A day to enjoy Vancouver

[mrsb33]

Hello!

 

My husband and I will have a couple of hours to spend in Vancouver when we come off from our cruise on a Saturday. We get to Canada Place at 7 am, but our flight out of Vancouver to LA isn't until 8:30 pm. We were initially planning to do either the trolley, Big Bus or Pink Bus, but we feel like it might be better to do sightseeing on our own so that we're relaxed and don't feel like we have to see everything in one day.

 

We plan to check/store our bags at Canada Place after disembarkation. The main things we'd like to do are visit Granville Island, see Stanley Park, have a nice sampling of local eats (we are foodies!) and do a little retail shopping if there's time. We don't want to cram too much into one day because we'd need to claim our luggage by 4 pm. We aren't sure how far everything is from each other and how much time to allot to each location. Would we be able to do all this on the SkyTrain? And also take the train to the airport? Any suggested routes and itineraries and how much they'd cost would be very much appreciated by these first-time cruisers!

 

Thank you!

[martincath]

As soon as you mention both Stanley Park and Granville Island you're into 'a pretty full day' territory.

 

Here's a link to getting between them on transit - Skytrain is no use for either the park or Granville Island, the 19 bus is pretty much the only useful transit service for the park (it's frequent and connects to others). The map itself will also give you a pretty good idea how big Vancouver is - which is not very. Downtown is extremely compact, eminently walkable.

 

You can do the food thing on Granville Island - the Public Market has a metric buttload of food-selling stalls as well as actual cafes & restaurants, so you can assemble a picnic of local produce then sit outside and watch the buskers while you eat. If a sit-down is more your idea, then definitely try the Edible Canada Bistro - it's an entirely-locavore menu, changes frequently, always good (and ridiculously popular, especially for brunch - I'd book in advance.)

 

Personally I'd hit the park in the morning while you're fresh - after being on a cruise a bit of walking will do you the world of good;-) Maybe rent bikes near Canada Place - this not only lets you get around the entire Seawall, but through most of the park interior too, much faster than on foot but still being able to stop wherever you like for photos etc. Price for a whole day rental goes from <$25 to $50+ depending on the bike type & where you rent it - there's a thread from just a couple of days back with various bike rental places mentioned.

 

Head to Granville Island at lunchtime - bikes you can also take over to GI on the Aquabus ferries, or cycle over the bridges. Because of the limited transit stops for both the park and GI, it's considerably quicker cycling between them than taking the bus - even if you start right at the bus loop you're looking at 25 mins vs. 45 by bus... use the Aquabus at Hornby and it's under 20 including the ferry crossing ($3.50 or $5.50 return).

 

Rather than return to Canada Place for your bags, consider having them sent to YVR for you - at $40 for up to 4 bags it's not bad value, your flight time easily supports their timeframe (they deliver them after 4pm when they close). This would allow you an extra hour or even two downtown depending on your comfort level (remember US-bound flights have the extra layer of immigration/customs at YVR) before you head out to YVR.

 

Skytrain is very useful for YVR - fast, cheap, reliable. If you do go back and get your bags, Waterfront station is where you want to go (just three blocks away). Make sure your Canada Line train says it's going to YVR - the line splits into two just before the airport - then sit down for the c. 25 minute ride. The carriages are designed for luggage, tons of legroom. On Saturdays the fee is only CAD$2.75 per person cash fare (or same price with credit card in the automated machine), just buy 2 '1 Zone' tickets.

[BCHappyGal]

I would suggest you join in on Vancouver's FREE walking tour. It leaves the fountain in front of Vancouver Art Gallery (corner of Howe & Georgia) every day at 11am ...

 

Being foodies you might want to consider taking a Vancouver TAsting tour for your lunch... I will go look up their web site and come back and post

[BCHappyGal]

Check out the very last item!!!

 

Info on Vancouver from a local!

 

My favorite must do attractions are

 

1) Grouse Mountain – http://www.grousemountain.com – this is a wonderful scenic mountain only about 15 mins from downtown Vancouver. Ride the airtram to the top for lots of fun activities that include a loggers show, birds of prey show, 2 movies (1 about the Vancouver area and 1 about the 2 Grizzly Bears who make their home on Grouse Mtn) ride a chair lift higher up the mountain to visit the wind turbine that generates approximately 30% of the power required for Grouse Mountain Resort and visit with 2 live Grizzly Bears. Thrill to a 2 hour Zip Line Tour. Enjoy a meal in any of the restaurants. Caveat only spend the money to go up on a clear day.

