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I’ve always been interested in going to Vancouver and finally decided to check it out. It was a last-minute trip and I booked my bus ticket and hotel room merely 2 days before travelling. I was in Seattle and knew that all I needed was my passport and I could be on my way. Vancouver is a beautiful and dense city in British Columbia and is surrounded by mountains. It is just 3 hours from Seattle, so it is a perfect choice for a quick trip. There are a lot of resources online that helped in planning an itinerary for 48 hours in Vancouver. If you ever can, I would definitely recommend checking Vancouver out!
Disclaimer; All the “$” in this post are CAD. At the time of this post 1 CAD = 0.77 USD
Getting to Vancouver
Traveling to Vancouver from Seattle, I had four options; Seaplane, Plane, Train and Bus. Seaplane is the fastest option but the most expensive. The major airport is Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and flights from Seattle cost about $150 RT. You can also find out the cost from where you are using this search engine. I decided to go by bus because it was the cheapest option. Bolt bus offers one-way trips for about $24, so I was able to travel for under $50 roundtrip.
Accommodation in Vancouver
My typical strategy to choose a place is to check Airbnb and compare the prices with Expedia prices. I don’t know if it’s because I was looking up places 2 days before travelling, but the prices were very expensive. I couldn’t find any AirBnb for less than 200USD a night. Luckily, I was able to get a great deal with Expedia because I’m a silver rewards member. As a silver rewards member, I get discounts to Expedia’s VIP access hotels. Essentially, I get a great discount (in this case $60 off a night) and get VIP treatment at the hotel. A win, win. Check out other resources to find hotels.
I stayed at Executive Hotel Vintage Park, which is located in Downtown Vancouver. The location was very convenient for getting around the city. The hotel claims to have complimentary chauffeur driven cars and bike rentals for guests, but I didn’t have enough time and need to check those out. It’s a wine-themed hotel, so there are daily evening wine tastings in the lobby. I only stayed one night but I enjoyed my stay, especially as a VIP guest.
Getting Around in Vancouver
During my pre-travel research, I found out that Vancouver has a decent number of transport options. Buses are the cheapest mode of transport and I do not shy away from them. I only used the bus twice (from the station to my hotel & hotel to Granville Island) and it was pretty convenient. The bus costs $2.85 and you need exact change to get on the bus and luckily I had $3 each time (close enough). There are also skytrains but I never went on them.
I didn’t know until I got there that there aren’t Uber and Lyft services in Vancouver. I almost couldn’t believe it and I wouldn’t have thought that a city as well-known as Vancouver wouldn’t have those. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of taxis, so this was disheartening. When planning your itinerary, plan accordingly to use bus, trains and taxis.
48 HOURS IN VANCOUVER EXPERIENCE; VANCOUVER ITINERARY
Activities
1. Vancouver Lookout
This was the first thing I did after checking into my hotel. Vancouver Lookout has an observation deck 553 feet above Vancouver. It offers a panoramic 360 degree view of the city. It’s open all year round and costs $17.50 for adults, but I got in for $12.50 (student discount). I’m a serious fan of observation decks and try to make it to as many as possible. I honestly didn’t have the best view of Vancouver the day I went, because it was smoky outside. However, I still got to see a good amount of the city. If you have 48 hours in Vancouver, make sure to add this to your itinerary.
2. Arcade
On my way back to the hotel from the Lookout, I saw an arcade and decided to check it out. It’s called movieland arcade and is located on north of granville street. It was a small, nice place to play games. It’s lined with back-in-the day video games and pinball machines. The machines take Canadian quarters. It was confusing at first because the machines used the word “tokens” and I was trying to figure out how to get those. I finally figured out that I could pay with regular quarters. A few of the machines weren’t working but most of the Pinball machines were working so I had fun with that. I spent less than $10 and was there for about 45mins, so I would definitely check it out again.
3. Vancouver Art Gallery
After breakfast on day 2, I headed to Vancouver Art Gallery. It’s open from 10am to 5pm daily (except on Tuesday when it’s open until 9pm). Entry is $24 for adults and $18 for students with valid ID and it’s free Tuesday evenings between 5pm & 9pm. There are also free gallery tours with admission ticket. I went around open and there was a bit of a line to buy ticket and get in.
The gallery is small but has a lot of exhibits. Because I’m used to Washington DC Galleries, I found this one to be quite different. DC Smithsonian galleries are typically full of permanent exhibits. The Vancouver gallery is made up of exhibitions that are set up for a specific time frame and are separated on different floors. I spent about 2 hours there and was able to get to see all the exhibits.
