My sister and I visited Canada for the first time back in June. It was the best and first spontaneous weekend adventure I have ever taken. I have always thought of myself as a spontaneous person, but after that weekend I now understand how freeing it feels.
So basically what I’m saying is, take as many spontaneous weekend adventures as you can in your lifetime whether with friends or a solo.
Let me tell you, Vancouver, B.C. is one of my new favorite places to visit!
When my mom, other sister and brother came to visit we took a day trip up and explored other parts of the city that we didn’t get to visit the first time.
If you’re driving up to Vancouver be sure to get there early. The first time went, the wait to get through the border took about 10-15 minutes and we arrived around 8:30 in the morning on Saturday. So that was awesome! But, coming back through took about an hour wait just to get to the border. That was around 4:30 in the afternoon on Sunday. If you can, leaving earlier than that or later makes the wait not as long.
If your taking a trip up to VanCity here’s a complied list of some places you should definitely check out and some tips that we learned!
Where to Stay in Vancouver…
EXchange Hotel
The first time we went to Vancouver my sister and I were able to find this beautiful hotel on Booking.com. Unfortunately when we were trying to check in at the front desk our reservation never went through. But, we are very grateful to everyone at the EXchange for being extremely accommodating!
Since we arrived early, there wasn’t a room available, but they rushed to get our room ready and also upgraded us. We definitely wish we were able to stay there longer because it’s WORTH IT!
It’s located in the Financial District, about a 10 minute walk to Old Gas Town and it’s also near where the cruise line docks. We also were able to walk to most places that will be listed below. 10/10 Recommend!
What to Do in Vancouver…
Richmond Night Market
This was the place my sister wanted us to check. A well known place to visit when you’re in Vancouver. It’s an Asian night market that is known for its food vendors and they’re open from 7 pm to 12 am. Be warned, if you don’t like crowds this isn’t the place I would recommend going.
To be honest, it wasn’t my favorite food especially for the price and some vendors, but it’s worth the experience for sure. There’s also carnival-style games games and stands that sell other fun nick-nacks.
Just so you know it is cash only, but no worries though they do have ATM’s available. The first time my sister and I went not knowing that it was cash only we were able to use the ATM they provided using our US bank cards.
Old Gas Town
Definitely take some time to stroll through Old Gas town! We didn’t spend much time here, but it’s known as one of the oldest parts of the city and it shows! There’s cute shops like Oak & Fort, bars and restaurants. My sister and I stopped at a pizza shop just for a quick snack since we were going to the Night Market later that night to eat. It was pretty good pizza, so check it out if you can!
Stanley Park
A beautiful park to walk to on a sunny day. It was a bit of walk from the EXchange hotel, but it was a good way to see different parts of the city. There’s both a walking and a bike path that goes along the lake and mini trails that go throughout the park. You’ll also find the aquarium here too.
Lighthouse Park
SoooOooOOoo, we didn’t quite find the iconic lighthouse view (google to see the beautiful view), but my sister and I did find another beautiful ocean view that we had to work to find. There were other trails that were label we just didn’t have the time to go through them all since we had to leave at a certain time to beat the border traffic.
Granville Island Public Market
Think of it like an indoor Pikes Place Market! There were tons of stands for almost any type of food you can think of. It’s a foodie’s dream for sure. There were other shops that are in the surrounding areas and a pier that looked out to the Burrard Bridge.
Kingyo Izakaya
If you love authentic Japanese food, then you will 100% have to check this restaurant out. My mom, who is Japanese, even said that it reminded her of Japan so I know it’s real! I can’t remember what we all ordered, but I had the Karaage which was absolutely delicious. And they serve all the meals with REAL Miso Soup. Just go and taste it for yourself. You won’t regret it!
Bedhead Nomad 
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