Vancouver

One of the world's great urban parks — 400 hectares of ancient rainforest jutting into Burrard Inlet, ringed by a spectacular 8.8km seawall with views of mountains, city skyline, and passing cruise ships. Home to totem poles, beaches, and resident wildlife.

Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood — cobblestone streets, Victorian architecture, and the famous steam-powered clock on Water Street that whistles every 15 minutes. Filled with galleries, restaurants, and boutique shops.

A vibrant covered public market on a reclaimed industrial island under the Granville Bridge — artisan food stalls, fresh produce, BC salmon, sourdough bakeries, and craft galleries, all inside a vast converted warehouse.

A 137-metre suspension bridge swaying 70 metres above a rushing river gorge in a temperate rainforest — with treetop walkways, cliff walks bolted to canyon walls, and towering Douglas firs.

North America's third-largest Chinatown and a National Historic Site — centred on Pender Street with seafood restaurants, herbal medicine shops, and the extraordinary Classical Chinese Garden, the only authentic Ming Dynasty garden outside China.

A revolving observation deck atop Harbour Centre tower, 167 metres above downtown Vancouver — 360° views of the city, mountains, ocean, and on clear days, Mount Baker in Washington State.

A gondola ride up Grouse Mountain with sweeping views over Vancouver and the Pacific coast — at the summit: grizzly bears in a wildlife refuge, lumberjack shows, and hiking trails (winter skiing).

Richmond (just south of Vancouver) has the finest Cantonese dim sum outside Hong Kong — Chef Tony at Aberdeen Centre serves exquisite hand-made har gow, cheung fun, and baked BBQ pork buns to a local Chinese crowd.

A waterfront seafood restaurant steps from Canada Place serving fresh Pacific salmon, Dungeness crab, and BC spot prawns with views of cruise ships and the North Shore mountains.

Vancouver's oldest craft brewery, founded in 1984 — the taproom on Granville Island serves fresh pints direct from the tanks alongside charcuterie boards and live music on weekends.

Vancouver's main shopping street — a 14-block stretch of international brands, Canadian fashion retailers, and restaurants connecting downtown to the West End neighbourhood.

Vancouver's distinctive geodesic dome science centre on False Creek — hands-on exhibits spanning physics, ecology, and technology, with an OMNIMAX theatre. The dome itself is one of the city's most recognisable landmarks.

Vancouver's most popular sandy beach — a long stretch of sand facing English Bay with the North Shore mountains as a backdrop, adjacent to an outdoor saltwater pool (the longest in Canada) and beach volleyball courts.

The Sea-to-Sky Highway drive to Whistler is one of North America's most scenic roads — 120km of mountains, fiords, and waterfalls leading to the 2010 Winter Olympics village, with gondola rides, hiking, and mountain biking.

A ferry or floatplane to Victoria on Vancouver Island — the remarkably English provincial capital with afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel, the Inner Harbour, and the legendary 22-hectare Butchart Gardens just outside town.

Vancouver's most respected specialty coffee roaster — a minimalist Gastown café with a rotating selection of single-origin filter coffees, precise espresso, and zero-compromise barista craft.

Vancouver's most beloved brunch spot, perennially packed with locals for indulgent plates — lobster benedict, ricotta pancakes, and smashed avocado toast served in a warm, buzzy room near Robson Street.

Gastown's best craft beer bar — 50+ BC craft beers on tap rotated seasonally, in a warm brick-and-timber room with an excellent pub food menu focused on local and sustainable ingredients.

The grand lobby bar of Vancouver's landmark château-style hotel, built in 1939 — copper-green rooflines, ornate stonework, and a sophisticated cocktail menu in one of Canada's most storied hotel bars.

Arthur Erickson's glass and concrete masterpiece on the UBC campus houses the world's finest collection of Northwest Coast Indigenous art — towering totem poles, carved feast dishes, and the awe-inspiring Great Hall of First Nations sculpture.