Blogger Paula on Vancouver Seawall

Best 3 Day Itinerary to Vancouver, Canada

Three day itinerary to Vancouver covering all the most famous attractions and all the things you should do while you are there.

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Vancouver is a mid-sized city in Canada right by the border of the United States. It is in British Columbia which is one of the Canadian provinces.

The city is located on the coast of the English Bay, so water is a very important element in Vancouver. You will see big cruise boats, water jets and water taxis in the city.

Vancouver has about 600,000 residents and about 9 million tourists visit the city every year.

We stayed in Vancouver for three whole days and we had a great time exploring the city. It was very easy to get around and people were very friendly there. We also felt very safe there even after dark. No wonder it is said to be the best city to live in in Canada.

How many days do you need in Vancouver

Three days is definitely enough to see all the most famous attractions of Vancouver. Most things are downtown and you can just walk to see them. There is also very good public transportation in Vancouver.

If you want to expand your visit to Squamish or Whistler then I would I add more days to the trip. There are also some great hiking trails and parks in Vancouver, so if you want to explore those, then more time might be needed.

What to do in Vancouver in three days

We arrived to Vancouver in the evening, so we pretty much went to get some dinner and then went back to our hotel to plan the next day. Our hotel was conveniently located in downtown so it was easy to walk to most places from there.

We planned our visit according to the weather. Because the forecast kept changing, we were not able to book many things beforehand. Luckily every place seemed to have availability unlike what we are used to in many places in the United States.

Day 1: Granville Island and Olympic Village

Start your day with a delicious breakfast in one of the local restaurants. We ate at Brunch Vancouver which was close to our hotel and we really liked it.

Then head over to one of the Aquabus docks and hop on a boat to Granville Island. You can purchase a ticket for an individual ride on board, or you can get a whole day pass like we did.

An Aquabus leaving from a dock in Vancouver

In spite of its name Granville Island is not an actual island but part of a peninsula. However when coming from the downtown area you will need to either take a boat or the bridge to get there.

Granville Island is known for its public market, shops and art galleries. It’s a perfect place to have lunch (either in one of its restaurants or something from the public market) and do some shopping.

Granville Island Public Market building in Vancouver

Don’t forget to try out some of the Lee’s Donuts! There is most likely a line to get some, but it’s well worth the wait. They were the best donuts I have ever had… and I’ve had plenty!

Next to the public market is an Ocean Concrete Plant and their 70 foot (21m) tall painted silos. They were painted for the Vancouver Biennial as giants. You can see them from the Aquabus if you head to any of the other stops or you can just walk over to the plant while you are in Granville Island.

A delicious donut in Vancouver
The giants; painted silos at a concrete plant in Granville Island in Vancouver

After visiting Granville Island you can take the Aquabus to some of its other docks. For example, We stopped at Olympic Village which was built to accommodate the athletes and officials at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. It is said to be the greenest development in the world as all the buildings have solar heating and their rooves are planted with greenery.

Olympic Village has some nice restaurants and cafes, and you can stroll along the Seawall. The seawall is a 17 mile (28 kilometers) long waterfront pathway that surrounds the whole city. Southeast False Creek Olympic Plaza has Myfanwy MacLeod’s art installations “The birds”.

Blogger Paula in front of a bird installation in Olympic Village in Vancouver

From Olympic Village you can either walk or take the Aquabus to Charleson Park to see the best scenic views in all of Vancouver.

Vancouver highrises and boats in Canada

After touring around the False Creek we went back to our hotel and then returned again for the sunset. Riding the Aquabus at night is a totally different experience than during the day as you will see all the city lights.

We also returned to Granville Island for dinner. If you like seafood then I would highly recommend The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant. Just don’t forget to make a reservation since they seemed to be very popular.

Also, I want to mention that all the shops at Granville Island were closed in the evening unfortunately.

Day 2: Capilano Suspension Bridge, Canada Place and Gastown

On the second day we had breakfast at the hotel and then headed out to famous Capilano Suspension Bridge.

It was definitely one the best things we did in Vancouver and we enjoyed it so much that we spent almost four hours there. I recommend reserving at least three hours for this visit including transportation time.

Capilano Suspension Bridge is a 460 foot (140 m) long bridge that takes you over the Capilano River. It was built in 1956. Alongside the original suspension bridge they also have multiple smaller bridges criss-crossing the forest going from one tree top to another.

You can then walk around in the rainforest and see different kinds of plants, birds and banana slugs. There is also an area to see totem poles made by First nations and a Cliffwalk.

Blogger Paula in a bridge at Capilano Suspension Bridge

After getting back from Capilano you will still have plenty of time to explore the downtown area. We did a quick stop at the hotel and then walked to Canada Place.

There you can see all the big cruise ships visiting the city and sea planes taking off. Just watching the planes alone is pretty fun, but if you are interested, you can book a flight with them on top of Vancouver or to go visit Victoria Island.

Seaplanes taking of in Vancouver

In front of the Vancouver Convention Centre on the Jack Poole Plaza you will find Olympics cauldron which was installed for the 2010 Olympic Games. And even though there is no flame anymore, it is a big part of Vancouver’s history.

The cauldron is only be lit on special holidays and during the Olympic Games.

Olympics cauldron in Vancouver

If you walk on the other side of the convention centre, you will find an art piece by Douglas Coupland called Digital Orca. It was installed there in 2009 and it is made out of cubes in order to make an optical illusion.

