Vancouver Weekend

Late last fall, we head to Vancouver for a long weekend getaway. Here’s a glimpse at our Vancouver weekend itinerary. It was the perfect mix of sightseeing and indulging in Vancouver’s great food scene.

Thursday

We flew out around noon on Thursday to start our Vancouver adventure.  It’s a really easy flight from Calgary, only about an hour.

While deciding where to stay, we opted to stay at the Westin Grand.  It’s in a great location, on Robson Street, with most places that we wanted to visit just a few minutes by foot.

Since we arrived early in the day, we had plenty of time to explore. We opted to go check out Granville Island.  While there, we checked out the Granville Market and toured around for a bit.  They have such a great market.  Also, nearby is Granville Brewery. Obviously we stopped by.  With so many beer choices, we decided to share a flight of beers and a snack.  That way we got to try out a few different beers.

Before leaving Granville Island and head back downtown, we noticed the Liberty Distillery and decided to check it out. They are known as Vancouver’s first hand-crafted, truly artisanal premium spirits made from 100% organic BC grain. They have great Happy Hour specials and a menu of unique craft cocktails.

Before heading back to the hotel for the evening, we stopped in Yaletown for dinner. We decided to try out the The Distillery.  What a great choice that was! They specialize in Italian cuisine and have good cocktails and even greater food.

Friday

On Friday morning we decided to head out to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Before leaving, we hit up Cartems Donuts for some coffee and a snack. What better way to start the day than with donuts?! Their
creative flavored donuts are handmade from scratch by skilled pastry chefs. We did sample a few and they were all very tasty. The most unique one was the Smoked Maple Walnut. It was VERY smokey!

Mid morning, we took the free shuttle to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.  If you are going to Vancouver, add this to your must-do list. If you want more details, click here to read our full post.

On our way back, we stopped at the Canada Place drop off location and toured around there for a while. It was great to see the 2010 Winter Olympics cauldron.

Coincidentally, the Circle Craft Christmas Market  was happening at the Vancouver Convention Centre nearby. We decided to check it out. It featured works by over 300 artisans, including clothing designers, potters, wood and metal workers, glass blowers, jewelers, and toy makers. Definitely worth checking out!

After walking around for several hours we were ready for some food and drinks. Since it was Friday night, it was pretty busy around there with the after work crowd. We were able to snag a table at Steamworks Brew Pub and decided to just eat there. With their great beer and the fantastic view of Vancouver Harbour, it would be a great place to spend some time on a warm sunny day.

Saturday

On Saturday morning, we got up really early and lined up at Jam Café.  This place might be the best breakfast place that we have ever been to.  Bold statement, but true. To read more about our experience, click here.

It was a beautiful sunny day so we headed back to Granville Island and toured around more. This time, we took the Aquabus to get there. It’s a cool way to cross False Creek and get a different view of the skyline. Once there we checked out some of the shops and stopped in for lunch at Edible Canada. If you are a foodie, this is a place that you should check out. They even have a Duck Fat Caesar, made with their house infused duck fat whisky.

On our way back, we opted for a different Aquabus stop and walked along the Stanley Park/English Bay pathway.

Since we had worked up an appetite with all our walking, for dinner we were looking for pizza. We decided to return to Yaletown this time at The Parlour.  It was fantastic.  The cocktails were great, the food awesome… the pizza was outstanding. Since we have been, I can’t stop thinking of their burrata salad and the pizza.

Sunday

Our flight back home was only in the evening, so we had a full day to explore.  First thing,  we went for coffee at 49^th Parallel in search of a good cup of coffee.  We didn’t realize that they also had a Lucky’s doughnut shop onsite and so obviously we had to give them a try!

They were really good. Our favorite was a peanut butter chocolate old fashioned, but the sprinkled one pictured below was also delicious.

While exploring on Saturday, we noticed that Medina Cafe was near the hotel. It’s one of the top rated brunch spots in Vancouver so, we decided to give it a try. We got there about 30 minutes before opening and the lineup was already pretty long.  Thankfully, it’s a pretty large space and we did make it in for the first seating. The menu is Mediterranean-inspired with best Belgian waffles. The food was good and menu is definitely eclectic. If you are in Vancouver, looking for something a little less traditional, you should give it a try.

Since it was a nice sunny day, after breakfast, we rented bikes and headed for Stanley Park. Some sections of the seawall were closed for repairs, so we opted for some of the trails in the middle of the park. It is such a beautiful park, with so many corners to explore.

After the bike ride, we had some time to kill so we went up the Vancouver Lookout. The observation deck is 553.16 feet (168.80m) above Vancouver and offers 360 degree views of the city. It’s always interesting to see a city from so high up. It offers a much different perspective.

Shortly after, we headed back to the hotel to gather our belongings and headed to the airport. Most importantly, we had a really great weekend in Vancouver. Since it is so close, we should really visit more often!

Finally, if you are planning a trip to Vancouver or simply dreaming of one day going, click here to read about our summer weekend visit to the city.

What is your favorite weekend getaway? Comment below.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.