Day One
Start your vacation by seeing Granville Island. Take an Aquabus over to the island from the edge of False Creek at the Yaletown marina landing. It will only take you about 10 minutes and you will love going to the public market to see all types of food, gadgets and gifts. There are many boutique shops to enjoy while on the island and a lot of the food kiosks have samples or fruits and other treats. Yummy!
Afternoon
After a morning on Granville Island head to lunch at Bridges Restaurant or Sand Bar to enjoy the views of downtown Vancouver. They are both on Granville Island and have tasty seafood and pasta dishes to enjoy, not to mention fresh BC mussels to try.
Take a miniferry back to downtown and take a walk up Beatty Street from Yaletown. Walk all the way to Gastown and see the famous steam clock in the oldest area of Vancouver. Gastown is where Vancouver was born. You can here the steam clock chime at 12pm everyday and you can do some shopping in the many cultural stores they have open to locals and tourists alike.
Evening
While you are in Gastown and after a long afternoon of picture taking and shopping, head to Steamworks on 375 Water Street and enjoy some Northwest cuisine and mains for under $30. This restaurant is famous for its fish and chips and its Pacific halibut.
Day Two
Start your morning off with a stroll through Stanley Park. You can start at English Bay’s Seawall and keep on walking until you hit the park. You can then walk around the whole park and then end up in fancy Coal Harbour and see a large amount of boats and yachts at the Coal Harbour Marina. After that you can walk up Vancouver’s famous Denman Street and look around at the shops.
Afternoon
Your probably getting hungry after all the walking so head to Robson Street off Denman Street where you can sit down and have a nice lunch. Try CinCin Ristorante at 1025 Robson Street if you love Italian food, or Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House at 777 Thurlow Street and Robson if you prefer excellent seafood.
After lunch walk down Robson Street and check out the Vancouver Art Gallery for a culture fix. You will find ancient paintings by famous British Columbian native Emily Carr. There is also a shop where you can by all kinds of artsy items and prints.
Make your way to Chinatown, the second largest in North America. See markets, culture and Asian food of all kinds. Make sure you take a tour of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardens. It’s relaxing and beautiful.
Make your way over to Kitsilano by crossing the Burrard Bridge. It is a beautiful neighborhood to visit and the beach is covered with logs to sit on and take in a Vancouver sunset. Kitsilano is a funky neighborhood that faces English Bay and has a lot of restaurants, shops and entertainment on 4th Street.
Top off your trip with a dinner at Watermark Restaurant on Kitsilano Beach. It has won awards for its dishes and views and you can enjoy waterfront dining at its best. Try the rock salt chili prawns or the crackling pork rack chop for exquisite taste.
