Vancouver, British Columbia, is a wonderful city to visit. Whether you’re simply passing through, taking a long layover, or spending a few days in the city, there are tons of fun things for travelers to do. You’ll find beautiful outdoor spaces, biking trails, and tons of delicious food. Keep reading for your travel guide and itinerary for one day in Vancouver!
Sleep – The Best Hotels in Vancouver
I stayed in the Davie Village neighborhood in downtown Vancouver, and while I liked the area, I cannot recommend the hotel.
Quick tangent about the hotel I booked: I stayed at The Burrard, and while it was cute and affordable (by Vancouver standards), there were mice in my room. When I went down to the front desk at 2am after spotting a second mouse walking on the espresso machine, I appreciate that they did switch me to another room. However, they weren’t at all surprised there were mice in my room, which I found concerning. They said it was the weather that was forcing mice inside. Next time, I will definitely pay a little more and stay at a nicer hotel to avoid the mice situation.
In terms of the best area to stay in the city, the downtown area of Vancouver is very walkable, so almost anywhere you stay will be a great location.
Note: finding hotels downtown under $300 is almost impossible in the summertime. In the winter, it is less expensive.
Hotels in Downtown Vancouver
- The Listel Hotel
- The St. Regis Hotel
- Wedgewood Hotel & Spa – Relais & Chateaux
- L’Hermitage Hotel
- Metropolitan Hotel
Hotels in the greater Vancouver area
One Day In Vancouver – Itinerary
Day 1
Grab a Coffee and Head to Granville Island
Start your day in Vancouver by grabbing a coffee! Vancouver is definitely a coffee city, and there are so many cute cafes serving up great coffee.
A few of my favorites include:
Explore Granville Island Public Market and Have Breakfast
Located on Granville Island, you’ll find Public Market, an indoor food hall with tons of delicious options. You’ll find everything from sandwiches to ice cream to fresh produce and more!
This is a great place to grab some breakfast/brunch and enjoy the views of the water.
Granville Island is connected to the downtown area, and you can easily get there by car, bus, bike, boat or on foot. Read all about how to best get to Granville Island here.
Personally, I think the best way to get to Granville Island is by water taxi. The ride is really short (5 minutes), but it’s a fun experience. You can take either the Aquabus or the False Creek Ferry. Both have multiple pick-up and drop-off spots. You can buy tickets in advance or on-board and they’re affordable.
Explore Stanley Park and the Beaches
Stanley Park is a huge park in Northwest Downton Vancouver, and makes a great place to visit when the weather is nice. You can walk or bike through the park, stopping to relax, enjoy the scenery and even have a picnic.
In addition to green spaces, Stanley Park is also home to several beaches. English Bay and Second Beach are both located close to the entrance of the park. They are pretty beaches and make a great place to spend a few hours.
Stanley Park makes an especially great place to visit with families! You can easily spend the whole afternoon there.
Visit Cartems for the Best Donuts
After spending a few hours in Stanley Park, a donut is exactly what you’ll need! Hop in an Uber, or on the bus, and head further downtown towards the Gastown neighborhood. There, you’ll find Cartems, a donut shop that serves up some of the best donuts I’ve ever had.
They have a ton of flavors to choose from, and they also have vegan and gluten free options.
Take in the Views from the Vancouver Lookout
From Cartems donuts, head across the street to the Vancouver Lookout for amazing city views.
Something I love about the Vancouver Lookout is that it has glass elevators, so you get amazing views on the ride up and down. From the top, you get 360 degree city views. There are also tons of signs explaining what you’re looking at, as well as an audio guide you can listen to as you walk around taking in the views.
Tickets are CA$18.25 for adults and CA$13.25 for students and children.
Have Dinner at Tacofino
Tacofino has multiple locations around the city, and while you can’t go wrong with any of them, I recommend the Yaletown location for dinner. The food is really good and the restaurant is casual and fun.
Yaletown is a cute neighborhood filled with restaurants and bars, and it’s a great place for dinner any night of the week.
After dinner, check out Mister Artisan Ice Cream. There will probably be a line, but it’s worth it!
Day 2
Have Breakfast at The Templeton Diner
Before ending your time in Vancouver, definitely check out The Templeton Diner for breakfast.
The 1950s style dinner is retro and fun, and the classic American breakfast food’s good too! There will probably be a line (they don’t take reservations), but it moves quickly and is worth it.
If you have extra time:
Take tours! I’m a huge fan of unique tours, and there are so many to choose from in Vancouver. I love that there’s so many outdoor activities in the summer – like whale watching and boat tours.
Fun Tours in Vancouver
- Whale Watching Adventure
- Seaplane Tour
- Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour
- Electric Bike Tour of Vancouver
Q&A – One Day in Vancouver
- Is Vancouver worth visiting?
- Yes! Especially in the summer, there are so many great outdoor activities and things to do.
- What’s the best month to visit Vancouver?
- In my opinion, the summer months are the best time to visit Vancouver. The weather is generally comfortable and there is a lot to do.
- How long do I need in Vancouver?
- 1-2 days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Vancouver.
- Do you need a car in Vancouver?
- If you’re planning on staying in the city itself, then no car is needed. Vancouver is very walkable and Ubers and public transportation are available.
I hope you found this one day Vancouver guide to be helpful! If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments!
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♡Kate
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Vancouver really looks lovely, so many cool activities here! I hope I can visit Canada soon! and it’s great that you can visit in a couple of days! The food scene looks very interesting! Thanks for sharing this article
Thanks for sharing your experience staying in Vancouver! I especially appreciate the honest review of the hotel.
Vancouver has been on my wish list for so long. Looks such a cool city. Would just 1-2 days be really enough?
Hi Sarah! I definitely think 1-2 days is enough in Vancouver. It’s not a very big city, and it’s pretty walkable, so you can hit the major sites and still have time to relax in the park or on the beach!
This is such a great guide, I love how you weave in not only cool places to visit, but also where to stop to eat along the way! I would love to break up my day in Vancouver with a donut 🙂 Thanks!
Nice place!!
I love Vancouver! I always like checking out where everyone else eats. You’ve introduced me to a new place, thanks!
Love this one-day itinerary to Vancouver! What a beautiful city to explore!
Yaaay! I am glad you liked Vancouver. It is such a fab city to live in (at least if you don’t see mice in your room!!) If you come back and fancy going hiking, I have loooads of fun ideas for you. 🙂
We have an Alaskan cruise booked next May out of Seattle and hope to be driving from Tennessee and want to explore Vancouver, and the island. Will be checking your site out along the way as we plan.
What a lovely guide, this one! Thanks for sharing – your photos are beautiful as well 🙂
I’m visiting Vancouver next January yay! Feel so excited to try all the things you’ve listed here. Definitely gonna visit Cartems for those yummy donuts!