Welcome to our 3 day Vancouver itinerary on how to spend 3 days in Vancouver, Canada!
Vancouver is located in southwestern British Columbia, surrounded by the North Shore Mountains and framed by the Salish Sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is exceptionally beautiful, perfectly blending natural beauty and urban charm. We loved Vancouver so much and we will definitely be coming back!
As you explore this stunning Canadian metropolis, you’ll find a wide range of attractions that cater to every interest. Whether you are a culture enthusiast, an outdoor adventurer, or a foodie, Vancouver has something to offer. In this 3 day Vancouver itinerary, we will share our experiences and suggest activities for each day, complete with maps and plenty of photos. Use this itinerary to simplify your travel planning and select the attractions that interest you the most. If you have an extra day in Vancouver, take a day trip to Whistler along the scenic Sea to Sky Highway.
But before we dig into our 3 day Vancouver itinerary, we will begin with some information about how to get to Vancouver and when it is the best time to visit this stunning city.
Note that all photography on this guide (and throughout our website) was shot by me (Alina) and if you wish to purchase any, it is available at my Etsy shop.
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How to get to Vancouver Canada?
BY AIR – A flight to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is the most convenient way to get to Vancouver. The airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, just 12 km from Downtown Vancouver. It is connected by the Canada Line of the Vancouver SkyTrain, reaching the downtown in 25 minutes.
BY SEA – Ferries operate between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Also, Vancouver is a popular port of call for cruise ships, especially those traveling to and from Alaska.
BY TRAIN – Rail offers train services from various Canadian cities to Vancouver. The route from Toronto to Vancouver, via Jasper, is a scenic journey that takes about four days. Amtrak route connects Vancouver to the US, providing a scenic and convenient travel option. The trip from Seattle to Vancouver takes about 4 hours.
When to Visit Vancouver Canada?
To understand when to visit Vancouver, we need to familiarize ourselves with the weather in Vancouver throughout the year. Let’s start with the temperatures:
TEMPERATURE – As you can see in the chart below, the summer months of June until early September are comfortably warm, with temperatures ranging from 12°C (54°F) to 23°C (73°F). The winter months of November until March can get quite cold with temperatures ranging from 2°C (35°F) to 9°C (48°F).
RAINFALL – Vancouver is a rainy city, especially in the winter. You can see that in the chart below the precipitation throughout the year. Vancouver’s wettest month is November with an average precipitation of 253mm. The Summer months, July and August, are the driest months with the lowest rainfall averages.
SNOWFALL – Vancouver gets some snow in the Winter months from November until March. However, as the temperatures are relatively mild in the winter, compared to other cities in Canada, Vancouver usually gets more rain than snow during that period.
To summarize, according to the weather in Vancouver, the warmest and driest months are the summer months, from June until September. However, it is the busiest season and the hotel prices are relatively high. Consider visiting in the shoulder months of April-May and September-October, as the weather is still mild and the hotel prices are reasonable.
Now that we’ve covered how to get to Vancouver and the best time to visit, we can begin our 3 day Vancouver itinerary.
3 Day Vancouver Itinerary - How to Spend 3 Days in Vancouver
During the first day of our 3-day Vancouver itinerary, we explored the magnificent Stanley Park by bike. Later, we walked along Coal Harbour, admiring the beautiful scenery and watching the seaplanes. On our second day, we visited Granville Island, took a whale-watching boat tour, explored False Creek by Aquabus, and finished the day watching the sunset at Sunset Beach Park. On the final day of our visit, we discovered more remote attractions such as the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Queen Elizabeth Park, as well as downtown iconic attractions like the Gastown Steam Clock and Vancouver Lookout. Now, let’s elaborate on each day.
Vancouver itinerary - Day 1:
On the first day of our 3 day Vancouver itinerary, we circled the whole of Stanley Park by bike, and later we walked along the Harbour until we reached Canada Place.
