Vancouver on a plate
Canada’s Pacific coast gem has everything – from buzzing city life to stunning wilderness
It’s easy to see why Vancouver is always named as one of the world’s top places to live. The cosmopolitan city stands on the shores of the Pacific, with towering mountains and the Canadian wilderness just a short drive away.
Whether you are a nature lover, water fan, thrill-seeker or foodie, the city has it all, but is it possible to sample everything on offer in just seven days?
My husband Paddy and I set off on a mission of discovery, enlisting the help of the experts on a range of tours.
FOR FOODIES
Our brains were boggled by the variety of foodie delights in the high-class restaurants and hip independents, so we left the choice to the professionals.
Vancouver Foodie Tours offers a range of walking trips, the ethos being: why have a meal at one restaurant when you can have a different course in four?
We booked a fab three-hour Gastronomic Gastown tour around the historic restaurant district packed with famous eateries, quirky pubs and historic dining rooms (€55, foodietours. ca). Host Miguel led our group around the food stop-offs, providing commentary on the area which grew from a single tavern founded by Gassy Jack in 1867 – so named as he had the gift of the gab!
We sampled some incredible dishes, along with Vancouver craft beer, awardwinning wine and cocktail pairings. The stand-out course was the crispy bacon and egg starter at Tuc Craft Kitchen, so good that we booked for a full meal there.
If you want to buy the best local produce, Granville Island Public Market has the answer. The indoor market is home to hundreds of colourful market stalls selling fresh fruit, fish, meat, cakes and just about anything you can think of.
If you think of beer as food, don’t miss the craft ales at Granville Island Brewery for tastings and a tour.
FOR NATURE LOVERS
Stay in the city and visit vast Stanley Park’s 1,000 hectares of forest and beaches. Hire a bike to follow miles of trails – or catch an open-top bus.
Out of town, the Capilano Suspension Bridge attracts 80,000 tourists a year to walk its 460ft, 230ft above the river through incredible scenery.
Or enjoy a day trip to the mountains. We headed to ski resort Whistler with
Landsea Tours taking the Sea to Sky Highway, one of the greatest scenic drives in the world (€95 for adults and €53 for children, vancouvertours.com).
On the way we saw an ancient fjord, the second-largest granite monolith in the world and the awe-inspiring Shannon Falls, before reaching Whistler village which is surrounded by forests and mountains.
FOR THRILL-SEEKERS
There are plenty of adventures to be had whatever the weather in Whistler, such as zip-lining,
bungee-jumping or even helisightseeing. See tagwhistler.com
FOR WATER FANS
Vancouver is surrounded by water on three sides. But, if that isn’t enough, take a ferry to Victoria on Vancouver Island.
There is plenty of watery fun, from canoeing and kayaking to paddleboarding and fishing, and it is a top whale-watching spot.
Orca Spirit Adventures took us on a two-hour trip out into the ocean (€78 for adults, €60 for children, orcaspirit.com).
They promise a repeat journey if you don’t see a whale, but we had only scoured the sea for 20 minutes before we were watching in wonder as a magnificent creature launched itself into the air.
WHERE TO STAY
We stayed at Park Inn by Radisson, West Broadway, from €84 a night (low season) to €263 (high season), see parkinn.com/ vancouverca. On Vancouver Island, we had a bungalow at Spinnakers Brewpub & Guesthouses, from €196 a night, with breakfast. See spinnakers.com.