We all got to work looking into things to do in Vancouver. We asked friends for suggestions and looked into restaurants. We booked our flights and reserved a rental car. We made a rough Vancouver itinerary—leaving plenty of room for spontaneity, wandering and adventure, of course.

If you’re planning a trip to Vancouver, BC—or are simply dreaming of visiting this beautiful Canadian city, like I did for years—you’re going to want to read our 3-day Vancouver itinerary. Pin this for later or add these suggestions to your own plans. You’re going to love Vancouver.   

This post contains affiliate links. These links earn me a small amount of income so I can continue to offer free travel advice, at no extra cost to you. In fact, sometimes these links get you discounts! It’s a win-win.

Where to stay: AirBnB in Vancouver, BC

When I went to Vancouver, BC, we opted to stay in a vacation rental instead of a hotel. We went to Vancouver for a siblings vacation before my younger sister had her baby, and we wanted to be together instead of in all different rooms.

We found the sweetest AirBnB craftsman home in Vancouver, BC. The 4-bedroom, 3-bath home was in between the Shaughnessy and Granville neighborhoods, and tucked back behind a hedgerow for extra privacy. We were too busy eating out to take full advantage of the house’s enormous kitchen, but we all slept well in the comfortable beds. (I claimed the room with the map wall paper—are you surprised?)

One of my favorite parts of this AirBnB in Vancouver, BC was this epic wall paper in the dining room.

I.WANT.

What’s more, it was a piece of cake to park in this Vancouver neighborhood. We simply found street parking around the corner from our AirBnB.

Finally, we stayed walking distance from a strip of cute shops and cafes. This AirBnB in Vancouver was less than a 10-minute drive from downtown.

(If you want to save on your first AirBnB stay—and honestly, who doesn’t want to save money?—use my referral link to get 15% off an AirBnB rental!)

Vancouver itinerary Day 1: Friday

You’ll land in the Vancouver Airport (YVR) and go through customs. Expect customs to take 30-45 minutes. The Vancouver Airport is 7.5 miles from Downtown Vancouver.

If you rented a car, many rental companies are located in the parking garage of the airport so you don’t have to take a shuttle to pick up your ride! (When you book your rental car, look at the location and choose one that’s located in the airport. Some rental car companies have cars in a parking garage a 2-minute walk from the terminal, which is way more convenient than riding a shuttle to a lot away from the airport.)

If you didn’t rent a car, you’ll take a cab (not an Uber or Lyft; they’re not allowed in Vancouver, BC) or public transportation. Public transportation from the Vancouver Airport to downtown is quite reasonable: Look for the Canada Line, which will cost you $8-10 CAD.

If you’re wondering what kind of transportation to take when you get to Vancouver, Canada, read my full post on the pros and cons of renting a car in Vancouver (plus details you need on public transportation).

Lunch: Some serious ramen in Vancouver

Once you get into town, make your way to Kintaro Ramen as fast as you can (but not, you know, too fast—you’re in Canada, so be polite). This cramped and steamy shop barely has room for a dozen eaters at a time, and you’ll be told to wait outside for a table (no matter the weather), and it’s all 100% worth it.

This ramen in Vancouver is some of the best I’ve had anywhere. Choose from several broths and meat or vegetarian options. Just don’t forget to add an egg, regardless of what you order. Those eggs are delicious.

Chances are, other folks will be waiting for a table, so this Vancouver ramen spot isn’t the best restaurant to linger in. Chow down, enjoy every slurp and then move on.

By the time you leave, you’ll feel stuffed—time for a walk!

Kintaro Ramen
788 Denman St., Vancouver
Tuesday – Sunday 11:30am – 11pm

Exploring Stanley Park

From Kintaro Ramen, drive TK minutes to Stanley Park (or take TKTK BUS). Vancouver’s largest park includes nearly 17 miles of walking trails that wind through old growth forest and along the seawall.

Start at the farthest point in Stanley Park and leave your car in the lot next to Prospect Point. (This is a good place to use the restroom and buy a cup of tea, especially if it’s cold outside and you want to warm your hands!) From here, we walked just a few minutes to see the Lions Gate Bridge. This gorgeous bridge connects Stanley Park to North Vancouver, and residents sometimes dress up the bridge’s mascots.

Next, we walked along the seawall, where we spied woodpeckers and a flock of some kind of water bird diving for crab. Walk southeast along the bike and pedestrian path, watching the freighters slowly move through the inlet.