2) 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, traverse a Cliff Top walk, visit the trading post for a huge selection of souvenirs, watch native weavers and/or carvers at work.

3) Capilano Fish Hatchery is also located on Capilano Road and is a great place to view salmon jumping up the fish ladders to get around the Cleveland Dam. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capilano_River_Regional_Park

4) Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge – http://www.lynncanyon.ca - is also located in North Vancouver and is much less touristy than Capilano but it also is not as spectacular. The bridge is slightly higher above the water but much shorter in span. Located in a Provincial Park this bridge comes with some nice hiking trails and you will find an ecology centre in the park as well as picnic tables and a food concession outlet. Should you choose to enjoy the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge always cross the suspension bridge first and then hike down the trail to the lower (Twin Falls wooden) bridge to cross back over the Lynn Valley River and return to your car – that way you are hiking downhill rather than uphill. It is also free to visit this suspension bridge!

5) Stanley Park – http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/ - is the crown jewel of Vancouver's parks. As one of North America's largest urban parks, covering over a 1000 acres and offering an abundance of activities. Enjoy the totem pole collection near the Brockton Point Light House, hiking trails, beaches, water parks for the kids (young & old), rose gardens, miniature train, petting zoo, aquarium –http://www.vanaqua.org – many view points, and several restaurants.

6) Vancouver Aquarium – http://www.vanaqua.org – is Canada’s largest aquarium and is committed to the conservation of marine life and education. Located in Stanley Park this is a fun place for the family to visit.

7) Gas Town – the location where Vancouver originated. The name is derived from a very colorful character named Gassy Jack who was one of the first settlers in the area and a salon keeper – while in Gas Town don’t miss your photo op with the statue of Gassy Jack and by the Steam Clock.

8) At the start of Gas Town is the Harbor Centre Tower http://www.vancouverlookout.com a great spot to start your tour of Vancouver with a birds eye view of the city. Either take the elevator up to the lookout level or go to the top and enjoy a meal in the revolving restaurant.

9) China Town is only about 6 blocks over from Gas Town and is the largest China Town north of San Francisco. While in China Town enjoy a visit to the Dr Sun Yat Sen Classical Gardens http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com and also make sure you visit the world’s thinnest building it is only 6’ wide!

10) Granville Island – http://www.granvilleisland.com – is a huge public market area which not only sells fruit & veggies but you can also buy frozen fish to be shipped to your home. Many artists make this their home and you can watch them at work in their studios – making this a great place to buy unique souvenirs. The Granville Island Brewery is also located here and you can stop in for a free tour & tastes. There are theatres for live performances and many fine restaurants. A fun way to get to Granville Island is via the Aquabus – http://www.theaquabus.com

11) Burnaby Village Museum – http://www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca – is an open air museum with over 30 restored homes, shops, school, church and a 1912 carousel situated on 10 acres

12) Gulf of Georgia Cannery – http://www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.com – is a restored fishing cannery located in the historic fishing village of Steveston (part of Richmond). Here you see exhibits that showcase the history of the fishing industry in British Columbia. Once finished in the museum it is great fun to walk along the fishing docks and see the fishing boats which are selling their catch. There are also some excellent restaurants located here.

13) The Vancouver Maritime Museum located on the shore of English Bay is fun for the whole family with lots of hands on exhibits for the kid in all of us. Here to you will find the ship St Roch which the RCMP sailed from Vancouver to Halifax via the Northwest Passage and then completed the return journey in 1944. You actually get to tour this ship. http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com

14) Queen Elizabeth Park http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/queenelizabeth The 130 acre (52 hectare) park is one of the most beautifully maintained public parks in the world. Second only to Stanley Park in annual visitations, it receives nearly 6 million people a year who marvel at its superior standard of garden plantings.

The park was originally quarried for its rock which served to build Vancouver's first roadways. In 1929 the Board proceeded to acquire the property which had become an abandoned eyesore but still served as the site for two holding reservoirs for the City's drinking water. Dedicated as a park by King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth (the present Queen's mother) on their much lauded visit to Vancouver in 1939.