Stanley park
There are many outdoor activities in Vancouver, and Stanley Park is at the top. It is one of the largest urban parks in North America, covering over 1,000 acres of natural rainforest and featuring scenic views of the city skyline, the North Shore Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. Stanley Park is one of the most popular attractions in the city for both tourists and locals, drawing an estimated eight million visitors every year. Its history is rich and spans many centuries, shaped by Indigenous people, European explorers, and settlers, making it an integral part of Vancouver’s identity and a symbol of natural beauty and cultural richness.
Stanley Park is enormous, and in our opinion, the best way to explore it is by bike, riding along the Seawall that surrounds the park along the coast. This way, you can experience the park to the fullest and enjoy the amazing city skyline from many viewpoints along the Seawall trail. You can make stops along the ride, to rest and admire the great vistas. There are many rental companies in the city center and around the park. The route is 10 km long, and if you are not in the best shape, consider renting an electric bike, which is what we did.
We rented our E-bikes at Jo-E Bike Rentals Stanley Park. The staff were super friendly and they provided great and fast service. The bikes we received were basically new, and the rental was reasonably priced. The location was conveniently close to the beginning of the trail, so you did not have to ride along the busy streets of Vancouver. They charge by the hour upon return, so there is no rush to come back. It took us almost 4 hours to explore the park.
There are guided bike tours of Stanley Park as well:
Some highlights along the Seawall are worth stopping at. The first is the Nine O’clock Gun which is a cannon that is fired daily at 9 pm. It was made in the 19th century and was used by mariners to set their chronometers. It is one of the best places in the park to see the city skyline.
The second stop along the Seawall is Brockton Point Lighthouse. It is a great viewpoint of the city skyline, North Vancouver, and the North Shore Mountains. And it is a nice spot to observe the seaplanes.
The third stop along the Seawall is the Totem Poles, which is a collection of 9 totem poles carved by indigenous people from all over coastal British Columbia. It is one of the most visited attractions in Stanley Park.
The fourth stop on our Stanley Park itinerary is the Girl in Wetsuit bronze sculpture by Elek Imredy. It is located near the Replica of the Figurehead of the S.S. Empress of Japan, a ship that sailed to the Orient in the 19th century. Horse-drawn Carriage is another way to explore Stanley Park:
The last stop is a scenic spot beneath the Lions Gate Bridge, near the Prospect Point Lighthouse.
Vancouver Harbor and Canada Place
As we returned our bikes, we continued walking along the coastline, the Coal Harbour Seawall Water Walk, until we reached Canada Place. The trail is 2.2 km long, with some interesting points along this scenic walk.
The Sea Bridge near Cardero Park is a U-shaped bridge that offers great views of the harbour.
Next on our stroll along the Coal Harbour Seawall is the LightShed, an art sculpture by Liz Magor, of a half-sized old boat shed standing on 4 pillars. It is based on the old boatsheds that used to line the shoreline before the Coal Harbour area turned residential. This spot provides a nice view of Stanley Park.
The Sea Bridge near Cardero Park is a U-shaped bridge that offers great views of the harbour.
Next, you will find the Coal Harbour Seaside Park with the Coal Harbour Public Dock, which you can walk on.
As we reach the end of the Coal Harbour Seawall, you will find the Harbour Air Seaplanes. From this spot, you can observe the seaplanes take off and land, or even enjoy a panoramic flight yourself:
Near that spot, you will find the Olympic Cauldron, a huge statue of the Olympic torch built for the 2010 Winter Games.
Now we reach our final stop, Canada Place, one of the most iconic landmarks in Vancouver. It includes the Cruise Ship Terminal, Vancouver Convention Centre, Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver World Trade Centre, and FlyOver Canada. The architecture of Canada Place has a unique design with white sails, and on top of that, you will be granted amazing scenery of the North Shore Mountains.
Vancouver itinerary - Day 2:
On our second day of the 3 day Vancouver itinerary, we will explore Granville Island, go on a whale-watching boat trip, explore False Creek, and finish our day with a sunset.