From there, we headed inland a bit until we reached the First Nations totem poles in Stanley Park’s Brockton Point. Here, nine totem poles from several First Nations stand together. Some are old, several are replicas and the most recent was carved in 2009.

I loved the Brockton Point Visitor Centre, which is next to the totem poles in Stanley Park. It has restrooms (can you tell I have a tiny bladder?) as well as wonderful gifts. I bought about a million post cards as well as Christmas ornaments. Hubs and I have a tradition of buying ornaments on our travels, so our Christmas tree is decked with decorations from Ghana, Singapore, Europe, South America, all across the US—and now Canada, too!

Stanley Park
Open during daylight hours year-round

Visit the Vancouver Aquarium

Vancouver’s aquarium, located within Stanley Park, is one of BC’s most popular destinations—and for good reason. This enormous aquarium of course has tanks upon tanks of fish, as well as marine mammal habitat (omg squee the adorable sea otters!!!!), a frog repopulation program and even a jellyfish breeding initiative! Baby jellyfish—could the Vancouver Aquarium get any better?!

My sisters and I are similar in that we totally geek out over animals and science. I swear we watched the sea lions play/fight/dance their underwater ballet for nearly 45 minutes.

I’m so glad we made the time to visit the Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia. In fact, I’ll make time for it during my next visit, and the visit after that, and the visit after that…

Truth be told, I nearly bought an aquarium membership so I’d have more incentive to repeat my Vancouver itinerary! Read my full post on the Vancouver Aquarium to get all the details you need.

Vancouver Aquarium
845 Avison Way, Vancouver (within Stanley Park)
9:30am – 6pm daily
$38 CAD adult admission, children 3 and under free

Dinner in Vancouver: Mak N Ming

We wanted to plan a semi-fancy dinner to celebrate my younger sister and the squish growing inside her (my kids called, and still call, her baby “Donut”). We made a reservation, then, at Mak N Ming, the modern French-Asian fusion restaurant.

The restaurant was intimate, if a little dark, and my older sister and I ordered red wine. Mak N Ming does a tasting menu (called the “Chef’s Menu”) that typically focuses on fish, though all three of us made special requests when making a reservation to get the vegetarian options instead. (If you make a reservation and tell the restaurant of dietary restrictions at least 48 hours in advance, they can accommodate gluten-free and vegetarian diets.)

Mak N Ming
1629 Yew St.
Open Tuesday – Saturday at 5pm

Vancouver Itinerary Day 2: Saturday

Wake up alongside Gastown

We’d all made a reservation for my younger sister to have a 90-minute prenatal massage, so my older sister and I headed into Gastown. This hip neighborhood is full of restaurants and trendy bars in old Victorian buildings, though we arrived when everyone was sleeping off the previous night (presumably). We arrived even before the cafes opened and so ended up walking around.

The neighborhood is lovely, but Beth and I were struck by the number of people living on the streets. Vancouver would be such a wet, cold place to live if you didn’t have a permanent, affordable home.

That’s one reason why I was so taken with Nelson the Seagull, a café named after Nelson Mandela in Gastown. They recommend people pre-pay for a coffee (which they call “suspended coffee”, snack or meal for those who can’t afford it. I was more than happy to do so—and while Beth and I nibbled on toast and jam, we saw the pay-it-forward principle in action as someone got a free coffee.

Aside from that, Nelson the Seagull served a lovely selection of loose leaf tea, as well as house-baked bread with preserves and butter. I thought it was cool that the café used old chairs and tables from a school—nothing wasted here.

When we left to pick up our younger sister, Gastown was starting to stir. As we walked back to pick up our incredibly relaxed sister, we passed Gassy Jack, one of this neighborhood’s landmarks.

Nelson the Seagull
315 Carrall Street
Monday – Friday 8am – 4pm
Saturday – Sunday 9am – 4pm

Treat your feet with reflexology

My younger sister’s pampering wasn’t finished with the massage, though! We met up with my younger sister, brother and sister-in-law in time for our reservation at Footworks Relaxology, in Kitsilano. This popular reflexology spot had just enough room to treat us all at the same time. Reservations are strongly recommended—they’re busy, especially on weekends!

After soaking our tootsies and getting a quick shoulder massage, the staff got to work on our feet. The principles of reflexology hold that different areas of the foot correspond to body parts or body functions. Apparently my intestines needed some work (maybe from the eight pounds of ramen I’d eaten the day before?) because the part of the massage that corresponded to my intestinal health was quite uncomfortable.

