27 Things to Do in Downtown Vancouver: What to Do DT

If you’re looking for the best things to do in downtown Vancouver, I’ve got the mother lode.

These downtown Vancouver attractions run the gauntlet from a chill urban oasis to epic food and drink to full-on nights out.

Let’s figure out what to do in downtown Vancouver!

Things to Do in Downtown Vancouver

Check out Stanley Park

🙋‍♂️ My experience: If I were a tourist I’d rent a bike at the entrance and did the full seawall loop – absolutely magical views and way better than walking the entire thing.

Stanley Park is a 405-hectare (1,001 acres) public park situated alongside the Westernmost border of Downtown Vancouver.

This is one of the best things to do in Vancouver, downtown or not. And trust me, it’s not just any park. In fact, Trip Advisor has recently christened it “The Best Park in the World.”

Stanley Park is a uniquely natural evolution of the pre-existing coastal rainforest that has been adapted to its surrounding urban environment.

Here, you can bike along the park’s world-renowned Seawall, marvel at the exotic Coast Salish totem poles, or explore the wonders of the Vancouver Aquarium.

I also suggest taking Stanley Park tours to get the full experience.

Take a Tour of Downtown Vancouver

🙋‍♂️ My Tour idea: First time visitors should opt for the walking Gastown food tour – you’ll get your Phd in Vancouver history + sample all of our city’s best bites.

You can check off all the places to visit in downtown Vancouver by taking one of Vancouver’s top sightseeing tours.

I find this the best way to take in the sights, learn about the city, and even get in some exercise.

Some of the other top tours include:

• Lost Souls of Gastown: Live the Great Vancouver Fire, smallpox outbreaks, and tales of revenge and redemption in this delightfully macabre Vancouver walking tour.
• Stanley Park Bike Tour: Take one of the top guided bike tours of Vancouver and weave through old-growth forest trails, learn about local flora and fauna, and live Coastal First Nations history.

Walk Through Gastown

🙋‍♂️ My experience: I always start at the Steam Clock, then wander the cobblestones toward Steamworks Brewing – perfect route for photos and ending with craft beer.

When people ask me what to do in downtown Vancouver my gut reaction is to direct them to Gastown.

Vancouver’s most historic district is famous for its cobblestone streets and bars, and the best things to do in Gastown include:

• Epic souvenir shopping at places like the Coastal Peoples Gallery
• Happy hour craft beer and cocktails at places like Clough Club
• Some of the city’s best restaurants, like St. Lawrence
• The Gastown Steamclock: Vancouver’s most photographable object
• The Vancouver Police Museum: maybe the most macabre museum in Canada

Looking for more places to eat? Check out my post on the best restaurants in Gastown.

View Local Indigenous Art at the Bill Reid Gallery

🙋‍♂️ My experience: I spent way more time here than expected – Reid’s 22-karat gold Raven box took 4 years – the eagle feather details will blow your mind.

A Vancouver itinerary cannot be considered complete without exploring the history and culture of the indigenous people who’ve called the area home for time immemorial. 

Nestled in the heart of downtown, this small gallery is the only facility dedicated entirely to contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous Art.

Whale Watching Tours

Coming to Vancouver? You’ve got a 95% chance of seeing whales

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It is named after the acclaimed Haida artist, carver and goldsmith Bill Reid, who did more to popularize the style than any other.

The Bill Reid Gallery contains an extensive collection of his works and those of his contemporaries. If you can’t make it out to UBC’s Museum of Anthropology, then a trip is highly recommended.

Eat at Some of Vancouver’s Best Restaurants

🙋‍♂️ My experience: I always book spots like Bluewater Cafe days ahead – Vancouver’s seafood scene is world-class but fills up fast, especially weekends.

Booking a table at one of Vancouver’s best downtown restaurants should be an automatic for anybody, visitor or local.

Here are a few amazing options:

• Blue Water Cafe: Fresh, high-quality, sustainable seafood. An extensive raw bar features premium cuts of sushi and sashimi and an extensive selection of local and imported oysters and caviar.
• Cioppino’s: Award-winning chef and owner Pino Posterano masterfully combines the rustic simplicity of his Calabrian roots with elevated Italian culinary techniques and fresh West Coast ingredients.
• Marutama: Ramen spot that was initially founded in Japan and is famous for its creamy chicken broth and house-made noodles. Also a great gyoza spot and one of the best value places downtown.

When in doubt in Vancouver? Check out Vancouver’s best sushi restaurants – we’ve got the best in the world!

Take a Downtown Vancouver Food Tour

🙋‍♂️ My experience: I recommend booking the 2pm tour slot – you’ll hit lunch spots when they’re fully stocked and avoid morning rush crowds at popular vendors.

