2 Days in Vancouver Before Your Alaska Cruise: Stanley Park, Granville Island, and What to Skip

Go counterclockwise (the mandatory direction for cyclists). Stop at Brockton Point for the totem poles, then Third Beach for the quietest stretch of sand. The full loop is 10 km and flat. Helmets are required by law in British Columbia, and rental shops include them.

This waterfront path connects Stanley Park's east entrance to the cruise terminal at Canada Place. If you are boarding a cruise the next day, this walk doubles as a scouting trip: you will see exactly where the terminal is, where taxis drop off, and where Waterfront Station connects. The convention center's living green roof is visible from the path.

The Gastown Steam Clock on Water Street runs on steam and chimes every 15 minutes, but it was built in 1977 and the cobblestones are a modern addition. The neighborhood was designed to look old. That said, the restaurants are genuinely good. L'Abattoir for upscale French-Canadian, Tacofino for West Coast tacos, or The Flying Pig for comfort food. Walk east on Water Street for the galleries and shops; do not continue past Carrall Street into the Downtown Eastside after dark.

Walk west from Gastown through the West End to English Bay. Vancouver sunsets face due west over the water here, and the bench-lined seawall fills with locals on summer evenings. Grab a coffee or ice cream from Denman Street on the way. This is the most relaxed hour you will spend in the city.

Take the Aquabus mini ferry ($4.25 CAD) from the foot of Hornby Street downtown. The market has been a local favorite since the late 1970s and still functions as a working market, not just a tourist attraction. Lee's Donuts is the signature stop. The courtyard outside has free busker performances. Go before 11am to beat the crowds.

From Granville Island, walk or Aquabus to Kitsilano. Kits Beach has a heated outdoor saltwater pool ($7 CAD, open late May to mid-September), views of the downtown skyline across English Bay, and a stretch of sand that feels more California than Canada. The 4th Avenue corridor behind the beach has independent shops and good casual restaurants.

Skip Capilano Suspension Bridge ($50+ CAD, overcrowded, and heavily marketed). Lynn Canyon offers a free suspension bridge over a deep canyon, plus hiking trails through old-growth forest with almost no crowds. Take the SeaBus from Waterfront to Lonsdale Quay (12 minutes), then bus 228 to Lynn Canyon (15 minutes). The swimming holes below the bridge are swimmable in summer.

Main Street between 20th and 30th avenues is Vancouver's indie restaurant and brewery corridor. Brewery Creek has half a dozen craft breweries within walking distance. Brassneck Brewery and 33 Acres Brewing are local favorites. For food, Burdock & Co for seasonal small plates or Sun Sui Wah on Main for Cantonese seafood. The area has none of the tourist markup you find in Gastown.

Take the Canada Line south to Aberdeen or Richmond-Brighouse station. Aberdeen Centre's food court is where local Chinese families eat, and it is usually packed. For sit-down dim sum, Fisherman's Terrace or Sun Sui Wah Richmond are reliable. This is the real Chinese food district, not downtown Chinatown. The Canada Line gets you there in 20 minutes from Waterfront.

The highest point in Vancouver proper with 360-degree views of the downtown skyline, North Shore mountains, and on clear days, Mount Baker across the US border. The Bloedel Conservatory at the top is a tropical dome with free-flying birds. It is a far better city viewpoint than the Vancouver Lookout tower downtown ($18 CAD) and it costs nothing to stand in the gardens.

If your cruise departs in the late afternoon (most ships leave between 4-7pm), walk the waterfront from your hotel to Canada Place. Allow 2-3 hours before departure for check-in, security, and customs. Canada Place introduced facial biometric scanning in 2024, which has cut US border control processing time significantly. The terminal is at 999 Canada Place, directly beside Waterfront SkyTrain station.