Our Amazing 2 Days in Vancouver Itinerary

What stood out to me most was how seamlessly Vancouver blends urban life with the outdoors. From walking along Stanley Park’s seawall to riding the cute little False Creek Ferries, I loved how easy it was to enjoy nature without ever leaving the city.

If you’re planning your first trip to Vancouver, this 2 day itinerary covers many of the city’s most popular attractions, including Stanley Park, Granville Island, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Canada Place, and Gastown.

Where We Stayed in Vancouver

For our first trip to Vancouver, I spent quite a bit of time researching where to stay. Since we only had two full days in the city, I wanted a central location that would allow us to walk to restaurants and attractions while minimizing time spent driving.

We ultimately chose the Blue Horizon Hotel on Robson Street, and I think it was an excellent choice for a first visit. Robson Street is one of Vancouver’s main shopping and dining streets, and many downtown attractions were either within walking distance or a short Uber ride away from our hotel.

We booked a higher-floor room with a view of English Bay, and it was spectacular. The room included a small balcony where we could watch the sunset each evening. My biggest tip is to choose a higher floor if possible. Since the hotel is high-rise, I think many of the upper-floor rooms would have great views, even if they don’t face the water.

The room itself was spacious and included a separate seating area with a sofa as well as a small dining table. The staff was friendly and helpful with recommendations. I love when hotels have water bottle filling stations. Saves money as well as reduces plastic waste.

The hotel is connected to Abode Restaurant, where we ate breakfast twice during our trip. We enjoyed our meals there, and it was convenient not having to search for breakfast before starting our sightseeing each morning.

For a short first visit to Vancouver, I would happily stay at the Blue Horizon Hotel again. The location made it easy to explore the city, and the views from our room ended up being one of the highlights of our stay.

Day 1: Stanley Park, Granville Island, Yaletown, and Robson Street

On our first day in Vancouver, we visited two of the city’s most popular attractions: Stanley Park and Granville Island. We spent the morning at Stanley Park and headed to Granville Island in the afternoon. Since most of Granville Island starts winding down around 5 or 6 PM, you could also reverse the order and visit Granville Island first before heading to Stanley Park in the evening.

Stanley Park

Stanley Park is Vancouver’s most famous urban park and one of the largest city parks in North America. The park is surrounded by the scenic Seawall, a nearly 6-mile (9 km) waterfront path popular with walkers, runners, and cyclists.

Since we had a rental car, we decided to drive around the park. You can also rent bikes or explore on foot. Stanley Park Drive is a one way road that loops around the park in a counterclockwise direction, making it easy to follow.

We purchased a three hour parking pass at the kiosk near the Totem Poles parking lot. The pass allowed us to park at multiple parking lots throughout Stanley Park without having to pay each time. There is also a full day parking option available.

During our visit, we stopped at the Totem Poles, Brockton Point Lighthouse, Prospect Point, Third Beach, and Lost Lagoon. We also walked a portion of the Seawall near the lighthouse.

Totem Poles

The Totem Poles are one of the most visited attractions in British Columbia and showcase the rich Indigenous history of the region. Even if you are not familiar with their history, they are impressive to see in person.

This area also offers beautiful views of Vancouver’s downtown skyline and the waterfront, making it a great first stop in the park.

Brockton Point Lighthouse

I thought the Brockton Point Lighthouse was pretty cool. From here, you can see North Vancouver, the harbor, and the iconic Lions Gate Bridge in the distance.

There are several benches here, making it a nice place to sit for a few minutes and take in the views.

Prospect Point

Next, we drove to Prospect Point. There is a large parking lot and a café here, and this was probably my favorite viewpoint for seeing the Lions Gate Bridge.

You can also walk a short distance down the road to another overlook located almost directly above the bridge. The views from both spots were excellent.

Third Beach

Third Beach is a beautiful sandy beach tucked away within Stanley Park. It was quiet when we visited in the morning, although I imagine it gets much busier in the evening since it is a popular sunset spot.

There is also a small café near the parking lot if you want a snack or drink.

