Need a Vancouver Weekend Guide? 

As someone who was raised in Vancouver, I often get asked what to do during a visit. Many friends fly in for a quick trip or pass through on their way up to Whistler, another ski resort, or Vancouver Island. Here is what I would recommend to anyone coming to the city to enjoy the perfect Vancouver weekend (or 2 days).

**Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. There is no additional cost to you, if you click through an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may make a commission.**

Read more here: My Vancouver Travel Resource Page

The Ultimate Vancouver Weekend Guide!

Vancouver Weekend – DAY 1

7 AM – Coffee 

I’m an early riser these days so I need my caffeine pronto! Coffee culture is improving in Vancouver after many years of Starbucks running the show. Below is a blog post with my favourite cafes in different neighbourhoods.

• Read more here: A Vancouver Coffee Guide

Morning coffee at Matchstick

8 AM – Breakfast 

If I was having my perfect day I would go for breakfast at Cafe Medina. It’s pretty popular so I haven’t been in a while because of long waits. If you do happen to go, order a waffle with some dipping sauce, a lavender latte, and their tagine with merguez sausage. Yum! If you don’t have a lot of time, try Yolks Breakfast Food Truck! New to the city is Jam Cafe from Victoria. I haven’t been but I have dined at their Victoria location. 

*Please remember brunch is a popular Vancouver weekend activity so the best places to eat will also be the busiest (long lines).

• Read more: The Best Breakfast and Brunches In Vancouver

Cafe Medina’s waffle!! So tasty!

9:30 AM – Stanley Park

Stanley Park was voted the best park in the world by users of Tripadvisor. Even though I have been coming here since I was a child, I do really visit every time I come here. There’s so much to do inside the park from the beaches, the lakes, the Aquarium, miniature train ride for kids, great restaurants, and more. The best way to see the park is to rent a bicycle (along Denman Street at Spokes Bicycles) but you can also drive or walk through! For more details of where to stop and take the best pictures, check out my blog post linked below. 

• Read more here: Stanley Park – A Guide To The World’s Best Park

 

Stanley Park’s totems

The Stanley Park Seawall

Look up the best rates for your Vancouver hotel here:

Booking.com

12 PM – Aquabus 

Make your way to Yaletown from Stanley Park. Yaletown is not my favourite neighbourhood in Vancouver (it’s Yuppie-Ville) but there is an Aquabus stop here. The Aquabus is an adorable water taxi that’s cheap, gives you great water views of the city, and will bring you to my next recommendation. Don’t eat yet! You’ll want to eat at your next destination. Grab a snack if you’re hungry!

• Read more: Vancouver’s Aquabus – Million Dollar Views For A Few Dollars

Cheap yet gorgeous cruise on the water!

12:30 PM – Granville Island

Granville Island is home to a public food market, theatre, restaurants, an art school, a brewery, a distillery, artisans making everything from rice grown in BC sake or handmade brooms, retail shops, and more. The public market houses row after row of vendors selling produce, seafood, meat, baked goods, and gourmet food. It’s a popular place for locals and visitors to come. 

I always visit Granville Island when I go home. Always. You’ll probably snack your way through the market so you may not be hungry for an official lunch. If you are there are tons of great places to eat on Granville Island. Try a donut at Lee’s which was recently seen on David Chang’s Breakfast Lunch and Dinner on Netflix. 

• Read more: Granville Island – A Vancouver Must Do!

• Read more: The Best Food Markets Around The World

 

3 PM – Walk To Olympic Village And Mount Pleasant and Riley Park

Olympic Village has changed in the last few years since…..the Olympics. There are restaurants, shops, and condos galore. Walk along the seawall for the views and then make your way to Mount Pleasant. 

The Birds sculpture by Myfanwy MacLeod (one of them anyway)

Mount Pleasant gets a bad rap from some Vancouverites. It can be a bit hipster but what can you do. The craft breweries in the area are fantastic. My favourite is Brassneck on 7th Avenue and Main Street. If you like donuts, next door is Cartems Donuterie. It’s so good. If you are hungry while you’re having a beer, there’s usually a food truck parked outside of Brassneck. If you walk south or up the hill there are some cool shops along Main Street if you keep walking towards Riley Park.

• Read more: The Best Craft Breweries In BC

I’ll take a craft beer flight, thank you very much!

A delicious donut from Cartems

5 PM – Early Dinner in Gastown or Chinatown

After hanging out around Mount Pleasant, head to Gastown for dinner and then drinks. There are several restaurants that I recommend but I’d go for some Mexican at Tacofino Bar if you’re not from California and have plentiful taquerias near you. There is also Guu for Japanese tapas, Nuba for Lebanese (vegan-friendly!) or head over to Bestie in Chinatown for some sausages and beer!

• Read more: The Best Restaurants For Dinner In Vancouver

7 PM – Bella Gelateria 

Bella’s gelato is life! There is one in the Fairmont Pacific Rim and near the Convention Centre. It tends to be very busy but it is the best gelato in the city. Award-winning, no joke!

8 PM – Cocktail Time!

I love ending my night with a cocktail. A few places I like to go for drinks are Hawksworth and Boulevard. Both are a bit ritzy but they have incredible drinks. I’m also a big fan of hotel bars. Bacchus at the Wedgewood Hotel has a bit of an old man bar vibe but I love it. In Gastown, I always head to the Alibi Room. 

A whiskey sour at Boulevard

 

Vancouver Weekend – DAY 2 

8 am – Coffee 

Depending on where you are staying we have cafes to choose from downtown, in Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, and more. Le Marche is a really quaint neighbourhood cafe and market in the Riley Park neighbourhood. My friends live nearby and it’s a regular haunt when I’m in town. Today let’s have a smaller breakfast and head out outdoors!

