Day trips adventure and art galleries

There are several wonderful attractions within a few hours of Vancouver.  Whistler Mountain, along with Vancouver, is the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics.  Whistler is 100 km (60 miles) north of Vancouver and is the biggest and most varied ski area in North America.  Its ski areas are open from mid-November until the end of the spring.  Mountain biking and golf are Whistler’s primary off-season sports, and both are world class.

Vancouver tours and information

One of the best ways to enjoy your visit to Vancouver is to take a tour of the area by bus, or boat, or even by float plane.  There are many ways to explore downtown Vancouver, local mountain lakes and glaciers, and the North Shore including Capilano Suspension Bridge, and Grouse Mountain.

The Vancouver Trolley Company offers bus tours of downtown Vancouver, Stanley Park, Gastown, Robson Street, Granville Island, Chinatown, and English Bay.  Whale watching tours are also available seasonally.  And another popular attraction is the many different Vancouver Harbour Cruises.

Spectator sports and  sporting activities

Vancouver has several professional sports teams and, depending on the time of year, you can watch many different sporting events including hockey, baseball, football, and soccer.  Hockey is very popular in Vancouver and the locals are passionate about the Vancouver Canucks professional team and the Vancouver Giants junior team. 

Places where you can go for shopping

One favourite pastime of visitors to Vancouver is strolling though the many trendy markets, neighbourhoods, and shopping areas.  Granville Island is a former industrial site that has been transformed into a funky area with quaint shops, cafes, bookstores, live theatre, first-class restaurants, the Emily Carr Art College, a brew pub, free entertainment by local buskers, and a food market with locally grown produce and ethnic food.