4. Aquabus
It’s definitely arguable whether this is a tourist activity or a mode of transport. Aquabus is a ferry service that makes stops up and down False Creek every 15minutes or less. It’s a great and affordable way to get an awesome view of Vancouver skyline. The day pass is $15 (for multiple use throughout the day), while one-way trips cost about $3-$5.50 (depending on the pick-up and drop-off locations).
I thought Aquabus was the only brand that has the ferry service on false creek, but it turns out there are other brands. I used False Creek Ferries & it costs the same amount as Aquabus. I’m not sure if there are only 2 brands of ferry services, but I only saw those 2.
5. Granville Island
This was one of the best parts of my Vancouver trip. There are so many things to do on the island. There’s a Public Market that has all sorts of stuff. There are flowers, fresh food, eateries, galleries and many more. It’s pretty easy to get to the Island from Vancouver. There are ferries and public buses that go directly from Downtown to Granville Island. There are a lot of shops and places to relax on the Island. I spent most of my day 2 there and would have done even more if I could. Granville Island is a great place to explore and I would check it out if I’m in Vancouver again.
6. Granville Island Brewery
I’m not a beer-fan but when planning my Vancouver trip, a lot of posts online suggested checking out Granville Island Brewery. In an attempt to become a beer-fan, I signed up for a tour of the Brewery. It costs just $9.75 + tax and it includes an hour of tour and 3 x 5oz tasters. My tour was with Granville island beer fans from outside Vancouver. If you plan to spend 48 hours in Vancouver, you should definitely sign up for this tour. To participate in the tour, you need to be at least 19 years old and have closed-toe shoes on. I don’t remember the 3 beers that I had for the tasting, but I know one of them is bacon-flavored beer (it actually smelled like bacon and no bacon was used to make it). The tour was a nice, affordable way to get insight on how beer is made. It’s fun and a great bang for buck!
Pro-Tip: There’s a student discount so if you have a student ID make sure to show that.
7. Meals
I had some really delicious meals in Vancouver. They were relatively cheap for an expensive city. A buffet breakfast in the hotel was $13, which seemed like a really great deal! I also checked out Lee’s Donuts and Urban Thai. There are also so many food options on Granville Island.
Miscellaneous Things
Shopping
I didn’t have much time to go shopping but I still checked out some stores downtown. Robson street is a world-famous area of Vancouver for shopping, so I walked through to check out the different stores on the strip. There were a variety of mid-range shops and I wish I had more time to check them out.
Parking
This is somewhat random but I noticed that cars were parked on the sidewalk in downtown Vancouver. There were parking meters, so the parking is actually legit. If you’re from Vancouver, let me know why the parking is this way.
My 2 day in Vancouver Itinerary
Day 1
- Take bus up to Vancouver from Seattle
- Check in Executive Hotel Vintage Park
- Lunch at Urban Thai
- Self guided tour through Yaletown and Gastown
- Vancouver Lookout
- Shopping in Downtown Vancouver
- Movieland Arcade
- Dinner
Day 2
- Breakfast in Hotel
- Vancouver Art Gallery
- Exploration of Granville Island and Public Market
- Lunch and Brewery Tour at Granville Island Brewery
- Aquabus from Granville Island to The Village
- Bus from Vancouver to Seattle
If I had more time..
After experiencing how beautiful Vancouver is, I will be sure to return. Here are some things I would do/see if I had more time;
- Bike Around Stanley Park’s Seawall
- Shopping in Vancouver
- Vancouver Aquarium
- The Tour Guy
- A Beach
I’d love to hear from you! If you’ve been to Vancouver, what was your favorite thing to do?
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September 5, 2018
Excellent list of things to do in Vancouver. I have friends there and must admit I almost never get downtown when I’m in the city. I’ll have to rectify that the next time I’m there. I’d love to go up the Vancouver Lookout.
September 12, 2018
I’m surprised you’ve been to the Vancouver and haven’t checked out downtown. You should definitely rectify that on your next trip. Also, check out Granville Island if you haven’t.
September 5, 2018
This is great! I loved Vancouver when I was there, especially the Vancouver Lookout, that was one of my favourite parts!
September 6, 2018
The view up Vancouver Lookout was great! I wish it wasn’t so smoky outside when I went. I’ll check it out again on my next trip.
September 5, 2018
Cool to know Vancouver has a descent bus system that’s inexpensive. I was worried I’d have trouble getting around there if I didnt rent a car.
September 6, 2018
It’s very easy to get around Vancouver without a car. I walked around for the most part, but there are buses and trains. Make sure to have smaller bills to pay with.