Thank goodness my intestines got some TLC—because after our reflexology appointment, we walked a few blocks down to get Cartems Donuts. (My kids insisted we eat donuts in Vancouver—for Baby Donut, of course!) This adorable Vancouver donut shop, which also holds story times for toddlers during the week, sells vegan and gluten free donuts as well! They were so good. We bought a half-dozen to go and cut them into pieces so we could all taste the different, and sometimes unconventional, flavors.

Footworks Relaxology
2992 W Broadway
Monday – Friday 10am – 9pm
Saturday – Sunday 11am – 9pm
$53 for 60 minutes of reflexology

Cartems Donuts
Various locations throughout Vancouver, BC

Visit the tropics—in Vancouver

When I read about the Bloedel Conservatory, a domed greenhouse full of tropical plants and birds, I was intrigued! Thankfully, my brother and sister-in-law are birders, so we had a majority decision to visit this beautiful botanical garden. Now that I’ve been there, I put it high on the list of things to do in Vancouver!

(Click over to my full post on the Bloedel Conservatory to read more!)

The Bloedel Conservatory is housed in Queen Elizabeth Park, at the top of the highest point in Vancouver, BC. Inside the botanical garden, we felt immediately warm, in spite of the cold temperatures outside. We leisurely walked the path that loops around the indoor garden, trying to identify the dozens of species of birds.

It felt as if we were playing hide and seek with the more than 200 free-flying birds, and we played another game too: Throughout the garden, lawn gnomes hid and we tried to spot them as a scavenger hunt. We found all the gnomes—even the ones that were sneaky-good hiders—and got free post cards as a prize!

Bloedel Conservatory
4600 Cambie St
Open daily, 10am – 8pm (double check for winter and holiday hours)
Admission between $3.30-6.75. Children 4 and under are free.

Dinner in Vancouver: Mae Nam Thai takeout

We had planned to eat out at Maenam after our trip to the Bloedel Conservatory, but we were all feeling a bit tired. Instead of eating out, then, we ordered takeout. This Thai restaurant in Vancouver was voted one of the city’s best restaurants in 2016.

As we ate curry, drunken noodles and cashew chicken, we played board games—and laughed our tushes off. We grew up playing (and loving) board games, and it is 1,000% my favorite thing to do ever and always! (I like board games. Can you tell?)

I’m a huge fan of eating at least a few meals in, and our AirBnB in Vancouver was no exception. We opened a few bottles of wine, played games while we ate, and may or may not have worn pajamas at the dinner table.

Maenam
1938 West 4th Ave.
Lunch Tuesday – Saturday 12pm – 2pm
Dinner daily 5pm – 10pm

Vancouver Itinerary Day 3: Sunday

Wake up with coffee and a cookie

The one challenge with staying at a home rental like AirBnB is the coffee situation. Hotels generally have coffee in the lobby, or at least individual coffee makers, but home rentals often don’t. So since we rented an AirBnB in Vancouver, my sisters and I walked a few blocks to Bump n’ Grind, an adorable café on Granville near our rental.

We bought coffee for everyone—and cookies, because even in the morning, it’s always cookie-o’clock.

Bump n’ Grind
3010 Granville St.
Monday – Friday 7am – 7pm
Weekends 8am – 7pm

Get your art on

Next, we all drove downtown to the Vancouver Art Gallery. My sister-in-law is an art broker, and we all love going to museums and galleries. (Ok, my brother may have less patience for this kind of thing, but he was definitely outnumbered.)

We went to the Vancouver Art Gallery during an exhibition on Guo Pei, the avant garde couture designer. The dresses sparkled, shone and dominated the entire gallery like the incredible works of art they were.

The Vancouver Art Gallery also places an emphasis on highlighting underrepresented voices, especially First Nations artists. Some of these artists blended First Nations traditions with a contemporary art twist that I really enjoyed.

If you’re planning on including the Vancouver Art Gallery in your Vancouver itinerary, I recommend allotting an hour and a half. That’s enough time to see everything: The gallery isn’t enormous like a flagship art museum in most cities.

Vancouver Art Museum
750 Hornby St.
Open daily 10am – 5pm, except open until 9pm Tuesdays
Admission $18-24, children 5 and under free

Lunch and street art

We all flew out of Vancouver mid-afternoon, so for our last stop in our weekend Vancouver itinerary, we headed to the Granville Island Public Market.

After parking (which is free!), we walked toward the public market—and I’m so glad we didn’t nab a parking spot right in front. That’s because we wandered past so much street art!

