We will arrive in Vancouver July 4 late afternoon. Thursday we would like to use a hop on-off service to see Stanley Park and the city. Which one would be best? Friday we will rent a car to see North Vancouver and any other sites that need to be revisited. What are some other areas that we could visit using the car? Any tips on sites to see using the car would be appreciated. We like history and nature but, unfortunately, we don't do long hikes.

I am partial to GrayLine. I always have a good experience with that company.

1 ticket price includes the double decker bus AND the trolley AND a pass for the harbor ferry.

http://www.graylinewest.com/

Vancouver Trolley and Gray Line Double Decker work together as previously explained, and they alternate along the same route.

The only other company aside from them is Big Bus. The difference? Big Bus has 3 vehicals (a trolley, a double decker, and an open-roof bus), but the narration is pre-recorded. Vancouver Trolley/Grayline have their drivers narrate the tour, so you get a bit of personality thrown in. Sometimes it can be a hoot, but othertimes sedate. It depends on the driver and the vehical. The trolley tends to be more interactive, while the double decker less so.

As for where else to go with your car, you could visit Lynn Canyon, drive up to the top of Seymour Mountain and go hiking, drive up to the top of Cypress Mountain for an awesome panoramic view of the city, and you can drive along Marine Drive west through West Vancouver to Lighthouse Park, Whytecliff Park, and Horseshoe Bay.

Thank you for the information and explainging the bus/trolley service. Afer looking up info on Lynn Canyon that is probably a great option. Would there be parking spots to put over for the views or do we need to hike?

Would there be spots to pull over to see the views when driving up Seymour Mt. and Cypress Mt.? Or do we have to hike? If so, is it a long or short hike. We can do short hikes.

You don't have to go hiking at Lynn Canyon if you don't want to. The parking lot takes you right to the ecology centre and the (free) suspension bridge. I say free because most people seek out Capilano Suspension Bridge, which costs $28 per person to see.

Lynn Canyon is a park, and you don't really have to think of it as hiking, but moreso short walks. The trails are well maintained, and some are merely wooden stairs with railings taking you down towards the riverbed. You can spend a few minutes there, or you can spend hours - it's up to you. I wouldn't wear high heels and a dress to walk there, but simple flat-soled shoes should do. Something with a bit of grip (ie: running shoes) would be better than something completely smooth, like dress shoes. (I say this because I have seen tourists arrive in high heel stilettos attempt to walk along the trails... it's not a great idea, even though it's not hardcore wilderness hiking).

You don't need to go hiking at Cypress to appreciate the view. There's a lookout about two thirds of the way up that you can pull over at. They have a parking lot and picnic tables. If you go further up towards the main parking lot at Cypress, you actually lose the view as you head inland away from the edge, and unless you hiking further up into the mountains, you don't see much. The nice thing is that the Cypress lookout is only about 10 minutes off the highway. You can make it a short scenic pit-stop. Of course, if the clouds are too low, you won't see a thing - so take this into consideration.

Finally, you can see the views as you drive up Seymour. I don't go on long hikes either, but if you don't mind going for a one hour walk along a well-marked trail, try to head towards "Dog Mountain". It's a trail taking you to a granite outcropping where you get an unobstructed view of the city from a different vantage point than from Cypress. The last time I was there, there were ravens swooping in and standing next to me. I loved it.

Personally, I find that if you have a car, Cypress and Seymour give you the view that you'd otherwise pay $32 for the privilege at Grouse Mountain. Grouse Mountain, however, has family-friendly (hokey) entertainment, a free ride on the chair lift, an enclosed bear sanctuary, gift shops, restaurants... and a Starbucks at the base of the gondola. So Grouse is more of a tourist attraction, whereas locals go to Cypress and Seymour.

Carmanah,
Thank you for your reply! We enjoy walking and will look forward to easy trails. We were thinking about going to Grouse Mt. but now we'll save the money and take your advice.
Since we'll be saving money, could you recommend I nice moderately priced restaurant for dinner? It doesn't matter what area of Vancouver. We like to try local favorites.

http://www.vijs.ca/

Our favorite place that we just visited last week in Vancouver was Queen Elizabeth Garden. It's located at 33rd Avenue and Cambie. When you first enter, you are blown away at the amazing view toward downtown Vancouver and the gorgeous landscape of the park. We have been to many gardens in England and, while smaller, this one rivals those in terms of beauty. We got some amazing photos. In a week or two, check out our photos on webshots.com, and do a search for dkubiak. You can judge for yourselves.