Granville Island
Granville Island offers a blend of cuisine, culture, and nature, along with impeccable views of Vancouver’s skyline. The famous Public Market on Granville Island is an indoor market featuring more than 50 independent food vendors offering a fascinating assortment of fresh foods. We savored a delicious meal at Kaisereck Deli and indulged in a tasty dessert at the iconic Lee’s Donuts. There are even guided food tours of the market.
On Granville Island, you will also find various art galleries and workshops showcasing local arts and unique crafts. Furthermore, it is home to numerous cultural venues and hosts a variety of performing arts and cultural festivals throughout the year.
To get to Granville Island, just hop on an Aquabus, a small ferry, from any station along the False Creek. You can pay for a separate ride, or you can opt for a day pass for CA$20 (you can buy tickets online), as we did. Therefore, we had the chance to explore False Creek later freely. There is another ferry company, False Creek Ferries, but we didn’t use them so we cannot recommend it.
Whale Watching Boat Tour
Embark on an amazing adventure of whale watching in the Salish Sea! We love animals and in every place we travel, we search for whale-watching boat tours. And it turns out, Vancouver is a great spot with a high possibility of viewing Humpback Whales and Orcas. We chose Wild Whales Vancouver based on Granville Island, for their great reviews and we had a blast! Our guide and captain were very friendly and knowledgeable. More whale watching tours to consider:
We chose the open-air vessel, Eagle Eyes, which was a great choice, as you can get between the sides of the boat easily. The suits are highly recommended as it gets cold on the water and the wind is strong. In total, we had around 4 hours of pure fun.
We recommend booking a tour on your first day of visiting, as the weather can get ruff and your trip might be canceled and moved to another day. We had 2 trips canceled due to winds, and luckily on our last day, we had a beautiful day. We were fortunate enough to have the most amazing experience, as we got to see several Humpback Whales breaching dozens of times, a pod of Orcas, and Steller Sea Lions! It was the highlight of our Vancouver trip. We will let the pictures do the taking:
Exploring False Creek by Aquabus
After the amazing whale-watching experience we had, it was time to explore the False Creek by the colorful Aquabus. If you bought a day pass, just hop on one and enjoy the ride.
We stopped at the final stop ‘The Village’ near the Science World, which is impressive from the outside and great for kids on the inside:
The nearby ‘Plaza Of Nations’ dock station is located by the BC Palace, a football stadium that also hosts major concerts. We were lucky to get tickets for the Coldplay, Music of the Spheres World Tour, which was AMAZING! Check the schedule for concerts on the days of your visit, you just might get an epic concert along with having a great Vancouver trip already.
Sunset Beach Park
We will finish the second of the 3 days in Vancouver by watching a sunset at Sunset Beach Park. The closest Aquabus dock station to the park is Hornby St, you will reach the park within a few minutes of walking. Sunset Beach Park is a less populated jewel, located close to the West End and the Yaletown neighborhoods. The Park is a part of the Seawall, it is well-maintained and offers a sandy beach, and an open lawn, in addition to scenic sunset views. Arcos is a beautiful steel sculpture of an arc by Bernar Venet.
Vancouver itinerary - Day 3:
On the final day of our 3 day Vancouver itinerary, we will visit some remote areas worth visiting, the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and the Queen Elizabeth Park. Also, we will visit the iconic Gastown Steam Clock and enjoy great vistas at the Vancouver Lookout.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
We will begin our final day with a visit to the beautiful Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The Park offers visitors a unique mixture of adventure, history, and culture, and is a must-visit attraction while staying in Vancouver. It is located in the northern part of Vancouver, around 10 km from the Downtown. The Park is easily accessible by hopping on one of the free shuttle buses that leave from Canada Place, Hyatt Regency Hotel, or Blue Horizon Hotel and the ride takes around half an hour.
The bridge was originally built in 1889 as it crosses the Capilano River in Upper Capilano. The suspension bridge stretches 137 meters (450 feet) long across, at 70 meters (230 feet) above the river.