Walls inside the parking garage and the enormous bridge supports were all covered in murals. Don’t skip over seeing this street art when you go to Granville Island Public Market. The market district has the highest concentration of street art in Vancouver, BC!

This colorful and busy district houses a big fresh foods market, bringing in produce and meat from the farmland surrounding Vancouver, BC. The public market would be an incredible place to shop for all your ingredients if you were cooking most of your meals instead of eating out! In addition to the fresh food, artisan shops selling their handmade soaps, gifts, jewelry and the like filled stalls. And throughout the district, cute local shops—like toy stores, gift shops, clothing and so forth—set up in brightly painted buildings surrounding the main public market.

If you walk toward the back of the Granville Island Public Market, you’ll find more than a half-dozen small food booths. I love eating at markets like the one on Granville Island when I go with a group: Everyone can choose exactly what they want. I bought a gluten-free lentil wrap from The Art of Freshness, a deli that served sandwiches, salads and other snackables.

If you go to Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver when it’s raining, I imagine indoor seating would get pretty tight. But the weather in Vancouver cooperated when we visited British Columbia, so we ate outside.

The outdoor picnic patio overlooked the water, where we watched boats sail back and forth. A musician sang and played his guitar. Kids chased each other while their parents ate and watched from the picnic tables. I loved this open-air spot: It offered some of the best people watching in Vancouver, BC as folks came and went, their cloth bags filled with fresh produce and crusty bread.

Just watch out for the seagulls. Those birds are no joke.

Granville Island Public Market
1669 Johnston St.
Open daily 9am – 7pm

Need to know details for Vancouver, Canada

Now that you’re absolutely planning a Vancouver itinerary, here’s what else you need to know.

Vancouver, BC drinking age

The legal drinking age in Vancouver, BC is 19. You can purchase alcohol in wine stores, beer stores, liquor stores—but don’t expect to see booze in grocery stores. We couldn’t find any, per alcohol laws in Vancouver, BC. When we mentioned this to the check-out guy at the Safeway, he shrugged and said, “Sorry” in the most unbelievably cute Canadian accent.

Public wifi in Vancouver

Vancouver, Canada has one of the largest public wifi networks in North America. (Go Vancouver!) Look for one of 550+ free hotspots throughout the city, especially in the downtown area. Look for #VanWiFi to connect and save on your data usage.

Shopping in Vancouver, BC

Some stores accept USD but will give change in Canadian dollars. I had zero problems using my credit cards in Canada.

That said, many (if not most) banks and cards charge a foreign transaction fee of 1 to 3%. What’s more, you may be charged an extra fee when you use an ATM in Canada if your bank or debit card isn’t Canadian. Double-check your cards’ policies before traveling to Canada.

Additional information for visitors

Want more? The city’s gorgeous Visitor Centre gives out free maps and brochures. It also can get you discounts on some activities and destinations. Finally, the staff there can give recommendations for what you want to see, do and eat—helping customize your own Vancouver itinerary!

Vancouver, BC Visitor Center
200 Burrard St.
Open 9am – 5pm daily

So many things to do in Vancouver

Phew, we packed in a lot in our weekend-long Vancouver itinerary! That said, I never felt rushed. We saw many of the things to do in Vancouver without feeling as though we had to tick everything off some tyrannical list.

As you plan your own Vancouver itinerary, I hope my weekend full of suggestions helps. I didn’t write about anything that fell flat—each one of these places to eat and things to do in Vancouver were stars.

I’m already looking forward to visiting this gorgeous city again.

The post Vancouver itinerary: Things to do in Vancouver, BC over a weekend appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

The Vancouver Aquarium, nicknamed VanAqua for short, is Canada’s largest aquarium. It’s in the middle of Stanley Park, which—if you’re visiting BC for the first or hundredth time—is likely on your list already. Even if you’re not into Stanley Park’s hiking and biking trails, totem poles or temperate rain forest, it’s worth a special stop just for the Vancouver BC Aquarium.

Whether you’re in Vancouver with kids or are on an adults-only outing like we were, you’ll want to make friends with this aquarium’s many animals. Sea lions, sea otters, jellyfish and thousands of other species are waiting!

Highlights of the Vancouver Aquarium in BC

This place is huge. Just how big is the Vancouver Aquarium? It covers 100,000 square feet, and its tanks hold 2.5 million gallons of water! That huge footprint (er, finprint?) holds nearly 60,000 animals. It makes sense, then, to prioritize your visit unless you have all day to explore the aquarium.

