Play & Explore
Play & Explore in Vancouver
Granville Island – Located right in the middle of the city is a little peninsula that’s become a popular hub for food and drink. Granville Island offers an incredible food market worth exploring, a famous brewery that’s ready to sample their brews, and a variety of unique retailers to visit. During the summer, Granville Island is a mecca for boat taxis, paddle-boarders, and kayakers. Pro-tip: You can take a water taxi from Yaletown (David Lam Park) directly over to Granville Island.
Stanley Park – Rent bikes from one of the many shops in Yaletown and take the seawall all the way to and through Stanley Park, Vancouver’s first urban park, which remains the largest with over 400-hectares of natural West Coast rainforest. The park is made up of beautiful beaches, wildlife and historical landmarks and it’s a wonderful place to visit, have a picnic and to take in stunning views of the Pacific Ocean while being immersed in nature (while still inside the city). A unique way to experience the park is with a tour by Talaysay Tours where guests can explore the park with a First Nations guide, sharing the stories of the people, the land and their harmonious ways of living. Stanley Park is open from 6 am until 10 pm unless otherwise posted.
Museum of Anthropology at UBC – One of the world’s finest displays of Northwest Coast First Nations arts, is located in the University of British Columbia, just 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver, inside the Museum of Anthropology where you’ll find spectacular carvings, weavings and contemporary artworks inside a stunning building that overlooks both the mountains and the sea. Here you will find the world’s largest collection of works by acclaimed Haida artist Bill Reid, 9,000 objects from around the world, a collection of European ceramic unique to North America, and extraordinary Haida houses and totem poles on the museum grounds. Admission is $18 CAD.
Grouse Mountain – One of Vancouver’s top outdoor attractions, Grouse Mountain is a great place to go for hard core mountain hikes as well as a very easy hop-on, hop-off gondola ride that takes you to some of the most incredible views of the city and the surrounding mountains. It’s free to hike up or about $60 CAD to take the easy way up. During the summer months, there is also a free shuttle that operates between Canada Place and Grouse.
