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False Creek passenger ferry passes houseboats along False Creek.

Must-Experience Vancouver Attractions

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Framed by the Pacific Ocean and Coast Mountains, Vancouver is renowned for its natural beauty and cultural diversity—and many of the city’s attractions showcase both.

Whether you’re looking for family fun, an outdoor adventure, or to learn something new, there’s an activity with your name on it. Here are some top picks to get you started.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park | @ursanurag, Instagram

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Capilano Suspension Bridge: The Lower Mainland’s oldest attraction (1889), this famous crossing spans 137 metres, towering high above a rocky canyon floor. Anyone who’s been there (including Mick Jagger and Marilyn Monroe) knows what a genuine thrill it is to make the long, rolling lurch across the Capilano River.

Grouse Mountain, The Peak of Vancouver

Grouse Mountain, The Peak of Vancouver: There’s a reason—many good reasons in fact—that tourists flock to this mountain. The gondola ride is dramatic, rising 1,100 metres in eight minutes and offering stunning panoramic views of Vancouver and beyond. Reserve your Skyride date in advance and make sure you buy enough parking at the bottom because there’s a lot happening up top besides the jaw-dropping scenery: a bear sanctuary, ranger talks, mountaintop hiking, a Kids Tree Canopy Adventure, dining patios, and zipline adventures, to name a few favourites. And that doesn’t include wintertime fun in the snow!

Science World

Science World: This iconic attraction is filled hands-on interactive exhibits, live science shows, and outdoor learning area, and the giant-screen OMNIMAX Theatre.

Museum of Anthropology at UBC | @dorrington

Museum of Anthropology at UBC

Museum of Anthropology at UBC (MOA): With its soaring architecture, spectacular sea-to-sky views, and stunning Northwest Coast First Nations art collection, MOA teaches visitors about how Indigenous communities have shaped the culture and the region. Allow yourself plenty of time—the impressive collections of global art and artifacts at this acclaimed museum deserve your focused attention.

Note: MOA is closed for renovations and is scheduled reopen in June, 2024.

Granville Island

Granville Island: This culinary, artistic, and cultural hub is home to more than 300 businesses. The Public Market offers a rich variety of take-out options for a picnic at the waterfront, or everything you need to make an impressive dinner at home. The local artists galleries and retail shops here make Granville Island a unique and much-loved destination.

Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art

Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art: This small downtown space—named for the creator of the famous Jade Canoe sculpture at YVR and the artwork on Canada’s $2 coin—is the only public gallery dedicated to contemporary Indigenous art of the Northwest Coast.

Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver BC | @post_photography

Queen Elizabeth Park and Bloedel Conservatory

Queen Elizabeth Park and Bloedel Conservatory: Vancouver’s “horticultural jewel” is home to the exotic Bloedel Conservatory—quite literally the high point of Vancouver. Offering spectacular views of the city and the North Shore Mountains, this lush hilltop park is the perfect setting for romantic picnics and late-night stargazing.

VanDusen Botanical Garden | Destination Vancouver/VanDusen Gardens

VanDusen Botanical Garden

VanDusen Botanical Garden: This tranquil, 22-hectare urban oasis is home to more than 7,500 plant species and varieties. Take in vibrant colours and fragrant smells, and consider taking advantage of sprawling lawn space to enjoy an al fresco picnic.

Harbour Air Flightseeing Tour

Harbour Air flightseeing tour: Treat yourself to a thrilling change of perspective while staying safe and close to home. The excitement of taking off from and landing on the water adds to the fun. Tours range from 10-minute flights to daytrip adventure packages, departing daily from their downtown Vancouver location.

Whale watching with Wild Whales Vancouver

Ocean Exploration

Being right on the water not only adds to Vancouver’s beauty, it also provides a multitude of experiences. Explore the harbour on a paddlewheel or zodiac. Cast a line and try to catch your own dinner with the help of a fishing charter, or experience the thrill of seeing orcas, humpback whales and all kinds of marine life on a whale watching tour. Want to rent your own boat? Try Sewell’s Marina in Horseshoe Bay.