15) Fort Langley is the restored wooden fort built by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post. It is the origin of British Columbia and was the first capital. This Fort is operated by the Federal Parks Board. http://www.fortlangley.org

16) If you are a wine lover you might want to rent a car and spend a day visiting a few of the many excellent wineries located in the Fraser Valley only about a 1 hour drive from your hotel. Almost all of the wineries offer free tastes & tours. Two of the wineries have excellent restaurants on the premises. This makes for a very fun and relaxing day. Check out the Fraser Valley Wine Association web site for a map of winery locations and a brief description of each winery http://www.fvwa.ca

17) If you are a real animal lover than don’t miss “Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Centre” It is located in Fort Langley about an hour drive from downtown Vancouver. Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Centre is a leading non-profit Canadian facility that breeds endangered species in family groups for re-introduction back into their natural habitat in Canada and around the world. This facility is not a zoo their goal is to breed rare and endangered wildlife and re-introduce these animals back into their natural habitats. Presently Mountainview hosts over 50 species of the world’s most threatened animals and birds. See animals such as the spotted dog from Africa, Giraffes, and much much more. Here you do not wonder around as in a zoo rather you are given a guided tour with commentary on each animal group. Check it out at http://www.mtnviewconservation.org

18) VanDusen Botanical Garden is a scenic 55- acre garden of international renown – a living museum of plants collected from around the world and artistically displayed amidst rolling lawns, woodlands and five tranquil lakes, all in the heart of Vancouver and just 15 minutes from downtown.

Due to Vancouver’s mild climate, plants bloom at the Garden year-round. This same climate creates a unique environment where plants from varying climate regions thrive and grow – at VanDusen you will see plants from the southern hemisphere, tropical areas and the high Arctic tundra along side native species. The Elizabethan Maze (one of only six in North America) provides year-round fun.

19) UBC Botanical Garden located at the University of British Columbia covers 110 acres and includes an Alpine, Asian, Native, Food, and Japanese Gardens. http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org

20) Enjoy a FREE walking tour of Vancouver. The Gastown tour starts in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the statue of Gassy Jack in Gastown. The Downtown tour starts at the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the Olympic Cauldron. The China Town tour starts at the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the Chinese memorial statue. All of these tours start at 11am. The Granville Island Tour starts at 3pm at the bus stop just at the entrance to Granville Island. Check these tours out at http://www.tourguys.ca The Tour Guys have added an afternoon walking tour of Granville Island and 2 evening tours….

21) A new addition I have just found for the FOODIES in the gang! Check out http://www.tastevancouverfoodtours.com this company offers culinary tasting tours of various areas of Vancouver. I did the Railtown Urban Eats tour and it was Fabulous! This tour would blend well with the free walking tour offered by http://www.tourguys.ca … you could easily do the free walking tour and then meet up with this tour company for this tour for your lunch - the food is plentiful & wonderful you will not leave this tour hungry!

 

 

 

 

Vancouver has a bunch of hop-on hop-off buses

 

http://www.vancouverpinkbustours.com/

 

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

 

http://bigbus.ca/home/

[martincath]

Having done both of the tours BCHG mentions I would say that these are individually worthy and either is worth doing, but they make a poor combination on a Saturday - the free TourGuys walk is in Gastown, same as the food tour, and virtually 100% of what you hear in terms of history/amusing tales on the food tour is already covered by the TourGuys. Personally I thought that the food tour was very poorly-priced for just the food component, so without the learning/fun component of the talky part adding value this would be a really pricey lunch.

 

Another caveat on the food tour is that they do not cater to any food sensitivities/dietary requirements whatsoever except vegetarians (and even that's not 100% accurate as the beer included is traditionally-fined which involves fish). They won't tell you where you go or exactly what you eat in advance either, so you cannot make a rational assessment as to how many of the dishes you will actually be likely to enjoy.

 

I know this sounds rather negative, but I *did* enjoy my tour with them, and how they operate is the same as virtually every other food tour company I've used - if they actually revealed what/where they were taking you it would seriously hamper their business as you could replicate most of the experiences for significantly less $...

Edited May 3, 2014 by martincath
spelling

[BCHappyGal]

I happen to disagree - my DH is Celiac and as they were told this ahead of time they made sure there were gluten free dishes for my DH at virtually every stop...

[martincath]

I'm diabetic; I asked ahead of time and was told there would be no substitutions. If they have changed their policy they need to update their FAQ...