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Since travel is still out of the question, maybe it’s time to explore the place you get to call home! There is so much to do and see in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Each neighbourhood can feel like its own world. Here are some recommendations for places to visit around the Lower Mainland.
Start your journey at Burrard and 4th and walk down. Not only are there great clothing stores like The Latest Scoop, gravitypope and Two of Hearts, but there are fantastic food stores as well. Check out O5 Tea and Silk Road Tea for some unique tea selections. Grab coffee and snacks at Their There or 49th Parallel. Looking for some specialty groceries? Visit Jackson’s Meat & Deli for all your high-quality meats or Ayoub’s for various dried fruits and nuts. West 4th is the heart of Kitsilano, and there is just so much to explore!
Richmond has so much to offer; from some of the best Chinese restaurants in the world to great farms and a beautiful bike trail by the water, Richmond is definitely worth a visit. The Dumping Trail is a fun self-guided dumpling tour you can take. Our biggest recommendation is the Xiao Long Bao at R&H Chinese Food in Lansdowne Center! And of course, go check out Steveston to see the spots where shows like Once Upon a Time and Bates Motel had scenes.
Check out the beautiful Ambleside Park, or shop around Park Royal. If you’re down for a bit of a walk, walk the Seawall from Ambleside to Dundarave, a quaint seaside town. If you’re in more of a hiking mood, go check out Cypress Falls Park for some beautiful waterfalls. If you have a car or don’t mind a longer trek, go check out Lighthouse Park as well. West Vancouver is gorgeous and gets your dose of nature in a 30-minute bus ride from Downtown!
Starting off, you’ve gotta visit the Lonsdale Quay. It’s like a less touristy Granville Island, with lots of cute stores and great food spots. Take a little stroll to the Shipyards for even more stores and beautiful sights of Downtown. Then hop on a bus to Lynn Canyon and see the suspension bridge, take a dip in the 30 Ft Pool and do the Twin Falls Hike. North Vancouver is just an easy 12-minute ferry ride from Downtown, with ferries leaving every 15 minutes!
UBC is the 9th most filmed spot globally; check out this list to find the locations you need to visit! UBC is worth visiting just to see the buildings themselves, but there’s so much more. Go check out the Museum of Anthropology for just 13$ and get educated on Canadian history. Visit the Nitobe Memorial Garden or the Rose Garden to see stunning natural beauty. Or you can take a trip to Wreck Beach, Vancouver’s most popular clothing-optional beach. It’s a bit of a hike down, so be prepared!
There are so many spots within East Van to check out that we had to make it our final option.
Starting at Main St, go check out the great clothing stores like 8th and Main and The Main Exchange and specialty stores like The Soap Dispensary. If you’re into board games, Strategies is the place to go! The food scene is also incredible – spots like The Acorn, Burdock & Co., and Tocador are serving up some really unique bites.
Head over to Commercial Drive for more unique sights and bites. Some of the most incredible and diverse places to eat are here, such as Via Tevere, Downlow Chicken Shack, Kishimoto, Livia and The Lunch Lady. Cafe Deux Soleil is a must-visit for poetry slams, open mics, and more when restrictions change! Walking down Commercial gives such a different energy from so many places in Vancouver; it’s definitely worth a visit.
We are so lucky to call this city our home. So many excellent neighbourhoods and towns are accessible by a short bus ride, and we truly have it all. The beaches, the mountains, the forests – pretty much anything you want is here, and it’s beautiful! These are just some of the fantastic places in the Lower Mainland, but White Rock, Coquitlam, Port Moody, and more have great things to offer. Make the most of your time here and explore!