Below are my favorite parts of this must-visit destination in Vancouver.

Steller’s Cove

Modeled after the region in California where Steller’s Sea Lions are most prevalent, this part of the aquarium is home to—you guessed it—sea lions. They’re gigantic, and you can see them resting on mock wharves or getting a check-up from marine veterinarians.

Their bulky bodies transform underwater, though, and you can get a stunning view of their ballet-like moves from the indoor portion of this exhibit. We watched for a half-hour, enthralled, as the sea lions swam, looped and spun in front of the glass window looking into their tank.

Level 10 travel tip: We spoke to a staff of the Vancouver Aquarium who said that two of the sea lions typically play-fight every day around 4pm, so schedule your visit around this time!

Sea otters

These playful critters are crowd favorites, and it’s easy to see why: They are adorable and love nothing more than goofing off in their tank near the sea lion underwater viewing area.

If you can’t get enough of sea otters during your visit, you can watch them on a live cam! And if you want guaranteed cuteness, you must watch this video:

Jellies

The most relaxing spot in the aquarium is the jellyfish area. I could stare at their undulating bodies for hours. I swear, jellies could put me in a trance!

But don’t just look at ’em—read the signage to learn about these fascinating creatures. Did you know, for example, a group of jellyfish is called a smack? And that when there’s a jellyfish “bloom”—an explosion in the population—they can clog pipes and shut down power plants?!

While you’re there, you’ll definitely want to do as the jellies do and get loose.

Vancouver Aquarium jellies from Catherine Ryan Gregory on Vimeo.

Tropic Coast

Another of the aquarium’s most popular exhibits, the Tropic Coast lets us in the chilly Pacific Northwest see an underwater habitat unlike our own coastal waters. Here, tropical fish, blacktip sharks and an enormous sea turtle swim in a gigantic tank.

A raised platform along the edge of the tank here is the perfect height for kids to walk along, getting them a closer look at the sealife.

Treasures of the BC Coast

The Vancouver BC Aquarium would be incomplete without a dedicated area to the waters around British Columbia! In this area, smaller tanks show the fish, octopus and other creatures native to the cold waters of BC. I loved how well designed these tanks were, offering lots of hidey holes for creatures to call home—and excellent opportunities for a game of I Spy!

These tanks looked remarkably natural. The live kelp and other underwater plants, plus rocks, sand and shells, made the exhibits look like they’d been transported straight from the ocean.

What to look for in the Vancouver Aquarium

Talk to an expert

As you walk through the aquarium, keep an eye out for staff members. You’ll notice them in their aquarium uniform; some wear buttons. While we visited, we met a staff who was the world’s first expert in jellyfish breeding!

More than fish

An aquarium is, of course, focused on sealife. Yet the Vancouver Aquarium also recognizes the interconnectedness of different ecosystems. It makes sense, then, that VanAqua also features exhibits on other animals and habitats.

While we visited, we explored the Frogs Forever? exhibit. We got up close and personal with these amphibians, which are actually in danger throughout much of the world. Frogs are particularly susceptible to triggers in the environment that can harm wildlife, from habitat loss to pollutants. That’s one reason why conservationists treat frogs like a canary in a coal mine: Their health or decline can signal bigger changes in the ecosystem.

Inspiration to conserve

Aquariums are so important because they let us get up close and personal with a whole world that’s typically hidden underwater. After all, about two-thirds of the planet is water, so we’d better take good—better—care of our oceans.

The art installation at the center of the Vancouver Aquarium inspires us to do just that. Vortex, which visualizes the Pacific Garbage Patch, is a stark reminder that the straws, toothbrushes and hunks of styrofoam that make their way to the sea don’t disappear. In fact, the aquarium’s organization is undertaking research on microplastics (the tiny pieces of trash produced when larger garbage breaks down in the water). Part of the price of admission funds this, and other, important research.

Vancouver Aquarium with kids

Pretty much any reputable, accredited aquarium is at the top of my favorite kid-friendly activities list. The Vancouver Aquarium with kids isn’t an exception!

Throughout the aquarium, exhibits have been designed with littles in mind.

Kids who need to get their wiggles out can play at the Clownfish Cove, an ocean-themed play area. Kids 8 and under can climb, pretend to be oceanic veterinarians or cozy up with a book about the sea in the book nook.

