The 15 Best Things To Do in Vancouver This Weekend!

Swarmed by beautiful snowflakes at its highest peaks and lit up by the bright sun on its sandy beaches, Vancouver is a city in Canada that has something for everyone. Mountains, beaches, forest trails, and exciting events galore let us dive into the journey of the best things to do in Vancouver. Whether you are heading to the western Canadian city for a weekend getaway or for a study abroad experience, better check out all the things to do in Vancouver this weekend!

15 Best Things To Do In Vancouver

Explore Vancouver, a bustling metropolis tucked away between the Coastal Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean. Here's your guide to the top activities in this breathtaking Canadian city, which includes everything from thrilling outdoor adventures to cultural encounters and delicious food.

1. Grouse Mountain

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 9 AM - 9 PM
Cost: $80 for an adult
Address: 6400 Nancy Greene Way. North Vancouver, BC. V7R 4K9
Best time to visit: December - March
Best time to spend: Sunsets and sunrises for half a day

Perhaps the place that should be on the top of your list of things to do in Vancouver Canada is Grouse Mountain. With a max elevation of more than 1,200m, Grouse Mountain is best known for being a hotspot for winter-time activities like skiing and snowboarding. Despite that, if you are in the city in the summertime, taking a nice hike or an expansive helicopter tour of the mountain is still one of the key things to do in Vancouver!

2. Granville Island

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 9 AM - 6 PM
Cost: Free
Address: Granville Island, Vancouver, Canada
Best time to visit: July - August
Best time to spend: half a day

Granville Island is one of the most happening streets in Vancouver! Located on the peninsula of the Fairview nighborhood, Granville Island is one of the top Vancouver tourist attractions and features a public market filled with cute restaurants and cafes, marinas, artwork displays and much more. The street is essentially a fiesta of all of the city’s attractions. In case you’re wondering where to live in the city in such happening places, skim through the best places to live in Vancouver.

3. Stanley Park

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 6 AM - 10 PM
Cost: Free
Address: Vancouver, BC V6G 1Z4, Canada
Best time to visit: Year-round
Best time to spend: 2 -3 hours

Stanley Park must be on one of your top things to do in Vancouver Canada list! This beautiful park is essentially a natural oasis where there are so many things to explore that you may not be able to do everything in a day! If you wish to traverse this park like the locals do, bring out your cycles, take a jog, or organise a relaxing picnic. What makes this one of the great Vancouver attractions is that it offers one of the prettiest seawall walks.

4. Plaza Skateboard Park

Opening hours: Open 24 hours
Cost: Free
Address: Quebec St & Union St, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Best time to visit: Year-round
Best time to spend: 2-3 hours

A place that screams Vancouver is perhaps the Plaza Skateboard Park. After a nice lunch or breakfast outside, pop down to the park and watch the skilful skateboarders perform and hone their skills. If you’re feeling adventurous, this is the place for you to test skateboarding yourself!

5. Mount Pleasant

Opening hours: Monday - Friday, 6 AM - 10 PM, Weekends 8 AM 6 PM
Cost: Free
Address: Mount Pleasant, Vancouver, BC
Best time to visit: Mid August - October
Best time to spend: half day to full day

Exploring the beautiful Mount Pleasant is one of the best things to do in Vancouver. This largely residential area is sprawling with indie cafes, emerging art galleries as well as interactive exhibits with IMAX films in geodesic domes. If your idea of exploring Vancouver attractions is by walking on cycling, Mount Pleasant lanes can double as amazing biking lanes for you to feel the fresh breeze on your face.

6. Kitsilano Beach

Opening hours: Open 24 hours
Cost: Free
Address: Kitsilano Beach, 1499 Arbutus St, Vancouver
Best time to visit: June - September
Best time to spend: half a day

Kitsilano Beach is one of the best attractions to visit in 2024. As one of the prettiest beaches in Vancouver, it faces out towards the English Bay. One can explore Kitsilano Beach Park as one of the top things to do in Vancouver with its huge saltwater pools, volleyball courts, and more. There are designated areas on the beach where you can consume alcohol, too.

7. Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Opening hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Cost: $12 (for students), $13 (for adults)
Address: 578 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K2
Best time to visit: Year-round
Best time to spend: 3-4 hours

Visit Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is one of the top things to do in Vancouver Canada. The garden was constructed as a sign of support and friendship shared between the Canadian and Chinese governments, and now, it is a great way for people to explore the cultural significance of the Chinese community in the country. 

QUOTE - “Dr Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden is the first Chinese garden built outside of Asia!”

8. Vancouver Aquarium

Opening hours: Monday - Sunday, 10 AM - 5 PM
Cost: $41 - $50
Address: 845 Avison Way, Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2,
Best time to visit: Year-round
Best time to spend: 2-3 hours

The classic aquarium experience! The Vancouver Aquarium is one of the top Vancouver attractions. The Vancouver Museum is more than just a tourist attraction; it is also a hotspot for climate activism, marine research, and animal rehabilitation. The aquarium is actually located in Stanley Park, so you can mark off multiple things to do in Vancouver from your to-do list. It is one of the oldest aquariums in North America. This Vancouver attraction is one you mustn’t miss out on!

