4-5 days in VAN or split between VAN and SEA?

[kkbrig]

I know this is one of those opinion questions that everyone has different answers for, but I would still love to hear some thoughts!!

 

We will be doing a Land tour plus cruise, Fairbanks to Denali then SB cruise to Vancouver, June 28- July 11. At that point, my husband and the rest of my family will return home, red eye flights on the night that our cruise ship gets to Vancouver (it arrives early in the morning, so they will have the good part of the day in Vancouver). My 4 kids and I could leave when they do, just spending a day in Vancouver, or we could stay up to 5 days longer. I've always heard how spectacular Vancouver is, so staying longer is what I'm leaning towards. Would you stay the whole time in Vancouver, or would you take the train to Seattle and split the time between them. The flights are about the same price, but it looks to be easier to get home with one connecting flight from SEA vs YVR. My kids are ages 11, 13, 17, 18 and have done a lot of traveling and are (mostly) great sports about it.

 

Thanks for any insight!

[Kamloops50]

I know this is one of those opinion questions that everyone has different answers for, but I would still love to hear some thoughts!!

 

We will be doing a Land tour plus cruise, Fairbanks to Denali then SB cruise to Vancouver, June 28- July 11. At that point, my husband and the rest of my family will return home, red eye flights on the night that our cruise ship gets to Vancouver (it arrives early in the morning, so they will have the good part of the day in Vancouver). My 4 kids and I could leave when they do, just spending a day in Vancouver, or we could stay up to 5 days longer. I've always heard how spectacular Vancouver is, so staying longer is what I'm leaning towards. Would you stay the whole time in Vancouver, or would you take the train to Seattle and split the time between them. The flights are about the same price, but it looks to be easier to get home with one connecting flight from SEA vs YVR. My kids are ages 11, 13, 17, 18 and have done a lot of traveling and are (mostly) great sports about it.

 

Thanks for any insight!

 

Only you can decide what is the best . Keep in mind that travel between Van and Seattle is almost a full day. I would stay in Vancouver for as long as possible then go to Seattle and fly home.

[Potstech]

minimum of about 4 hours travel from Vancouver to Seattle depending on operations at the border. Please please make sure you have all the paperwork needed to cross the border with you and not in the luggage going home with others. There are many things to do and see in Vancouver invluding Stanley Park and the Sun Yet San (sp) gardens. Enjoy yourselves.

[martincath]

Vancouver all the way!!! Even if it were not a vastly-superior city to Seattle in every way*, if your flights are similarly-priced they'll end up being cheaper to stick to YVR since you won't need to pay for five people to travel to Seattle...

 

Unless you feel that the Amtrak ride, which to be fair is quite scenic, is actually part of the attraction for you it seems like a no-brainer to spend your time Doing Stuff rather than half-a-day extra traveling. Would the SEA flights save you more than 5 hours?

 

Weak CAN$ vs US$ means hotels & food locally are as cheap or cheaper than in Seattle too - and just think of the educational & cultural benefits for your kids spending so long in a foreign country; they'll probably return speaking fluent Canadian;-)

 

*just kidding Seattle - you have way more Starbucks than we do, we'll let you have that one!

[xlxo]

IMO.... how many days in Vancouver can depend on how you want to fill it.

• Saturday, Jul 11
  
  • drop luggage at hotel post-cruise
    
  • Grouse Mountain
    
  • Capilano Suspension Bridge
    

  [*]Sunday, Jul 12

  • Stanley Park Aquarium, Historic Railway, Granville Island
    

  [*]Monday, Jul 13

  • Whistler
    

  [*]Tuesday, Jul 14

  • Victoria... you can round-trip bus or orca whale watch your way there
    
  • fyi.... you can continue to Seattle on the Victoria Clipper
    

  [*]Wednesday, Jul 15

  • Seattle or a bonus day to catch up in Vancouver
    

A little tip... think about hotels away from the cruise terminal (eg Blue Horizon, Empire Landmark) for savings to extend your stay.

 

 

Think about where you plan to eat.... food is another way of exploring the area...