September 5, 2018
Vancouver is one of my favorite cities, there’s so much to do, especially Granville Island. On my last trip, I took the train from Seattle, which was really relaxing and scenic. I never noticed the cars parking on the sidewalks, though, that’s funny! It must have to do with the electric streetcar cables.
September 6, 2018
The parking on the sidewalk seems so bizarre to me also! Maybe I’ll take the train the next time I head up there and check out the views on the way.
September 6, 2018
The aquabus sounds interesting and hope to ride on it someday. Would love to visit the art gallery after reading about your experience there 🙂
September 12, 2018
You should definitely try the aquabus as it’s very inexpensive and you can also get great views of the city on it.
September 6, 2018
I love Vancouver as it offers the perfect mix of nature and city. It’s clean, well laid out and easy to walk. I hope you get to go back for more time and visit Stanley Park, The Capistrano Suspension Bridge and more of the city.
September 6, 2018
Vancouver Lookout is a place I’d be interested in, a place to give away the amazing skyline of the city, is a must-visit for me. I had no idea Vancouver has so many things to do that even 2 days can be less 😀 I’d love to spend more time here surely!
September 6, 2018
It’s such a great city. You should check out all the different things to do!
September 6, 2018
I’d love to check out that art gallery! Just curious…you mentioned “sea plane” as one of the transport options…what is that? I’ve never heard of it before.
September 12, 2018
I hadn’t heard of it until I was looking up ways to get to Vancouver. They’re practically planes that take off and land on water. They’re the fastest way of transport because unlike with regular planes, you don’t have to go to the airport and spend time passing through airport security and all that. You can check out the website here; https://www.kenmoreair.com/
September 6, 2018
Oh I miss Vancouver! I didn’t know there were so many things you could do in 48 hours though! Well done
September 12, 2018
Thanks! With proper planning, you can get to see a lot in any city in a short period of time.
September 6, 2018
Can’t wait to return back to Vancouver. Lovely writeup???
September 6, 2018
Thanks! I hope you get back soon. It’s such a pleasant place to visit.
September 12, 2018
Vancouver is honestly one of my favorite cities in the world. The people are so nice, the food is so good, and there is so much nature to explore! I lowkey want to move there one day lol.
September 12, 2018
I definitely understand! I wouldn’t mind moving there but it’s an expensive city so that part will suck.
September 13, 2018
I have been to Vancouver a long time ago, but still one of my favorite cities with fond memories. I am more of a nature girl so nowadays I am not much of a city visitor.
But I guess one could say Vancouver and Capetown are very similar. I lived in both and the vibe is similar.
October 3, 2018
I haven’t been to Capetown so I can’t really say how similar they are. I will add that to my travel destinations. Thanks!
September 13, 2018
This is a great list of things to do in Vancouver! I will definitely refer to it when I finally plan a trip up there! I will be sure to pin it too!
October 3, 2018
Thanks! I really appreciate it.
September 19, 2018
Vancouver is extremely high on my travel list. I’d love to do the SeaWheeze Half Marathon that is run there every year: the course looks stunning. Finishing up at the Granville Brewery would be an amazing reward!
October 3, 2018
You should definitely check out Vancouver! I’ve never been in a half marathon there so I don’t know much about the course but beer would be a great reward for finishing the race.
September 27, 2018
Vancouver has been always on one of my favorite destinations, nice write up. Really very helpful to refer while traveling to Vancouver.
Thanks for sharing Your experiences.
October 3, 2018
Thanks! I hope you visit there again soon.
November 30, 2018
I’ve never been to Vancouver – thank you for an informative post! What time of year did you go? Do you think you would change your activities based on weather? I’m an outdoorsy person so most of your suggestions are things I would do in winter.
November 30, 2018
This is totally on my bucket list. Looks like a lot of fun!
November 30, 2018
Vancouver seems amazing! I’m living in Ontario this winter while my fiancé plays basketball here. I would love to see more of Canada, but we are pretty far from every major city unfortunately! Hoping to venture out soon though!
-Madi xo
http://everydaywithmadirae.com
November 30, 2018
Vancouver has been on my bucket list for awhile now, and reading this post made me realize I need to move it up the list and plan a trip soon! Thanks for sharing the great tips!
December 17, 2018
I love Vancouver, especially Granville Island and the art museum. Thanks for sharing your trip. It looks great!
December 31, 2018
Vancouver is my favourite place in the world. It’s so beautiful, even though it can be quite expensive to live in. Great review!
January 11, 2019
Yessss! Vancouver is my city, born and raised! It’s always so cool to see how other’s experience it.
January 21, 2019
Fabulously detailed! Can’t wait to visit ❤️