MENTIONED IN THIS STORY

Attractions, Museums & Heritage Sites, Accessibility

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Only 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver, allow 2 - 3 hours for your visit to Vancouver's iconic Capilano Suspension Bridge, hanging 450 feet...

Phone: (604) 985-7474

View Listing

Wildlife Tours, Skiing & Snowboarding, Snowshoeing, Sightseeing, Adrenalin, Accessibility

Grouse Mountain

rouse Mountain is Vancouvers most visited year-round attraction located just minutes from downtown Vancouver. Enjoy panoramic views as you travel...

Phone: (604) 980-9311

View Listing

Attractions, Accessibility

Science World

Science World ignites the imagination with hands-on interactive exhibits, jaw-dropping live science shows, and the giant-screen OMNIMAX...

Phone: (604) 443-7548

View Listing

Bird Watching, Attractions, Accessibility

VanDusen Botanical Garden

VanDusen Botanical Garden is a 55-acre oasis in the heart of Vancouver with over 7,500 plant species and varieties from around the world! Spot and...

Phone: (604)257-8463

View Listing

Museums & Heritage Sites, Accessibility

Museum of Anthropology

Explore traditional and contemporary art from Northwest Coast First Nations and other cultures across the world. See magnificent Indigenous...

Phone: (604) 827-5932

View Listing

Shopping, Farms & Markets, Art Galleries, Accessibility

Granville Island

This large sandbar and former industrial site is now a posh, artsy neighborhood filled with quaint shops, eateries, breweries, and year-round arts...

Phone: (604) 666-5784

View Listing

Indigenous Culture, Art Galleries, Accessibility

Bill Reid Gallery Of Northwest Coast Art

The Bill Reid Gallery is the only public Gallery in Canada dedicated to contemporary Indigenous Northwest Coast Art and honours Bill Reid by...

Phone: (604) 682-3455

View Listing

Attractions, Museums & Heritage Sites, Accessibility

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Only 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver, allow 2 - 3 hours for your visit to Vancouver's iconic Capilano Suspension Bridge, hanging 450 feet...

Phone: (604) 985-7474

View Listing

Wildlife Tours, Skiing & Snowboarding, Snowshoeing, Sightseeing, Adrenalin, Accessibility

Grouse Mountain

rouse Mountain is Vancouvers most visited year-round attraction located just minutes from downtown Vancouver. Enjoy panoramic views as you travel...

Phone: (604) 980-9311

View Listing

Attractions, Accessibility

Science World

Science World ignites the imagination with hands-on interactive exhibits, jaw-dropping live science shows, and the giant-screen OMNIMAX...

Phone: (604) 443-7548

View Listing

Bird Watching, Attractions, Accessibility

VanDusen Botanical Garden

VanDusen Botanical Garden is a 55-acre oasis in the heart of Vancouver with over 7,500 plant species and varieties from around the world! Spot and...

Phone: (604)257-8463

View Listing

Museums & Heritage Sites, Accessibility

Museum of Anthropology

Explore traditional and contemporary art from Northwest Coast First Nations and other cultures across the world. See magnificent Indigenous...

Phone: (604) 827-5932

View Listing

Shopping, Farms & Markets, Art Galleries, Accessibility

Granville Island

This large sandbar and former industrial site is now a posh, artsy neighborhood filled with quaint shops, eateries, breweries, and year-round arts...

Phone: (604) 666-5784

View Listing

Indigenous Culture, Art Galleries, Accessibility

Bill Reid Gallery Of Northwest Coast Art

The Bill Reid Gallery is the only public Gallery in Canada dedicated to contemporary Indigenous Northwest Coast Art and honours Bill Reid by...

Phone: (604) 682-3455

View Listing

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