# What to do in Vancouver



## meatsss (Feb 19, 2011)

Any must sees in Vancouver? Things we have to do? Places to eat?


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## BevL (Feb 20, 2011)

Lots of ideas in the forum, of course.  Stanley Park, if it's a nice day and you're up for the walk, do the whole seawall.  It's a beautiful panoramic view of the ocean around the city.

Wander up and down Robson Street for shopping and people watching.  And Gastown is kind of touristy old town.  Just don't wander east past the cobblestones - the area down there turns from touristy to nasty very quickly.

Chinatown with the gardens.  Seabus to Lonsdale Quay.  Out to White Rock, touristy places, decent restaurants, White Rock beach if you have a car.

And if you get bored you can head up to Whistler, a very beautiful drive.  Do a day trip to Victoria - the ferry alone can be worth the trip.

THat's in the minute or so it took me to compose this response so the choices are pretty plentiful.  We don't eat "in town" much so will leave the restaurant choices to others.

We love living in this area.


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## eal (Feb 20, 2011)

Don't forget Granville Island!


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## meatsss (Feb 20, 2011)

*Do we need A car the entire week?*

We're staying in town within walking distance of the waterfront convention center. The resort charges a significant daily fee for parking. Should we rent a car for a week or just if we want to travel up to Whistler or down to Victoria? How good is the bus or taxi services?


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## BevL (Feb 20, 2011)

Here is a link to a pretty well known company that does bus trips to Whistler and Victoria:

http://www.pacificcoach.com/

I can't comment on them personally - we live here so have never used them but they've been around for a long time.

Personally, I would want a car to do the Whistler trip.  There are stops along the way for photos and things that I don't think you'd get with a bus.

Depending on the cost, I'd probably do a bus tour to Victoria or take the bus, wander around and take the bus back.  It's about $75 each way to take car and driver on the ferry, compared to about $10 for a passenger.

If you're reasonably fit, you're in a great location for walking tours and the bus service within downtown Vancouver is pretty decent.  When we used to do tourist for a weekend kind of thing, we would pretty much park our car and not drive it again for the two or 2.5 days we were in Vancouver.

Just my personal observations.


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## Fayeoctober (Feb 20, 2011)

We spent almost a week in Vancouver about 1 1/2 years ago.  I can't recall any particular places to eat, but it is more expensive than we thought.

Most of the places have already been mentioned.  Definitely take the day trip to Victoria.  We actually did an overnight but if you don't require the afternoon tea, the day is doable.  You don't need a car there - at least one of the companies does a combination trip on a bus and then a ferry.  The Gardens are a "Must See."

In Vancouver itself, the market was mentioned, as was the seawall, and we went to some attractions by water taxi.  Enjoy yourself.  And again don't miss a day trip to Victoria.


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## ricoba (Feb 20, 2011)

meatsss said:


> We're staying in town within walking distance of the waterfront convention center. The resort charges a significant daily fee for parking. Should we rent a car for a week or just if we want to travel up to Whistler or down to Victoria? How good is the bus or taxi services?



When I lived in Vancouver, I very often took public transit. The Bus, Skytrain and Seabus are all very easy and accessible.


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## glypnirsgirl (Feb 20, 2011)

I love the day trip to Victoria - it was the highlight of our trip to Vancouver. We were in Buchart Gardens in May for about 3 hours. I have never been so overwhelmed by a garden in my life! Stunningly beautiful when the rhododendrons are in bloom. I am not sure what the gardens would be like the rest of the year.

elaine


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## matbec (Feb 20, 2011)

*Rocky Mountaineer train to Whistler*

We took the Rocky Mountaineer train to Whistler (day trip) and it was awesome! We booked the Glacier Dome and had a leisurely trip through Howe Sound and into the mountains to get to Whistler. Staff were great and pointed out all kinds of sights, train even slowed down at some spots for photo ops. Took a tour bus on the way back via the Sea to Sky highway and stopped at Shannon Falls. It was a little pricey, but everyone thought it was well worth it.


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## John Cummings (Feb 20, 2011)

First, No you do not need a car in Vancouver.

