A Guide for a Romantic Vancouver Vacation
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It’s a pleasure to tell you about our wonderful home city of Vancouver, BC Canada!
Vancouver is a great place for romantic vacations, or as a base for exploring southwestern B.C. The city has some really good things going for it:
One of the most unique aspects about Vancouver is its location – the wilderness is only a ½ hour drive away from downtown! The hiking, sailing, skiing and golfing are awesome too and available most of the year. You can travel to Whistler quite easily (1.5 hr drive from the city), and the ferry to Victoria on Vancouver Island is a short 30 km trip to the south.
On this page, we’ll not only tell you about the top Vancouver vacation attractions, but also some of the nicest places and neighborhoods in and around the city. They’re great places for a romantic walk, grabbing a coffee, or just to get a sense of what Vancouver is really like.
And for tips and info on Vancouver Hotels, Click Here.
Of course, if you’re planning your Vancouver vacation around skiing, the winter months would be the best. Summer temperatures probably average around 21 Celsius (70 Fahrenheit), with the winter dropping to about 6 degrees (42 F). Travel to VancouverVancouver International Airport is where most out of country visitors arrive, and it's a modern facility that's easy to find your way in. Air Canada and WestJet fly here from many places within Canada. From the USA, United, American, Delta and Alaska Airlines all have several flights daily.There is a shuttle from Vancouver airport to downtown Vancouver, and it's $12 CAD one way or $18 return. If you're in the mood for a Limousine, you can ride "the stretch" for about $42. Public transit (bus) and Taxi service are also available, and the ride from the airport to most major downtown hotels takes about 1/2 hour. Downtown Vancouver
Stanley Park: One of the jewels of Vancouver. An incredible 405 hectare park right beside the city center! Trails through the forest, excellent views of the city and north shore mountains, historic totem poles, and the Vancouver Aquarium are just a few reasons why this should be one of the first stops on your romantic Vancouver getaway.
A horse drawn carriage tour of Stanley Park is a nice romantic way to see the eastern end of the park. Prospect point, at the northern tip, has dramatic views of the Lions Gate Bridge and West Vancouver coastline.
If you’re active, don’t miss the opportunity to walk, jog, cycle or inline skate the Stanley Park Seawall, a wide sidewalk-type promenade that actually circles the outer rim of the whole park.
Robson Street:The main shopping artery in the city. Shops, restaurants, and hotels line each side of the street, which gets pretty busy from June to October. If you like Starbucks and love to people watch, there are 2 of them across from each other on the corner of Robson and Thurlow streets!
A really good walking tour is to explore both ends of Robson St: Start on the south-eastern side at the Vancouver Public Library, a giant library that resembles the Coliseum in Rome! Make your way northwest (about 1.5 km) past all the shops and arcades and turn left at Denman St. Restaurants and take-aways line this corridor which will lead you right down to the waterfront at English Bay.
You’ll love the views of the huge ships anchored offshore waiting to dock, and the many skaters and joggers making their way into the southern tip of Stanley Park. Lots of places to pick up an ice cream or drink nearby too.
If you’re in the mood for a film of some type, the IMAX Theater at the north end has interesting films on a giant five story high screen with surround sound!
Gastown: Restaurants, bars, boutiques, art galleries and loads of souvenir stores are found in Gastown. This area was the birthplace of Vancouver, spent many years as warehouse district until things started to pick up in the 70’s, and the old Victorian buildings were restored and the Steam Clock cemented firmly in place. Gastown is one of the main nightlife areas in the city as well.
You can also catch the “sea taxi”, a small little craft that shuttles you around False Creek to different places like Science World and across the water to the downtown side.
The summer Shakespeare Festival is held around here – it’s called Bard on the Beach and the scenes are played out in a semi-open “tent auditorium” near the water. It's a great spot on a nice summer evening.
Fireworks: Every summer, around the last week of July and the first week in August, the skies over English Bay light up with the Celebration of Light fireworks competition. 3 different countries compete each year, and the action begins around 10PM each Wednesday and Saturday night. The displays are quite spectacular, and the setting with the ocean, mountains and city is romantic and unforgettable!
Best place to view the fireworks in Vancouver: The beach at Kitsilano, which keeps you away from the massive crowds that gather in the west end around English Bay.
North Vancouver
Capilano Suspension Bridge: Hang on to your honey, because it’s a long way down - over 200 ft! This rope-and-plank swinging bridge over the rushing waters of the Capilano River is scary, but totally safe. Numbers of visitors wise, this is the biggest tourist attraction in Vancouver, and the admission price has gotten a little steeper too. Try mornings or early evening for the fewest crowds.
To escape the crowds and still get your thrills, and for free too, try the suspension bridge at Lynn Canyon. It’s a bit smaller but equally exciting! We love this deeply wooded area for hikes and the ice cold mountain water down at the river’s edge.
We highly recommend The Observatory Restaurant at the top of Grouse. Try to reserve ahead (604-998-4403) and book a table by the window, as you will not get a better view with your dining anywhere else in the city!
Deep Cove: This is our first choice for a nice canoe trip near Vancouver. You can rent one right at the wharf area, and paddle up the calm waters of Indian Arm. The setting is gorgeous, and the village itself is a real gem of a little place, with tiny gift shops and cafes along the main street.
West VancouverLighthouse Park: A very rewarding walk through some old growth forest and Arbutus trees, which takes you right to the waters edge and the Point Atkinson Lighthouse. Accessible from Marine Drive in West Vancouver.
Horseshoe Bay: Lots to do around here:
RichmondSteveston: A busy fishing harbor and village in the southwest corner of Richmond, just south of Vancouver across the Oak Street Bridge. In season you can buy fish right off the boats in dock, or try a seafood dinner at one of the numerous restaurants nearby.
You can also tour the historic Gulf of Georgia Cannery which was booming back when this little place was the sockeye salmon capital of the world! Just walking by the boats and wandering around the waters edge is well worth the short trip here.
More Vancouver Vacation Info:Vancouver Travel Tips - All kinds of tips on flights to Vancouver, waterfront hotels, attractions and more.Vancouver Vacation Guide - Visit Vancouver - the official site for information on hotels, dining and activities in Vancouver Vancouver Shuttle and Charter - Shuttle service to and from Richmond hotels and YVR to downtown Vancouver and both Canada Place and Ballantyne terminals
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If you’re staying in downtown Vancouver, and would like to be close to the park, the closest major hotel is the 
Canada Place: Originally built for Expo 86, Canada Place, which includes the convention center and Pan Pacific Hotel, is a signature building on the Vancouver waterfront, vaguely similar to the Opera House in Sydney. A walk around the perimeter shows off the north shore mountains, harbor and any cruise ships that are docked during the summer season.
Granville Island: Try to include Granville Island in your Vancouver vacation plans. It's really a great place to spend an afternoon or early evening wandering through the shops, checking out the Public Market, sipping an espresso and watching the buskers, or stopping by the Granville Island Brewery and sampling the latest pale ale!
Kitsilano: Funky shops and cafes, beautiful tree-lines streets and picturesque beach areas make up this part of the city on the south shore of English Bay. Vanier Park and Kits Beach Park are great areas for jogging, cycling, kite flying, beach volleyball or just relaxing in the sand and gazing at the mountains and sea!
Grouse Mountain: This is the most romantic place in all of Vancouver! You ride up the mountain in the largest aerial tram cars in North America, and the views along the way are fantastic. At the top there’s all sorts of activities – for the summer, hiking, tours, theater, walking tours, and even a lumberjack show! In the winter, skiing, skating and sleigh rides.