What’s more, the daily Family Program focuses on a theme, from otters to the BC waters, for children to learn through play. Programming might include puppets, crafts, hands-on activities and more. Double check the aquarium’s schedule, but family programs typically start daily at 10:45am.

If you’re breastfeeding, you’re of course welcome to do so anywhere. If you and your little need more privacy, there are nursing mother’s rooms in several places in the Vancouver Aquarium.

Vancouver Aquarium tickets + what you need to visit

Vancouver Aquarium tickets

Vancouver Aquarium tickets start at $21 Canadian for children 4-12 and go up to $38 for adults. Children ages 3 and under get in the aquarium free. Admission prices aren’t cheap; however, they support not only caring for the thousands of creatures at the aquarium but also marine mammal rescue and original research. If you only have US cash on hand, the aquarium also accepts USD.

You can skip the lines by buying Vancouver Aquarium tickets through the web site.

The Vancouver BC Aquarium is open 365 days a year. Visit from 10am-5pm or, during summer, 9:30am-6pm.

The best time to visit the Vancouver Aquarium

Much of the aquarium is inside, making this a great rainy day activity in Vancouver. Parts of the large complex—for example, above-ground portions of the Steller’s Cove area, which is home to enormous sea lions—are open to the elements, though. So if you visit on a rainy day in Vancouver or the clouds look threatening, keep your jacket on you!

The aquarium is worth a visit year-round and all day. You should take a peek at the aquarium’s schedule for shows and feeding times, such as the walrus training or the dive feed, where a scuba diver takes snacks to hungry sealife underwater!

If you leave at closing time, like we did, take a few moments to admire the lit water feature in front of the aquarium. It’s gorgeous!

Where to eat

The Vancouver Aquarium is home to two cafes, the Courtyard Cafe and Ocean Wise Cafe, which is open only in the summer and is also accessible to the public (no aquarium admission required). I appreciate that all the seafood served in the cafes is sustainably sourced. Also, they don’t offer straws (considering that many of them would end up in the ocean) and you won’t find water bottles for sale anywhere; they serve only tap water, and you can fill your own reusable bottle throughout the aquarium.

Vancouver Aquarium After Hours

Several times throughout the year, the Vancouver BC Aquarium stays open late for an adults-only After Hours event. You can still roam the aquarium as usual, but there are also themed special events. (For the Pride Festival, for example, there will be drag queen performances and talks on animal sex!)

Other amenities at the Vancouver BC Aquarium

Looking for more? The Vancouver Aquarium also offers:

• a quiet room, ideal for visitors with sensory needs
• gender neutral restrooms
• family restrooms (so handy when you’re trying to get your whole crew to go potty!)
• wheelchairs
• a gift shop
• free wifi (so you can post those #vanaqua photos!)

Ready for your visit to the Vancouver Aquarium?

Well, are you? I sure am. I can’t wait for my next trip to Vancouver, BC—with my kids, I hope! (Although doing anything with my sisters is pretty much my favorite.)

If you’re looking for things to do in Vancouver, BC, the aquarium should definitely be on your list. When you’re done, explore Stanley Park. If you’re into off-the-beaten-path activities, read my post on the Bloedel Conservancy, where you’ll walk through a tropical dome filled with plants and birds! And let me know what else is on your must-do list in Vancouver!

If you’re planning a trip to BC, you might want to read my post on whether or not you should rent a car in Vancouver.

The post Vancouver Aquarium, BC: Make the most of visiting Canada’s largest aquarium appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

This indoors tropical garden is filled with more than 100 birds that rest in the trees above your head and zip past you on a winding path. The Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver is housed in a domed building that looks more like a biosphere than public park. It’s just as magical.

All you need is about an hour—plus some sharp eyes—to explore the Bloedel Conservatory. It’s perfect if you’re wondering what to do in Vancouver, especially on a rainy or snowy day.

Below, I’ll walk you through how to make the most out of a visit to the Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver, BC. You won’t want to miss this.

Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver: A tropical jungle in BC

You don’t typically head to British Columbia—or anywhere in Canada for that matter—if you’re seeking hot, humid weather and tropical fauna. But you’ll find both in this unique conservatory in Vancouver.

I went to the Bloedel Conservatory on a recent siblings’ trip to Vancouver. When we first heard about tropical birds in a dome, we were sold! My brother and sister-in-law are birdwatchers, too, so it was a perfect thing to do in Vancouver on a rainy day.

An easy loop path winds around the inside of the conservatory. Walking along, you’ll pass waterfalls, cross bridges, discover benches tucked away in trees—and of course see dozens of birds.