We used to live in Vancouver. In 2007, we spent 2 weeks in Vancouver, Victoria ( I was born there ), and Seattle. We also did the Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf Grand Circle tour from Vancouver - Kamloops, Jasper - Quesnel - Whistler - Vancouver. We stayed at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel in Vancouver which is close to where you will be staying.

We did the "Hop on Hop Off" bus tour which I highly recommend. You get a pass for 48 hours which allows you to get on and off wherever you want. It goes through Stanley Park and all over downtown. Included is the ferry to Granville Island which we did. The bus lets you off by the ferry and then you can get back on it a couple of blocks from Granville Island by the bridge. We started right in front of our hotel. The best thing to do is take the complete tour first and then do it again, getting off wherever you saw interesting places.

http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/tours/hop-on-hop-off

You can get a day tour to Victoria or do what we did. We took the bus to Victoria which picked us up at our hotel, went across the BC Ferry to Schwartz Bay ( by Sidney ) and took us to downtown Victoria at the Inner harbor. We stayed 3 nights in Victoria right by the Inner harbor. We also did the "Hop on Hop off" in Victoria. Butchart's Gardens is a must see. It is spectacular. I just wish we had more time there as we did it on a tour from Victoria.

We did another bus tour that took us up to Grouse Mountain where we took the gondola.

There are only a couple restaurants that I would recommend. I recommend Skoozis for breakfast. We ate there 3 times. It was recommended by the concierge. It is a very short walk.

http://www.scoozis.ca/menus.html#

I also recommend Hy's Steakhouse. We ate there as well as the one in Calgary. The food is good and prices quite reasonable for a steakhouse. I love the beefsteak and red onion salad, and the bone-in rib eye steak.

http://www.hyssteakhouse.com/hys-vancouver.html

By and large the restaurant prices are pretty high and the food is not that great but the above two were good. I am sure there are others but we didn't find them despite the recommendations. The concierge recommended a Chinese restaurant that was not very good at all and very expensive.

I don't recommend the Gaslight area. It is right next to a very seedy area and there are a lot of very aggressive panhandlers there. We were bothered every couple minutes and you don't want to sit on one of the benches.

If you haven't been to Seattle, I would recommend spending a few days there. We went from Victoria to Seattle on the Victoria Clipper and stayed in downtown Seattle for 3 nights at the Grand Hyatt. To be honest we enjoyed Seattle the most of anywhere on our trip.


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## meatsss (Feb 21, 2011)

*Currency exchange*

With the dollar so close in value to the C dollar, does it make sense to get Canadian currency before traveling?


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## BevL (Feb 21, 2011)

We never bother unless we've bought some US dollars when our exchange rate was good - like now - and the rate has seriously turned against us.  

We just use our bank card - you won't get the published or official exchange rate, of course.  The bank has to make their percentage.

I just don't want to carry a lot of cash with me and does anybody actually use traveller's cheques anymore?  

JMHO, just use the bank machine.


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## debraxh (Feb 21, 2011)

We found public transportation to be very good so I don't think you'll need a car while in the city.  We even took it to Capilano suspension bridge and Grouse mountain, which was the highlight of our trip.  But keep in mind we had been to Whistler before, and didn't have enough time for a trip to Victoria 

We hit Stanley park on a very busy day, I'm sure it would be much better at a different time.  The aquarium was very good.  We didn't really care for Granville island but the little false creek ferry was fun. We found Vanier park to be very relaxing and it had gorgeous views across English bay.


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## BevL (Feb 21, 2011)

Definitely hit Stanley Park on a Monday or Tuesday - not on the weekend.  It's extremely popular with the locals - huge green space in the middle of the city - what's not to like?


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## John Cummings (Feb 21, 2011)

debraxh said:


> We even took it to Capilano suspension bridge and Grouse mountain, which was the highlight of our trip.



Did you take a regular bus or do a tour? We did a tour that included both Capilano suspension bridge and Grouse mountain


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## PeelBoy (Feb 23, 2011)

I always rent a car in Vancouver.  Driving is super easy. Parking is always free or very cheap and a car gives you lots of flexibility, including going out at night. A car is more convenient to explore West Vancouver and North Vancouver.  You can do day trips to Victoria and Whistler.