Trying must eat Vancouver food doesn’t have to mean booking a table at Vancouver’s best restaurants.

One of the best ways to get a guided tour of downtown Vancouver is to see the city while scheduling stops at some amazing Vancouver treat spots.

Two of my favourite Vancouver food tours that include Vancouver downtown activities include:

• Gastown Historic Food Walking Tour: A walk through Gastown’s classic cobblestone streets with an improv comic as a guide and stops for seven food tastings and three alcoholic beverages. Expect poutine, dumplings, cheesecake, and more.
• Wok Around Chinatown: Prowl for goodies at traditional medicine shops, cookware stores, and a Chinese bakery – all led and narrated by a neighbourhood chef. You’ll learn the streets and crispy BBQ duck.

Walk Through Chinatown

🙋‍♂️ My experience: I always start at the ornate Millennium Gate, then wander the narrow alleys for hidden murals and authentic dim sum spots most tourists miss.

Chinatown Vancouver is the second largest in North America, and it’s a great way to experience a bit of Chinese culture in the city.

It’s conveniently located right on the outskirts of downtown. Some of the best things to do here include:

• Dr. Sun Yat-sen Classical Garden: The first Chinese “Scholars” garden built outside of China remains the largest outside of Asia and is an amazing urban escape right in the chaos of downtown Vancouver.
• The Chinese Cultural Centre Museum: The first Chinese Canadian culture museum. Here, you can experience the Chinese Canadian immigrant experience in the 19th and early 20th centuries. 
• Chinatown Millennium Gate: These terracotta tiled arches create one of the most emblematic spots in downtown Vancouver and make an awesome photo spot.
• Chinatown BBQ: The best BBQ chicken, pork, or duck you’ll ever get – done in the traditional Hong Kong style, this is one of the best value meals in the entire city.

Take a 4D Flight Across Canada

📷 My photo tip: Just outside the entrance you’ll find my favourite sculpture in the city; Douglas Coupland’s Digital Orca.

Right at Canada Place, next to the Vancouver Cruise Terminal, you can strap in and prepare yourself for an amazing flying experience.

The Flyover Canada ride uses state-of-the-art 4D video technology to create a flight simulator for the ages. This contraption takes you on an eight-minute ride through Canada’s best natural and urban landscapes

You’ll get special effects, such as wind, mist, and scents and a thrilling, realistic flight experience. Who needs to buy a flight across Canada when it’s right here?

Shop up a Storm on Robson Street

💁‍♂️ My favourite thing to see here: I love hitting the luxury zone first when crowds are lighter, then working my way back to Robson for better deals on similar styles.

Some of Vancouver’s best shopping is along Robson Street, right in the heart of downtown.

The fun begins on Granville Street, where you can find the Pacific Centre Mall and other Granville shopping gems.

At Robson Square, you’ll find a multitude of shops and boutiques, including favourites like Roots, Lululemon, Nike, Muji and Aritzia

Head a block North to the “Luxury Zone,” which can be found on Alberni and West Georgia Streets. This area is perfect if you’re looking for something more opulent.

🤔 Still hesitant? Here’s our top reasons to visit Vancouver breakdown.

Experience Vancouver Nightlife

📖 Funny story: I accidentally joined a bar crawl thinking it was a food tour – ended up at five Granville Street bars instead of restaurants but honestly had the best night ever.

Fun things to do in downtown Vancouver usually stop (and end) at Vancouver’s best bars.

Downtown Vancouver also has a handful of nightlife districts bound to make you turn it into a crawl. Here are a few areas you’ll want to check out:

• The Granville Strip: Vancouver’s closest answer to the Vegas Strip, the Granville Entertainment District, is six blocks of bars, mostly frequented by young people, backpackers, and clubbers.
• Yaletown: A plethora of bars, restaurants and lounges catering to yuppies, celebrities, foodies, and anybody else cool. It’s Vancouver’s most stylish nightlife area.
• Gastown: World-class cocktail bars and cheap and cheerful dive bars serving up the best Vancouver craft beers are the names of the game here. If you’re a drinker through and through, this is it.

Take in the Views at Vancouver Lookout

💰 Money-saving tip: Buy your ticket online to skip lines and save a few bucks, plus admission is valid all day so return for sunset views absolutely free.

Located a stone’s throw away from Waterfront Station, the Vancouver Lookout is a 553-foot (168-metre) tall observation deck. It provides visitors with stunning panoramic views of the Vancouver skyline, the North Shore Mountains and Burrard Inlet.

Take advantage of the interactive displays or a multi-lingual tour from a knowledgeable local guide. That way, you can learn more about the city’s past, present and future.

