Vancouver & Whistler Culinary Adventures

Join one of Edible Canada’s chef-led tours to sip and snack around Vancouver’s most intriguing culinary neighbourhoods in the company of a local food pro. Sample barbecue pork buns and jasmine tea, followed by a dim sum lunch, in the markets and eateries of Canada’s biggest Chinatown. Or meet the vendors at the Granville Island Public Market, where dozens of stalls sell everything from artisanal cheese to chocolate, bagels to burritos.

After the tour, stop by Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks, located a short walk from Granville Island, to browse through thousands of popular and rare cookbooks, or take a cooking class in the in-store kitchen and create a tasting menu inspired by select cookbooks.

And don’t miss Barbara-Jo’s neighbours: Les Amis du Fromage, one of Vancouver’s top cheese shops, and the Patisserie Lebeau, makers of luscious Belgian waffles.

Join Lotus Land Tours for a kayaking trip into Indian Arm, a slice of wilderness just 30 minutes from town (the tour's minibus picks up from hotels). Paddle through clear waters and watch for harbour seals, herons, eagles and sea stars, then pull up at an uninhabited island for a salmon barbecue lunch.

Or head to the seaside village of Deep Cove (near North Vancouver) and paddle away with Deep Cove Canoe & Kayak. Come evening, indulge your tastebuds with West Coast cuisine at the village’s Arms Reach Bistro.

Back in Vancouver, take a stroll along the Stanley Park seawall before stopping for a pint at the The Mill Marine Bistro’s seaside patio. Dinner? Try Blue Water Café + Raw Bar in Yaletown for Qualicum Bay scallops and Dungeness crab, or stop at Granville Island’s The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant for a BC Roll, a local sushi speciality made with barbecued salmon and cucumber.

When dining, look for the Ocean Wise symbol on the menu. It’s a programme launched by the Vancouver Aquarium to help restaurants ensure they are serving sustainably caught seafood.

Take the slow route to Whistler with a ride on the Rocky Mountaineer Whistler Sea to Sky Climb — an epic train journey along Howe Sound and into the Coast Mountains. Stroll your day away in Whistler Village, lunching al fresco at a village patio (try the upbeat Caramba! or the organic-leaning Ciao-Thyme Bistro). Want more action? Ride a zipline, hike through a wildflower meadow, or soar like an eagle on the PEAK 2 PEAK. On summer weekends, ride the Whistler Village Gondola or the PEAK 2 PEAK to the top of Whistler Mountain for burgers, live music and sweeping views at the Roundhouse Lodge’s Mountain Top Barbecue.  Head back to town by floatplane, flying over glaciers and waterfalls en route.

For something even more fast-paced, join REO Rafting for a one-day whitewater adventure complete with a buffet lunch; a choice of rivers lets rafters pick their speed, from easy floats to raging rapids. Back in town, stop for a tasting at Swirl Wine Store, a Yaletown outlet specializing in BC vintages – it’s the next best thing to a trip to the Okanagan Valley.

Savour the best of BC, from Fraser Valley poultry and pork to Salt Spring Island mussels, at English Bay’s Raincity Grill, one of the first restaurants in the city to focus on regional fare. Or head to The Salmon House located in West Vancouver for its locally inspired menu and urban city views. The dishes, from the alder-grilled salmon to the local cheese plate, use ingredients sourced from across the province.

For a nightcap, check out Vancouver’s Granville Street entertainment district, perhaps with a Champagne cocktail at Ginger 62. If it’s a clear night, take the Skyride to the peak of Grouse Mountain and survey the city from a window seat at Altitudes Bistro.

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