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## Bill4728 (Feb 23, 2011)

meatsss said:


> With the dollar so close in value to the C dollar, does it make sense to get Canadian currency before traveling?



No don't get any money till you get there. When you do use any ATM machine and get all the C$ you need. Generally we don't use much cash just our CreditCard. 


As far as were to go, Granville Island is a must.  There are several restaurants and a big indoor farmers market. At night there are a couple on places on the island that do plays and have comedy.


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## asp (Feb 23, 2011)

Just ate at Joe Fortes which would be not far from where you are staying.  We had a great meal.  Also, ate a C, on waterfront facing Granville Island. 

Gastown has more reasonalbe prices, Portofino is good, as is the Water (Street?) Cafe.  

I like Aqua Riva, next to the Pan Pacific which is quite casual, has a great view of Burrard Inlet - but it isn't my husband's favourite. Coupon in Entertainment Book, which gives lots of options in Vancouver.  

Canada, has a different wage/taxation structure than the US.  Wages are higher, but tipping 15 % is acceptable on restaurant meals - the average tip is 12 %, according to stats I have seen.  Most retail, comodity (except grocery), service and restaurant purchases have a 12 % sales tax, added at the till, and infrequently included in the price.

200 Burrard is the tourism office, (next to Waterfront Centre) and they have a half price same day ticket service.  The Comedy club at the Century Plaza usually offers tickets there, and the comedy on the weekends is enjoyable.


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## John Cummings (Feb 23, 2011)

asp said:


> Canada, has a different wage/taxation structure than the US.  Wages are higher.



What do you base that on? Are you saying all wages are higher or just food servers or what? I have never seen any evidence that wages are much different and is some instances are higher in the US and some instances are higher in Canada.


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## debraxh (Feb 26, 2011)

John Cummings said:


> Did you take a regular bus or do a tour? We did a tour that included both Capilano suspension bridge and Grouse mountain



We just took the regular bus and it was very easy to get to both locations on the same day.  Very inexpensive way to go, although we still had to pay to get into Capilano and take the tram to the top of Grouse!


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## BevL (Feb 26, 2011)

debraxh said:


> We just took the regular bus and it was very easy to get to both locations on the same day.  Very inexpensive way to go, although we still had to pay to get into Capilano and take the tram to the top of Grouse!



If you're really wanting a good workout, you could do the Grouse Grind - walk up and ride down.


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## CSB (Feb 27, 2011)

When we were in Vancouver last summer, we stayed in the downtown area and took advantage of public transportation and wonderful walking opportunities. One day we walked from the tourism office (Waterfront centre) where we bought discounted tickets to Stanley park aquarium. On our walk to the aquarium as we passed the marina, someone was cleaning fish on the dock and a harbour seal was swimming around grabbing the entrails that were being thrown into the water.  We almost didn’t need to go to the aquarium!  We walked back to our hotel ( Davie and Hornsby) from the aquarium. It was a long walk but enjoyable.

We also went to Grouse mountain by public transport and enjoyed the public transport ferry. Grouse mountain was great, expensive but we saw the lumberjack show, birds of prey show and enjoyed the chair lift and animal sightings. My husband and kids splurged on paragliding from the top of Grouse mountain. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

Another day I walked around the city with my older daughter and went to the Chinatown area. We stopped for lunch at a nice sushi place. I think it was on Robson - SHURAKU RESTAURANT (I looked up my mastercard statement to find the name for you). The staff at the restaurant shout out a greeting to you as you walk in the place. At the same time my husband took the younger kids to the Space Museum. They saw a rock from the moon that they actually let you touch and an asteroid that you can try to lift.

If you are in Vancouver in late August there is the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition).

Instead of Capilano suspension bridge, we went to Lynn Canyon Park. It has a smaller suspenion bridge, and is a nice place to hike and swim. The cliffs around the water afford the opportunity to jump into the water from many different heights.  Good if you are there in the summer. It is free and easy to get to with public transportation. 