The best part is that admission is valid all day! So you can head up in the morning and return at dusk for sunset views over the Pacific Ocean. This is one of the best things to do in Vancouver when the sun is going down.

Catch a Canucks Game

💰 How I’d max value here: I’d take my money and flush it down the toilet. The Canucks suck. I’ll revisit this in a couple years when they have a shot at the playoffs.

Hockey is so deeply intertwined with Canada’s cultural identity that it’s arguably as much of a national religion as a national pastime.

Playing out of downtown’s Rogers Arena, the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks have just celebrated their 50th anniversary. While their play has resulted in more broken hearts and hockey riots than championships, Vancouverites still can’t get enough.

If you’re in town between October and April (or June if we make the playoffs!), read up on your hockey slang and grab some Canucks tickets.

Hit up the Art Gallery

ℹ️ Interesting fact: The building was originally designed as a courthouse in 1906 – those grand steps were meant for judges, not art lovers!

Housed in a stunning 165,000-foot neo-classical building in the heart of Downtown Vancouver. The Vancouver Art Gallery is guaranteed to add a little culture to your visit.

You’ll find it adjacent to Robson Square, which frequently hosts political rallies and cultural festivals. The VAG (I swear I didn’t make it up!) is the city’s informal cultural heart.

You can head inside and marvel at any of the 11,000 pieces. These include Coastal Indigenous works, famous local artists such as Emily Carr and a significant European Classical collection.

Things to Do Downtown Vancouver Map

Whether you’re up for cool things to do in downtown Vancouver or something a little more laid back, downtown contains many of the top areas to stay in Vancouver.

Let’s take a closer look at the area’s geography to clear up the confusion.

The Downtown Core

🤑 Free alternative: Skip pricey hotel bars – walk the seawall from Coal Harbour to English Bay for free city skyline views and sunset photos.

The central portion of downtown contains the Financial District, the Granville Strip entertainment district and Robson Street – arguably Vancouver’s best shopping district.

This is where you’ll find most of the best hotels in Vancouver, and some of the best cheap hotels in Vancouver.

Yaletown

⏱️ What to do after: From Yaletown, walk the Seawall to Science World for stunning city views, then grab craft cocktails at Dovetail – perfect evening transition from outdoor exploration to nightlife.

A former warehouse district transformed into one of the city’s hippest neighbourhoods.

The area is home to sidewalk cafés, chic restaurants, trendy bars and various beautiful parks along its stunning stretch of the Vancouver Seawall.

Grouse Mountain + Capilano Suspension Bridge

See Vancouver’s top two attractions with one ticket (transport included)

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The Stadium District

🗺️ What’s cool nearby: Walk to nearby Yaletown’s trendy restaurants and boutiques, or stroll the seawall toward Science World – both under 10 minutes from the stadiums.

The location of Rogers Arena and BC Place, the home to the city’s perennially suffering professional sports franchises; the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, the MLS’s Vancouver Whitecaps and the CFL’s BC Lions.

The area also contains a variety of hotels, bars and restaurants catering to sports fans and concertgoers.

It’s even home to the Parq: our number-one choice on our list of the best Vancouver casinos.

The West End

📷 My photo tip: I capture West End’s rainbow crosswalks at Davie and Bute during golden hour – the colors pop against Vancouver’s skyline backdrop perfectly.

This largely residential neighbourhood is most widely known as the gateway to Stanley Park.

However, the West End also contains Davie Village, the home to much of the city’s LGTBQ community.

The area also houses numerous bars and restaurants, a collection of parks and some of Vancouver’s best beaches nestled along the shores of False Creek.

Coal Harbour

ℹ️ Interesting fact: Coal Harbour was literally built on coal – the area’s name comes from the coal docks that operated here in the early 1900s.

Stretching between Canada Place and Stanley Park, Coal Harbour is a peaceful waterfront area that contains a mix of residential and commercial buildings.

The Coal Harbour is most known for the striking juxtaposition between its large glass condominium towers and the peaceful tranquillity of Burrard Inlet.

Gastown and Chinatown

🙂 How I’d enjoy this more: I’d start in Gastown for morning coffee and cobblestones, then walk to Chinatown for lunch – the contrast between neighborhoods makes both feel more unique.

Technically, downtown includes the neighbourhoods of Chinatown and Gastown.

However, due to the abundance of attractions in these historic neighbourhoods, we’ve elected to grant them the special attention they deserve.

You can get free visitor tips, things to do, food, and nightlife options by clicking the links below:

Looking for Things to Do in Downtown Vancouver?

Still looking to fill out your downtown Vancouver things to the itinerary?

I invite you to write me in the comments below with what you want. That way, I can give you custom advice for your travels.

Whichever of my top things to do in downtown Vancouver you choose, I wish you the best of luck!