5 Must-do Activities for First-time Vancouverites

Lanette Shaw
Jan 5, 2016
4 min read

If this is your first time in Vancouver, you are probably extremely excited and interested to find out the top five must-do activities in this coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada.

You’ve heard and read so much about this beautiful city and now you are finally here with your heart, mind and hands wide open. Of course, there’s so much to see, so much to do and yes, a wide variety of foods to eat! But let’s slow things down a bit. You want to make the best of your experience here, so let’s go at a more relaxed pace, shall we; just so you start off on the right foot and really enjoy it all. It’s like eating a flavourful ice-cream– if you consume it bite-by-bite, lick-by-lick, then you’ll enjoy the flavour more and more. But let’s not talk about ice-cream, I’m feeling a craving coming on.

Stanley Park seawall

When the weather is nice, a stroll along the Stanley Park seawall is a healthy and fun activity to rejuvenate your mind and body. Nothing beats a trek along the seawall on a warm and sunny day. Be it with friends, your significant other or just alone, biking, walking, jogging or simply sitting alongside the waterfront enjoying the picturesque view, is a peaceful treat; and a nice escape from the fast-paced city. Here’s a fun fact: this seawall is the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path. How awesome is that! No wonder it’s so popular there.

Vancouver aquarium

I’ve actually never been to an aquarium before. It’s the kind of activity I imagine only kids doing. So, when I actually set foot on Vancouver Aquarium grounds I felt really awkward, really. On the contrary, I always liked the idea of getting up close and personal with animals and sea creatures. Though I would never be a zoologist, I have always been fascinated by animals– weird-looking, rare and unusual ones. Yes, I love Discovery Channel! And, I must say it was indeed an unforgettable experience visiting the aquarium. There are over 70,000 animals at the aquarium belonging to 734 different species from all over the world! I know right? Wow! There were glowing jellyfish, octopuses, seals, crocodiles, snakes…eek! I literally quickly skipped passed that display. Sorry snake lovers, but I’m not a fan; they give me the creeps. But, the blue whale was a beauty. Oh! And the dolphins too!

Grouse Mountain sky ride

I’ve always been afraid of heights, but, don’t ask me why I always choose the window-seat on an airplane. It might be due to my love for adventure because I completely forgot how high I was from the ground on the Grouse Mountain sky ride. Omg! What an experience it was being lifted off the ground in an escalating tramway, soaring up and over the mountains, pass acres and acres of dense fir trees to the ‘Theatre In The Sky’. From there, the view is even more scintillating as it boasts a 360-degrees view of downtown and white-capped mountains.

But the fun doesn’t end there. If you are an adventure fanatic, like me, then you’ll enjoy the various recreational activities that make this location so unique and unlike any other. You can enjoy activities like zip lining, biking, ice-skating, snowboarding or the chairlift ride, just to name a few; and when you are all exhausted from all the fun and excitement, there’s a food court for you to dine. I think of this place like a secret getaway in the sky.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Talk about adventure infinity! From the suspension bridge to treetops adventure and now with the new cliff-walk, I’m telling you, you are in for a treat. Nowhere is the vitality of nature more profound and perceptible than in the temperate rainforest, and the experiences here will surpass your wildest imaginations. And if you are like me, you’ll be constantly snapping away on your camera, just so you capture every moment. Yes, it is that wondrous and breathtaking! My favourite of the three is definitely the treetops adventure.

The treetops adventure is just as the name suggests. It’s like one of those adventure-packed movies where you’re walking through a forest with green all around, except you are 100 feet above the ground, amidst towering fir trees and you can hear nothing around you but the chirping of birds and the scampering of squirrels in the branches. Did I say squirrel? Yes, I did. You literally get a squirrel’s eye view of mother nature in her purest form. If I’m ever to get lost here, please don’t come looking for me.

Stanley Park Lost Lagoon

Nothing like a peaceful walk on a clear day, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, to a place where nature knows no rush and where the world just seems to be moving in a profoundly promising direction. As you walk along the trail at Lost Lagoon, on the edge of the pond, you are graced by the beauty all around– of frolicking pigeons and Canadian geese, elegant swans, ducks and seagulls all gliding majestically across the glistening water that illuminate river reeds and weeping willow trees. Oh what a heavenly sight! I’m the type that easily gets fascinated and spellbound by the exuberance of nature. I’m telling you, the whole scene is simply, yet magically alluring.