• Gelato?
  
• Chocolates?
  
• Ethnic foods like Dim Sum?
  

Here's some ideas....

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[kkbrig]

Thank you all!! I think my mind was just clouded from all this research and deliberating. Sometimes I find myself too inside my problems to see what is obvious and an outside viewer can quickly see it and point it out!! So we will stay in Vancouver! And thanks to xlxl, I've got the start of an itinerary!! Thanks for that and the videos!!

[xlxo]

I should add... it's the summer.... the sun does not go down until 9:30 or 10pm! Embrace it!

[GORDONCHICK]

Vancouver is spectacular and very cosmopolitan. We spent 2 days there a number of years ago and it wasn't nearly enough. I think you and your kids will really enjoy your time there.

 

And I can vouch for The Blue Horizon hotel in Vancouver. Great boutique hotel and the hop on/hop off trolley stop is right in front of the hotel. The trolley is a great way to get around Vancouver. The tickets used to be good for 2 days.

[Ky Colonel]

IMO.... how many days in Vancouver can depend on how you want to fill it.

• Saturday, Jul 11
  
  • drop luggage at hotel post-cruise
    
  • Grouse Mountain
    
  • Capilano Suspension Bridge
    

   

  [*]Sunday, Jul 12

  • Stanley Park Aquarium, Historic Railway, Granville Island
    

   

  [*]Monday, Jul 13

  • Whistler
    

   

  [*]Tuesday, Jul 14

  • Victoria... you can round-trip bus or orca whale watch your way there
    
  • fyi.... you can continue to Seattle on the Victoria Clipper
    

   

... this itinerary is almost identical to what we did with our grandaughters last year in Vancouver, and I think it is spot-on, especially if you still have the energy at the end of your cruise/land excursion. We did not go to Victoria and took an excellent half-day whale watching excursion (Wild Whales Vancouver). This year, we are taking out granddaughters on an Alaska cruise out of Seattle, so we will be doing the Seattle thing then. In any event, I would not try to do both Vancouver and Seattle in a short time period, as each needs/deserves at least 5 days to (almost) fully enjoy.

 

Good luck and smooth sailing,

 

Rod

[bondscruisegal]

Check out the Sea to Sky Gondola at http://www.seatoskygondola.com. It's an hour from downtown Vancouver and might be an option your family would enjoy.

[xlxo]

Check out the Sea to Sky Gondola at http://www.seatoskygondola.com.

Love the Skypilot bridge... at 880 meters or 2900 feet elevation... it's taller than the Freedom tower at 541 meters!

https://www.google.ca/search?q=sky+pilot+suspension+bridge&tbm=isch

 

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Edited April 19, 2015 by xlxo

[BCHappyGal]

Info on Vancouver from a local!

 

My favorite must do attractions are

 

1) Grouse Mountain – http://www.grousemountain.com – this is a wonderful scenic mountain only about 15 mins from downtown Vancouver. Ride the airtram to the top for lots of fun activities that include a loggers show, birds of prey show, 2 movies (1 about the Vancouver area and 1 about the 2 Grizzly Bears who make their home on Grouse Mtn) ride a chair lift higher up the mountain to visit the wind turbine that generates approximately 30% of the power required for Grouse Mountain Resort and visit with 2 live Grizzly Bears. Thrill to a 2 hour Zip Line Tour. Enjoy a meal in any of the restaurants. Caveat only spend the money to go up on a clear day.

2) Capilano Suspension Bridge – http://www.capbridge.com – this is Vancouver’s oldest tourist attraction and I still enjoy visiting it! Located on Capilano Road just before you reach the Grouse Mountain parking lot. Walk across a suspension Bridge over the Capilano Gorge, wonder the trails thru the rain forest, walk thru the treetops on the new Tree Top Adventure, traverse a Cliff Top walk, visit the trading post for a huge selection of souvenirs, watch native weavers and/or carvers at work.