9. Gastown

Opening hours: Open 24 hours
Cost: Free
Address: Waterfront between Granville and Main Sts. North of Hastings St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 2K7 Canada
Best time to visit: March-May
Best time to spend: 4 hours to half a day

A popular historical spot in Vancouver, Gastown is filled with souvenir shops, indie art galleries, and chich art galleries in Victorian buildings. In addition, some of the top things to do in Vancouver this weekend include spending some time in the up-and-coming cocktail bars and fun cafes and restaurants. Definitely check out the Gastown steam clock if you ever visit the area!

10. VanDusen Botanical Gardens

Opening hours: Monday - Sunday, 9 AM - 6 PM
Cost: $13.80
Address: 5251 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6M 4H1
Best time to visit: March-May (Spring)
Best time to spend: 2-3 hours

Basking in the natural beauty of VanDusen Botanical Gardens should be one of your top things to do in Vancouver. Located in the Shaughnessy neighborhood, VanDusen Gardens are named after local Vancouver lumberman and philanthropist Whitford Julian VanDusen. It makes it into our list of Vancouver tourist attractions because of its over 7500 plant species from around the globe. One can relax and rewind at the serene botanical gardens after a long and draining week.

11. Capilano Suspension Bridge

Opening hours: Monday - Sunday, 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Cost: $66.95
Address: 3735 Capilano Rd, North Vancouver, BC V7R 4J1
Best time to visit: Year-round
Best time to spend: 4-5 hours

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a must-visit attraction in Vancouver, offering an exhilarating experience for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. The park's centerpiece, the iconic suspension bridge, stretches 137 meters across the picturesque Capilano River, providing breathtaking views of the surrounding old-growth forest. Visitors can also explore the Treetops Adventure, a series of suspended walkways among the towering Douglas-fir trees, and the thrilling Cliffwalk, a cantilevered walkway clinging to the granite cliffside. With its stunning attractions and immersive experiences, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park should definitely be on your list of the top things to do in Vancouver Canada.

12. BC Place 

Opening hours: depends on the event
Cost: $11 - $50
Address: 777 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6B 4Y8
Best time to visit: Night-time
Best time to spend: 3-4 hours

The BC Place is home to Vancouver’s very own soccer and football sides, the Vancouver Whitecaps and BC Lions. For the sports enthusiasts in our midst, attending a game at BC Place is one of the best things to do in Vancouver Canada. Current Bayern Munich left-back, Alphonso Davies is actually an academy graduate of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Some other notable athletes that have blessed the stadium are Pedro Morales, and Robert Earnshaw. 

Once you’re done watching a game, lounge at the best clubs in Vancouver to get your party on!

13. The Museum of Vancouver

Opening hours: Sunday - Wednesday, 10 AM - 5 PM, Thursday - Saturday, 10 AM - 8 PM
Cost: $22
Address: 1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver, BC V6J 3J9,
Best time to visit: Year-round
Best time to spend: 3-4 hours

From immersive exhibits celebrating indigenous culture to insightful displays of Vancouver's urban development and social history, the Museum of Vancouver brings the city's story to life. Explore First Nations' art, dive into the city's diverse communities, and uncover the tales that shaped Vancouver into the dynamic metropolis it is today and makes this one of the best things to see in Vancouver.

14. Lynn Canyon Park

Opening hours: Monday - Sunday, 7 AM - 6 PM
Cost: Free
Address: 3663 Park Rd, North Vancouver, BC V7J 3K2,
Best time to visit: Year-round
Best time to spend: 4 hours to a full day

Lynn Canyon Park is one of the most underrated things to see in Vancouver. The temperate rainforests offer you the perfect retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. The Park also features a suspension park similar to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, as well as hiking trails, pools, and so much more!

15. Pacific Arts Market

Opening hours: Monday - Wednesday closed, Thursday - Sunday, 12 PM - 6:30 PM
Cost: Free
Address: 1450 W Broadway #1448, Vancouver, BC V6H 1H4
Best time to visit: Year-round
Best time to spend: 2-4 hours

The huge 2,500+ square foot gallery space features art galleries set up often by local artists and artisans from Vancouver and British Columbia. Visiting this place should be on your list of the top things to do in Vancouver since you’ll find traditional and contemporary jewellery, woodcarvings, statues, paintings, and so much more. There is always a new cycle of artists, so it is worth checking the space out frequently. 

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Whether you are an international student or a visitor, the best things to do in Vancouver are shaped in a way that makes them fun for any demographic. From catching exciting games at BC Place to scenic thrills at Grouse Mountain, the city of Vancouver has it all. If you are a music fan coming to the North American country, do not miss out on the biggest music festivals in Canada.