topeater

My husband and I are planning to be in Vancouver for Christmas. We arrive December 21 and leave early December 27th. We were there last September and enjoyed a lot of outdoor activities, but Christmas will be a different story! I don't think I am going to be riding a bike in Stanley Park, right?

I've read that there are Christmas light displays, but I'm not sure exactly where they are located. We are staying on Georgia Street and will not have a car. We are interested in museums, art galleries, good food and wine and really just doing a lot of relaxing.

Our favorite meal in September was at Miku, sitting at the sushi bar. We also had a nice lunch at a seafood place on Granville Island, but I can't remember the name.

Any suggestions for the holiday season for us?

eliztravels2

It should be pretty mild in December, so biking riding is a possibility if you enjoy that. I’ve only been once in December but remember buying a floral boquet from the sidewalk outside a shop near Stanely park, so that gives you some idea of winter temperatures.

There is (or at least was) a light display and miniature train in Stanley park which we enjoyed.

The Museum of Anthropology on the UBC campus is wonderful and accessible by public transit.

Granville Island will be extra lively I expect at that time of year.

My favourite eatery is Hon’s on Robson. Definitely not upscale, but a huge variety of Asian dishes and a fun vibe, Often a lineup but it moves quickly. Be prepared for your dishes to come at different times in no particular order.

I doubt that you will have trouble finding things to do, although fitting in the relaxing might be a challenge!

topeater

Thanks eliztravels2 for the info. There was quiet a chilly wind blowing the day we rented bikes around Stanley Park, I had to wear a light jacket, so I thought it would be much colder in December! Of course, we live in Texas, so if the temp goes below 50, we think it's practically freezing!

Will check out Hon's.

MrsMerlle

I live in Vancouver and December can be quite mild and is usually wet. Having said that, we have had Christmases where the sun is shining brightly and it's cold and clear. Little chance of snow. If you are staying on Georgia street then you are right in the heart of the Christmas displays. Robson Square (on Robson Street and Howe Street - one block south of Georgia Street) is lit up beautifully and has a free outdoor ice skating rink. They have Christmas music playing, live entertainment, hot drinks, roasted chestnuts, and it's a lot of fun. There will be Christmas light displays everywhere and you won't have to walk far to see them. You could walk down to the waterfront to the five sales at the Pan Pacific hotel and see the Christmas tree displays and winter wonderland exhibits as well. Vancouver is very festive at Christmas time - I hope you enjoy your stay here!

topeater

Thanks for the info MrsMerlie. That does sound very festive.

Are there Christmas markets?

Sam_Salmon

Actually Xmas here is NBD at all and whatever you do don't get roped into that phony ripoff German Xmas Market it's a classic tourist trap and an offence to good taste.

topeater

Reviving my original topic as we are getting closer to our trip.

Anything interesting happening in Vancouver that is new? Music, concerts, etc?

Thanks for any leads. Looks like the weather is a bit chilly now.

sundriedtopepo

Weather is definitely chilly, it's snowing this weekend. There is a delightful light show at Vandusen botanical garden on Oak St and 37th Ave. Your hotel might know if there is any transportation provision for the light show, I think there maybe...or you could take a taxi, but dress warmly.

http://vandusengarden.org/explore/events/

elbegewa

Long range forecasts for weather are very iffy, but the current forecasts Dec 19 - Dec 31 (averaging several sources and several days) tends to be around 42 to 48 F hi, 32 - 36 F low, with a mix of some rain and some snow.

A good source for historical averages (great visual graphs that don't just lump the whole month into one number) is https://weatherspark.com/averages/28...olumbia-Canada (scroll down and you can see averages for temp, percipitation, cloud cover, snow, etc.)

