I recently spent a weekend in Vancouver, Canada for the first time, while my boyfriend attended a conference. We explored the city together but I also had plenty of time on my own, and let me tell you, Vancouver is absolutely stunning with its beautiful scenery and amazing food.

Coming from Chicago, I haven’t spent much time on the west coast, so I was pretty surprised by the number of people on the streets in Vancouver. In Chicago, we have our own issues with homelessness and crime, but it looks quite different. In Chicago, people often gather under bridges or in tent villages because they have nowhere else to go. In Vancouver, I noticed people who didn’t have bags or tents; they were just high out of their minds, contorted, un-moving, and sprawled on the sidewalk and this was just in a small part of downtown that we walked around.

I won’t go into much more detail, but if you’re planning a visit to Vancouver, it’s something to be aware of. We still had a nice time, and here are some of my favorite things we did!

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Stanley Park and the Seawall Path

Vancouver has the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path. The 28 km Seaside Greenway, which includes the Stanley Park Seawall, goes all the way from the Vancouver Convention Center to Spanish Banks Park. It’s perfect for a walk, cycle, or jog, and it’s one of the most popular places in the city.

The Seawall has two paths: one for walkers and joggers right by the water, and another for cyclists and inline skaters on the inner side. It was a rare sunny day as I strolled the whole path counterclockwise, and it was a nice way to soak in all the sights and stop whenever I wanted to turn around and check out the views from different angles.

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Granville Island

Granville Island is a super cool shopping and dining district in Vancouver, right under the Granville Street Bridge. It used to be an industrial area, but now it has a public market, restaurants, a marina, a hotel, artists’ studios, and theaters.

We found that the quickest way to get to the island on foot from downtown is via the SeaBus. It picks up at Hornby St every few minutes and costs $8/per person for a roundtrip. The SeaBus is also a great way to get around to 8 other spots along the water.

We really enjoyed the Public Market and we sat outside listening to street musicians while we enjoyed snacks from different vendors in the market.

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Neighborhoods Worth Exploring

My two favorite neighborhoods that we explored were Gastown and Yaletown, which are walkable from downtown.

Gastown

Gastown is where Vancouver first started, and now it’s a national historic site. You’ll find it in the northwest part of Downtown Vancouver. Gastown is known for its cobblestone streets, Victorian buildings, and iconic landmarks. The neighborhood has a cool mix of history and urban culture, with plenty of arts, shopping, dining, and nightlife to enjoy.

Yaletown

Yaletown is a lively and stylish neighborhood on the southern edge of Downtown Vancouver. It started out as a settlement for the Canadian Pacific Railway but has since turned into a chic area with a cool mix of new and historic buildings, with boutique shops and restaurants.

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My Top Food Picks

I left this trip weighing roughly a metric ton more than when I arrived. We ate so much good food but I’ve rounded it up into categories of my top spots:

Best Seafood: Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market

Proclaimed to be Vancouver’s only tide to table oyster bar and shellfish market these were definitely the best oysters we had on the trip! During happy hour they were only $2/each. I also loved the clam chowder.

Best Ambiance: Cardero’s Restaurant

Cardero’s is located right on the marina with floor to ceiling windows that offer great views from any table. We watched the seaplanes landing in Vancouver Harbor. There’s a patio, bar and live music on weekends. We enjoyed the dockside platter that gave us a sampling of seafood.

Best Dessert: Mister Artisan Ice Cream

Don’t miss out on the s’mores bar!!!

Best Breakfast: Cora Breakfast and Lunch & Breka Bakery & Café

This one is a tie because all of the breakfast we had was so different. Cora and Breka are both chains but I definitely think they are worth a try!

Cora Breakfast and Lunch has traditional breakfast food, everything from fresh fruit to crepes and omelettes and the service is amazing.

For grab-and go, I love an almond croissant and Breka Bakery & Café did not disappoint.

Best Bar for Basketball: Courtside Food & Drinks

We needed a bar that was guaranteed to have NCAA March Madness on TV and we found Courtside online and by recommendation from another bartender. It’s a super cool space with lots of basketball theming (obviously) and the food was actually really high-end for a sports bar. The popcorn had a rosemary seasoning and was *chef’s kiss*.

Unsung Hero: JINYA Ramen Bar

We were so surprised at how amazing JINYA’s ramen was. The broths were amazing and I really enjoyed the vegan options. For apps, the JINYA Bun was also to-die-for.

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That’s my recap of our weekend in Vancouver! It’s a very cool and walkable city with great outdoor spaces and restaurants. It’s definitely worth a visit! Rain or shine there’s lots to do.