’s Donuts, Arcade on the top floor of Kids Only Market, JJ Bean Coffee, Chau Veg for lunch or Fish and Chips from Go Fish (beware of the seagull’s!).

Kits Pool - and Batch after for cocktails and a view (summer months only) or any of our outdoor public pools. There are only a few but they are great.

Seawall - really any part of the seawall is lovely for walking, running or biking. The Stanley Park side is the most scenic. Might even see an orca under the lions gate bridge!

Aquabus - if I was a tourist I would take the aquabus to get around, such a cute way to get from downtown to other spots along the water

Baby Mae at the VAG during the pandemic. I can’t.

Vancouver Art Gallery - a small gallery that can be done in under an hour. While exhibit specific, I still love to visit any city’s main gallery. The cafe is lovely too.

4th ave - for shopping and eating. All the shops you would need without a mall. From Aesop and Le Labo to Aritizia, Arcteryx and Lulu. My personal favourites are Gravity Pope, Old Faithful and Melanie Auld. Tractor, Tacofino, Delara or Au Comptoir for lunch.

Main Street - for shopping, wandering, and eating. Personal favourites are Superbabaa, Budgies Burritos (veg/vegan), Liberty Bakery. or Field and Social for salads. Keep an eye out for murals from years of mural fests. Buy a craft kit as Collage Collage for adults and kids alike. Curated thrift shopping at Hey Jude, Gather and Main Exchange. Sunja Link for everything natural beauty, she is the boss of my face whether she knows it or not.

Slice of Life Gallery - a quick stop for vintage photobooth strips $8 each of proper film strips with fun photo accessories

Pacific Spirit Park - lovely in the rain, snow or sun. Old growth forest just a few mins outside the city. Great for running out kids or getting the best fresh air ever. I think they all it forest bathing and it is real.

Design Shops

Old Faithful - Kits and Gastown for perfectly edited scandinavian aesthetic with a west coast point of view

Vancouver Special - all the best european and local brands. They have more stock than on the floor so don’t be afraid to ask.

ItsSumo - Japanese objects for the home

Sort Days - small shop with lovely accessories

Neighbour Objects - perfect shop for small home goods in gastown (also has a stunning sister store for clothing)

Sundays - lovely furniture shop with some of my fave home pieces

Dinner

There is truly sooo much good food in Vancouver, it’s really hard to make any kind of list so will just mention a few we go back to. I am no longer in the scene or the know and that’s ok!

Livia (if there is a special event, go)

June (for a special night)

I argue you should eat ramen (it’s Danbo for me) , dumplings and sushi in Vancouver. Read reviews first but there is so much good food in this city.

Drinks

Trevor would like me to mention our local drink scene, though I know many are obstaining these days.

Superflux
33 acres
Strangefellows
Please (my pick! best margarita in a can)
Brassneck
7 e 7 (wine bar with live music often)

Coffee Shops

I think Vancouver has one of the best coffee scenes. every neighborhood has excellent coffee and this is not a complete list.

Revolver (original and still excellent)
Nemesis (prefer the Great Northern Way location, stay awhile, it’s gorgeous)
JJ Bean (excellent local chain with good sandwiches/wraps)
Viva (my local fave, pastries are insane too)
Nomad (beautiful new space)
Federal Store (my old neighbourhood spot)
Marche St George (used to walk 30 blocks just to go here, a french style cafe in the middle of the neighbourhood. Get a quiche or crepe too!)
Elysian (prefer Quebec + 7th ave, the kindness of these baristas when I had a baby and toddler, I will remember for the rest of my life)
Livia (i’m not on commercial enough but if I was, it would be exclusively here. impeccable food too)

Farther out

If you have a car, visit a mountain or Lighthouse Park is really special. Grouse for the gondola, or the grind if you love punishment. Lynn Valley is a lovely hike, as is Deep cove though crowds get busy on the weekends. Or even a daytrip or overnight trip to Bowen Island!

To Stay

I am a gal who loves a hotel, and most of the hotels in Vancouver are downtown. I hope we will get some more as more people see Vancouver as a travel destination. Downtown is still accessible to many of the neighborhoods mentioned above with still lots of views and beauty and food in the downtown core. Some areas of downtown are safer/cleaner than others. If you are booking a vacation rental I would look in the Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano, Fairview, False Creek. Commercial Drive, and Olympic Village neighbourhoods.

Vancouver City Guide 2026