Top 10 Things To Do In The Weekend In Vancouver, Canada

Aarti
Aarti 
Updated
| 5 min read

Vancouver is a breathtaking city that caters to all kinds of tourists or travelers like cruisers, business travelers, solo explorers, families, couples, or even groups of friends. Even when most of the tourists want to explore every bit of this city and its surrounding towns in a week, you could also consider looking into notable highlights in just a few days. Although Vancouver is famously referred to as “Raincouver” for reasons that suggest in this name, (there is still a plethora of options to explore indoors) this city reigns the throne when it comes to offering year-round outdoor activities. Here’s a list of things to do in the weekend in Vancouver, Canada.

1. Cycle your way through Stanley Park (from USD 78.0)

Step aside Central Park of New York, the Luxembourg Gardens of Paris, and Chicago’s Millennium Park. It’s time to make way for Vancouver’s Stanley Park. Why’s it so great, you ask? Because unlike other parks and gardens, you get to cycle all the way around an old growth forest, visit ancient Aboriginal village sites, get a great tan for free at the beach, relax by the rose garden, and even get up close with sea lions and Pacific dolphins. And the best way to get around the park is on a bicycle which you can rent at the base of Denman Street.

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Stanley Park Small-Group Bike Tour with E-Bike Option

Duration: 3 hours

440 reviews

2. Feed your artistic soul at Vancouver Art Museum


Art lover or not, the Vancouver Art Museum is one place you need to put on your itinerary immediately. The Offsite of Vancouver Art Gallery’s outdoor exhibition space features a rotating program of innovative public art projects from local and international contemporary artists, and it also focuses on current issues and changing conditions of our world.

Vancouver Art Museum

Address: 1100 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6E 0A8, Canada

Website: Vancouver Art Museum

Opening hours: Open 24 hours

Price: 24 USD

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3. Give your taste buds the best indulgence in the world


Although Asia is the biggest continent in the world, it just can’t stop spreading its food culture to the other continents. Japadog- this infamous little food chain of stands and restaurants, was opened in 2005 by a Japanese couple that specializes in making hot dogs topped with Japanese ingredients such as Terimayo sauce and bonito flakes. And for the dessert, they offer ‘Age Ice,’ which is nothing but a friend bun with ice-cream. Sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?

Japadog

Address: 530 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2B7, Canada

Website: Japadog

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 6:30am - 10pm; Sat: 10am - 12am; Sun: 10am - 9pm

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4. Explore the Capilano Suspension Bridge


How does facing your fear or experiencing a rush of adrenaline sound? At Capilano Suspension Bridge, feel, see, and experience like the birds do. Dating back to 1889, this bridge is notably the oldest tourist attraction in the city and is a whopping 450 ft. (130 m) long, and 230 ft. (70 m) high. Offering one of the best views of the Capilano River below, the thrilling experience of crossing the bridge doesn’t just end here. You’ll find more suspension bridges once you reach the other side, such as Treetops Adventure, and Cliffwalk.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Address: 3735 Capilano Rd, North Vancouver, BC V7R 4J1, Canada

Website: Capilano Suspension Bridge

Opening hours: 8am - 8pm (daily)

Price: 47 USD

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Vancouver Tour Guide

Nazila Najafi

Nazila Najafi

I have over ten years of experience in the Tourism and Hospitality industry. My professional/volunteer background as a researcher, remote travel columnist, travel agent, travel consultant, and walking/step-on guide has helped me provide my VIP (private/group) tours with a memorable experience. As a professional Canadian Tour Guide Association of British Columbia member, I have been actively running mainly private cultural tours in Vancouver since 2019.

5. Come face to face with the creatures of the water at Vancouver Aquarium


Ever wondered what lies beneath the Pacific Ocean or what lies over the canopies of the Brazilian Amazon? It’s time to seek your answers at the Vancouver Aquarium. Conveniently located in the heart of Stanley Park, this aquarium is renowned to be one of North America’s largest aquariums and it is considered a must-visit place by both locals and the visitors. As this aquarium offers a lot of things to do and see, give yourself an entire day to explore it all, come face to face with Belugas, and also learn about how essential salmon is in the Coastal Ecosystem.