Canaries, finches, parakeets and more species than I could name flit overhead. What’s more, about 10 parrots, cockatoos and macaws have semi-permanent posts throughout the Bloedel Conservatory. Some of these intelligent birds speak (can you find the one that says “peekaboo”?).

Don’t forget to look high up in the leaves and along the perimeter of the park. The Lady Amherst’s Pheasant—a chicken-sized bird with a seriously impressive tail—tends to sneak around the borders of the garden beds, hiding behind plants.

The Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver is equally impressive for its tropical plants. Orchids, strangler figs, palms and cacti grow under the conservatory’s dome. In fact, as you walk along the path, you’ll move through different “habitats,” such as the desert and tropical rainforest.

How to explore the Bloedel Conservatory

When you enter the Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver, pick up a self-guided tour pamphlet. It takes you through the park in a clockwise direction.

Level 10 travel tip: To avoid bottlenecking behind groups, turn right instead of left when you enter the conservatory. Just read the self-guided tour from the end to the start, and you’ll avoid some of the crowds.

Look for numbered signs, which correspond to detailed descriptions of the plants and birds in this location. In addition to learning names of plants you’d never see in the wild of Vancouver, you’ll learn a bit of natural history. For example, one species of orchid that grows here provides the vanilla flavoring used in most Coca Cola! And near the koi pond you’ll see a cyad called the Mexican Horncone, a rare, primitive plant that dinosaurs used to eat!

Mind. Blown.

You’ll also want to grab a birds checklist, a visual scavenger hunt for the many birds you’ll spot. This is a fun activity for kids and adults—my brother and sister-in-law, who are avid birders, had an absolute blast matching the birds they saw to the checklist.

It takes an hour or a little less to fully explore the Bloedel Conservatory.

Logistics to visit the Bloedel Conservatory

• The Bloedel Conservatory is located on top of the hill in Elizabeth Park (the highest point in Vancouver!).
• You’ll have to pay to park. You can park in a lot below the hill right when you enter the park or continue driving up the hill and park next to the fountain.
• The conservatory hours vary month to month, so look up when the park is open here.
• Admission prices also vary by the season. Adult admission ranges from $8-11.25, and children’s admission ranges from $3.15-8.45, depending on the time of year and your child’s age. Children 3 and under are free.

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I turned to the internet, of course, and what I didn’t find was an article outlining the pros and cons of whether to rent a car in Vancouver, BC. So I decided to write it.

I’m confident this guide will help you figure out if you should rent a car in Vancouver. Read on for the factors that will influence your plans the next time you visit Vancouver, BC—and read to the end to see what we ended up choosing!

Is it worth it to rent a car in Vancouver?

I’d never been to Vancouver, BC before my siblings trip so I didn’t know exactly what to expect. If you haven’t been to this beautiful Canadian city, either, here are things to consider before deciding to rent a car in Vancouver.

1. Cost of a rental car vs taxis and public transportation

A taxi ride from the Vancouver Airport (YVR) to downtown is $35 Canadian, plus tip. Fares are likely more expensive if you are traveling farther out than downtown, as well as returning to the airport. If you add it up, you’ll likely pay at least $80 Canadian in taxis to and from the airport.

On the other hand, you can also depend on public transportation. The Canada Line, Vancouver’s rapid transit train, leaves from both the domestic and international terminals. You can get downtown in about 30 minutes—roughly the same amount of time as a taxi.

The Canada Line fare from the airport to downtown costs between $8-10, depending on if you’re using cash or a metro card. Fare to the airport is between $3-4. Here are details on where to catch the Canada Line from YVR.

Compare those costs to renting a car from YVR. For a weekend trip with a compact car, you’ll pay around $50 US, which is about $66 Canadian, including fees.

2. Weekend vs weekday

The cost of renting a car might vary from weekends to weekdays; in addition, traffic is a lot different! Much like other cities, weekday traffic is significantly worse than on weekends. If you’re uncomfortable driving in an unfamiliar city in dense traffic, you should consider not renting a car in Vancouver during weekdays.

3. Day trips outside Vancouver, BC

When you visit Vancouver, will you be staying within the city, or are you planning day trips? There are gorgeous parks and hikes within an easy drive of Vancouver, and Whistler is only an hour and a half away.