But it doesn’t end there, as you finish crossing the bridge, on the other side you will find the Treetops Adventure, built in 2004. Visitors can explore the forest canopy through a series of suspension bridges attached to Douglas Fir Trees, providing a bird’s-eye view of the forest. Another relatively new addition is the Cliffwalk, built in 2011. Not for the faint of heart, the Cliffwalk reaches out from the granite cliff face above the Capilano River. It is high and narrow, and in some sections, open grated walkways are all that separate you from the canyon far below.
The park also features cultural displays and information about the indigenous people of the region, highlighting their history, culture, and traditions. It took us about an hour to explore the park, and after that, we headed back to the downtown using the free shuttle.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a bit pricey, the admission ticket costs CA$75. However, we really enjoyed our visit, so it was worth the expense.
During Christmas, the Capilano Suspension Bridge is decorated with beautiful light displays. You get into the holiday spirit can visit it and more with this Christmas Tour:
Vancouver Lookout
The Vancouver Lookout is an observation deck located at the top of one of Vancouver’s iconic landmarks, the Harbour Centre, located near Canada Place. The lookout provides visitors with a 360-degree view of Vancouver’s skyline, Stanley Park, historic Gastown, the North Shore mountains, and the vibrant downtown. An admission ticket costs CA$18.25.
Gastown Steam Clock
Close to Vancouver Lookout, you will find the iconic Gastown Steam Clock, a popular attraction. It was built in 1977 and originally was powered by Vancouver’s distributed steam heating system. Today the clock’s mechanism is actually driven by electricity and only the pipes on top are steam-fueled. The Steam Clock displays the time on four faces and announces the quarter hours with a whistle chime that plays the Westminster Quarters.
Queen Elizabeth Park
Queen Elizabeth Park Plaza is a 130-acre municipal park located in the southern part of Vancouver, 5 km from the downtown. It is located on top of Little Mountain at 400 feet above sea level and it offers stunning views of Vancouver’s downtown and the North Shore Mountains. To get there, you will need to take a metro from the Waterfront station in Downtown to Edward Station. From there, there is a 1.2 km walk to the park. Alternatively, you can take an Uber.
In the central Queen Elizabeth Park Plaza, you will find the Dancing Waters fountain, which is comprised of 70 jets of water using 85,000 liters of recirculating water. Bloedel Conservatory with a distinctive dome, is a beautiful place to visit with a wide variety of plants, flowers, and exotic birds. The entrance fee is CA$7.35. To the left stands Henry Moore’s bronze sculpture, Knife Edge Two Piece. Don’t miss the Photo Session Sculpture with great vistas of downtown Vancouver and the North Shore mountains.
Where to stay in Vancouver Canada
We stayed at a lovely chic Airbnb condo in central Vancouver with a perfect location, within walking distance of all the attractions. A great apartment and we felt right at home! Easy check-in and check-out. We loved the living room area that offered nice views and the bed was very comfortable. With a fully equipped kitchen. Robert was helpful and communicative.
Restaurants in Vancouver Canada
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House: lovely restaurant, we had a tasty dinner of Seafood Linguine and a New York Striploin. The food was excellent and the service was attentive.
Black + Blue Restaurant: A great restaurant with a stylish design and amazing food. We had a Wagyu steak, a beef Wellington, and Mac & Cheese Sticks. Everything tasted delicious and the staff was friendly and welcoming with great attention to detail.
Italian Kitchen Restaurant: One of the best Italian meals we’ve had! We loved our dishes, we had Caprese Salad, Table Side Linguine Cacio e Pepe, and Bucatini alla Carbonara. Great hospitality and delightful atmosphere. We highly recommend this restaurant.
Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Restaurant: We love Japanese BBQ and we visited similar restaurants around the world, so we were looking forward for that meal, and we were not disappointed! It was a delightful experience. We chose the Meat lovers option with the 2 upgrades and it was tasty, and it was enough for 2. The service was great and the atmosphere was fantastic.
Well, this is it! Do not miss our guide to Vancouver to Whistler drive along the scenic Sea to Sky Highway. We hope our 3 day Vancouver itinerary on how to spend 3 days in Vancouver will ease your travel planning.
