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Great Things to See and Do in San Francisco

Stanley Park

Stanley Park, Vancouver's first, is an evergreen oasis of 1,000 acres close to the heart of Vancouver's downtown core. It offers numerous activities and attractions from the children's farmyard to a miniature railway. Read more about the Origins of Stanley Park in a story from the Greater Vancouver Book.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

The Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver's most popular tourist attractions. Originally built in 1889, today's bridge is the fourth bridge at this location, 450 feet across and 230 feet above Capilano River and is, without a doubt, the world's greatest suspension footbridge!

Skinny-dipping at Wreak Beach

This 7.8km stretch of beach is the first and largest legal, clothing-optional beach in Canada. The beach is popular with locals and visitors from around the world, attracting more than half a million people to its sparkling sands and clear waters each year. Tasty food and refreshing drinks are available on site, so grab your towel, slather on some sunscreen and make a day of it!

Vancouver Museum of Anthropology

Located on the Point Grey cliffs, on the campus of the University of British Columbia, the Museum of Anthropology houses one of the world's finest displays of Northwest Coast First Nations art in a spectacular building overlooking mountains and sea. See poles, feast dishes and canoes of the Kwakwaka'wakw, Nisga'a, Gitksan, Haida, Coast Salish, and other Northwest Coast peoples inside the soaring glass and concrete structure of the museum's Great Hall.

Grouse Mountain

The North Shore's Grouse Mountain provides the most stunning view of Vancouver for skiers, hikers and tourists. Visitors are able to take the Skyride to the Peak Chalet and enjoy casual or fine dining cuisine, movies in the Theatre in the Sky, and shopping in the gift shops. The Skyride is open all-year round. For those looking for more adventure, the Grouse Grind Hiking Trail is one of the toughest and most challenging hikes in Vancouver. With an elevation gain of more that 850 metres over 2.7 km, it is definitely not for the unprepared. At the top of Grouse in the summer you can enjoy a stroll to the grizzly bear habitat and meet the 2 orphaned bears Grouse Mountain cares for, or enjoy the world famous Lumberjack Show.

Granville Island

With its Public Market, theatres, art school and galleries, Granville Island is Vancouver's Arts hotspot. This hub of activity is located at the south end of False Creek under the Granville Street Bridge. Visitors to Granville Island can expect a wide variety of sights and sounds. This is a popular spot for all sorts of artists and is a place where you can enjoy many kinds of different foods and fresh produce.

Lighthouse Park

The North Shore is an area of parks, from the oceanfront beaches to the peaks of the mountains. It has been said that, in spring or summertime, you can spend your morning skiing in Whistler and, on your way back to Vancouver, take an afternoon dip in the ocean all on the same day! Lighthouse Park, 12km southeast of Horseshoe Bay, is 75 hectares of the most rugged shoreline in Vancouver. There are stunning views of downtown Vancouver, great bouldering and rock-climbing, and more than 60 bird species have been spotted here.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens

The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is tucked away behind protective walls in the middle of bustling Chinatown in Downtown Vancouver. It is a harmony of contrasts, of dark and light, solid and empty, hard and soft, straight and undulating, yin and yang. The gardens have both a free portion and a paid section.

Vanier Park

There is always something happening at Vanier Park when it's sunny, and often when it's not: the “beautiful people” jogging along the beach; fighter kites rushing up to challenge airborne competitors; model sailboats chasing ducks and being chased by them in the pond; catamarans and sailboarders in the water and, in the summer, Bard on the Beach, a local professional Shakespeare company under artistic director Christopher Gaze offering, in a huge red-and-white tent, excellent productions of Will's classics.

Vancouver Canucks Hockey

The Vancouver Canucks are a professional hockey team that participate in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Canucks play 42 regular season games in Vancouver plus exhibition and playoff games (hopefully). The regular season runs from October to April with exhibition games in September and playoffs from April to June. Vancouver Canucks tickets can be difficult to find as they are often sold out but ILSC Vancouver has group activities for its students where you can learn about the rules and players to watch.

BC Lions Football

The BC Lions are Vancouver's professional football club. The game is based on American football but features a longer and wider field and 3 downs as opposed to 4 in the American game. The game is different in that there is more of a focus on passing than running, which proves to be very exciting for the fans. The season runs from June until November. ILSC Vancouver organises group tickets with a knowledgeable guide and a handout to help you understand all the rules.

Vancouver Whitecaps Soccer

The Vancouver Whitecaps are Vancouver's men's and women’s professional soccer clubs (both have the same name). Their seasons run from April to September and games are played at Swangard Stadium, 30 minutes by train from downtown Vancouver. Tickets for the games are reasonably priced and ILSC runs these occasionally as a group activity.