OT- Planning Vancouver Trip- Need Help

[nemofans]

Hi! We will be flying into Seattle this summer & then after a few days, taking the train up to Vancouver. We will stay in Vancouver for about 4-5 days. This will be our 1st time there. Our kids (9 & 5) will be w/us. Right now, we plan on going to the science center, Grouse Mountain & Capilano Suspension Bridge. Maybe the aquarium too. Any other suggestions?

One thing we really want to do is go whale watching. Are there any companies that go from Vancouver or do we need to go to Vancouver Island? Which companies would you recommend? We wouldn't want a whole day thing, more like a 3 hr tour just to see the whales.
Thanks!

 

[Canooknic]

I went a few years ago with Prince of Whales from Victoria, but when I was in Vancouver over the summer I saw that they go from there too.
I believe our tour was about 5 hours and it was fabulous. We saw a baby grey whale, dolphins and orcas - definitely worth every penny!!

 

[sechelt]

You can explore Stanley Park and see totem poles, lumberman's arch, Lost Lagoon, Beaver Lake, the Aquarium and many other things. There are bicycle rentals so you can ride along the seawall from downtown to the ocean beaches on the other side of the city, about 9 km. The seawall is also very walkable and extends well beyond the Park. Lots of spectacular ocean views.

Granville Island is popular with locals and tourists. It can be reached via the seawall or take one of the little ferries from Sunset Beach or David Lam Park. There's also a ferry dock near Science World.

Gastown is the older part of Vancouver with lots of heritage buildings and little shops. Look for the steam clock and my personal favourite, Rogers Chocolates.

Vancouver has a large Chinatown and the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is worth seeing. It's located at 578 Carrall Street.

Grouse Mountain gives gorgeous views but I'd only recommend it on a clear, sunny day. Otherwise, the clouds obscure the city.

Capilano Suspension Bridge is good too but also check out the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge. It's not pitched to the tourists so much and is preferred by the locals. Oh, and it's free.

There's so much here to see and do and hopefully some others will have even more ideas for you.

 

[Debbie]

Thank you for all of the information, so far. DH and I are doing an Alaska cruise in July, and will go early to get a feel for Vancouver. No kids, no nightlife just time to explore the city that doesn't get the snow and cold that we do. (Can you tell I am dreaming of summer today? )

 

[sechelt]

We're downtown often so if anyone wants some tourist brochures, maps, etc., message me and I'll send them to you.

 

[squirrel]

You could also take the Seabus across to Lonsdale Quay.

Lynn Canyon is great, they also have a museum that was by donation (haven't been in quite a while so I don't know if that has changed) with a decent size area for the kids to explore.

 

[sechelt]

We 'strolled' from Science World to Granville Island this week and it took us about an hour. The average person would get there faster than we did because we did so much exploring.

If you're a fan of Once Upon a Time, you may want to visit Steveston. This is where a lot of the filming is done and you can walk right up to the various buildings seen in the show, such as Mr. Gold's, the post office, city hall, etc. They're real businesses and not props. http://www.tourismrichmond.com/things-to-do/steveston/once/

Steveston itself is a lovely fishing 'village' south of Vancouver. There's a boardwalk along the ocean, lots of restaurants for fish and chips, and maybe even some fishermen selling fish from their boats. There's also the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, a National Historic site, with tours every hour. The cannery has a bit of a Disney connection, too. http://archive-ca.com/page/1846719/...l.ca/wildsalmon/salmon_history.asp?article=14

 

[nemofans]

Great info! Thanks! I had thought about visiting Lynn Canyon Bridge instead of Capilano. I also didn't realize Once Upon a Time filmed there.
Will we need a car to get around or are there public transportation options between shuttles, train, taxi, or walking?

 

[sechelt]

Public transit is really good here but you may like having a car, for the convenience and time. I wouldn't use a car if you're seeing things around town but Richmond and the North Shore will take quite a while to get to on transit. Check out this link to get an idea of timing and what type of transit to take.

http://tripplanning.translink.ca/

Any more questions, let me know.

 

[Sue M]

There's also a " Sorin" attraction but over Canada instead of California! It's located by the Cruise Port, Canada Place & Pan Pacific Hotel. We loved it, was so excited when it opened!!

There is a Tourist info Center down there too, across from the new convention centre, and Olympic Torch. I think if you get tickets to attractions there, you get a bit of a discount.

A good thing to do is take The Big Red Bus. It goes to all the popular sites, and it's a jump on/off bus. I would ride it once all the way along route, to see where you are interested in exploring then get on & off where you want.
You can google it.