First time visitors to Vancouver. Suggestions needed for a 3 -4 day visit
 

There will be three older couples visiting Vancouver next summer after an Alaskan cruise. Looking for my Fodor travel friends to recommend an itinerary for a 3 to 4 day visit. Also hotel or B&B suggestions. Should we stay in Vancouver or Victoria? Can we explore both? Are there parts of the city to stay out of? Is public transportation an option? Must see sites and restaurant recommendations.
Any help you can provide will be appreciated.

Hello,

I would do 2 days in Vancouver and 2 days in Victoria. I would recommend staying in downtown Vancouver - Fairmonts are good, Pan Pacific is great, Rosedale on Robson as a more affordable option. In Victoria, I love the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort in downtown and stay there often; you can walk along the harbor, take a water taxi, take the shuttle and drop right into the center. Stay out of East Vancouver, east of Gastown; stay in Yaletown, downtown, Kitsilano, Shaughnessy out towards the University of British Columbia is all good. Whistler is about a 2 hour drive north of Vancouver on an incredibly scenic provincial highway, and I'd almost rather spend a summer day or two in Whistler than Vancouver. It is easy enough to drive around the area, up to Whistler and take the BC Ferries to Vancouver Island and Victoria. You can go up to Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway, return to Horseshoe Bay, take the ferry to Nanaimo/Dash Point, drive south to Victoria. It is all pretty "driving" required area. You could take a motorcoach transport from downtown Vancouver to the Victoria ferry. SkyTrain runs from the suburbs into Vancouver, but is mostly for suburban commuters into downtown.

Happy travels!

consider a two day pass on www.vancouvertrolley.com Its two hop on/off loops that take you all over the city to the main tourist points... eliminates parking and allows you as much time at each stop as you wish... easy on the stress... have fun...

Thanks for the quick reply. Do you have any hotel suggestions for Victoria? Would you recommend a rental car to go to Victoria (via ferry) and Butchart Gardens?

I would recommend all 4 days in Vancouver - lots to do.
1. I highly recommend the Museum of Anthropology at UBC if you are at all interested in West Coast Native people. The totem poles and other monumental carving are amazing.
2. Transit in Vancouver is extensive and good. Get a map and a pass - we found the bus drivers were helpful and the Vancouver transit website was helpful. It's A LOT cheaper than the hop-on-hop-off bus (which does not cover all sites and does not run all day)
3. Some lovely hikes on the North Shore
4. Stanley Park
5. some of the many gardens and public parks
If you go to Victoria or Whistler - both lovely - BUT you will spend a lot of time travelling. If you must go to one, I would pick Victoria - the ferry ride over is lovely.
I would NOT try to do both - than you will be exhausted from travelling and not really have the time to enjoy.

Hotel - We really liked Time Square Suites BUT it is not for everyone. The location is excellent. The hotel is small and more like a condo. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful. However (if such things are important to you) be aware that this hotel has NO restaurant, no pool, no bar and the public areas are small and utilitarian. The suites themselves are great - large with full kitchens and the best bed I have ever slept in in a hotel.

Thanks again for your insight and assistance. I understand dining is good in Vancouver. Any recommendations for favorite restaurants that locals frequent?

What kind of cuisine would you be looking for, jackz? What kind of

Vancouver excels in locally sourced food/Pacific seafood and Asian cuisine, specifically Japanese and Cantonese/Shanghainese Chinese (although the best Chinese restaurants are actually in neighbouring city Richmond and NOT in Vancouver's Chinatown). I'd even say Punjabi-style Indian cuisine is good too.

Mexican/Latin and American style BBQ/Cajun/diner-style food, not so much.

For that, some of my personal favourites:

Chambar for Belgian beer and a vibrant French/Belgian bistro

Les Faux Bourgeois for French bistro.

Diamond Bar, Keefer Bar, or Pourhouse for craft cocktails

Kitanoya Guu (any of the "Guu" restaurants in downtown Vancouver) for Japanese izakaya.

La Brasserie on Davie for bistro-style French/German.

The Gallery Cafe at the Vancouver Art Gallery for homestyle comfort food - a good place for a quick lunch. Sandwiches, salads, warm dishes (chicken pot pie, ratouille), and desserts.

East is East for tasty and casual Afghani/Indian food (think lentil soups, fresh salad, wraps made with rice and indian-style curries)

And although I haven't personally been, something worth seeking out for a special occasion is Hawksworth at the Hotel Georgia.

For a view/quality food and service? Seasons at the Park in Queen Elizabeth Park.

I have to agree with semiramis. If your only plan on three days or possibly 4 days, it makes little sense to me (a slow traveler) to spend so much time traveling to two different places. I would choose either Vancouver or Victoria, each excellent choices with good transit. If you choose Victoria, you can stay in the Inner Harbor and probably dispense with public transit except to visit Butchart, otherwise you can walk pretty much everywhere. It's a toss up which is the better choice. Restaurant-wise, I'd go for Vancouver and a bit more to see, however I'd lean slightly towards Victoria, but then again I am a slow traveler and I would not cram much into my three or four days in Victoria. Whatever you decide to do will be enjoyable - they are both great tourist destinations.

Thank you all for your input. We are looking forward to a great visit. Would you recommend a rental car if we decide to go see the Butchart Gardens? Is that doable on a long day?

You do not need a rental car to visit Butchart Gardens. You can easily go by public transport or take a tour from one of the hotels. I don't remember it being more than a 30 minute ride, probably less from downtown Victoria. Certainly doable for an afternoon or evening. I don't remember what time of yr you said you will be there, but if it is summer, it would be nice to hang around in the evening. There are often concerts and there are stage lights around the garden that are attractive. There are several places to eat from a bit high end to cafeteria style. The gardens are immaculate and interesting to visit, however the Van Dusen Gdns and the Queen Elizabeth gdns in Vancouver are quite nice, too, just don't get all the attention that Butchart's receives.

My vote is for Vancouver. Victoria is lovely but no need to spend the time and money getting there as there is so much to enjoy in Vancouver. I too would recommend the Times Square Suites in downtown west side Vancouver, with the caveat that it is on a busy corner so traffic noise might be an issue for some. Very easy walk to Stanley park, Coal Harbour and English Bay and a great selection of restaurants in the area. Hon's for Chinese is my favourite. I think the Museum of Anthropology is a must see; it is accessible by public transit. Granville Island with it's market and shops is a lively destination and can be reached by the smallest, cutest ferry ever. For a longer 'sea voyage' you can get by bus or car to Horseshoe Bay and take the ferry to Bowen Island. I think it takes about 45 minutes and once there you can just wander about to the little shops.

We've been to Whistler by bus both summer and winter and find it an enjoyable ride. Once there you can take a gondola lift to the top of the mountain.

As noted above, stay away from downtown east side Vancouver which is notorious for its drug users. Not so much dangerous in my mind as sad, sad, sad.

if you want proximity to the park and the leafiness of the west end and a 15 minute walk or 10 minute bus ride to downtown, i don' t think you can beat the coast palza @ denman and comox. request a higher floor, the views are spectacular in all 4 directions. there are plenty of great dining options across all national cuisines on denman, robson and davie streets. ( to say nothing of the $!0 coast room service breakfast w/ eggs, hash browns, canadian back bacon and toast!)

cheers
AndrewDavid