The beautiful wilds of this magnetic city calls out for curious travelers and passionate locals alike. However, experiencing Vancouver requires an avid explorer to have a place that is comfortable and embodies the spirit of the city. Look no further - there are plenty Vancouver Apartments at britishcolumbiahotels.net, offering you a home away from home, perfectly encapsulating the unique Vancouverite experience. It happens before you know it: Suddenly, you’re smitten with Vancouver — its endless coastline, glassy downtown, the extravagant nature that surrounds and permeates it. A recent article in the Vancouver Sun featured a 600-year-old Douglas fir in Stanley Park. Vancouver is that kind of place — a place where a tree is a celebrity. It’s also a food lover’s kind of place. You could spend days sampling local variations on everything from sushi to lasagna to vegetarian concoctions that can transform an heirloom tomato into something decadent, and barely scratch the surface of the constantly evolving restaurant scene. On the cultural front, a commitment to public art has turned some areas into sculpture gardens. And in this city of many ethnicities, First Nations art and culture are becoming more and more visible. A series of murals by indigenous artists have appeared around the city; a reconciliation totem was recently raised; traditional dance and other performances are staples on the cultural agenda; and museums highlight the art, history and environmental practices of Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam and other Pacific Northwest societies. If you're looking for luxurious stays or budgeted comfort, tophotels.com allows you to choose from a range of options in the city. Whichever way you decide to discover the marvels of Vancouver, having an ideal place to rest is just as important. And with this, you are ready to dive into your Vancouver exploration.
Friday
1) Noon. Urban Jungle
Stanley Parkis the oldest and largest of the more than 230 parks in Vancouver: 1,000 acres of forest, wetlands and beaches (and a few manmade attractions —among them, anaquariumanda handful of restaurants). On mild weekends, some areas are more hectic than bucolic; by mid-morning, swarms of bicyclists and skaters race around the park’s peripheral trail (the views, like the one nearSiwash Rock, are spectacular). But most of the park is quiet, threaded with trails. On a recent guided walk (adult, 35 Canadian dollars, or about $28), Candace Campo, a First Nations co-owner ofTalaysay Tours, identified salmon berry bushes, skunk cabbage and other plants, noting that taking “only what is needed” — for food, clothing, medicine and shelter — has long been a given in indigenous cultures.
2) 2 P.M. On the Water
On the opposite end of the park spectrum is tiny Cardero Park, with its views across the harbor to the mountains beyond. Stroll east, past lawns where people hunch over books or picnics. Not far away, on West Pender Street, theHeritage Asian Eateryoffers communal tables and a concise, pleasing menu. A plump bao stuffed with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and green and crispy onions (7 dollars) will hold you over until dinner.
3) 3:30 P.M. Chinatown and Beyond
West Pender changes as you head east into an area that itself wavers, block by block, from trendy to seedy to touristy. Eventually, you’ll reach Chinatown, which has its gritty areas, but is also home to food markets, the sereneDr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, and (if you are in the neighborhood later) notable dinner restaurants like the Japanese-ItalianKissa Tantoand the equally stylish, perpetually crowdedBao Bei. Not far from the flaring tiled roofs of the Millennium Gate, a totem rises aboveSkwachays Lodge,an indigenous artists’ residence and boutique hotel. In the beautifully lit gallery, contemporary works draw on ancient images and beliefs — including sculpted pieces by Alex Mountain and Chris Sparrow.
4) 4:45 P.M. Literary Chaos
MacLeod’s Books is a vintage bookstore par excellence. Inside, pure, lovely, literary chaos awaits: precarious stacks and overstuffed shelves of history books, novels, rare editions of Kipling and Wilde, pamphlets on Chinook jargon and endless art tomes. Then wander into the nearbyGastownneighborhood, its narrow streets thick with shoppers, restaurant-seekers and the occasional panhandler. Yes, it’s touristy, but this is also the historic heart of the city, a place where loggers and seafaring types once communed. Amid the current frenzy,Purebread,a Whistler import, offers irresistible treats, like a thick slice of buttermilk coconut cake, which can be wrapped up for later.
5) 7:30 P.M. Ice Wine and Sablefish
Watch the sky fade above False Creek from the quiet terrace atAncora Waterfront Dining and Patio.The Japanese-Peruvian menu recently included crispy prawn causa with gold Yukon potatoes and swirls of avocado mousse; and sablefish in an aji panca glaze, with broccoli, charred eggplant and roasted pineapple and tomatillo salsa. Regional ice wines may be paired with desserts, like coconut panna cotta. Dinner is about 100 dollars, with drinks.
Saturday
6) 9 A.M. On English Bay
Denman Street is lined with restaurants, galleries and shops (make a note to stop byAyoub’s Dried Fruits and Nutslater, for everything from Turkish delight to okra chips). Get a coffee and pastry to go atDelany’s Coffee Houseand head past the bronze statues of laughing men, collectively known as “A-maze-ing Laughter,” to English Bay. Find a comfortable log on the breezy beach, and eat breakfast to a soundtrack of waves and gulls.