3) Capilano Fish Hatchery is also located on Capilano Road and is a great place to view salmon jumping up the fish ladders to get around the Cleveland Dam. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capilano_River_Regional_Park

4) Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge – http://www.lynncanyon.ca - is also located in North Vancouver and is much less touristy than Capilano but it also is not as spectacular. The bridge is slightly higher above the water but much shorter in span. Located in a Provincial Park this bridge comes with some nice hiking trails and you will find an ecology centre in the park as well as picnic tables and a food concession outlet. Should you choose to enjoy the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge always cross the suspension bridge first and then hike down the trail to the lower (Twin Falls wooden) bridge to cross back over the Lynn Valley River and return to your car – that way you are hiking downhill rather than uphill. It is also free to visit this suspension bridge!

5) Stanley Park – http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/ - is the crown jewel of Vancouver's parks. As one of North America's largest urban parks, covering over a 1000 acres and offering an abundance of activities. Enjoy the totem pole collection near the Brockton Point Light House, hiking trails, beaches, water parks for the kids (young & old), rose gardens, miniature train, petting zoo, aquarium –http://www.vanaqua.org – many view points, and several restaurants.

6) Vancouver Aquarium – http://www.vanaqua.org – is Canada’s largest aquarium and is committed to the conservation of marine life and education. Located in Stanley Park this is a fun place for the family to visit.

7) Fly Over Canada incorporates state of the art technology in an Imax theatre to show you supernatural Canada, Fly from coast to coast taking in breath stealing views of Niagara Falls, Lake Louise, The Rockies & more. Spectacular! http://www.flyovercanada.com

8) Gas Town – the location where Vancouver originated. The name is derived from a very colorful character named Gassy Jack who was one of the first settlers in the area and a salon keeper – while in Gas Town don’t miss your photo op with the statue of Gassy Jack and by the Steam Clock.

9) At the start of Gas Town is the Harbor Centre Tower http://www.vancouverlookout.com a great spot to start your tour of Vancouver with a birds eye view of the city. Either take the elevator up to the lookout level or go to the top and enjoy a meal in the revolving restaurant.

10) China Town is only about 6 blocks over from Gas Town and is the largest China Town north of San Francisco. While in China Town enjoy a visit to the Dr Sun Yat Sen Classical Gardens http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com and also make sure you visit the world’s thinnest building it is only 6’ wide!

11) Granville Island – http://www.granvilleisland.com – is a huge public market area which not only sells fruit & veggies but you can also buy frozen fish to be shipped to your home. Many artists make this their home and you can watch them at work in their studios – making this a great place to buy unique souvenirs. The Granville Island Brewery is also located here and you can stop in for a free tour & tastes. There are theatres for live performances and many fine restaurants. A fun way to get to Granville Island is via the Aquabus – http://www.theaquabus.com

12) Burnaby Village Museum – http://www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca – is an open air museum with over 30 restored homes, shops, school, church and a 1912 carousel situated on 10 acres

13) Gulf of Georgia Cannery – http://www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.com – is a restored fishing cannery located in the historic fishing village of Steveston (part of Richmond). Here you see exhibits that showcase the history of the fishing industry in British Columbia. Once finished in the museum it is great fun to walk along the fishing docks and see the fishing boats which are selling their catch. There are also some excellent restaurants located here.

14) The Vancouver Maritime Museum located on the shore of English Bay is fun for the whole family with lots of hands on exhibits for the kid in all of us. Here to you will find the ship St Roch which the RCMP sailed from Vancouver to Halifax via the Northwest Passage and then completed the return journey in 1944. You actually get to tour this ship. http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com

15) Queen Elizabeth Park http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/queenelizabeth The 130 acre (52 hectare) park is one of the most beautifully maintained public parks in the world. Second only to Stanley Park in annual visitations, it receives nearly 6 million people a year who marvel at its superior standard of garden plantings.

The park was originally quarried for its rock which served to build Vancouver's first roadways. In 1929 the Board proceeded to acquire the property which had become an abandoned eyesore but still served as the site for two holding reservoirs for the City's drinking water. Dedicated as a park by King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth (the present Queen's mother) on their much lauded visit to Vancouver in 1939.

