Trip Ideas

Home British Columbia Trip Ideas Trip Ideas

Vancouver Spa and Wellness

Many places in Vancouver seem to be made for relaxing. From yoga classes to day spas, parks, beaches and gardens, this famously laid-back city has lots of way for you to recharge your batteries.

49.268617,-123.145716|49.304014,-123.145326|49.279642,-123.099706|49.279472222222, -123.099727777778|49.163087,-123.136486

11
11 49.268617,-123.145716|49.304014,-123.145326|49.279642,-123.099706|49.279472222222, -123.099727777778|49.163087,-123.136486
MAP LEGEND
  1. Kitsilano
  2. Stanley Park
  3. Chinatown
  4. University of British Columbia
  5. Richmond

Parks and Beaches

Kitsilano Beach. Photo Credit: Patrice Halley

Jog, bike or just walk the scenic Stanley Park seawall, or seek serenity in the park’s many forested trails and gardens. For a long walk on the beach, head west to Spanish Bank; at low tide, the sand seems to go on forever.

Gardens

Find zen in the middle of the city at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, the first authentic Ming-Dynasty-style garden built outside of China, or stroll among healing herbs and other medicinal plants at the Physic Garden at the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden. At VanDusen Botanical Garden (just south of downtown), wander through an Elizabethan hedge maze. A few blocks away, soak up the tropical ambience of warm-climate flora and free-flying birds at the Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park.

Serene Architecture

The International Buddhist Temple in Richmond. Photo Credit: Dannielle Hayes

Listen to the ancient sounds of Gregorian chant; they’re sung on Sunday evenings at Christ Church Cathedral, an historic downtown church featuring stained-glass windows and Douglas fir beams. At the International Buddhist Temple in nearby Richmond, see the classical Asian garden, plus the stunning Seven Buddha Mural – said to be one of the largest Buddhist murals in the world. 

Vancouver Spas

Relax in a Jerusalem gold marble steam room, followed by a black Moroccan soap scrub at the Miraj Hammam Spa, Vancouver’s only traditional Middle Eastern spa, or indulge in a treatment at any of the dozens of day spas in town. Radiate in deep warmth in the infrared sauna at Yaletown’s Spruce Body Lab, or knock out jetlag at one of Absolute Spa’s Vancouver Airport locations. Absolute’s 10 Vancouver-area spas are favourites among visiting Hollywood celebs.  For the fresh-faced Vancouverite look, visit Skoah, a facials-only spa.

Restaurants

Café Zen is a Kitsilano breakfast favourite where eggs bennies are a specialty. Gather for little brochettes of charcoal grilled meat at Zakkushi, a cozy Japanese place with three locations around town, or visit Stonegrill Restaurant to choose meat and veggie morsels, that get cooked up on a stone slab at the table. For earthy vegetarian food, try the The Naam restaurant – it’s open 24 hours and it’s been dishing out tofu, local brews and live music for decades.

Wellness Shopping

Start at Vancouver’s home-grown yoga gear sensation lululemon athletica; the Fourth Avenue flagship store holds yoga classes and a twice-weekly run club. Then browse for spiritual and health titles at nearby Banyen Books & Sound, the city’s biggest new age book store.

Accommodation

A relaxing vacation calls for a hotel with an on-site spa: laze beside a private fireplace at CHI spa in the Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver, or indulge in ancient Eastern Ayurvedic treatments at the Vida Wellness Spa in the Sheraton Wall Centre hotel. At the Century Plaza Hotel & Spa, the on-site Absolute Spa’s tempting packages include Organic Body Binge, Escape and Instant Gratification.

Transportation

False Creek. Photo Credit: Tourism Vancouver

SkyTrain’s Canada Line whisks visitors from the Vancouver International Airport to downtown in just 25 minutes. With twice daily arrivals on Amtrak Cascades, zen-seeking visitors from Oregon and Washington State can relax, go green, and take in the ocean view on the way up.

Vancouver’s downtown core is compact and easily walkable, and most sites are linked by public transport. The SkyTrain, Vancouver’s rapid transit system, travels to areas in and around the city, with buses and cabs filling in the gaps. A fun way to travel is via Aquabus and False Creek Ferries, little foot-passenger boats that criss-cross False Creek between downtown, Granville Island and Kitsilano every few minutes.