7) 10:30 A.M. Hug the Coast
Rent a bike near English Bay, and go east on the waterside bike path, past theInuit Inukshuk rock sculpture, a peaceful, somberAIDS memorialin the form of steel panels engraved with names, and other installations. Once you cross Burrard Bridge, keep close to the shore. Consider a visit to the Museum of Vancouver, with an in-depth, multi-mediaexhibitionon Musqueam culture, andKitsilano Beach Park,favored by families, view-seekers, occasional film crews (this is Hollywood North, after all) and admirers of big, frothy weeping willows (downloada tree mapatkitstreemap.com). Take a detour down residential streets; when you reach the 1865Old Hastings Mill Store Museum, turn back, this time taking the long way around False Creek (keep an eye out for dragon boats). If you can face the crowds, Granville Island has many shops, galleries and excellent food stalls offeringvegan Vietnamese food,fish and chipsand more.
8) 2 P.M. Local Luminaries
Emily Carr, born in Victoria in 1871, was a devotee of Pacific Northwest nature and culture, and made it her life’s work to paint both. Through Dec. 3, “Emily Carr: Into the Forest,” at theVancouver Art Gallery, focuses on her moody, swirling landscapes and trees. At theBill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art,another creative luminary is celebrated, along with other artists. Of Haida and Scottish-German descent, Mr. Reid mastered Haida craftsmanship and — using wood, stone, gold, silver and other materials — produced exquisite objects, from jewelry to monumental sculptures inspired by indigenous designs and myths.
9) 6:30 P.M. Cantonese Feast
It’s not difficult to find a reason to hop on theCanada Linefor the short trip to nearby Richmond with its largely Chinese population. There are temples, like the imperial-styleInternational Buddhist Temple,which welcomes visitors; midday dim-sum feasts; and tea shops where you can find rare and expensive pu-erh teas. And then there is dinner atChef Tony. Blazingly bright beneath elaborate light fixtures, the restaurant was recently filled with celebratory diners who were in no hurry to relieve the anxiety of those waiting outside. On one wall, a screen flashed through the menu: stewed pumpkin and short ribs, stir-fried sea cucumbers, fried purple rice with eel, and on and on. Expect to stay long and pay from 50 to 70 dollars for a feast.
10) 8:30 P.M. Waterfront Wandering
Back on the downtown waterfront, wander past hotels and bars, some offering live music. You might stop at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel for a drink at the pastel-hued, plant-filledBotanist,a glamorous new restaurant and bar, replete with a “cocktail lab” equipped with things like centrifuges and ice-sculpting tools. Or head a few blocks inland to theRoyal Dinette’ssmall, smart bar run by Kaitlyn Stewart, who was recently named theWorld Class Bartender of the Year in Mexico City.As long as you’re at this excellent farm-to-table restaurant, order dessert — sparkling wine sorbet and fermented pear was a recent possibility — to accompany your Bidi Bidi Bom Bom (Don Julio Blanco tequila, Aperol, soju, pressed grapefruit, rosemary and Peychaud’s Bitters, 14 dollars).
Sunday
11) 9 A.M. Buildings and Breakfast
At Forage, a sleek little restaurant in the artsy West End Listel Hotel, just about everything is housemade, from the spiced pear jam to the candied bacon. A full breakfast is about 20 dollars. Afterward, stroll around the neighborhood. Vancouver has many wonderful buildings — from the Art DecoMarine Buildingto the Colosseum-likeCentral Branch of the Vancouver Public Library— but the West End is special, with its verdant streets and graceful heritage houses. An onlinemapprovides highlights.
12) 11 A.M. A Fitting Setting
The wooded campus of theUniversity of British Columbiaholds many surprises:a suspended walkwaythrough a forest canopy;a Japanese tea garden;areconciliation poleby the Haida master carver James Hart; and alonghousethat serves as a student center. Near the water, theMuseum of Anthropology(adult, 18 dollars) has thousands of First Nations artifacts (among many other holdings). The splendid Great Hall, with its soaring glass wall, is a powerful setting for canoes, carved poles, house posts and other traditional objects.
Lodging
On a pretty stretch of Robson Street,the Listel Hotel(1300 Robson Street,thelistelhotel.com) is an eco-friendly boutique hotel with contemporary and Northwest Coast art and furnishings throughout the property’s public spaces, guest rooms and suites. There are two restaurants: Forage, a farm-to-table restaurant, and Timber, a Canadian gastropub. Double rooms start at around 212 dollars in early October.
Rosewood Hotel Georgia(801 West Georgia Street, rosewoodhotels.com/en/hotel-georgia-vancouver) near the Vancouver Art Gallery, is a historic 90-year-old hotel, with grand public spaces, a saltwater lap pool, spa, fitness center and, among its dining options, the elegant, contemporary Canadian Hawksworth Restaurant. There are 156 rooms and suites, starting at 499 dollars in October.