Looking to plan a trip to Vancouver, BC? I’ve got you covered! Check out my itinerary for the best way to spend 3 days in Vancouver exploring this vibrant city as well as the beautiful nature that surrounds it.
Vancouver is unique in the sense that it offers both city life and amazing nature. You get the great restaurants, shopping and liveliness that comes with a big city, but you’re in super close proximity to hikes, views of the fjord, suspension bridges, and lush green parks. The best of both worlds! Keep reading to plan your 3-day Vancouver trip.

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SEE ALSO: The Best Things to Do in Golden, BC in the Summer
Vancouver 3-Day Itinerary Overview:
First Day: Granville Market, Stanley Park
Second Day: Sea-to-Sky Highway, Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge
Third Day: Gastown, Ferry to Bowen Island
Check out my “Canada” Instagram Highlight for more footage from the trip!
3-Day Vancouver Trip Overview
Before we dive into the best things to do in Vancouver, let’s go over some of the logistics:
How to Get to Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver is located in Western Canada. The easiest way to get there is to fly to Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Alternatively, it’s only a 2.5 hour drive from Seattle. You could also take the Amtrak train from Seattle and get there in 3 hours.
Where to Stay in Vancouver
Downtown
Downtown Vancouver is a convenient neighborhood to stay in, as it’s central to a lot of different sites and restaurants in various neighborhoods. We stayed at the Paradox Hotel downtown, and it was great! Very friendly staff, nice rooms, and cool common areas. We also felt very safe staying in this area.
Gastown
I love the vibe of Gastown when we visited during the day, with it’s charming cobblestone streets (more on that later!). However, I don’t recommend staying here as it can get pretty sketchy at night. It’s very close to Chinatown, which unfortunately is infamous as being one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Vancouver. Even though it’s tempting to want to stay in Gastown, I recommend just staying Downtown and walking over (or taking a short Uber) to Gastown to visit.
Coal Harbour

This is a great area to stay! Coal Harbour is located on the marina, so you can get water views AND mountain views from your hotel room and watch the seaplanes take off and land in the distance. There’s a paved walkway along the seawall that leads into Stanley Park, which is convenient for this Vancouver itinerary! Ive heard great things about Blue Horizon hotel here.
3 Days in Vancouver Summer Itinerary:
Visiting Vancouver in the summer means you will have the perfect weather to be outside, explore the city, and escape to the cool nature spots just beyond! Here’s our exact 3-day itinerary so you can avoid the stress of planning your trip and just follow this outline!
Day One
Breakfast in the West End
Kick off your Vancouver trip with breakfast at one of the best spots in the city, Maxine’s Cafe & Bar. It’s located in Vancouver’s West End neighborhood. The food is SO good.
Granville Market
You can’t visit Vancouver as a first-timer and not go to Granville Market! This indoor market has tons of different food stalls, fresh produce, and handmade goods. It’s located on Granville Island, so you can hop on the 5-minute ferry ride across the bay to get there.

From breakfast at Maxine’s, it’s just a 10-minute walk to the Aquabus Ferries at Hornby St Dock (you can put exactly that in your Google Maps and it will take you there). The Aquabus comes every 15 minutes, and the ride is less than 5 minutes across the bay.
Once you’re inside the market, wander around, try some different types of food (and samples!), check out the handmade goods. Make sure to try a doughnut from Lee’s Doughnuts. I’m not even a doughnut person, but these are incredible! After you’re done checking out the market, there are other cool boutique stores and art galleries along the street just outside that are worth perusing as well.



Stanley Park

After Granville Market, take a quick Uber to Stanley Park (you could walk there, but once you get to Stanley Park, it’s a lot of walking too). Pro trip: bring some goodies from Granville Market and have a picnic in Stanley Park!
Stanley Park is like the Vancouver version of New York’s Central Park. It’s the largest urban park in Vancouver, with hiking trails through a rainforest, scenic waterfront walkways, and beautiful beaches. It’s located in the northwestern peninsula of Downtown Vancouver, surrounded by water on both sides with the English Bay and Burrard Inlet. You could spend all day here – it’s gorgeous!
Bike or Walk around the Seawall
It takes about 2-3 hours to walk along the seawall trail around the circumference of Stanley Park. And around 1 hour if you’re on a bike! If you choose to rent a bike, then you can also have time to cruise around the trails in the middle of the park as well and cover more ground vs if you’re walking.
You can rent bikes right at the park entrance (make sure to grab a map of the park here too!). OR you can book this e-bike tour, which looks amazing!
Along the seawall path, you’ll first come across the lighthouse! Stop here and take some pics and follow the staircase up.