Shuttles can get you between Downtown Vancouver or YVR and Whistler; here is a list of shuttles to the mountain. Know, though, that going on a shuttle will take longer than driving directly, and you’ll be limited to when you can go and leave. What’s more, you need to consider the time (and effort) it takes to get yourself (and your ski gear) to the shuttle stop.

If you’re planning a lot of day trips from Vancouver, you should consider renting a car at YVR.

4. Are you staying downtown?

When you visit Vancouver, you’ll see a wide selection of high-end hotels downtown. If you’re staying downtown, renting a car in Vancouver doesn’t make a lot of sense for several reasons.

Firstly, you’ll have to deal with downtown Vancouver traffic, which is more congested than elsewhere in the city. Next, you’ll have to pay to park, which is quite expensive if you’re parking overnight or at the hotel valet service. Finally, if you’re downtown, you’re central to public transportation and many of the things you’ll want to do in Vancouver.

If you stay outside the city (e.g. in one of Vancouver’s short-term rentals like AirBnB), it might make more sense to rent a car in Vancouver. Take into account how far away you’re staying from public transportation lines.

5. How many people are you traveling with?

If you’re traveling with more than four people, remember that if you take a taxi, you’ll need two. After all, only five people can squish into one cab, and one of them has to be the driver! If you rent a car in Vancouver, though, you can pick a car or crossover that will fit your entire group. That might make it more economical to rent a car instead of relying on taxis or public transportation.

6. No rideshares

When I first asked, Should I rent a car in Vancouver?, I just figured we could Uber or Lyft when we needed. Then I realized that Vancouver doesn’t have ridesharing services.

7. Are you traveling with kids?

If you’re going to Vancouver with kids, that will affect your decision to rent a car or not. Dealing with car seats on your flight is a real pain, but once you install them in a rental car, you don’t have to worry about it anymore. Usually, driving yourself is quicker than dealing with public transportation—a real consideration for parents, since you don’t want to squander valuable meltdown-free time in shuttling your kids between bus lines.

If you take taxis, your kids won’t be riding in car seats, which isn’t the safest option. But a taxi will drop you directly at your destination and you won’t have to deal with parking.

On the other hand, taking public transportation with kids can be great. My children love riding buses and trains. Most public transportation also allows strollers. On the downside, you may have to transfer between lines (and potentially wait out in bad weather). And once you reach your stop, you may have to walk to your actual destination, which can take a lot of time and effort for little ones.

8. Dealing with parking in Vancouver

When I asked a travel Facebook group Should I rent a car in Vancouver? just about everyone mentioned how awful parking is. That said, I didn’t find it to be that bad, at least over a weekend!

Street parking is available in just about all of Vancouver’s neighborhoods. Some is even free if you leave within a few hours! For paid parking, make sure you have coins to fill a parking meter. You can pay with your phone, but honestly I didn’t know how to deal with that using an international number.

Did I rent a car in Vancouver?

I know you guys have been held in suspense (ha!), so here is the big reveal: I did rent a car in Vancouver, BC. And I’m so glad I did! Here’s why:

• There were 5 of us who met up in Vancouver, and most of us arrived at different times. That meant we would have spent $160 Canadian on taxis to and from the airport alone.
• If we wanted to take a taxi within the city, we would have needed two, since our group couldn’t fit in one car.
• We stayed outside of downtown in a lovely 4-bedroom AirBnB. I loved the neighborhood feel of our place, but it was a bit of a trek to public transportation.
• I wanted things to be easy. My sister is 7 months pregnant, and I didn’t want us to spend a bunch of time figuring out routes on public transportation.

The real cost of renting a car in Vancouver, BC

Here’s what I spent on our rental, all in Canadian:

• $112 on a rental for a crossover, including basic insurance and fees
• $22 in gas
• $16 in parking

That’s a total of $150 Canadian, which is $113 USD. To me, spending that money wasn’t significantly more than what we’d all pay, collectively, on public transportation. And the savings of time and hassle certainly outweighed a few extra dollars on our Vancouver vacation.

If you do rent a car from YVR, pay attention to where the pick-up is located. The pick-up will say either shuttle to car or car on airport. If convenience and saving time are major factors in your decision to rent a car, make sure the rental car company you use offers car on airport—without having to take a shuttle.

I rented our car through Alamo, which had a pick-up and drop-off location about a 2-minute walk from the terminal. It was so nice to not have to ride a shuttle off-site!

I’d love to hear your experiences of renting a car in Canada or in other places you’ve gone. When you travel, do you typically rely on public transportation, or do you rent a car? Let me know in the comments!

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