Vancouver Aquarium

Address: 845 Avison Way, Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2, Canada

Website: Vancouver aquarium

Opening hours: 10am - 5pm (daily)

Price: 38 USD

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6. Treat the shopaholic in you at the Granville Island Public Market

things to do in vancouver this weekend | treat the shopaholic in you at the granville island public market
Source: instagram

What was once known as the industrial town, is now famous for its open-air markets. Granville Island Public Market flipped the coin from housing factories to housing hip restaurants, galleries, and theaters. While strolling around, you won’t fail to notice endless aisles of fresh produce and local crafts, baked goods to ethnic snacks. If shopping overwhelms you, you can relax by watching ferry boats going back and forth in English Bay and enjoy one of the performances by the buskers, who put on a show every day for the market crowd. You can end your day by visiting breweries in the market and tasting some amazing crafts and call it a day!

Granville Island Public Market

Address: 1669 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9, Canada

Website: Granville Island Public Market

Opening hours: 9am - 7pm (daily)

Price: From 3.50 USD

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7. Go on an adventure along the Baden Powell Trail


Life is all about adventures. So why not go on an adventure to one of the world-class hiking trails of Vancouver? Stretching from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Deep Cove in North Vancouver, this trail closes up to 50 km (31 miles) of mainland trails. The Baden Powell Trail covers up Grouse Grind’s trail of steps to Grouse Mountain, through Capilano River Regional Park, past the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge, over the Seymour River and up ahead to the Quarry Rock, overlooking Deep Cove and the waters of Indian Arm. Because of such hiking trails, it makes the North Shore world-famous for nature and outdoor recreation.

Baden Powell Trail

Address: Baden Powell Trail, North Vancouver, BC V7R 4X4, Canada

Website: Baden Powell trail

Opening hours: Open 24 hours

Price: 5 USD

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8. Celebrate the beauty of cherry blossoms at Queen Elizabeth Park

Queen Elizabeth Park
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Craig Nagy used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Standing proudly next to Stanley Park in rankings, Queen Elizabeth Park is spread across 130 acres (52.6 hectares) and features a rose garden, smartly manicured garden, and an arboretum with around 1200 native and exotic trees. In addition, you can also witness the beauty of cherry blossoms at Queen Elizabeth Park in full bloom, during the months of March to May. You can also come to seek joy at Bloedel Conservatory to visit the fauna that features over 120 free-flying exotic birds, 500 tropical plants, and three different climate zones. As the park is located on the highest points of Vancouver, it offers stunning skyline views of the city, mountains, and the shoreline that will leave your mind blown!

Queen Elizabeth Park

Address: 4600 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2Z1, Canada

Website: Queen Elizabeth Park

Opening hours: 6am - 10pm (daily)

Price: 40 USD

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9. Witness bats in their natural habitat at Deas Island Regional Park

things to do in vancouver this weekend | witness bats in their natural habitat at deas island regional park
Source: instagram

If exploring and discovering new, fun things is right up your alley, you’ll definitely love visiting Deas Island Regional Park. Located on Deas Island on Fraser River, you’ll be welcomed to tons of interesting things to explore, including the Inverholme Schoolhouse, Delta Agricultural Hall, and Burrvilla - famously referred to as three heritage buildings of the island. You can also go fishing and set up picnic shelters to spend most of your day here. What’s even more interesting about this place is, when dusk descends upon you, you get an opportunity to witness bats in their habitat and learn about them as they head out to fill their belly on insects.

Deas Island Regional Park

Address: 6090 Deas Island Rd, Delta, BC V4K 5A8, Canada

Website: Deas Island Regional Park

Opening hours: 7am - 10pm (daily)

Price: 5 USD

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10. Watch a movie under the open sky

things to do in vancouver this weekend | watch a movie under the open sky
Source: instagram

How about watching a nice movie under the stars? Grab your chair, blankets, pillows, maybe your whole bedroom, and just head to Don Christian Recreation Center to watch free outdoor movies. Even if the movie isn’t to your taste, there’s a different fun that is involved, especially when you’re watching a movie under the open sky.

Don Christian Recreation Center

Address: 6220 184 St, Surrey, BC V3S 8E6, Canada

Website: Don Christian Recreation Center

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 8:30am - 4:30pm; (closed on Sat & Sun)

Price: Free of cost

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Discover Vancouver

With plenty of options to see and do over the weekend, one weekend just isn’t enough to explore it all! It’s time to put on the explorer’s hat and go about exploring the beauty of Vancouver during the weekends.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Born in Mumbai and brought up in Bangalore, India, Aarti is a full-time freelance writer by profession. She is a lover of everything the ‘blue dot’ offers—world cultures, off-the-beaten tracks,...Read more

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