16) Fort Langley is the restored wooden fort built by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post. It is the origin of British Columbia and was the first capital. This Fort is operated by the Federal Parks Board. http://www.fortlangley.org

17) If you are a wine lover you might want to rent a car and spend a day visiting a few of the many excellent wineries located in the Fraser Valley only about a 1 hour drive from your hotel. Almost all of the wineries offer free tastes & tours. Two of the wineries have excellent restaurants on the premises. This makes for a very fun and relaxing day. Check out the Fraser Valley Wine Association web site for a map of winery locations and a brief description of each winery http://www.fvwa.ca

18) VanDusen Botanical Garden is a scenic 55- acre garden of international renown – a living museum of plants collected from around the world and artistically displayed amidst rolling lawns, woodlands and five tranquil lakes, all in the heart of Vancouver and just 15 minutes from downtown.

Due to Vancouver’s mild climate, plants bloom at the Garden year-round. This same climate creates a unique environment where plants from varying climate regions thrive and grow – at VanDusen you will see plants from the southern hemisphere, tropical areas and the high Arctic tundra along side native species. The Elizabethan Maze (one of only six in North America) provides year-round fun.

19) UBC Botanical Garden located at the University of British Columbia covers 110 acres and includes an Alpine, Asian, Native, Food, and Japanese Gardens. http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org There is also a treetop walk which is great for “fit” explorers who are not afraid of heights – however I would not recommend it for anyone who has any mobility issues. Also these gardens are not as well maintained as I would expect a botanical garden to be!

20) Enjoy a FREE walking tour of Vancouver. The Gastown tour starts in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the statue of Gassy Jack in Gastown. The Downtown tour starts at the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the Olympic Cauldron. The China Town tour starts at the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the Chinese memorial statue. All of these tours start at 11am. The Granville Island Tour starts at 3pm at the bus stop just at the entrance to Granville Island. Check these tours out at http://www.tourguys.ca The Tour Guys have added an afternoon walking tour of Granville Island and 2 evening tours….

21) A new addition I have just found for the FOODIES in the gang! Check out 2 companies that offer food tasting tours http://www.foodietours.ca and http://www.offtheeatentrack.ca – both offer an excellent tour http://www.foodietours.ca visit much more high end restaurants in the heart of the west end of Vancouver while http://www.offtheeatentrack.ca concentrates on more casual eateries in the historic original section of Vancouver! (Gastown)

I just enjoyed Foodietours “Guilty Pleasures Gourmet Tour” and was very impressed with the organization, quality of restaurants & refreshments, guides knowledge of foods and the eateries we were visiting as well as the area we were walking in. Felt it was excellent value for the money provided you did not spend the extra $20. For the alcohol! This company also offers a tasting tour on Granville Island Public Market and of the Vancouver Street Food Carts.

As for Off the Eaten Track - this company offers culinary tasting tours of various areas of Vancouver. This company has now expanded and offers a brunch tour and a dinner tour. I did the Railtown Urban Eats tour and it was Fabulous! This tour would blend well with the free walking tour offered by http://www.tourguys.ca … you could easily do the free walking tour and then meet up with this tour company for this tour for your lunch - the food is plentiful & wonderful you will not leave this tour hungry!

 

 

 

 

 

Vancouver has a bunch of hop-on hop-off buses

 

http://www.vancouverpinkbustours.com/

 

http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/tours/hop-on-hop-off

 

http://bigbus.ca/home/

[kkbrig]

Thank you so much everyone!! I am so excited! And now I think I need more than a week to do the bare minimum in Vancouver!! Such great choices! I will probably have more questions as I delve further into our itinerary. For starters, my husband (and my parents, my sister, and my nephews) will only be in Vancouver for the day on Saturday (we disembark Saturday morning, their flights will be that night, I think late). I do not know if the others will join me and the kids or not, but my husband definitely will. I was thinking that Saturday should maybe be tour Vancouver day. I think I would prefer a walking tour. We have done these in the last 4 cities we've visited and thoroughly enjoyed them- typically the quality just seems better than the typical hop on/off bus. I know I'm making a big generalization here and this is not always true! Maybe it's the fact that we are really IN the place we are learning about, not driving by. I don't know, but we all really enjoyed those tours. So I think that may be where I start our plans, with a Tour Guys walking tour at 11am Saturday. Will look through the list as to how to fill the rest of that day!

