One of the best things to do in Canada is touring Vancouver. As Vancouver is both cosmopolitan and outdoorsy at the same time, there are many fun things to do in Vancouver. If you are wondering about what to see in Vancouver, then there are scenic beauty, cutting age art, numerous innovative architecture and many more.
Besides, there are delicious international cuisines and fantastic shopping, all just minutes away from hiking, fishing, boating and skiing. You cannot ask for a better destination than Vancouver. Here is a list of best places to visit in Vancouver.
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10 Fun Things to Do in Vancouver:
10. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is one of the top Vancouver tourist attractions. Located in Vancouver’s Chinatown, it is the first Ming Dynasty-styled garden built outside of China. To ensure the authenticity of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 52 craftsmen came from Suzhou, China. Named in honor of the first president of the Republic of China, it is one of the best things to see in Vancouver.
Though the garden was built in mid 1980s, it will take visitors back to the 15th century China. The rocks of the garden were imported from Suzhou. The rocks, plants, water and architecture creates an oasis of tranquility in this bustling city. The garden is a very nice place for relaxation. Visiting the garden is one of the best things to do in Vancouver.
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9. Robson Street
One of the best things to do in Vancouver is sipping coffee at a sidewalk café in Robson Street. Robson Street is just like Madison Avenue in New York and Knightsbridge in London. Named after a provincial premier, Robson Street is the best shopping district in British Colombia. Since the late 1800s, it has been attracting shoppers like honey draws flies.
As one of the top Vancouver tourist attractions, Robson Street has more than just fashionable shops and upscale boutiques. Along with many art galleries, it also offers casual and fine dining in various ethnic cuisines. At night, the street performers come out in force to entertain shoppers or people-watchers. It is one of the fun things to do in Vancouver to spending an afternoon in Robson Street.
Also read: Top 10 best tourist places in Canada
8. Museum of Anthropology at UBC
The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia is one of the things to see in Vancouver for anyone who wants to learn more about native peoples of the world that includes British Columbia’s North Coast Indians who are known as the First Nations. The museum was founded in 1949. Along with 38,000 ethnological items, the museum houses more than 500,000 archaeological objects.
Visiting the museum is one of the fun things to do in Vancouver as there are many wonderful examples of huge totem poles used by North Coast natives to tell stories. Visitors can also see implements used by all indigenous peoples in their daily lives. Besides the setting of the museum that overlooks the sea and mountains along with being the largest teaching museum in Canada have made visiting the Museum of Anthropology as one of the best things to do in Canada.
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7. Canada Place
Visiting Canada Place, Vancouver is one of the best things to do in Canada. With fabric-covered roof peaks that resemble sails, Canada Place has become a prominent landmark on Vancouver’s skyline. The colorful facility has different colors to represent the diversity found in Canada and has become one of the most intriguing things to see in Vancouver. Built in 1927, Canada Place served the Canadian Pacific Railway and other traders shipping goods by sea across the Pacific Ocean.
But now the multipurpose facility sends passengers on cruises to Alaska. The Vancouver World Trade and Convention Center and a major hotel are also located here. The waterfront Canada Place also served as the Canadian Pavilion during the 1986 World’s Fair. Visiting this historic landmark is one of the best things to do in Vancouver.
6. Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain is one of the most popular year-round Vancouver tourist attractions. It is located just 15 minutes outside of Vancouver. Back in 1894, the first people to climb Grouse Mountain hunted grouse on their way to the top. This is the main reason behind the name. With hiking in the summer and great skiing in the winter, visiting the Grouse Mountain is one of the most fun things to do in Vancouver. There is a tramway that takes visitors to the top of the mountain in any season of the year.
You will be able to enjoy breathtaking views as well as nature movies, which is one of the most awe inspiring things to see in Vancouver. There is also a wildlife refuge in the resort. Visitors will be able to see bears, wolves and interpretive programs here. There is also a lumberjack show where visitors can enjoy lumberjacks competitively chop, saw and roll logs. All of those things make visiting the mountain one of the most fun things to do in Vancouver.
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5. Chinatown Vancouver
One of the best places to visit in Vancouver is the Chinatown, which got its start in the late 19th century with a large influx of Chinese immigrants. There were 1,000 Chinese living here by 1890, building homes and businesses in buildings that are still used today. There are many restaurants that offer a wide variety of Chinese cuisines. Tucked in among them is a shrine to Jimi Hendrix. He lived here with his grandmother when he was a child.
You can also find one of the narrowest buildings in the world here on Pender Street. The building is just 2 meters (6 feet wide). You will find the West Han bell in Shanghai Alley, which was a gift from the city of Guangzhou in China to mark the 15th anniversary of Vancouver becoming a sister city. Visiting Chinatown is one of the best things to do in Vancouver.
4. Stanley Park
Stanley Park is one of the best places to visit in Vancouver. Located in Central Vancouver, Stanley Park is a treasure set on almost 1,000 acres. It is the first and biggest park in the city. One of the best things to do in Vancouver is to relax with a bike ride on 8.8 kilometers (5.5 miles) of the seawall along English Bay. Visitors can also stroll through the 27 kilometers (16.7 miles) of trails through a rain-forest in a more leisurely pace as they stop to enjoy wildlife.
One of the fun things to do in Vancouver is to walk through the trail and watch the hundreds of species of birds that call the park home. Visitors can also take a horse-drawn carriage rides through this serene and scenic setting. First Nations tribal members carved nine totem poles that add a colorful touch to the park. Stanley Park is one of the top Vancouver tourist attractions that have been serving the city since 1888.
3. Granville Island
Visiting Granville Island is one of the best things to do in Vancouver. The island started off as industrial land. Its warehouses and shops were abandoned over time. The city was left to decay when the industry moved on. Now it is one of the most successful urban renewal projects in North America. Touring Granville Island has become one of the fun things to do in Vancouver as it serves many uses now.
There is a public market that sells fresh produce and fish daily. Visitors can also enjoy many waterfront restaurants, art galleries and a lively entertainment scene that offers everything from comedy to contemporary theater. There are plenty of entertainers throughout the market and around the boutiques that will make the shopping much more enjoyable.
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2. Gastown
Vancouver’s Old Town, Gastown is now one of the most entertaining places to visit in Vancouver. The original city center was named for a Yorkshire seaman called “Gassy” Jack Deighton but became Vancouver in 1886. That same year, it was destroyed by fire and was quickly rebuilt. Unfortunately the city deteriorated in later years. In the 1960s, Gastown was reborn and gradually became Vancouver’s center for art, fashion, food and entertainment.
Gastown is a national historic area and one of the best places to visit in Canada. The old buildings of the town are filled with stylish shops and boutiques, traditional Native and cutting edge art, pioneering restaurants and a lively amusement scene. You can be certain that visiting Gastown is one of the most fun things to do in Vancouver.
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1. Capilano Suspension Bridge
If you are wondering about what to see in Vancouver, then Capilano Suspension Bridge is your answer. Your idea of walking through a forest will change after you visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. One of the best things to do in Vancouver is walking among the upper reaches of an old-growth rain forest on a suspension bridge that is 140 meters (460 feet) long and peaks at 70 meters (230 feet high) as it crosses the Capilano River. Visitors can also enjoy Cliff Walk, which is a walkway that clings to the side of a granite cliff.
You have to take the Treetops Adventure where seven suspension bridges are as high as 30 meters (100 feet) above the forest floor with platforms. From here visitors can get a squirrel’s eye view of the forest. It is one of the best things to do in Vancouver. If you are less adventuresome, you can enjoy strolling through a ground trail and seeing Totem Park and Northwest natives making traditional crafts.