Vancouver, Canada
Eric and I went to Vancouver in June with nine of our friends! The scenery was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and the company made it all the better. We had three full days of activities and felt like we got to see nearly everything we wanted to!
DAY 1
Months before our trip, we booked a 10:30 am Prince of Whales Whale Watching Tour for the first day. I have always wanted to do a whale watching tour! Unfortunately, the waters were rough that day, and we did not see any whales. We did see some sea lions and seals, which was neat, but whales would have made the trip more worth it. I recommend wearing sunscreen and lots of layers, including a rain jacket! Bring snacks, as you don’t know if you will be out there three or five hours! Prince of Whales has a whale-sighting guarantee, so we can go back for another tour anytime until we see a whale.
Granville Island Public Market is right next to Prince of Whales and was a perfect stop for breakfast and lunch. Such a fun indoor market! There were lots of different vendors selling food, flowers, and other goods. Everyone was able to get food from wherever they wanted, then we ate together outside by the water. I had a crepe before the tour and tacos afterward. After a couple of hours exploring the surrounding shops, we purchased meat and other goodies to take back to our rental house for dinner. Everything was so fresh and delicious!
Fun memory: We were in Vancouver at the same time as the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, and there was a watch party going on near the market. We got goosebumps hearing the roar of the crowd as Canada clinched their first-ever men’s World Cup game win!
DAY 2
The next day we hiked to the Quarry Rock Lookout from Deep Cove. The hike was harder than advertised, but it was still one of our favorite parts of the entire trip. There are lots of stairs (1,600+), but if you want to hike, this is an easier alternative to the Grouse Grind (which we did not do).
The hike took us a couple of hours, and then we ate a picnic lunch overlooking the water. I’m not sure I have ever seen a place more beautiful! Deep Cove is a picturesque seaside village, and the downtown area would have been fun to explore if we had more time! This is where parts of the “Remarkably Bright Creatures” movie was filmed!
Next, we drove 30 minutes to Grouse Mountain. The area is touristy, but I would recommend it! We rode the gondola up the mountain, saw the grizzly bears, watched the lumberjack and bird shows, rode the chairlift up to the highest point, and ate dinner. It is the highest point in Metro Vancouver, and the views of the city were incredible! It’s clear why this was the NBC Today show headquarters during the 2010 Olympics. Next time, I want to ride the gravity coaster, go paragliding, or ride the mountain bike trails down!
DAY 3
We made the most of our last full day! We drove up to Squamish and there were some super cute towns and stops along the way. A day trip even further up to Whistler would have been amazing! We stopped at Shannon Falls, then had lunch at House of Lager Brewing Company. This was the best meal of the trip for me! Highly recommend the beef brisket.
From there, we headed back south to Stanley Park. We rented bikes from Spokes and couldn’t recommend them enough! We biked counterclockwise around the seawall, and the views were breathtaking! Such a fun way to see the area.
Finally, we shopped a little at the flagship Lululemon store and then had dinner at Din Thai Fung, which was excellent!
I officially decided I’m a mountain girl rather than a beach girl. I just can’t get over the beauty! This was my first time in the Pacific Northwest, and I loved all the tall trees, mountains, and fjord views. I’m so glad we got to experience Vancouver in the summer!