First-time visitor · Vancouver
First time in Vancouver — what locals actually recommend
If it's your first weekend in Vancouver, this is the locals' shortlist — the sights worth the queue, the food you can't skip, and the neighbourhood walks that show you the place.
Editor's pickPopular local pick
Top spots in Vancouver
Granville Island
Food & DrinkFalse Creek
Public market, craft breweries and harbourfront buskers.
Grouse Mountain
OutdoorsNorth Shore
Hike the Grind in summer, ski + skate in winter.
Queen Elizabeth Park
OutdoorsRiley Park
Cherry blossoms in April, panoramic city views.
Stanley Park Seawall
OutdoorsWest End
10 km of ocean-edge cycling under cedars and totem poles.
Where to eat
Joe Fortes
$$$Seafood · West End
Roof patio, oysters and the classic Caesar.
Kissa Tanto
$$$Japanese-Italian · Chinatown
1960s Tokyo jazz club, hardest reso in town.
Phnom Penh
$$Cambodian-Vietnamese · Chinatown
Famous butter beef + chicken wings.
Vij's
$$$Modern Indian · Cambie
Vikram Vij — no reservations, worth the wait.
Frequently asked
- Standouts right now: Stanley Park Seawall, Granville Island, Grouse Mountain. The shortlist is curated by people who live in Vancouver and refreshed regularly so it reflects what's actually open and worth your time.
First-time visitor in nearby cities
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