Lost Lagoon

Our final stop was Lost Lagoon, where we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the lake. The flat walking path, peaceful water, and abundance of birds made it a relaxing place to slow down for a bit.

Overall, Stanley Park exceeded my expectations. The combination of water views, forested areas, wildlife, and city scenery made it feel incredibly rejuvenating. In some spots, you can see the Vancouver skyline and surrounding mountains at the same time, which is pretty cool.

The park also offers horse drawn carriage tours that looked interesting if you want to learn more about the history of the area.

Granville Island

We had heard that parking at Granville Island can be difficult to find, so we decided to leave the car at the hotel and take an Uber to the Aquatic Centre Dock instead.

From there, we purchased a day pass for the False Creek Ferry and rode one of the blue False Creek ferry boats across the water to Granville Island. How cute are these little boats! Another option is the rainbow colored Aquabus, which is operated by a different company.

The main attraction on Granville Island is the Granville Island Public Market. It reminded me a lot of Pike Place Market in Seattle, although I found it more compact and easier to navigate.

We spent quite a bit of time browsing the food vendors, artisan shops, and local craft stalls. Come hungry because there are plenty of food options here. While seafood is very popular, we had no trouble finding vegetarian options as well. We also picked up some handmade skincare products from a local vendor.

Outside the market, there is a large waterfront seating area where we watched a street performer doing juggling acts. This is also a great spot for photos overlooking False Creek, Granville Bridge, and Burrard Bridge.

We spent about two hours exploring the island, but you could easily stay longer. In addition to the public market, there are theaters, galleries, artisan workshops, shops, restaurants, and waterfront walking paths to explore.

False Creek and Yaletown

Since we had purchased a day pass for the ferry, we decided to take advantage of it and explore a little more of False Creek.

The ferry ride itself was a fun way to see Vancouver from the water. Along the way, we passed landmarks such as Science World and several waterfront parks before hopping off in Yaletown.

Yaletown is one of Vancouver’s most popular dining neighborhoods, with Hamilton Street and Mainland Street lined with restaurants and outdoor patios. Since we arrived relatively early in the evening, the area was still fairly quiet. My tip would be to visit closer to dinner time when the neighborhood becomes more lively.

You can also use the ferry day pass to visit other areas around False Creek, including Kitsilano Beach.

Robson Street

In the evening, we explored Robson Street, where our hotel was located.

Robson Street is one of Vancouver’s main shopping and dining streets, lined with restaurants, cafés, and retailers. I was impressed by how bike-friendly downtown Vancouver was, with wide bike lanes throughout the area.

We also spent some time around Robson Square near the Vancouver Art Gallery, where street vendors and performers added to the lively atmosphere. The city was especially busy during our visit because Vancouver was hosting FIFA Club World Cup events that weekend.

Nearby Granville Street was also fun to explore and had been closed to vehicle traffic for the festivities.

For dinner, we walked to House of Dosas on Davie Street. The food was good, although there was a bit of a wait before we were seated.

After a full day of exploring parks, waterfronts, and downtown neighborhoods, we headed back to our hotel excited for another day of sightseeing in Vancouver.

Day 2: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Canada Place, and Gastown

On our second day in Vancouver, we visited Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in the morning, Canada Place in the afternoon, and Gastown in the evening.

One thing I really appreciated was how easy it was to get around without a car. Capilano Suspension Bridge Park offers a free shuttle from downtown Vancouver, and one of the pickup locations was directly outside our hotel. After our visit, we rode the shuttle back and got off at Canada Place, from where we walked to Gastown later in the day.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is one of Vancouver’s most popular attractions and is located just 15 minutes from downtown. The park’s main attraction is the famous suspension bridge, which stretches 450 feet across the Capilano River and hangs high above the canyon.

We boarded the free shuttle around 11 AM and purchased our tickets at the gate. There are discounted tickets for children and students, so make sure to bring a passport copy for age verification and a student ID if you have students in your group. During busy summer months, you can also purchase your tickets online.

