1 week in Vancouver with our 3 young adult kids in August

[Anonymous]

Our daughter will be running a half-marathon in Vancouver in August and, amazingly, our family will all be able to go to cheer her on. We'll be there for 1 week with all 3 young adult kids. If you know the area, I'd love your suggestions for lodging, activities and restaurants. We enjoy hiking, water sports, all cuisines, history and art museums (especially contemporary art). Traveling as a family, we usually prefer to rent a house or apartment, but could also do an inn or hotel. TIA for your tips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daughter will be running a half-marathon in Vancouver in August and, amazingly, our family will all be able to go to cheer her on. We'll be there for 1 week with all 3 young adult kids. If you know the area, I'd love your suggestions for lodging, activities and restaurants. We enjoy hiking, water sports, all cuisines, history and art museums (especially contemporary art). Traveling as a family, we usually prefer to rent a house or apartment, but could also do an inn or hotel. TIA for your tips.

Definitely head up to Grouse Mountain for some time.

[Anonymous]

We have stayed right downtown (hotel Soleil-- highly recommend) and in a somewhat crummy apartment near Stanley Park in a quiet neighborhood and both areas have their perks. Just whether you want a quieter side street w low rise bldgs or highrises in the thick of it. Definitely walk all around Granville Island, take a water taxi for the effect of being on the water very briefly, and walk the seawall, take a drive or bike the Stanley Park loop and see the totem poles. We also really liked the Aquarium within the park. The shopping (particularly for sportswear and outdoorsy stuff) and Asian restaurants are fabulous, esp w the exchange rate in our favor. We also liked all the indigenous art. There is a small but excellent native art gallery a block from hotel soleil. Don't go east of the steam gas clock. It gets scuzzy fast w a lot of homeless people and drug paraphernalia on the streets. Rest of the city is super sanitized and safe. It's a fantastic city! Enjoy!

[Anonymous]

P.s. if your group is amenable to it, Hotel Soleil offers two room suites each w a king bed (one is a pull out sofa) and the included breakfast is in a beautiful dining room and quite good. No need to stay with all the cruise folks by the port (i.e. the Fairmonts, Pan Pacific) and just know that August is insanely busy w jacked up rates everywhere due to cruise traffic to Alaska going in and out of Vancouver.

[Anonymous]

See the sunken gardens in the park too

[Anonymous]

Same poster spewing more: we've also stayed at the Hampton Inn which has suites by the hockey arena. Totally fine area too, easy walk to lots of restaurants in Yaletown. I can't remember the name but absolute best happy hour (outdoor patio) in town is on the backside of the Vancouver Public Library (which looks like the Coliseum). We also hit amazing sales of winter gear at mountain warehouse on robson last August.

[Anonymous]

The sunken gardens are at the amazing Butchart Gardens on Victoria. Worth a visit if possible.

[Anonymous]

We took a fun float plane city tour, and enjoyed the food and the view at Boathouse restaurant at Kitsilano Beach.

[Anonymous]

August is such a great time to be in British Columbia. With a week, I'd definitely spend 3 days in Vancouver and the other 4 days out of city and in the spectacular scenery. Take a ferry to Victoria, visit Salt Spring Island, go to Tofino, or do the Circle Route on the BC ferry. Closer to Vancouver, you could rent an Airbnb on Bowen Island. The Sunshine Coast is also a short ferry ride away from Vancouver and has the small town of Gibsons and some great provincial parks for hiking (Smuggler's Cove and Skookumchuck Narrows).

[Anonymous]

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is touristy but fun -- the catwalk among the trees, the walkway bolted to the cliffs, and the view over the river are worth it. They run a free shuttle to and from downtown.

From there, you can walk about .25 miles up the road (just follow the sidewalk) to the trailhead for hiking trails along the river. Follow them up to the salmon hatchery or just enjoy being out in the woods.

[Anonymous]

Biking around Vancouver is incredibly easy and fun. We rented bikes and rode around Stanley park and then over to Granville Island.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, all! These are great tips. Please keep 'em coming.

[Anonymous]

We had a car (were spending 2 weeks in the entire region), rented a 2BR place with a parking spot near the City Hall metro station, about 7 minute walk away. Nice area with all good amenities, and trains every 5 minutes to go downtown. Car plus easy downtown access on the metro was perfect for seeing different parts of the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is touristy but fun -- the catwalk among the trees, the walkway bolted to the cliffs, and the view over the river are worth it. They run a free shuttle to and from downtown.

From there, you can walk about .25 miles up the road (just follow the sidewalk) to the trailhead for hiking trails along the river. Follow them up to the salmon hatchery or just enjoy being out in the woods.

Not far (assuming you have a car, which you should) from the Capilano Suspension Bridge, but free and with some beautiful hikes, is the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge.

Renting bikes and riding them around Stanley Park is a great way to spend half a day.