Holiday houses & accommodation Vancouver

Vancouver has a remarkable selection of dining options. You’ll find sushi joints, Chinese restaurants, fine bistros, and food trucks all over the city. The ‘locavore’ movement is also strong in the city; many restaurants support the movement by serving fresh, farm-to-table foods on their menus. Whatever your taste buds fancy, you’ll find dining locales that serve delicious fare such as halibut tacos, pulled-pork sandwiches, and even artisanal lollies.

Don’t miss local favourites such as B.C. sushi rolls, ramen, and the Japadog, which is a Japanese-styled hotdog seasoned with teriyaki, mayo, and other sauces. If you love seafood, Vancouver restaurants serve delicious salmon candy glazed with maple syrup, West Coast oysters, spot prawns, and Dungeness crabs. You might also want to try First Nations cuisine that is served at an authentic indigenous restaurant. The offerings usually include wild game, local fish, and vegetables. Buffalo Bannock burgers and elk short ribs are just a couple of the dishes that you can sample.

Some of Vancouver's main museums are in the Vanier Park area, where you’ll find the Vancouver Maritime Museum. It showcases intricate and recreated models of ships, with St Roch, a 1928 Royal Canadian Mounted Police Arctic Vessel, the main exhibit. In the same area is the Museum of Vancouver, a civic museum dedicated to the city's cultural and human history.

A must-visit museum is the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, often considered Vancouver’s best. The museum is packed with artefacts from around the world, including impressive First Nations totem poles, Polynesian instruments, and Cantonese opera costumes. For art lovers, the Vancouver Art Gallery features contemporary exhibitions featuring local and international artists, while the Roedde House Museum in the West End is a restored mansion boasting antiques and a period-style garden.

Vancouver offers a wide array of inviting activities that will keep your children occupied and happy. Take the kids to the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park, home to 9,000 water creatures such as sharks, eels, and octopuses. There is also a walk-through rainforest where birds and turtles live. Nearby is the Stanley Park Train, which is a replica of the first passenger rail service established in the city in 1887. Science World on Quebec St is another popular attraction among younger visitors. It has lots of display space and an outdoor park with interactive games. Inside, two floors are dedicated to educational play and exhibits.

The North Shore is home to many outdoor attractions in the city. Wander along the waterfront with your kids and explore shipyard spaces. Drive up to Grouse Mountain for breathtaking views of the metropolis and in summer, go on a gondola ride, zipline, watch lumberjack shows, or hike. You can also arrange a visit to Maplewood Farm for a close encounter with more than 200 birds and domestic animals.

Vancouver offers a vibrant and diverse nightlife scene. Granville Street in Downtown Vancouver stretches from Nelson St to Robson St. This area is packed with bars and clubs, making it easy to hop from one place to another if you’re set on partying all night long. For a taste of the high life, head to Yaletown where you’ll mingle with tech yuppies, socialites, and celebrities. This is Vancouver's ultra-trendy nightlife district, a place where you can see and be seen.

Gastown offers a diverse range of venues, from casual local pubs to sophisticated and chic bar lounges. The city's oldest neighbourhood, this historic district has a place for every type of night owl, where it's easy to find your kind of crowd. Davie Street is the heart of the city's gay community, and is lined with many lively clubs and bars. Those who love live music should head to Vancouver’s Main Street, considered the center of hipster culture in the city with its various bars and lounges.