Digital Orca in Vancouver

Canada Place is very close to Gastown, a neighbourhood of Vancouver that everyone visiting there should see. We walked over there and after seeing the famous Gastown’s steam powered clock we sat down for dinner in one of the area’s nice restaurants.

Every half hour the Gastown Steam Clock whistles and lets out some steam. People gather around the clock to wait for it to happen. The clock was originally installed in 1977 to cover a steam grate on the ground that was attracting homeless people with its warmth.

Gastown is especially nice in the evening time when all their vintage gas lamps are lit. They look a lot like the ones in the Gaslamp District in San Diego. We loved strolling around in Gastown, visiting souvenir shops and seeing all the old buildings.

Gastown Steam Clock in Vancouver
Old vintage gas lamp in Gastown of Vancouver

Day 3: Stanley Park and Chinatown

You can’t leave Vancouver without seeing Stanley Park! It is what Golden Gate Park is to San Francisco or Central Park is to New York. The park is located in the West End.

Stanley park is pretty big and there is a lot to see. It is surrounded by a fjord called Burrard Inlet and the English Bay. Along the shoreline is a long walking and biking trail about 6.2 miles (10 km) which is part of the Seawall going around the whole of Vancouver.

During the summer people come to Stanley Park to spend time at the beach. Now it was too cold to swim, so most people were there for a walk, jog or bike ride. We also rented bicycles and it was definitely the easiest way to see the park.

Some of the things you should check out are the totem poles, Siwash RockBrockton Point Lighthouse and the Lions Gate Bridge.

Totem poles in Stanley Park in Vancouver

We brought some sandwiches with us and sat in the park and had lunch, but they do also have a few cafes there where you can eat.

After returning our bikes, we had a coffee at Breka Bakery & Cafe. They had the most amazing selection of cakes and pastries.

We enjoyed the rest of the day just walking around the downtown and shopping. There is some very interesting architecture in Vancouver and a lot of beautiful murals.

Some of the local goodies to take home with you are of course the maple syrup and some delicious maple cookies. Also the candied salmon is a popular souvenir. I took home some ketchup flavored chips to surprise our kids as we don’t have them back home in California. They tasted a lot like french fries.

A tall building with interesting architecture in Vancouver
Hotel Europa building in Gastown, Vancouver
A mural in Vancouver

While walking around in Vancouver make sure to also visit Chinatown. It covers an area eight blocks from Taylor Street to Gore and five blocks from Pender Street to Union.

Vancouver’s Chinatown was formed when a large number of Chinese people immigrated to the area in the late 19th century and then again later when they came to work on the railroad. So many of them were from Hong Kong that it also got the nickname ”Hongcouver”.

Chinatown has many Chinese buildings, shops and a very nice Chinese garden. If you like Chinese food then you should consider having dinner in Chinatown. It is also very close to Gastown. On Pender Street you will find the gate to Chinatown; Millenium Gate.

We love exploring different Chinatowns as we have the biggest Chinatown outside of Asia in our hometown of San Francisco. San Francisco has a renowned Chinese New Year Parade and also a fortune cookie factory.

Millenium Gate at Vancouver Chinatown

Where to Stay in Vancouver

The best place to stay in Vancouver is absolutely the downtown area because you will be able to walk to most of the things listed here. Hotels in Vancouver are expensive, but at least then you will not need a car.

We stayed in the Century Plaza Hotel which turned out to be in a great location. Our room had a little kitchenette so some of the breakfasts we just cooked ourselves. Also, if you get a room from the upper floors you will have a wonderful view of the city.

I recommend getting a hotel either Downtown or the West End.

Best time of the year to visit Vancouver

The weather plays a critical role for tourism in Canada and that goes for Vancouver too. Vancouver is great all round the year; you just have to pick the season suitable for you.

The most popular time to visit Vancouver is in the summer months. The weather then is nice and there are a lot of events going on. The downside is that the prices often go up for the summer season.

If you are there just to visit the city then the spring and fall months are also great. The weather then is not too cold but not too hot either. You might get some rain though. November is the rainiest month in Vancouver. Prices from March through May and from September to November are more reasonable.

Winter is great for those who like winter sports. You can keep Vancouver as your base as there are many places to go with snow close by. Vancouver itself doesn’t usually get a lot of snow but the temperatures will be cooler.

Try out some Canadian specialities

There are some things you should try out while in Vancouver: I have already mentioned the candied salmon, maple cookies and donuts, but since it is a coastal city, there are a lot of great seafood restaurants around.

Another thing to try out if you haven’t yet, is the Canadian dish Poutine. Its origin is uncertain, but it is mostly eaten in Quebec. However, you can find it in many of Vancouver’s restaurants.

Poutine is basically just fries, cheese curd and gravy. That might not sound the most appealing, but we really liked it. It was delicious! I took some beef on mine and it was a great choice.

We got a hint from some locals that the best poutine in Vancouver is in Granville Kebab & Poutine and I don’t think they were wrong!

Delicious beef Poutine in Vancouver

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Vancouver was the perfect place for a shorter vacation. Three days seemed to be enough to see all the most important things the city had to offer.

If you are staying longer you might want to visit places like Whistler or Squamish close by but this time we only stayed in Vancouver. You can also do a cruise to Victoria which is the capital of British Columbia.

We had a great time in Vancouver and hopefully can return there again someday!

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