I keep getting asked for where we like to go in Vancouver Canada, and I have old lists for Vancouver with kids and Vancouver with my dog, but I realized recently that I didn’t have a centralized list, so this is where I’m going to put the places we like to go and things we do in Vancouver, Canada from now on.
Vancouver BC is only about 2.5 hours north of Seattle by car (and don’t get it confused with Vancouver Washington which is about 2.5 hours south of Seattle by car) so it’s a really easy drive-even as a day trip-and pretty much all of our family lives there so we go often. You can also take a bus or train-I used to ride the Amtrak in the pre-covid times. The only downfall is that these methods are quite slow. The fastest way has always been driving for us. And once on the dreamiest trip with Tourism Whistler I went to Vancouver by airplane and I would love to replicate this whole trip one day-it was perfect.
Where we stay in Vancouver BC
A lot of the time we stay with family in Coquitlam or Richmond so feel free to message if you are looking for recommendations in these areas too. But we also stay in a lot of hotels just for fun and to spend time downtown.
Fairmont Vancouver Waterfront: this is probably our favorite place to stay if we are looking for a more luxurious family vacation where we all sleep in the same room, hang out at the super warm pool, get room service breakfast and amble around the city. Miku sushi ( a place known for its aburi style sushi) is right across the street and we also like to walk nearby to JJ Bean for coffee and to Botanist for breakfast and we’ve had the most perfect grilled cheese and tomato soup at the restaurant at this hotel as well. We usually book this hotel with Amex because it often comes with food credit/breakfast and late checkout.
Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre: this is our most comfortable for also usually the best price in Vancouver. The Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre has two bedroom family rooms that also have club lounge access (these have been sold out when we’ve visited lately-they’re really popular) and these suites have tons of room and make it easy to sprawl. I was told to try Fat Mao noodles by a Vancouver foodie and it’s right near the lobby of the hotel and delicious.
Cafes and Restaurants in Vancouver we love
All the Japanese Restaurants we like to visit-my mom is Japanese and so this a lot of the food I crave when I go home.
Bunny cafe– this isn’t a place I’ve gone for food but you can eat here. We’ve been here to feed the bunnies and it’s a fun place to go. Nearby is La Casa Gelato a place that has more flavors of gelato than any other place we’ve ever been.
Granville Island-you could eat anything at Granville Island and be quite content. We always get pierogis, coffee from Blue Parrot or JJ Bean, Lee’s donuts is really popular because of Seth Rogan and they are also delicious, and we have a lot of family meal memories at the Sandbar. Specifically we look for the porridge at the Stock Market, the salmon pie at A la Mode, rugelach at Siegels bagels, Foccaccia from Duso’s and whatever fruits are in season to eat at my parent’s house or at our hotel.
Joe Fortes-this place has been in Vancouver forever and it’s location just off Robson makes it really convenient if you’re shopping that street. They have delicious seafood entrees in an elegant setting. Joe Fortes also has a roof-top patio.
Kanadell– I don’t know if you’ll find a place with cuter breads. I love their little bear breads and their little chickens. And it’s a bit outside of downtown and closer to Burnaby so it’s a good pairing with something like the Amazing Brentwood or Got Lot Tea (a tea place that also has crafts that I want to take my niece to)
Nemesis Coffee– I am going to need a whole page just for Vancouver Coffee but if there was a goddess of coffee there, she would live in the artsy red building where you find Nemesis Coffee on Great Northern Way a teeny-but-worth-it drive from downtown. Pastries, coffee and food here are all delicious. This one sets the standards high for other coffee shops.
Nero Waffles-get here just before opening and you won’t wait in line. When we’ve visited we get up earlier and also get coffee nearby at Kafka’s- if you have kids you will like that there’s a playground very close to hear too. We also love Medina Cafe for their waffles and breakfast too.
Stepho’s-this place on Davie Street has really inexpensive Greek food. My husband and I have been coming here since our University days and we really only get the Veggie plate here and then eat it at the beach or Stanley Park.
Rocky Point Ice Cream-we usually get this ice cream in its original location at Rocky Point which is has scenic pathways along the water and a great playground and waterpark. It even has a pup ice cream. You can also get it in Stanley Park which we found when we rented an e-bike and biked around the park too.
Shopping Malls we stop at in Vancouver
The Amazing Brentwood-this one is just outside of Vancouver in the suburb known as Burnaby. The food court here is spectacular. My guys are partial to JapaDog here and I like Soon Coffee. You can also get soufflé pancakes at Gram and there is a breakfast place called OEB here that you need to get to when it opens or it’s often difficult to get a seat.
Guildford Town Centre – if we drive electric we sometimes stop here to charge and it’s a popular with the locals for charging too-we often see it quite full. So when we stop here we go in for bubble tea and to pick up snacks and treats at London Drugs. There is a Famoso pizza here and we’ve enjoyed a few meals at this Canadian chain. There is also a TOGO sushi here that is tasty and reasonably priced. (it has vegetarian options too)
Really Cool Parks in the Vancouver Area
Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park – this is a really cool place that we haven’t visited often enough and I think we last went before the whole world shut down. It’s like a bubble full of plants and birds and it’s a cool place to visit, especially if it’s raining and you have kids in tow.
Greenheart TreeWalk-this is a walk through the trees you can do at the University of British Columbia if you are there between April-October.
Rocky Point Park-I post this one a lot on instagram and every time I do I get a whole bunch of messages. There is a really cool photogenic boardwalk here (part of it is under maintenance when we last went). Rocky Point Park also has a pier, an incredible water park and playground too. There are many breweries nearby, an ice cream shop, Fish and Chips and most recently a new bakery called Elmo Baking that makes pretty delicious croissants.
Stanley Park-everyone will ask you if you go to Vancouver if you’ve been to Stanley Park and it is a huge park. We often bike around it. The kids used to love the playgrounds there. There are places to eat. And of course the Vancouver Aquarium too. (Apparently there is a sloth in the Vancouver Aquarium that is quite active and I need to try to see this sloth the next time that we visit. The jellyfish at this aquarium are usually part of everyone’s Vancouver BC pictures too.)
Terra Nova Park in Richmond-this one is in such a gorgeous area and the playground here is awesome enough even grownups will want to play too.
Van Dusen Gardens– this is a park with an entry fee and at different times of the year they have special events. May is when you’ll see the laburnum bloom and it’s a lot like walking through what you’d imagine a Dr. Seuss world would be like. Also, they have holiday lights in the winter.
If you happen to be in Vancouver in October
Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in October on the 2nd Monday of the month. And if you have ever wanted to immerse yourself in a cranberry bog there is a farm just outside of Vancouver that lets you do just this. We went a few years ago because it was something we knew my mom would absolutely love and it was pretty magical.
And that’s not all….
Make sure you check back as I’ll try to update this one a bit more often or send me a message if you are thinking about a specific place or visiting Vancouver and want to know fun places near where you are staying. I know I’ve left a lot off this list but there is also SO MUCH TO SEE in this city.
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
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