The seawall path is super scenic. It has trees overhanging at some parts to provide shade as you meander along, hearing the waves lap against the shore, and watching the seaplanes go by. It’s very tranquil!
You’ll also come across the “Girl in a Wetsuit” bronze scuplture in the water, which you can see from the trail.

Totem Poles at Brockton Point
About 20 minutes along the Seawall path, you’ll come to a fork in the road where you can take a path leading to the 9 totem poles, which is one of the most visited landmarks in Vancouver. These totem poles are sourced from indigenous tribes throughout British Columbia.

Stanley Park Rose Garden
Make sure you carve out enough time to check out the rose garden at Stanley Park. There are over 3,500 rose bushes (as well as other flowers and plants). The roses bloom in the summer, so it’s the perfect time to go! The vibrant colors and fresh smell of flowers are incredible.


After your afternoon spent in Stanley Park, head back to your hotel and then pick from one of Vancouver’s many great restaurants for dinner!
Vancouver Day Two

If you’re a nature-lover like me, this day may be your favorite of your 3 days in Vancouver, as you’ll be escaping the city and setting off to explore the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway!
Sea-To-Sky Highway
The Sea-to-Sky Highway is the famous, scenic road that connects Vancouver to Whistler (and then keeps going!). The drive is along the coast, and you get beautiful views of the water and of the forest, with the option for several epic viewpoints and stops along the way. There are two ways to do this day of the Vancouver itinerary:

Option 1: Rent a Car (recommended)
I highly recommend renting a car just for the day for this! Having your own wheels is always preferred, so you can go on your own timeline and make whatever stops suit your fancy. I always rent a car from DiscoverCars for international trips. They are reliable and have great prices! We found a rental car location walking-distance from our hotel in downtown Vancouver, so we rented one from there and just walked over to pick it up in the morning.
Option 2: Do a Guided Tour
If you don’t want to rent a car and drive yourself, don’t worry – you have options! You can always join a guided tour, like this one that takes you from Vancouver to the Sea-to-Sky Gondola, all the way up to Whistler, and back!
Vancouver Day Two Overview:
For this itinerary, you won’t go all the way up to Whistler for the sake of time. Instead, we’ll only being doing a portion of the Sea-to-Sky Highway, as far north as the town of Squamish. It’s a little over an hour drive from Downtown Vancouver to Squamish (but we will be doing quite a few stops!) I’ve got 6 stops planned out for you for this day!

Stop 1: Cypress Mountain Viewpoint
After you pick up your rental car, your first stop should be Cypress Mountain Viewpoint. This viewpoint is one of the best aerial views of the Vancouver city skyline!

Next Stop: Brunswick Beach
After Cypress Mountain Viewpoint, the views along the drive start to get REALLY good as you begin driving along the famous Sea-to-Sky Highway. Roll down the windows and soak it in!!
I just kept looking for good little coves/turnoff spots during this drive to pull over and get a closer look. The first of these led me to Brunswick Beach, about 20 minutes from Cypress Lookout.
We couldn’t figure out where to park here… so instead we just took turns each getting out of the car while the flashers were on just to get a quick look. Worth it – it was so beautiful!


Stop 3: Porteau Cove Park
About a 12-minute drive north of Brunswick Beach, you’ll come across Porteau Cove Park, which is a great next stop! There’s a parking lot with lots of spots. To the right of the parking lot, you’ll see the nice beach area. When we were there, there were scuba divers coming out of the water! Apparently its a great dive spot right off the shore. Then, to the left of the parking lot there’s a more rocky shoreline with tons of little tidepools to explore.


Next Stop: Sea to Sky Gondola

About 15 minutes from Porteau Cove Park, you’ll reach the iconic Sea to Sky Gondola! In my opinion, this is a must-do activity while you are visiting Vancouver. It truly is amazing! The gondola takes you up over the Howe Sound to the summit. At the top, there’s a cafe with an AMAZING view, a few hiking trails, a suspension bridge, and a via ferrata.
TIP: buy your gondola lift ticket ahead of time online to save money! The lowest price I’ve seen the lift ticket is from this site, for around $55 for an adult ticket. Alternatively, you can buy it directly from the Sea to Sky Gondola website.
Things to Do at the Summit

Hike
Once you’re at the top, I would start with a hike! There’s a few to choose from (all are pretty easy and short) but I recommend the Panorama Loop. It’s a 0.8-mile hike that meanders through old-growth forest with views overlooking the Howe Sound!
Walk Across the Suspension Bridge
There is a suspension bridge here so definitely check it out. HOWEVER I’ll have you going to another, way more awesome suspension bridge later today 🙂

Get a Drink at the Cafe
I don’t recommend eating the food here, it didn’t look that good (think ski lodge hot dogs and burgers) but the view is SO amazing – you should most definitely order a drink and sip it with a view!

