Our Favorite Places: Vancouver, British Columbia

By Eric Hrubant, Founder & CEO of CIRE Travel

Vancouver is one of those cities that makes you pause and think, “I could actually live here.” A place where charming neighborhoods sit alongside vibrant streets, gravity-defying parks, sandy beaches, and world-class museums. A city where you can ski in the morning and hit the beach in the afternoon.  As you explore, you keep asking yourself, “Do people really get to call this home?”

That’s Vancouver. Naturally stunning and invitingly cosmopolitan, outdoorsy and laidback. A place where beautiful water and mountain views frame a glittering downtown and a harbor dotted with boats and paddleboarders. It’s almost unbelievable, until you see it for yourself.

Spend a little time in this Pacific Northwest gem and you will believe it. Come discover our favorite places to stay, dine, shop, get cultured, swim, bike, ski, and soak it all in. Vancouver truly has it all.

Want more? Use Vancouver as a launch pad to get to Whistler, pop over to the Asian malls of Richmond, or hop on the ferry to soak up the English ambiance of Victoria on Vancouver Island.

For a weekend escape, a week-long Pacific Northwest vacation, or a pre- or post-cruise stay (numerous Alaska cruises depart from Vancouver’s Canada Place terminal), Vancouver unveils one treasure after another. We promise, you’ll be googling real estate opportunities before you know it.

It’s no surprise Vancouver is one of the CIRE Travel Team’s favorite destinations, and our luxury travel planners are at the ready to offer advice for creating the ideal British Columbia getaway.

Stay: Luxury Hotels in Vancouver

1.    Fairmont Pacific Rim

Nestled on the waterfront in the heart of Vancouver, Fairmont Pacific Rim sets the scene for a breathtaking city stay. You may forget you’re in an urban setting altogether as you gaze out at the North Shore Mountains, Stanley Park, and Coal Harbour.  For an elevated experience, opt for the Fairmont Gold floor, where guests receive exclusive lounge privileges, personalized service, and evening canapés. Enjoy the renowned Willow Stream Spa and rooftop pool cabanas. When you feel like getting out, our CIRE experts can craft the perfect Vancouver itinerary for your interests. Come back for dinner at Botanist, serving sustainably sourced seafood, locally grown produce, and award-winning cocktails.

2.    Rosewood Hotel Georgia

For boutique ambiance with historic character, opt for Rosewood Hotel Georgia, first opened in 1927. You’ll be in the heart of downtown, close to fabulous shopping and dining, and steps away  from Stanley Park and the seawall. The hotel was reimagined in 2011, updating its 156 luxe rooms and suites. Slip away to the Rosewood Spa, the state-of-the-art fitness center, or the indoor saltwater lap pool, then head to dinner at Hawksworth, helmed by Chef David Hawksworth. Sip apres-dinner cocktails at recently re-opened Reflections, a nearly secret garden terrace high above the city. Pro tip: Order the baba ghanoush studded with pomegranate seeds and a mezcal-spiked Summit cocktail.

3.    The DOUGLAS, an Autograph Collection Hotel

Outdoorsy types who like to push the envelope by day and indulge in the finer things by night will love The DOUGLAS, an Autograph Collection hotel. Offering a blend of nature and urban sophistication in the heart of downtown Vancouver, the hotel is nestled between Gastown and Yaletown along the vibrant False Creek waterfront. In keeping with Vancouver’s nature-forward ethos, The DOUGLAS leans into eco-conscious design, starting with a living wall and a striking Douglas fir-encased front desk in the 6th-floor lobby. Its 188 thoughtfully designed rooms and bi-level suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows and stunning city or park views. Step outside and you’re within the Parq Vancouver entertainment district, with several exceptional restaurants and lounges, a rooftop urban park, and the luxury Spa by JW. Can’t get enough nature? Sip a Douglas fir-infused gin cocktail at The Victor.

Eat: Best Restaurants in Vancouver

Vancouver’s dining scene is a map of its multicultural identity and an ode to British Columbia’s Fraser Valley and coastal waters. The city is renowned as one of the best for Chinese food outside China, boasts exceptional sushi bars and izakayas, and is home to several Michelin-starred restaurants. Wash down whatever you’re craving with a craft beer or award-winning BC wine. Approachable and laid-back, yet thoughtful and creative, the Vancouver dining scene is abundant both in variety and flavors.

1.    Baan Lao

Award-winning Baan Lao should be on your must-dine list for dinner, but don’t miss its afternoon tea service. This isn’t just any tea service, but the world’s first sommelier-led afternoon tea Thai experience, inspired by Chinese dim sum and British afternoon tea. The bites are pure artistry, balancing sweet, sour, and spicy notes, from Khao Kriap Pak Mo rice paper dumplings to Kuai Tiao Lui Suan, refreshing rice noodle rolls. Chef Nutcha Phanthoupheng creates dinner tasting menus that showcase local farm-sourced ingredients, her own flowers and microgreens, and organic rice from her Thai family’s fields. There are just 20 tables a night, so book early. Keep in mind that the restaurant closes from January to March, when the Chef travels to Thailand to work on setting her menu for the year.

2.    Dosanko

If locally sourced ingredients influence where you choose to dine, look no further than Dosanko. Seasonally inspired, local fare is served Yoshoku style, following, according to the restaurant, “Japanese traditions of using what is around you.” You’ll also find plenty of other devotees around you at the beloved Japantown institution, run by husband-and-wife team Nathan Lowey and Akiyo Tani. Come for the cheesy onigiri, stay for the tonkatsu don with local pork, and follow it all up with a sweet hojicha mille crepe. Bring your favorite foodie friends as the portions are ideal for sharing.

