A week in Vancouver is a proper holiday. You will see the city, the mountains, Whistler and Victoria, eat your way through Richmond and Main Street, and still have time for slow mornings and long dinners. Here is a seven-day plan that balances big sights with downtime.
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Your one-week plan at a glance
- Day 1: arrive, then the seawall, English Bay and a West End dinner
- Day 2: Stanley Park and Granville Island
- Day 3: Gastown, Chinatown and downtown culture
- Day 4: North Shore mountains and Deep Cove
- Day 5: Sea to Sky Highway and Whistler (stay overnight if you can)
- Day 6: Victoria
- Day 7: UBC, Kitsilano, Richmond and a farewell dinner
Day 1: Arrive and unwind
Take the Canada Line downtown (about 25 minutes from YVR). Stretch your legs on the seawall from Coal Harbour to English Bay for sunset, then have dinner in the West End or around Davie Village.
Day 2: Stanley Park and Granville Island
Spend a full morning in Stanley Park: the totem poles, Brockton Point, the Aquarium and Lost Lagoon. Spend the afternoon at the Granville Island Public Market, the studios and the brewery, and take the Aquabus along False Creek.
Day 3: Gastown, Chinatown and culture
See Gastown and the Steam Clock, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden and the Chinese Canadian Museum, then the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Bill Reid Gallery. Catch the sunset at Canada Place, then see a show or game. Check the events calendar.
Day 4: North Shore mountains and Deep Cove
See Capilano or Lynn Canyon in the morning, then Grouse Mountain. If you prefer water to peaks, kayak in Deep Cove and hike Quarry Rock. End at Lonsdale Quay and ride the SeaBus home at dusk.
Day 5: Sea to Sky and Whistler
Drive Highway 99 with stops at Horseshoe Bay, Porteau Cove, Shannon Falls and the Sea to Sky Gondola. In Whistler, ride the PEAK 2 PEAK, visit the Audain Art Museum, walk Lost Lake, or ski. Stay overnight and enjoy the village at night.
Day 6: Victoria
From Whistler, return to Vancouver in the morning and take the seaplane over in the afternoon, or swap days 5 and 6. In Victoria, see the Inner Harbour, Parliament, the Royal BC Museum, Fisherman’s Wharf and Butchart Gardens, with whale watching in season.
Day 7: UBC, Kitsilano and Richmond
Spend the morning at the Museum of Anthropology, then Spanish Banks and lunch in Kitsilano. In the afternoon, visit Queen Elizabeth Park and the Bloedel Conservatory. Finish in Richmond with a Chinese seafood or dim sum feast, close to the airport for an early flight.
Adjust it for the season
Spring (March to May)
Blossoms, gardens and whale watching (from April). Spring skiing is still possible at Whistler and sometimes at Grouse and Cypress.
Summer (June to September)
Peak season for everything outdoors. Book ferries, seaplanes, Whistler hotels and popular restaurants well ahead. Swap one day for a beach day at Kitsilano or Spanish Banks.
Fall (October to November)
The best value of the year. Fall colours on the Sea to Sky and storm-watching weather. Keep a museum day flexible for rain.
Winter (December to February)
Turn day 5 into two ski days at Whistler and drop the Victoria day. Add Canyon Lights, the VanDusen Festival of Lights and the Christmas Market. See our Christmas guide.
Swap stops to match your interests
- Outdoors and active: Add a full hiking day (Norvan Falls, the Grouse Grind or Garibaldi), seawall cycling end to end, and paddleboarding at English Bay.
- Rainy day / indoor: Aquarium, Science World, MOA, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Royal BC Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Bloedel Conservatory. See our rainy day guide.
- Arts and culture: MOA, VAG, the Bill Reid Gallery, The Polygon, the Audain and the Royal BC Museum, plus theatre, symphony or a gig at the Commodore Ballroom.
- Food lovers: Granville Island, Chinatown, Main Street, Richmond, Steveston and a tasting-menu night. See our best restaurants.
- Families: Aquarium, Science World, the Capilano Treetops, Grouse wildlife, the Kids Market, Whistler summer activities and the ferry to Victoria.
- Business travellers: Do meetings on days 2 to 3 downtown. Take the seaplane to Victoria and a Whistler team day, and keep evenings for Gastown and Yaletown.
Getting around
You don’t need a car for most of this. The Canada Line SkyTrain runs from YVR airport to downtown in about 25 minutes. Trips that start at the airport stations pay an extra YVR AddFare, so tap a contactless card or Compass Card. A DayPass covers unlimited bus, SkyTrain and SeaBus rides for the day. The SeaBus crosses the harbour to Lonsdale Quay in about 12 minutes, and the little Aquabus and False Creek Ferries connect downtown with Granville Island. For the seawall, rent a bike or use Mobi bike share. Rent a car only for days on the Sea to Sky Highway or deep in the North Shore mountains.
Where to stay
Downtown and Coal Harbour are best for a short trip: everything in this plan is a walk, bike ride or short SkyTrain hop away. Yaletown suits food lovers and is right on the Canada Line. The West End sits near Stanley Park and English Bay with good-value hotels. North Vancouver (Lonsdale) works if mountains are your priority. Compare options in our where to stay in Vancouver guide.
Good to know before you go
- Layers beat luggage. Even in summer, evenings on the water get cool. From October to April, bring a real rain jacket.
- Book the big tickets ahead. Capilano, Grouse, the Sea to Sky Gondola and Canyon Lights use timed or dynamic pricing. Booking online is usually cheaper and avoids the queue.
- Check museum days. The Museum of Anthropology closes on Mondays from mid-October to mid-May. Most galleries open late one night a week (MOA on Thursdays, the Vancouver Art Gallery on Fridays).
- Go early for nature, late for food. Popular trails and viewpoints are quietest before 10 am. Restaurant reservations fill fastest between 6:30 and 8 pm.
- Check what’s on. See things to do this week, the weekend guide and the events calendar to slot a concert, game or festival into your plan.
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