Vancouver – I loved the city before I even visited because… VIEWS. I am 100% a city gal, but I loved the idea of being downtown while also being able to see mountains & have access to nature. This Pacific Northwest city is known to be Canada’s culinary and cultural capital (although, I may put Toronto above that haha). Being surrounded by nature’s natural beauty definitely helps too!
With the downtown city livin’, as well as access to the most beautiful mountains, Vancouver is an extremely coveted city to visit. The one thing I was a little nervous about was about Vancouver’s nickname: ‘Raincover’ – haha, since it apparently rains a lot. Fortunately for me, I was able to experience a rain-free vacation during my time in Vancouver (phew), so that obviously meant I had to spend it all outside!
When I told people I was visiting Vancouver, I received many recommendations including visiting North Vancouver or spending a day in Victoria. However, since I only had 4 days here, I decided to stay right in the downtown core of Vancouver and see what it had to offer in full – so here I am. I put together all my favourite things into one concise 24-hour itinerary in Vancouver for y’all. Enjoy!
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7:30 AM – Wake up to the smell of coffee
I absolutely love starting my day off with coffee, especially in a hotel room where the coffee aromas fill up the entire room with the push of a button! I find vacay-mode is instantly turned on when I grab a cup of coffee and enjoy it out on the balcony. I mean, there’s usually no time for that when I’m back at home! It also doesn’t hurt to order breakfast in as well!
9:00 AM – Head out to Stanley Park
Once you’re all ready to go, Stanley Park is first on the list as it is a must-visit stop when in Vancouver – the views are beautiful. This massive park is 9-km around, and they make it “a walk in the park” (hahaha, I had to) with a quality paved path all the way around the seawall. Even though the park attracts a lot of tourists, many locals love it too. There are a couple sight seeing points, like the famous totem pole display at Brockton Point, the Vancouver Aquarium, and the Brockton Point Lighthouse (see the above cover photo)!
You can either rent a bike (recommended if you want to see a large part of it) or just walk along the seawall. We decided to walk, and I was super happy with our decision. We were able to see a majority of what we wanted to see in our two hour time-frame we gave ourselves! Walking slowly and taking it all in with the sea breeze was more than I could have asked for!
12:00 PM – Lunch Time!
Head on over the Granville Island for a relaxing early afternoon by the water with some amazing seafood and an iced coffee. A huge recommendation is to either take a cab there, or find a False Creek Ferry dock. We thought we could walk, but that was a huge mistake haha!
When there, we visited Tony’s Fish & Oyster and it was absolutely delish. A little hole in the wall, but it was just what we needed. We ordered a classic fish & chips + a seafood salad, with shrimps and scallops! I would also check out the Granville Island Market, which has a number of local, artisan vendors. We picked up an ice americano to enjoy while sitting by the harbour people watching. This is such a lovely afternoon activity!
2:00 PM – Walk through Yaletown
If you take the ferry from Granville Island, I’d recommend picking Yaletown as your drop off stop. By doing this, you actually get a solid 10ish minutes in the ferry and you can treat that like sight-seeing haha! Two-in-one ticket ;) I loved just being on the water and checking out the city from this point of view.
Yaletown has become one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Vancouver – very millennial and hipster, if I may. It has numerous sidewalk cafes, little waterfront parks, interesting restaurants, and boutique shops.
3:00 PM – Canada Place
From one end of the city to the other, walk (or take a cab) from Yaletown to Canada Place – it seems far but it’s actually only a 25 minute walk. As you might have noticed, I love to walk. I find this the best way to really see the city and take in the surroundings! Canada Place boasts stunning views of the mountains in North Vancouver and of course, the famous Digital Orca sculpture. I mean, you gotta take a picture with it. If you didn’t, did you even go to Vancouver?
4:30 PM – HAPPY HOUR!
My favourite time when on vacation, and in every day life, is happy hour! Head back into the city and find yourself in a happy hour spot. A lot of spots in Vancouver have drink and food specials, which is perfect if you want an afternoon snack as well. But I’d highly recommend you walk towards Gastown for happy hour.