➡️ Check rates and availability for Capilano Suspension Bridge Park admission tickets

The park has several attractions, but the suspension bridge is definitely the star of the show. It was quite crowded during our visit, and there were a lot of people crossing at the same time. The bridge is long, wobbly, and honestly a little scary. But we all made it safely to the other side!

Once across, we explored Treetops Adventure, a series of elevated walkways suspended among towering Douglas fir trees. It reminded me of the canopy walk at Trees of Mystery in Northern California.

There is also a pleasant walking trail around a small pond and a café where you can take a break before heading back.

Eventually, we braved the suspension bridge a second time to return to the main entrance area. Thankfully, it didn’t wobble nearly as much on the return trip since there were fewer people crossing.

Back on the entrance side, we explored Cliffwalk, a series of narrow boardwalks attached to the side of a granite cliff. This attraction was nice as well.

The park also has several restaurants, cafés, a large gift shop, and an ice cream parlor if you want a quick treat. We spent about two hours here before boarding the shuttle back to downtown Vancouver.

Note: If you have more time, Grouse Mountain is located just a few minutes away and can easily be combined with Capilano Suspension Bridge Park on the same day. You can take a short Uber ride from Capilano to Grouse Mountain and then use Grouse Mountain’s free shuttle to return to downtown Vancouver.

Canada Place

We got off the shuttle at Canada Place, one of Vancouver’s most recognizable landmarks, known for its distinctive white sail-like roof that resembles ships in the harbor.

The waterfront area was buzzing with people during our visit, and several cruise ships were docked nearby, which was fun to see. There is a fun Vancouver photo op here for pictures.

We also walked around the waterfront near Burrard Landing, which offers great views of North Vancouver, Stanley Park, and the harbor. There are several restaurants and outdoor seating areas here, making it a nice place to take a break and enjoy the scenery.

While we were there, we did the Flyover Vancouver experience, which I highly recommend. If you’ve never done one of these flying theater experiences, it is essentially a motion simulator that makes you feel like you’re soaring over some of Canada’s most beautiful landscapes.

I had previously done and loved Flyover Chicago during my Chicago trip, and this experience was just as impressive. The Northern Lights in the end were a sight to see! I hope to see them for real someday.

➡️I highly recommend this Flyover Vancouver experience

Gastown

From Canada Place, we walked to Gastown to see Vancouver’s famous Steam Clock.

The Steam Clock puts on a short steam and whistle show every hour on the hour, so we waited about 15 minutes to see it in action. It only lasted a couple of minutes, but it was still fun to watch and definitely one of Vancouver’s most unique attractions.

Gastown is Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood and has a very different feel from the rest of downtown. Water Street is lined with historic brick buildings, restaurants, boutiques, and souvenir shops, while the cobblestone streets give the area plenty of character.

We spent some time strolling around the neighborhood before heading to dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory. The meal ended up being a great value, and we were stuffed. Each entrée included sourdough bread, soup or salad, and ice cream for dessert.

The restaurant itself was also fun to visit, with stained glass décor and a vintage train car displayed inside the dining room. I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a casual family friendly meal in Gastown.

After dinner, we walked the 30 minutes back to our hotel, which was a nice way to end the day after a big meal.

Final Takeaways

Vancouver exceeded my expectations and ended up being one of my favorite city breaks in Canada. I loved how seamlessly the city blends waterfront views, mountains, parks, and urban attractions. Whether we were exploring Stanley Park, riding the False Creek Ferries, or strolling through Robson St and Gastown, there always seemed to be another beautiful view around the corner.

We packed quite a bit into two days, but there is still plenty more I would love to see on a future visit. We did not have enough time to drive the scenic Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler on this trip, but that remains high on my bucket list for next time. Between Vancouver and the surrounding areas, I can easily see myself returning to British Columbia again.

More of our Canada trips

Check out some of our other Canada bucket list trips:

Our epic 7 day Banff and Jasper Itinerary

Our amazing 9 Day Toronto to Quebec City Road Trip Itinerary