Post-Cruise Ideas for Vancouver

[kirenne]

Hi all,

 

We will be disembarking from an Alaska cruise in Vancouver on a Saturday morning in a couple of weeks. Our flight is not until 6:40pm - we are Canadian, so we expect that being at the airport for 4:40pm should suffice.

 

In the meantime, we will have 9am-4:40pm to explore the area. Since we are spending so much on our Alaska excursions, we are looking for some budget friendly ideas for things to do.

 

We are photographers, and enjoy nature and architecture. We are considering renting a car for the day. Does anyone have any recommendations for things to see/do on a budget?

 

Thanks in advance! :)

Edited May 31, 2016 by kirenne

[Kamloops50]

Store your luggage at Canada Place . Then walk along the seawall to Stanley Park. You'll find plenty to see and photograph in the park. Then proceed along the wall to False Creek . Take the mini Ferry to Granville Island for lunch.

[lawgirl86]

We did what the above poster suggested, and also walked through GasTown which is right there and interesting also.

[martincath]

Yup, ditching the rental car is step 1 in how to save money. There's no such thing as cheap parking in Vancouver, unless the car has a large enough trunk to completely conceal your suitcases there's also the risk of your stuff tempting our local thieves which would add $$$ to your costs and a very unpleasant end to your vacation by filling out forms at the police station!

 

My wife's a keen photog and has taken some photowalk classes - Gastown is by far the most popular spot in the city to do these, as it offers a lot of historic (well, as historic as Vancouver gets, we're young even compared to eastern Canadian cities!) buildings interspersed with more modern architecture. Victory Square has two buildings that can claim to have been the tallest in the Empire at one time (Dominion Building and Sun Tower) kitty-corner to each other, and still looking very swank, contrasting with the sleeping street people in the park around the War Memorial and more decayed buildings surrounding them. The new Woodwards development, retaining facades of the old department store and even the original rotating W on the roof, is another interesting location.

 

Stanley Park is a great spot for nature photos, and Granville Island has some very quirky little nooks & crannies like the ex-campus for Emily Carr college - their industrial-scale art workshops have a little tunnel/walkway through the building, and there's a lot of intriguing material still hanging around. The houseboats at the back of there are also very interesting from an aesthetic POV.

 

Architecture-specificl walking tours are offered in the summer by AIBC - and even if you can't get a 2 for 1 Groupon deal, they're dirt cheap ($10pp last year rack rate). The Tour Guys people offer free walking tours - pretty general, but they include art/architecture/history and plenty of stops for photo ops. At least one or two of these likely fit in your timeframe.

 

Downtown proper, Robson Square and the courthouse is IMO one of the absolute best things Arthur Erickson ever did - it's conceptually a high rise building lying on its side, and unlike some of his other buildings actually had genuinely usable public space as a high priority. The Marine Building is another must see IMO - there's a reason it's featured heavily in film & TV as it's a very nice building even if you ignore the tremendous artwork outside and in (do not miss the lobby - try to get up to the mezzanine level as the ceiling is much more easily visible, and each elevator is very artily engraved too).

 

On the art rather than architecture front, Alan Storey's Public Service/Private Steps on Burrard just down from the Marine Building is my favourite outdoor art piece in the city, an easy walk from the pier - it's included on this suggested art walk as well as some other great pieces, with a very inclusive listing of other bits of art around the city available here.

 

Vancouver on the Cheap is a series of articles on a local blog that should give you some more ideas - and look for local events that have low/no cost to attend that seem like things your family would enjoy. Tourism Vancouver and the city website both contain event listings.

[Planning is Half the Fun]

I can't recommend this as I haven't done my trip yet, but I intend to hit up these free walking tours. (tips accepted)

 

http://www.tourguys.ca/#!free-tours/c1gaz

[xlxo]

Hi all,

 

We will be disembarking from an Alaska cruise in Vancouver on a Saturday morning in a couple of weeks. Our flight is not until 6:40pm - we are Canadian, so we expect that being at the airport for 4:40pm should suffice.