We stayed near Davie and Hornsby. Many time while walking on Davie in a north west direction around Thurlow Street, I passed a restaurant that had a long line-up for dinner. It was Korean or something like that. I never got there to eat myself but a local person told me that it was very good and reasonably priced. 

The last night of our trip we went to a restaurant by public transporation. It was across Lion’s Gate bridge and near Marine drive. We got a groupon or another one of those deals that gives you a nice discount by checking everyday the restaurants and choosing something that fitted with our plans. The food was ok but the restaurant had a back patio that looked over the water and we were there at sunset. It was amazing. They also gave us blankets when it became a little chilly.

It was a great trip and I hope you have as much fun.


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## hellolani (Mar 14, 2011)

*Dining in Vancouver*

Oops, I'm late to the party, so this may not be relevant anymore, but I do have a few recommendations as a local.  Hop on the skytrain at Waterfront station and go to Stadium Station (3rd stop), exit at Beatty Street and turn right.  Halfway up the block is a restaurant called Chambar, a lovely Belgian restaurant with the best mussels you will ever have.  There are 3 choices, but pick the Congolaise - you will want to drink the broth, it is that good.  Also an excellent assortment of Belgian and european beers (according to my husband), and a bartender that is very skilled at whipping up awesome non-alcoholic drinks (for me - just tell them no alcohol and leave the rest to them.)  It's a little expensive ($30s for mains) but the mussels are $22 and if you dash in right a 6 and sit in the bar area up front you can get by without a reservation and can almost share one order of mussels between two people with a drink each (ie, do it on the cheap.)

Amazing Chinese food can be had but I'd get out of downtown.  Hop on the Canada Line into Richmond (Aberdeen or Brighouse stations) and poke around in the malls out there.  Look for a full parking lot / tons of asians in the windows and pretty well that will vouch for the place.

I'm on a big ramen kick right now and my favourite ramen place is on Denman just off Robson - Kintaro.  The lineups attest to the competence of this place, and it's tiny so expect to line up.  I recommend the fatty pork over the lean, though the medium broth is great, no need to go fatty on that too.  Miso is my favourite but I vouch for all of them.  They are closed on Mondays, or if you can't wait, Benkei just around the corner on Robson is a good 2nd choice.  Around $10 a bowl.

Depending on your prefs I have some great cheap eats options as well as vegan / other specific cuisine recommendations.  We have some really amazing diverse food available here, so I hope you get a chance to try a whole lot of it.  I'd definitely say skip anything you could get at home in favour of trying stuff you can only get here, so walk past the Milestones, Joey's, Cactus Clubs and White Spots.


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## pianodinosaur (Mar 15, 2011)

You may wish to check out Vancouver in Yahoo Travel.  I love Vancouver.  Asking what to do in Vancouver is like asking what to do in New York City, Paris, Barcelona, or London.  You can do just about anything your heart desires.  If you like sports, you have professional sports all year.  If you like museums, there are all kinds of museums.  If you like Opera and symphony, you can experience some of the best the world has to offer. 

We live near Houston, the obesity capital of the world. There are very few places on earth that can rival Houston for dining.  Vancouver is one of them.


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## meatsss (Mar 22, 2011)

*Hells Gate*

We are thinking of driving to Hell's Gate. is it worth the drive? Is it better to take a bus tour to Victoria Island or to drive? My wife loves whale watching, but I think we're too far away from that. What other water tours are there?


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## John Cummings (Mar 22, 2011)

meatsss said:


> We are thinking of driving to Hell's Gate. is it worth the drive? Is it better to take a bus tour to Victoria Island or to drive? My wife loves whale watching, but I think we're too far away from that. What other water tours are there?



We would rather not drive if at all possible. We took the bus from Vancouver to downtown Victoria. The bus picked us up right at our hotel, the Fairmont Waterfront. It was very convenient and quite reasonable. It was not a tour but was the regular Pacific Coach bus service. If you drive, you will probably have long lines at the ferry terminals.

http://www.pacificcoach.com/

I think the drive to Hell's Gate is woth it. You can go on the tram there.

http://www.hellsgateairtram.com/


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