It’s a beautiful area to walk around in and is actually Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood. The cobblestone roads lined up with the vintage lampposts and historic architecture is a nice change from the downtown core. Of course you have to go see the Steam Clock. There are also numerous bars and restaurants all lined up right next to each other, which makes it extremely easy to bar hop! We stopped into Tacofino for a quick snack as well as Pourhouse a couple drinks. You can also find a solid list of happy hour spots and their deals here.
7:00 PM – Hungry for dinner? Ask for Luigi!
A couple streets away from Gastown was our dinner spot – Ask for Luigi. Oh my goodness, where do I even begin with this restaurant? This was hands down one of the best Italian meals I’ve ever had. I’m a sucker for fresh handmade pasta with a good sauce. They have line ups out the door basically any time of day. Even if you go before they open, you will still need to wait in line. So expect to wait in line for a little bit, but know that it’s absolutely worth it. They have a limited menu, and they change it all the time depending on what’s in season and have a couple specials each day. Pictured below is their popular ragu pappardelle and a truffle pea ravioli in an insane truffle butter sauce. I am literally drooling as I type this. If there’s ONE spot to eat at, it’s this one. Drinks are quite expensive here though, so I would recommend having a couple at happy hour before coming here.
9:00 PM – Night Cap
After you are happy and full, venture back into the city and continue the night. Granville Street is bumpin’ at night time. So much so that they close down the streets so cars aren’t allowed to go through. It becomes a huge pedestrian walkway, making it very easy to bar hop. Even if you aren’t into this type of ‘going out’, I would recommend checking it out. It’s such a vibe there! Beware though – the spots on Granville Street (even if it is just a casual restaurant turned bar) make you pay cover just to enter.
Another alternative is to go to a fancy patio, such as Market by Jean-Georges. They have really delicious cocktails, as well as a very cool one that changes colours when being poured! The perfect night cap to end off an amazing day of exploring.
10:30 PM – Unwind with Bubble Bath & Glass of Bubbly
End off the day with the world’s best two forms of bubbles! I normally shower every morning, but on vacation, I turn my shower time into a luxurious bubble bath experience before going to sleep (with a drink in hand, no less haha). Don't forget that you're on vacation, so take time to relax as well. I mean, you did just do a full day of exploring & there’s no better time to have a bubble bath than on vacation, amirite?!
I was introduced to Olay’s Ribbons Body Wash earlier this year and like its name implies, it includes a ribbon of moisturizer and a ribbon of cleanser. This one pictured below is the one with lavender oil and shea butter, which I absolutely love, love, love! My skin feels very hydrated & moisturized afterwards AND it helps gets me insta-ready for aalllll my photos hehe. Try it for yourself here with this coupon! With my skin clean and moisturized, it’s time for me to say gOooOd nighty night!!
I was introduced to Olay’s Ribbons Body Wash earlier this year and like its name implies, it includes a ribbon of moisturizer and a ribbon of cleanser. This one pictured below is the one with lavender oil and shea butter, which I absolutely love, love, love! My skin feels very hydrated & moisturized afterwards AND it helps gets me insta-ready for aalllll my photos hehe. Try it for yourself here with this coupon! With my skin clean and moisturized, it’s time for me to say gOooOd nighty night!!
What a way to end off a huge day of exploring!
Also, I know it seems like my entire itinerary is about eating and drinking but let’s be honest here – that’s the majority of what people do on vacation! At least, for me ;) hope you enjoyed this little concise itinerary of what to do in Vancouver for 1 day. It’s such a great town and I hope I’ll be able to come back again really soon.
Also, I know it seems like my entire itinerary is about eating and drinking but let’s be honest here – that’s the majority of what people do on vacation! At least, for me ;) hope you enjoyed this little concise itinerary of what to do in Vancouver for 1 day. It’s such a great town and I hope I’ll be able to come back again really soon.
Cheers, xx
*This post was created in partnership with Olay. But as always, all opinions are 100% my own.*