3.    Lila

Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins are always welcome at Lila, a collaboration between two of Vancouver’s most important chef-owners. Meeru Dhalwala of Vij’s and Shira Blustein of Acorn are friends known for focusing their culinary efforts on sustainability, supporting the local community, and mentoring women in the hospitality industry. Vegetarian and vegan tasting menus prioritize plants, and you’ll also find dairy and sustainable seafood on the menu. Tuck yourself away at a table in the hidden patio garden and order a table-full of plates, from the cold garam masala-marinated jackfruit to the potato and cauliflower pakoras with mango and mint chutney.

Do: Best Things to Do in Vancouver

1.    Paddle and Peruse at Granville Island Public Market

Though this still involves eating, with all the walking around it takes to browse the various stalls, it passes for a day activity, too. Quintessentially Vancouver, the Granville Island Public Market is the kind of place where it’s easy to have eyes bigger than your stomach. But don’t be shy as you browse the former industrial, waterfront site, you’ll find sweet and savory goodies for days. Start with chocolate-glazed donuts from Lee’s Donuts, spring for candied salmon at Longliner Seafoods, and pick up artisanal picnic ingredients like Oyama Sausage Co.’s charcuterie and Salt Spring Island cheeses from Benton Brothers. The fun doesn’t stop under the year-round market’s roof —Granville Island boasts trendy restaurants, galleries, theaters, and Granville Island Brewing. For the paddling part, rent a kayak or paddleboard to glide across the serene waters of False Creek.

2.    Take a Walk

For those healthy souls who can’t give up working out while on vacation, there’s the Grouse Grind, a 1.5-mile hike up the face of North Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain. You’ll tackle 2,830 steps with an elevation gain of 2,624 feet in anywhere from an hour to three. The bragging rights? Priceless. Not interested in breaking a sweat, but still want the views? Hop on the Skyride aerial tramway. Nearby, the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park offers a 450-foot-long, 230-foot-high bridge above the Capilano River, and elevated walkways in 250-year-old Douglas firs. If you’re brave, tiptoe out onto the Cliffwalk, a cantilevered walkway that juts out from a granite cliff wall above the canyon.

3.    Get Cultured

While Vancouver proper isn’t exactly old, the land on which it sits has a rich cultural past. Institutions like the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia campus, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and Stanley Park’s totem poles speak to the area’s Indigenous heritage and diverse artistic expressions. Discover a large collection of Northwest Coast First Nations art and artifacts at the Museum of Anthropology. The Great Hall is lined with ornately decorated canoes, ritual masks, and totem poles, while other rooms showcase 15th-century European pottery, local art, and jewelry. Self-guided and docent-led tours are available.

The Chinatown Storytelling Center is another insightful stop, documenting and sharing the stories of the Chinese-Canadian community and its contributions to the development of Canada as a nation. Hear more than 100 stories from Chinese-Canadians of all ages, backgrounds, and immigration histories, learning tales of adversity, resilience, and triumph.

4.    Spend a Day in the Park

Vancouver’s natural crown jewel, Stanley Park, is almost too good to be true. Within its glorious thousand acres lie endless forested trails, relaxing beaches, the Vancouver Aquarium, the iconic totem poles at Brockton Point, and the 10-kilometer Seawall that encircles the park with separate lanes for walkers, joggers, and cyclists.

Pack a picnic and spend the day here. Take a Talking Trees Tour with an Indigenous guide who will share stories of the traditional uses of the land by the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam nations. Play tennis, take a horse-drawn tour, visit the Rose Garden, or take the kids on a miniature railroad ride. Don’t have time to walk the entire seawall? Take a lap around Lost Lagoon within the park, which only takes about a half-hour.

5.    Hit the Beach

With a nickname like “Raincouver,” equating beaches with Vancouver doesn’t come easily. And yet … the city has nine oceanfront beaches and one freshwater beach. To see and be seen, head to Kits Beach, Vancouver’s answer to California’s Venice Beach, in the well-heeled neighborhood of Kitsilano (you may even run into Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, who have a home here). Not an ocean person? Take a dip in the Kits Pool, an outdoor, heated saltwater pool, where your float time comes with dramatic views of the city, ocean, and mountains.

Go for a less-crowded beach day at Spanish Banks, also the city’s longest stretch of sand. You’ll get expansive North Shores views and a quieter atmosphere than some of the other beaches. To feel like a true Vancouverite, pick up a coffee in the West End neighborhood and stroll to the picturesque English Bay or Sunset Beach.

CIRE Is Here to Help

Vancouver really is in a league of its own. Whether you’re in town for a week or a weekend, or departing from Canada Place on an Alaska cruise, our expert luxury travel planners can help you make the most of your time. Contact us now for a hassle-free way to stay and play in British Columbia’s most captivating city.

CIRE Travel is a full-service travel agency headquartered in New York, NY with offices in Kennebunkport, ME, Washington DC, Boston, MA, Miami, FL, Los Angeles, CA, Philadelphia, PA, Toronto, ON, Bogota, Colombia, Madrid, Spain, London, UK, Mexico City, Mexico, and Vancouver, BC.  Our expert corporate travel planners, honeymoon travel agents, and luxury travel planners support clients across the country and around the world.