Things to do in Vancouver, Victoria & Whistler

Vancouver's Stanley Park wraps 400 hectares of West Coast rainforest, beaches and First Nations totem poles beside downtown, renting a bike to loop the Seawall is a classic, and Canada's largest aquarium, the Vancouver Aquarium, sits inside the park. In North Vancouver, cross the swaying bridge and walk the Cliffwalk at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, try the suspension bridge 50 m above the canyon in Lynn Canyon Park, or ride the Skyride up Grouse Mountain to its Wildlife Refuge and Peak Chalet. Back in the city, browse the produce stalls, bakeries and artisan shops of Granville Island Public Market, follow the cobblestones of Gastown to its 1977 Steam Clock, and meet tropical birds and more than 500 exotic plants in the Bloedel Conservatory atop Queen Elizabeth Park. Further out, The Butchart Gardens near Victoria lead through the Sunken, Rose and Japanese Gardens, the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola in Whistler spans 4.4 km between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, and in the holiday season the Vancouver Christmas Market fills Jack Poole Plaza while Canyon Lights at Capilano makes the rainforest glow.

Good to knowA free shuttle runs to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, and Lynn Canyon Park charges for parking from spring to autumn, so public transit is the easy option; wear shoes with good grip for wet trails. The Vancouver Aquarium is cashless, Grouse Mountain's lifts and activities should be checked on the day, and The Butchart Gardens' opening hours change by season. The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola runs in the summer sightseeing and winter ski seasons with short maintenance breaks between, and entry to the Vancouver Christmas Market is ticketed.