Six days lets you do Vancouver and both of its classic day trips, Whistler and Victoria, with time for neighbourhoods and a slow morning or two. If you love the outdoors, it also gives you a real hiking or paddling day.
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Your six-day plan at a glance
- Day 1: Stanley Park and Granville Island
- Day 2: Gastown, Chinatown and downtown culture
- Day 3: North Shore mountains
- Day 4: Sea to Sky Highway and Whistler
- Day 5: Victoria
- Day 6: UBC, Kitsilano, gardens and a farewell dinner
Days 1 to 3: Vancouver’s essentials
Day 1: seawall, Stanley Park and the Aquarium, then Granville Island and an English Bay sunset.
Day 2: Gastown, Chinatown and the Sun Yat-Sen Garden, the Vancouver Art Gallery, Coal Harbour and Canada Place.
Day 3: Capilano or Lynn Canyon, Grouse Mountain and Lonsdale Quay.
Day 4: Sea to Sky and Whistler
Drive Highway 99 past Horseshoe Bay, Porteau Cove and Shannon Falls. Ride the Sea to Sky Gondola, then continue to Whistler for the PEAK 2 PEAK, the village, Lost Lake or skiing. Consider staying overnight in Whistler: art lovers can add the Audain Art Museum, and adventurers the Cloudraker Skybridge.
Day 5: Victoria
Seaplane from Coal Harbour or ferry from Tsawwassen to Vancouver Island. Walk the Inner Harbour, the Parliament Buildings and the Royal BC Museum, have afternoon tea, then visit Butchart Gardens or go whale watching from April to October.
Day 6: Culture, beaches and farewell
Morning at the Museum of Anthropology, then Spanish Banks and lunch in Kitsilano. In the afternoon, visit Queen Elizabeth Park and the Bloedel Conservatory or VanDusen Garden. Finish with a special farewell dinner. See our best restaurants guide.
Adjust it for the season
Spring (March to May)
Victoria’s gardens and Vancouver’s blossoms make spring ideal. Whale watching season starts in April.
Summer (June to September)
Peak season: book Whistler stays, ferries and seaplanes early. Long days make the Whistler-and-back trip easy.
Fall (October to November)
Fewer crowds and lower hotel rates. Whistler in fall is colourful and calm, and Victoria is great in any weather.
Winter (December to February)
Make Whistler a ski day (or two) and stay overnight. Victoria in December is full of lights. Check ferry weather and road conditions before you go.
Swap stops to match your interests
- Outdoors and active: Replace day 2 with Deep Cove kayaking and Quarry Rock, or hike Joffre Lakes or Garibaldi from Whistler (permits and season apply).
- Rainy day / indoor: Aquarium, Science World, MOA, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Royal BC Museum and the Bloedel Conservatory.
- Arts and culture: MOA, VAG, the Bill Reid Gallery, The Polygon, the Audain Art Museum and the Royal BC Museum.
- Food lovers: Granville Island, Chinatown, Richmond, Main Street and Victoria’s afternoon tea and craft beer.
- Families: Aquarium, Science World, Capilano, the Grouse wildlife refuge, the Whistler summer gondolas and a ferry ride.
- Business travellers: Put meetings on days 2 and 6 downtown, use the seaplane to save time to Victoria, and take a Whistler team day.
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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