Le Marche St. George!

9:30 am – North Vancouver

We are going to head over to the North Shore (North Vancouver) for some outdoor time. There are several options to choose from in North Van but for this particular one, the early bird gets the worm!! The earlier you go the better chance you can get a solo shot on the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge. There’s another suspension bridge, Capilano, which is closer but it gets even busier since it’s one of the biggest attractions in the Vancouver area.

With Lynn Valley, there’s hiking close by but some people don’t have time for a hike or just want the photo of the bridge. Please note that if you’re adding this to your Vancouver weekend plans, it will be tough to get a solo shot on the bridge unless you go very very early. 

Patience and going early is the secret to one of these shots! Photo credit: Ordinary Traveler

Another one of my favourite places on the North Shore is Deep Cove. You can either add this after going to Lynn Valley or you can go here instead. I love it. I first start off with a hike along the Baden-Powell trail. It’s not too hard in my opinion (I’m not crazy in shape so I think most people who are mobile can do this hike). You head up towards a spot called Quarry Rock for some epic views!

There are some spots for sitting!

After the hike, go and have a doughnut at Honey’s and then shop at the cute little shops in the area like Room 6 and Ahoy.

Mmmm Honey’s doughnut (hella deep fried but awesome)

• Read more: Deep Cove In North Vancouver

12 pm – Lunch

Asian food is Vancouver’s forte. If you like Asian food, you’re in luck. You have your choice of Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and even Cambodian.

If I were to choose, I would go for Japanese food. I love sushi and in SoCal and everywhere else in the world, it’s really expensive for quality fish. Since Vancouver is close to the ocean, fish is quite well priced for the quality you get. There’s a lot of average sushi in the city but a few of my favourite place would be Ajisai in Kerrisdale (easier to get to with a car).

If you’re not in the mood for sushi, perhaps try one of the many food trucks around the city. Japadog was created in Vancouver and is famous for their hot dogs with Japanese toppings. You may recognize it from the late Anthony Bourdain’s show, No Reservations. 

Japadog!

• Read more: The best budget-friendly eats in Vancouver

1:00 PM – Gallery / Museum Time

By now I’m craving a bit of culture. Vancouver Art Gallery is not huge but it usually has a really great visiting exhibit. Tuesdays in the evenings are by donation but I’m a museum nerd so I’ll pay for admission.

Other galleries or museums:

• Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art – He’s a prolific Canadian and First Nations artist
• Museum of Anthropology at UBC – loads of First Nations art, a beautiful venue but it’s far away at the University of British Columbia. Worth it if you have a car.

3 PM – Gastown  

Gastown is touristy and local at the same time. In the summer, you’ll see hoards of people coming off the Alaska cruises to see the steam clock. It’s really not that exciting but what is, are the shops in the area. My friend Michelle owns a shop called One of A Few which is fantastic. She has impeccable taste and style and curates a great line list. If you’re a guy, then you’ll want to check out men’s shops like Roden Gray, Inventory, and Haven.

One of A Few Shop

Vancouver’s own Flat Iron building

If you need to re-up your coffee, go to Timbertrain Coffee Roasters or Revolver. Both are right in the heart of Gastown. If you need some savoury snack, go to Bao Down. Want something sweet? Go to Soft Peaks for some yummy soft serve with toppings!

Mmmm Soft Peaks!

4 PM – Chinatown

Chinatown in Vancouver is the 3rd largest in North America. It’s getting gentrified with non-Asian shops but what can you do right? There are still cool gems to hit up here.

The Chinatown gate at Pender and Taylor Streets

One of my favourite places in Chinatown is Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden. There is an area that is free if you don’t want to pay the entrance fee which is the park. It’s a great place for photos and a little bit of a zen escape from your day.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Park

If you need a snack, head over to New Town Bakery on Pender for cheap Chinese baked goods. I love the bbq pork bun or the cocktail bun which is filled with coconut. I also love Pazzo Chow close to Sun Yat-Sen which is a little Italian market and deli. My friend Maya owns it and I love her focaccia and Nutella!

Oh lordy!

If you love sneakers, make sure to go to Livestock. My friends Garry, Rob, and Garret own it and it’s the best sneaker shop in Canada.

6 PM – Dinner and Drinks

We’re going to kill two birds with one stone with this Vancouver weekend recommendation! Go to the Settlement Building! Housed in the said building is the Vancouver Urban Winery, Postmark Brewing, and Belgard Kitchen. So drinks of wine or beer will be satisfied or hungry folk as well.

Do some tasting flights!

Mmm meatballs

Delicious mushroom pate

 

Extra Vancouver weekend suggestions

• If it’s summer and the weekend, head to Richmond on the Skytrain for the Richmond Night Market which is the biggest Asian night market in North America. Eat street food, drink boba, and buy things like gadgets, smartphone accessories, and toys.
• At the end of the summer, go to the Pacific National Exhibition is happening. This would be Vancouver’s equivalent of a county fair. There’s livestock, games, rides, fair food, and free concerts.
• During the winter, head up to the three local mountains for snowshoeing, views, tubing, and skiing/snowboarding
• In the spring, go to Queen Elizabeth to check out the cherry blossoms
• During the fall, head to the many local parks to see the leaves in full autumn glory!

And there you have it! The best Vancouver weekend or 2 days in Vancouver itinerary by someone who is from Vancouver. If I was going back home for a Vancouver weekend, I would still squeeze in all these activities! 

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Have you done any of these things in Vancouver?

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may make a commission.*