Stop 5: Squamish for Lunch
Just about 5 minutes away from the Sea-to-Sky Gondola is the cute little town of Squamish, BC. I recommend stopping here for lunch before you head back South towards Vancouver!
Next Stop: Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

As you are researching the best things to do during your 3 days in Vancouver for your trip, there’s no doubt that you’ve come across a few different suspension bridge options. The most well-known is the Capilano Suspension Bridge. While this one does look awesome, it costs $56 per person for a ticket just to walk across it. It’s also known to be crowded.
Alternatively, I recommend going to the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge instead. This one is absolutely FREE, is less crowded, and is surrounded by nature trails to explore after you walk across the bridge. The trail leads down to the river where you can go swimming, too.


That was a packed day full of some epic nature! After Lynn Canyon, it’s about a 20-minute drive back to Vancouver. Return your rental car, get some dinner, and get ready for another fun day coming up!
Vancouver Itinerary: Day 3
Kickoff your day with brunch at this Michelin Guide spot – Cafe Medina. The food here is amazing! Pro tip: while you wait for your table, get one of their famous belgian-style waffles from the coffee bar as a little appetizer. They are simply amazing.
Gastown
After breakfast, it’s about a 10 minute walk to the cute, cool neighborhood of Gastown. Here you’ll find old historic architecture, cobblestone streets, street performers, shops, bars, restaurants. It was my favorite neighborhood I visited in Vancouver! This area has so much character, and a few of the streets are closed for cars, so it’s very pedestrian-friendly.

Spend some time wandering around the streets and people-watching. Also, make sure to check out the Gastown Steam Clock. This is one of only 6 steam clocks in the world! It’s an old historic clock that is powered by steam to tell the time. Every quarter-hour, the clock whistles and steam comes out of it (and people crowd around to watch!)

Bowen Island
Spend the afternoon on a little excursion to the beautiful, tranquil, Bowen Island, which sits about 2 miles off the mainland of Vancouver in the Howe Sound. Take an Uber to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal (about 25 minutes from Gastown).

Buy a ferry ticket. It costs around $24 round trip. Ferries leave about every hour. The ferry ride itself is only 20 minutes across the bay.
OR if you want a more unique experience, consider booking this jetski tour to Bowen Island or this private yacht tour!
For me, half of the fun was just being able to be outside on a boat, feeling the cool breeze and admiring the views over the water.


What to Do on Bowen Island
Explore the Town
After your 20-minute boat ride, you’ll arrive at Snug Harbour on Bowen Island. Once you get off the boat, I recommend walking straight up the hill. You’ll come across a few cafes, coffee shops, a brewpub. vintage stores, and boutiques to peruse! We also came across what was heralded as the worlds smallest candy store called “candy in the cove” (heads up – it’s cash-only!).

Lagoon Causeway
As you start heading back down the hill, turn left near the Bowen Public Library and head towards the Lagoon Causeway. This spot is overlooking Killarney Creek and Marrion Bay, and there’s a little beach to hang out at. We spent some time hanging out here, admiring the view, smelling the fresh air, and looking out over the water. We even saw two sea otters swimming around super close to shore!


Ice Cream!!
After your time at the Lagoon Causeway, head back down to the harbor so you are in place for your ferry home. Right next to the dock where the ferry goes, there’s a little deck with a store, kayak rentals, and a taco/ice cream spot called “Branch on Bowen”. The store has some super cute gifts and trinkets. But the real standout here is the ice cream – you HAVE to try it! Seriously some of the best ice cream I have ever had, and the perfect cap to the end of your Bowen Island adventure.


In terms of planning for how much time to spend here, we gave ourselves around 3 hours, and it was the perfect amount of time. We took the 1:30pm ferry there, and the 4:30pm ferry back.
Happy Hour and Dinner in Vancouver
You’ll get back to Vancouver around 5pm, just in time for a drink and some apps! I recommend heading to “Is That French”, which is a cute little wine bar & restaurant tucked away in an alley in Gastown.
I hope you have a great 3 days in Vancouver! It truly is such an amazing city surrounded by so much beautiful nature. I’m already thinking about planning my trip back, and next time I want to check out Vancouver Island!