 

Again, thanks! This information is so valuable!

[Coral]

I would also like to suggest Whistler like another person mentioned. Maybe even spend the night there and have 2 days there. Great family destination. We spent 2 nights there and would have loved to spend more time there. Victoria is great also!

 

I would probably spend the extra 5 days between Whistler and Victoria and then from Victoria go to Seattle.

 

So much to do, so little time.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Coral

[TATraveler]

If you happen to be flying out of Seattle, it's equal or better than Vancouver in every way....and many of the facilities are less expensive, even when you factor in the Exchange rate. Also, if you're a US citizen, you can buy anything you need (as in SHOPPING) here without having to worry about declaring it (and potentially paying a tax) at the border. (You have like an $800 limit per person before tax is imposed, but declaring would be a hassle). I say spend a couple days in Vancouver, then come down here.

 

We have all of the outdoorsy stuff you might want. (Rainier, the Olympics, Snoqualmie Pass) We have downtown. We have the Space Needle and Experience Music Project, multiple zoos, multiple aquariums, Great Wheel, much, much, cheaper ferry rides. We have scenery. We have beaches. I think your family would love it.

Edited April 21, 2015 by TATraveler

[Cruise_More_Often]

Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We would not even consider a cruise to Alaska that doesn't start or end in Vancouver. We try to do a repo cruise to or from Vancouver once a year just to get our Vancouver fix (leaving in a week for this year's fix :D). Public transit is excellent, almost everything you'll want to see is within or very close to the downtown, walkable, core. There are world-class restaurants. The views will just take your breath away.

 

The only thing Seattle has over Vancouver is that is a little cheaper to get there. Period.

[bottom-dragger]

I've stayed in Richmond for the vibe my last three trips to Vancouver. It's an easy/safe subway ride from downtown.

 

 

 

http://seattle.eater.com/maps/where-to-eat-authentic-chinese-food-richmond-bc

[tourismtessy]

I spent a few days solo in Vancouver a few years ago and then took the Amtrak from there to Portland, OR. The train is a great option as flying out of Seattle is cheaper than out of Vancouver. I recommend at least 3 days in Vancouver (more if you can). Stanley Park is absolutely gorgeous as are other smaller ones (Queen Elizabeth). All easily accessible via the subway system. I did the hop on hop off bus tour in Vancouver and visited Granville this way. LOVE this place. I would say that having a day or 2 in Seattle would be nice as well. You can't do and see everything in either city in 5 days but you can get a good taste, or sampling of them in a few. The ferry system in BC is fabulous. I took the ferry from Victoria to Vancouver (via a bus) and that was a highlight of my trip. Whatever you decide, it will be fantastic! Enjoy!

[xlxo]

I've stayed in Richmond for the vibe my last three trips to Vancouver. It's an easy/safe subway ride from downtown.

I too love Richmond hotels. The Raddison Airport is my fav as the subway station is across the street.

http://www.expedia.ca/Vancouver-Hotels-Radisson-Hotel-Vancouver-Airport.h14039.Hotel-Information

 

Yes the Chinese population has diversified throughout the region (Richmond, East Vancouver, Coquitlam). You'll Chinese eateries in a lot of places around Vancouver.

 

The Historic Chinatown is changing as the original retailers slowly fade due to business taxes and declining Chinese shoppers. It may still be worth a visit to the Floata for Dim Sum (Asian high tea) and a quick walk thru (get a photo at the Millenium Gate).

• https://www.google.ca/search?q=vancouver+millennium+gate&tbm=isch
  
• 
  

BTW.... South Van's Punjabi market is suffering worse. Many of those businesses have relocated to Surrey.