Less than 24hrs in Vancouver

[NCGAL1971]

Hey,

 

My husband and I are flying into Vancouver 4:30pm on a Friday. We are sailing the following day on the Diamond Princess. We do not plan to rent a car. Just wondering what would be the best way for us to use our time. We have such limited time. I have looked at the sightseeing tour options but don't think we would want to spend the $65.00 price tag for each. I thought about the Vancouver Lookout. We have not made hotel reservations yet. I would like to be able to take the Canada Skytrain from the airport to downtown so we could easily walk around and then maybe take a cab or walk to Canada Place the next day. Any suggestions on what others have done that opted not to take one of the sightseeing tours?

 

thanks in advance

[Putterdude]

You will find that most Vancouver hotels are within 6 blocks of a Canada Line station and many are within walking distance of Canada Place or are a $10 cab fare away. Before making a reservation you could ask the hotel how far they are from a Canada Line station or post the question here.

With the time you have and without taking a tour you are going to be a bit limited as to what you see. However for the evening your idea of the Vancouver Lookout combined with a walk into Gastown with perhaps having dinner in Gastown would be an idea. In the morning you could take a bus to Stanley Park but there is only one stop in the park and with a 1,000 acres it will be a challenge, however you could see things like the rose garden and the totem poles. Another thought would be to take a bus to Granville Island and spend a few hours walking around there.

[WaggesAZ]

Putterdude & other friendly locals,

 

Our family has a similar situation, but we arrive around 1:30, and are staying at the Pan Pacific. Currently, our evening is pretty much as you described, the lookout & walking around Gastown, with dinner in Gastown. I would love to see Granville Island, but wasn't sure we would have time. Any suggestions/tips? Dinner recommendations?

 

However, I was looking at an early breakfast, and heading to Stanley Park with a horse drawn carriage ride. In your opinion, is this option best, or would we be better served to do the bus tour?

 

Thank you to all who contribute, it sure makes planning easier and helps with expectations! :D

[Putterdude]

Putterdude & other friendly locals,

 

Our family has a similar situation, but we arrive around 1:30, and are staying at the Pan Pacific. Currently, our evening is pretty much as you described, the lookout & walking around Gastown, with dinner in Gastown. I would love to see Granville Island, but wasn't sure we would have time. Any suggestions/tips? Dinner recommendations?

 

However, I was looking at an early breakfast, and heading to Stanley Park with a horse drawn carriage ride. In your opinion, is this option best, or would we be better served to do the bus tour?

 

Thank you to all who contribute, it sure makes planning easier and helps with expectations! :D

 

Your evening plan will certainly work. You may enjoy a walk along the Sea Wall from the hotel to Cardero's which is a upscale marine pub with terrific views of the Coal Harbour yacht basin and Stanley Park. In Gastown, dinner at Steamworks, Water Street Café, or Al Porto would or the more budget orientated Olde Spaghetti Factory would all be good choices.

Regrettably there is no bus tour of the park until 1100...so it's the horse carriage or nothing.

To get to to Granville Island from the Pan Pacific, walk over to Waterfront Station (the red brick building you will see on the left as you exit the hotel) and take a #50 bus ... $2.50 either direction.

[ttnc4me]

NCGal1971, can you please email me in regard to your trip? ttnc4me at yahoo dot com

Thanks!

[BCHappyGal]

Another option I would suggest would be to get up early and head to Capilano Suspension Bridge - Capilano Suspension Bridge – http://www.capbridge.com – this is Vancouver’s oldest tourist attraction and I still enjoy visiting it! Located on Capilano Road just before you reach the Grouse Mountain parking lot. Walk across a suspension Bridge over the Capilano Gorge, wonder the trails thru the rain forest, walk thru the treetops on the new Tree Top Adventure, visit the trading post for a huge selection of souvenirs, watch native weavers and/or carvers at work.

 

To get there it is very easy on the public transit but Capilano Suspension Bridge also offers a free shuttle service - by public transit exit the Pan Pacific Hotel and walk to your left to the Sea Bus Station - buy an all day transit pass and then ride the Sea Bus accross the harbor to Lonsdale Quay (a public Market) walk thru the Market to the north exit which is the bus loop board the Capilano Road bus and ride it to the Suspension Bridge.

[Urban trekker]

It's bus #236 Grouse Mt that you want at Lonsdale Quay - perhaps our resident bus expert knows which bay it loads out of.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Keith1010]

I would stay near Canada Place. There are several hotels right there.

 

I would recommend the Pan Pacific

 

From there you could walk to Stanley Park. It's a fun walk and a pretty walk.

 

Later enjoy dinner at a nearby Restaurant.

 

The next morning you could walk to the Gas Town District.

 

No need for tours.

 

Keith

[Putterdude]

At 1,000 acres it is pretty hard to see much of Stanley Park on foot; by comparison Central Park in NYC is only 843 acres. A tour or a bike and the best part of a day is the only way you are going to make a dent in what there is to see. As a native of Vancouverite I have yet to see it all.

[Keith1010]

No they won't see it all.

 

But we have done tours of Stanley Park and also bike rides but on our last visit we just walked up the road over there and enjoyed a walk of about an hour in the park. It was fine.

 

I've also done the same in Central Park.

 

The reality is you won't see much of Vancouver if you are arriving by plane at 4:30 PM with a cruise the following day.

 

I think the walk from the Pan Pacific over to the Park is nice. If they can't do it the first day they can wake up early and do it the next morning.

 

The first day they could go over to Gas Town and just stroll around.

 

That just my opinion as someone who doesn't live in BC but who has visited Vancouver many times including twice in the last ten months.

 

Keith

[Putterdude]

On a walk to the park from the Pan Pacific, which I agree is a lovely walk, with the time they have they will may see the Rose Garden, the totem poles, the Aquarium (probably won't have time to visit), the nine o'clock gun and perhaps Brockton Point. That's not an opinion that is reality from a life long resident. Oh, and Gastown is one word named for Gassy Jack Deighton who owned a bar in what became the historical roots of Vancouver.

 

 

http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/pdf/stanleypark_printable.pdf