 

In the meantime, we will have 9am-4:40pm to explore the area. Since we are spending so much on our Alaska excursions, we are looking for some budget friendly ideas for things to do.

 

We are photographers, and enjoy nature and architecture. We are considering renting a car for the day. Does anyone have any recommendations for things to see/do on a budget?

 

Thanks in advance! :)

Another vote to skip the rental car. Store the luggage at the cruise terminal and get it on the way to the hotel.

 

• 2:45pm retrieve luggage at CDS baggage at the cruise terminal
  
• 3pm depart cruise terminal
  
• 4:40 arrival at YVR
  
• 6:40 wheels up with dreams on a return trip to Vancouver
  

 

A half day is not enough time to explore Vancouver. Are you a first timer? You need more time in Vancouver.

Edited June 1, 2016 by xlxo

[kirenne]

Another vote to skip the rental car. Store the luggage at the cruise terminal and get it on the way to the hotel.

 

• 2:45pm retrieve luggage at CDS baggage at the cruise terminal
  
• 3pm depart cruise terminal
  
• 4:40 arrival at YVR
  
• 6:40 wheels up with dreams on a return trip to Vancouver
  

 

A half day is not enough time to explore Vancouver. Are you a first timer? You need more time in Vancouver.

 

Yes, I am a first time cruiser. I have been to Vancouver previously, but it has been over a decade. Unfortunately we don't have the option to stay longer, our flights are with Princess EZ Air and I do not believe they can be changed now that our cruise is only just over a week away.

 

I'm sure we will be back in Vancouver at some point though.

[kirenne]

Yup, ditching the rental car is step 1 in how to save money. There's no such thing as cheap parking in Vancouver, unless the car has a large enough trunk to completely conceal your suitcases there's also the risk of your stuff tempting our local thieves which would add $$$ to your costs and a very unpleasant end to your vacation by filling out forms at the police station!

 

My wife's a keen photog and has taken some photowalk classes - Gastown is by far the most popular spot in the city to do these, as it offers a lot of historic (well, as historic as Vancouver gets, we're young even compared to eastern Canadian cities!) buildings interspersed with more modern architecture. Victory Square has two buildings that can claim to have been the tallest in the Empire at one time (Dominion Building and Sun Tower) kitty-corner to each other, and still looking very swank, contrasting with the sleeping street people in the park around the War Memorial and more decayed buildings surrounding them. The new Woodwards development, retaining facades of the old department store and even the original rotating W on the roof, is another interesting location.

 

Stanley Park is a great spot for nature photos, and Granville Island has some very quirky little nooks & crannies like the ex-campus for Emily Carr college - their industrial-scale art workshops have a little tunnel/walkway through the building, and there's a lot of intriguing material still hanging around. The houseboats at the back of there are also very interesting from an aesthetic POV.

 

Architecture-specificl walking tours are offered in the summer by AIBC - and even if you can't get a 2 for 1 Groupon deal, they're dirt cheap ($10pp last year rack rate). The Tour Guys people offer free walking tours - pretty general, but they include art/architecture/history and plenty of stops for photo ops. At least one or two of these likely fit in your timeframe.

 

Downtown proper, Robson Square and the courthouse is IMO one of the absolute best things Arthur Erickson ever did - it's conceptually a high rise building lying on its side, and unlike some of his other buildings actually had genuinely usable public space as a high priority. The Marine Building is another must see IMO - there's a reason it's featured heavily in film & TV as it's a very nice building even if you ignore the tremendous artwork outside and in (do not miss the lobby - try to get up to the mezzanine level as the ceiling is much more easily visible, and each elevator is very artily engraved too).

 

On the art rather than architecture front, Alan Storey's Public Service/Private Steps on Burrard just down from the Marine Building is my favourite outdoor art piece in the city, an easy walk from the pier - it's included on this suggested art walk as well as some other great pieces, with a very inclusive listing of other bits of art around the city available here.

