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We visited Vancouver in March when the weather was a bit chilly (56-60°F), but we live in Florida and California...so although it was cold to us, for Canadians it was more like a chilly Spring day (we saw a guy in shorts!). We had an awesome time in Vancouver and put together the places we enjoyed the most and the amazing places to eat. We traveled with a group of friends and rented an amazing Penthouse Airbnb in Downtown Vancouver.

Day 1

Breakfast at Chambar

Start off your morning with breakfast at Chambar. The atmosphere is gorgeous and their breakfast menu is unique and fun. The presentation was like a work of art and the flavors did not disappoint. Their staff is also super friendly and attentive.

Police Museum

The Police Museum is a quirky museum to stop by if you like to explore things like solving crime and trying on fun police uniforms. We even got to check out a jail cell.

Chinatown

Take a little stroll through Vancouver's Chinatown as there are a wide variety of stores and fresh markets. We stopped by a cute little Chinese Garden and saw some interesting Chinese medicine shops.

Lunch at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is within walking distance from Stanley Park and it is a must-eat for ramen lovers. The broth is exceptional and they cook their noodles to al dente perfection.

Stanley Park

Stanley Park is huge and a gorgeous park during the warmer months to stroll around on a bike. We went during Easter weekend and got a kick out of their special Easter themed train ride.

Vancouver Aquarium

The aquarium is located in Stanley Park and encompasses over 50,000 aquatic creatures. They are a non-profit organization and are dedicated to conserving the aquatic life. Pictured to the right is Helen, who is a rescue with partial flippers. Due to her injuries, Helen was not a candidate for release and now calls Vancouver Aquarium her home.

HELEN GETTING HER DAILY EXERCISE FROM HER TRAINERS

Dinner at Local Public Eatery

We stopped here to grab a few drinks and loved the atmosphere. It truly was a spot where the locals hung out. The Yelp reviews here are 4.5 stars and it's fun to sit outside and people watch.

Day 2

Breakfast at Tuc Craft Kitchen

We recommend making reservations here and eating early so you can get to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park (our next recommendation) early to beat the crowds. We all ordered the Chicken and Waffles and felt like we could have shared as the portions were huge! It's a big hearty meal that will fuel your day.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

This park is gorgeous and the best part is that it's only 30 minutes away from downtown Vancouver. You'll be in the beautiful nature exploring the Suspension Bridge, the Cliff Walk, and more. There are plenty of activities here for both children and adults.

WALKING ACROSS ONE OF THE MANY MINI TREE HOUSE BRIDGES

Lunch at The Cliff House

Before you exit the park, you should definitely grab lunch here. The ingredients are fresh and everything we ordered was juicy and packed with flavor. The building looks like a cabin and, when you step inside, the fireplace will give you that warm and toasty feeling.

Downtown Shopping - Robson Street

If you want to do a little outdoor shopping, this area is clean and has a ton of clothing stores for the fashion lovers. We went into a vintage shop called USED and found so many cool items that we wanted to buy it all!

Gastown

Gastown is Vancouver's oldest neighborhood and still retains it's historic charm. It is most well-known for it's whistling Steam Clock and film location of the movie, Neverending Story.

Vancouver Art Gallery

If you want to skip the shopping, the Vancouver Art Gallery is a not-for-profit organization and quite popular. We were surprised at the lines when we arrived an hour before closing. We really enjoyed the Takashi Murakami "The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg" exhibit. The building has four floors, so make sure to give yourself at least two hours here.

Dinner at Kingyo

If you love Japanese izakayas, then you must eat here. It's no wonder they are ranked #5 of 3,022 restaurants in Vancouver. We are still having cravings after the amazing dishes we devoured. Be prepared to make a reservation well in advance. Yes, they are THAT good, so scoring a table here can be challenging but well worth it.

STONE-GRILLED MARINATED KOBE BEEF WITH 2KINDS OF KINGYO ORIGINAL SAUCE.

Drinks at Prohibition Bar

This is a gorgeous speakeasy bar with beautifully crafted drinks. It's quite dark in here, so we don't have a photo to prove we went, but trust us, it's worth a visit! Not only were the drinks superb, but so was their complimentary basket of popcorn.

Vancouver is an extremely easy city to get around and we used public transportation the entire time. We also took the train to the airport, which was straight forward and also very reasonably priced. The trains are clean, efficient, and very easy to figure out. We used public transportation since UBER is not available in Vancouver. However, even if there were UBER services, in most cases, we would have just opted to ride public transportation instead.

One more thing...

Vancouver is famous for salmon and local seafood, but we didn't stop by any seafood restaurants since Crystal isn't a big fan of seafood. But don't worry! If you need seafood recommendations, Sarah from Lust 'Till Dawn has got you covered. Check out her post on Where to Eat the Freshest Seafood in Vancouver.

CRYSTAL ON THE PUBLIC TRAIN IN VANCOUVER

WHERE TO STAY IN VANCOUVER

Georgian Court Hotel, BW Premier Collection
Hotel with excellent reviews and close to all the hot spots of Vancouver (11-minute walk to Gastown and Vancouver Art Gallery)

Kingston Hotel
Affordable hotel in downtown Vancouver close to the Vancouver Art Gallery

Airbnb Downtown Vancouver
A spacious downtown loft with parking