Planning a trip to Vancouver B.C. Any ideas? Never been there

Some ideas:

Stanley Park - enormous - and beautiful
Aquarium (in the park)

Walk along the sea wall - busy but very pretty

Chinatown

Granville Island - lovely market - consider taking the ferry over as the access road can be crazy busy.

Rob Feenie's restaurant: Lumière

You won't have any trouble filling in your days.
Enjoy

 
Unfortunately, both Rob Feenie's restaurants closed in 2011. We liked Feenie's better than Lumiere

because it was more accessible. Fewer foams, gels and the like. For a terrific small-plates (but big flavors and goodly portions) dinner, I'd recommend Bin 941. During a 10 day dining trip to the Northwest, we had some of the most memorable food there. http://www.bin941.com/

We also enjoyed Wild Rice, Hon's and The Alibi Room
http://www.wildricevancouver.com/
http://www.hons.ca/
http://www.alibi.ca/

For a treat, you should also check out the Tomahawk Restaurant. While the food is basically good, diner food, it's kitchier than hell and a photo treat. Also, up at the North End, there's a little local place called the Jagerhof Schnitzel House where you can get some kick-ass German food, if you're so inclined.

http://www.tomahawkrestaurant.com/
http://www.vancouverrestaurants.com/jagerhof-schnitzel-house

For the best cup of coffee in your LIFE (I kid you not) check out the Caffe Artigiano in town.

http://www.caffeartigiano.com/

and last but not least, first opportunity you get, stop off at a Tim Horton's and pick up a box of donut holes. (They have a couple dozen different kinds). We became addicts.

Have fun and don't forget to stock up on your Loonies and Twoonies!

 
emtd hit most of my suggestions. We loved the rapid transit and

used the big ferries and water taxies, light rail and the bus system. When we were there, they even had bicycles you can rent and leave in various spots across town.

Capilano suspended bridge was nice, but try for a day with no fog. We would often pick up meals at URBAN grocery stores and then picnic somewhere along the waterfront.

We had amazing wood-oven pizza in the Gaslight district, but that was 8 years ago and I can't remember the name.

Have fun!!

http://www.urbanfare.com/

 
A drive out to Whistler is beautiful on the Rim of the World Highway

The expensive restaurant there was my favorite of the whole trip. Rent bikes and cycle around Stanley Park. Take a ferry out to one of the islands for the day or stay overnight at a B&B. Near the airport is a wonderful bird sanctuary.

 
If you would like any restaurant suggestions I have two

brothers and a sister who live there. Do you have hotel arrangements? If it's in your price range The Bayshore has lovely water views. (I have no affiliation with them - have simply stayed there)
Betty

 
Vancouver restaurant ideas inside:

The Lift – casual – right by the Bayshore hotel
Il Giardino – on Hornby – very good Italian and game menu
Tojo’s (Japanese) on Broadway

- all restaurant menus on line -


as for places to stay - I always stay at the Bayshore. It's right by the sea wall - and the water.

Hope this helps.
Betty

 
New here, but I live in Vancouver and am happy to help!

Attractions:
Stanley Park (the aquarium in the park), Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain lookout (take the gondola), Granville Island are all popular. In addition, you can view the Olympic torch near Canada Place/Pan Pacific hotel, and the beaches at English Bay are fantastic. In town, there is an on/off sightseeing bus service that will cover almost everything.

Restaurants:
Vij's is wonderful for Indian food. No reservations, but worth the wait (and they feed you snacks while you wait). He also has a more casual place called Rangoli that's great, too. Other ideas: Chambar, Boneta, La Quercia, Blue Water Cafe, Hamilton Street Grill.

So much depends on what you want to eat and how much you want to spend - there are countless Asian restaurants, and we've also got a TON of food trucks throughout the city now. Roaming Dragon is my personal favorite, and I also love Japadog (as does Tony Bourdain!).

Skytrain can get you throughout downtown, and the Seabus from the Waterfront station will take you across to North Vancouver....Thomas Haas has his pastry/chocolate shop there, and his twice-baked almond croissants are AMAZING!

When are you visiting? It will be easier to recommend ideas, as there are different happenings in the summer that are worth a look.

Any questions, let me know! These are just some ramblings, but it would be helpful to know more about what specifically you're looking for information about. smileys/smile.gif

 
Re: Where to stay

Bayshore is fine, but I also really like the Pan Pacific (waterfront at Canada Place, with views of the mountains, Stanley Park, etc.), the Fairmont Waterfront (directly opposite the PP, and usually a little cheaper), and the new Fairmont Pacific Rim (though this can be pricier). Getting away from the water, the Metropolitan is nice and Sutton Place is good too.

For more budget-friendly options, there are decent Radissons, Best Westerns, HI Express, etc. that are reliable and clean.

 
Warning - Tim Horton's is no longer baking in-house - everything comes from a central commissary

back east (par-baked). The doughnuts haven't been the same since!!

 
welcome suet!! my daughter lives there and likes Japadog too smileys/smile.gif

I didn't know about Vij's or Thomas Haas - will have to take her to task for that!

 
Sushi: Tojo`s. Boutique hotel... The Wedgewood. Both expensive. The CDN Rockies, if you have the

time. just breathtaking. A phenomenal train trip is the Rocky Mountaineer, to the Alberta border. I understand this was included in the gift package for the Oscars. The lucky sods. It`s on my to-do-again list.

Vancouver is not a cheap city unfortunately.

I just looked up Whidbey Is. Now I`m waving at you.

Go on, wave back.

 
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