 

Vancouver on the Cheap is a series of articles on a local blog that should give you some more ideas - and look for local events that have low/no cost to attend that seem like things your family would enjoy. Tourism Vancouver and the city website both contain event listings.

 

Thank you for all of your suggestions! Tons of great info in here.

[BCHappyGal]

I agree with ditching the rental car idea..

However if you love nature and do get a car head to Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge instead of Capilano - Lynn Valley is the next gorge over from Capilano and as it is a Provincial Park it is free and the walking trails thru the rain forest are lovely... get photo ops for a nature lover but to get to Lynn Valley you really need a car as city bus would take over an hour each way

 

But if you do rent a car it would make touring Stanley Park and then Lynn Valley very easy and the parks are free to enter put parking is not.

[kirenne]

I agree with ditching the rental car idea..

However if you love nature and do get a car head to Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge instead of Capilano - Lynn Valley is the next gorge over from Capilano and as it is a Provincial Park it is free and the walking trails thru the rain forest are lovely... get photo ops for a nature lover but to get to Lynn Valley you really need a car as city bus would take over an hour each way

 

But if you do rent a car it would make touring Stanley Park and then Lynn Valley very easy and the parks are free to enter put parking is not.

 

The cruise was last week, and we actually did get a car rental. It all worked out well, we went to the Sea to Sky gondola and did some walking trails and the suspension bridge there. Afterward, it unfortunately started to pour rain. We tried Lynn Valley and still got a few shots in the rain, but it would have been nicer with better weather! We still had a nice day though.

[Putterdude]

The cruise was last week, and we actually did get a car rental. It all worked out well, we went to the Sea to Sky gondola and did some walking trails and the suspension bridge there. Afterward, it unfortunately started to pour rain. We tried Lynn Valley and still got a few shots in the rain, but it would have been nicer with better weather! We still had a nice day though.

 

With what you did a rental car makes sense however for people who are trying to see the sights of Vancouver most of us Vancouver types generally advise against a rental car. Sorry you ran right into the middle of Junuary weather, that was most unfortunate.

[kitcrazy]

OP, I realize your visit to Vancouver is over, but future readers of this thread may get value from this link:

http://www.vancityasks.com/vancouver-tours/

 

This outfit puts on free walking tours of Vancouver. Right now they only run on Saturdays, but their website will give you current information.

[VancityAsks]

OP, I realize your visit to Vancouver is over, but future readers of this thread may get value from this link:

http://www.vancityasks.com/vancouver-tours/

 

This outfit puts on free walking tours of Vancouver. Right now they only run on Saturdays, but their website will give you current information.

 

Hi Kitcrazy,

 

Thanks for mentioning about our tours.

 

Starting September, we'll likely be moving our frequency of these free tours base on demand (we can add more frequency if required).

 

As such, we would be able to adjust which days of the month the tour operates if there's a cruise ship in port during those days.

 

While admittedly, I'm not personally familiar with cruise schedules in Vancouver, if a member on Cruise Critic email us a month in advance when your cruise ship arrives, I'll be happy to schedule a tour on that day.

 

The tours are indeed absolutely free (and the tour guide is paid) although we encourage a $15 donation to Covenant House (which helps abuse and addicted victims in downtown Vancouver). This is completely optional; you'll also have a sweet piece of Victorian Cream waiting for you if you choose to do so.

 

Our purpose with these tours is to maximize the social value.

Edited July 28, 2016 by VancityAsks

[lag9122]

Hi VancityAsks we are coming next June flying in on Thursday and would love a tour of the city . What's the email address

[VancityAsks]

Hi VancityAsks we are coming next June flying in on Thursday and would love a tour of the city . What's the email address

 

Excellent, glad to hear that lag9122.

 

It would be great to have you on our free walking tours. I'll be happy to adjust our tour schedule to ensure we have a tour operating when you're in town. Conveniently the meeting point and end point is near where the cruise ships docks if you should be departing on a cruise.

 

You can PM this user account or submit the contact form here:

http://www.vancityasks.com/contact-us/

Edited August 5, 2016 by VancityAsks