Good sites to watch weather forecasts are the usual (Accuweather, Weather channel, weatherunderground, etc plus the local Canadian site: https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-74_metric_e.html (it's in celsius)

I'm not a good person to ask about Christmas markets, but Vancouver does have one near the cruise ship terminal / convention center: http://vancouverchristmasmarket.com/ and its internal links. There tend to be a number of weekend long crafts sales strewn about the city, but I don't know any specific schedule ... easiest thing is to watch Georgia Straight (see below)

I don't know how you feel about some of the alternative (young/liberal) newspapers, but the Georgia Straight is a good source of things going on about town. Pick up a copy in newsstands or coffee shops or see online. They have one of the best summaries of things to do. Here's their current Christmas list as of today: http://www.straight.com/blogra/84238...ay-december-10

They mention VanDusen Gardens. It would be very high on my list either summer or winter - especially Christmas ... a great large garden ... it's in the residential area south of downtown on Oak Street between 33rd and 37th ... a great light display (some of my good friends are long time volunteers there.).

Granville Island is, like always, a great place for either tourists or locals, especially at the holidays.

For shopping Robson Street west of Burrard has been a long-time tourist favorite, but IMHO is declining in interest. High end shopping is in many places, but particularly around Alberni Street just west of Burrard - it's across Burrard from the classic Hotel Vancouver.

elbegewa

PS
Without a car the easiest way from downtown to VanDusen Gardens is bus line "#17 Oak" ... roughly a 20 minute trip. One *could* take the Canada Line subway, but the nearest stops to VDG are further than I would recommend.
A map of the transit routes downtown is at http://infomaps.translink.ca/System_...Sep%202016.pdf (#17 tends to wind around a bit downtown, so best look at the map. For it, and other service outside of downtown see http://infomaps.translink.ca/System_...Sep%202016.pdf

elbegewa

PPS
When using public transport just enter where you are, where you wany to go, and the time you'd leave and this site gives you various alternatives, c/w times and maps: http://tripplanning.translink.ca/

topeater

Thanks so much for all the info. Checked the VanDusen site. Looks just like Christmas! Great suggestion. We will definitely put on our list for our visit.

sundriedtopepo

You might even want to stop at Vandusen on your way back from Bellingham, if you're not too late, as Highway 99 becomes Oak Street after you cross the bridge coming north from the border.

BC_Robyn

I wouldn't make the Vancouver Christmas Market or the the new Enchant Christmas Maze a priority. The feedback I'm getting from friends/family who recently visited is that they're both underwhelming and overpriced for the experience. So if you do go, set your expectations at the lower end of the spectrum.

Instead, I'd make VanDusen Botanical Garden or Capilano Suspension Bridge a priority for Christmas - the atmosphere at both are absolutely magical, and you could easily spend 2 hours at each. Bundle up and bring waterproof boots though. VanDusen and Capilano Suspension Bridge are really not hard to get to via public transit. Google Maps is the most user-friendly way of coordinating what buses or Skytrains (or Seabuses) to take real-time.

For unique-to-Vancouver shopping in a Christmassy atmosphere, Granville Island is fun. I do like the Net Loft building (across the street from the Granville Island Public Market) - lots of unique little gift shops, like Paper Ya. Liberty Wine Merchants for a boutique wine shop. Lots of tasty treats inside Granville Island Market of course.

Main Street, between E 7th and E 29th, is also great for shopping district these days. Robson Street is your same old global retail franchise shopping like Forever 21, The Gap, and Zara, but Main Street has the local, one-of-a-kind shops owned/operated by local merchants, designers, etc. Front & Company, and Nineteen Ten Boutique have some beautiful Christmas items. And most shops are all decorated and are in the festive spirit. Lots of good food/wine in that area as well - Burdock & Co, Chicha, The Acorn, for beginners.

topeater

Got back a couple of days ago from Vancouver which my husband described as feeling just like Christmas! Definitely not bike riding weather this year!

We ended up going to see the lights at VanDusen Gardens which were incredible. So beautiful even with a light rain. The next night, we went to the maze of lights at Enchant Christmas Market. While I agree that the admission price seemed a bit high, we loved the maze, had a great time there and took some memorable pictures.

Had a couple of wonderful meals at Miku and Dinesty Dumpling. On Monday, boxing day, I looked out the window and wondered if the stores were closed as I didn't see anyone on the street. We walked over to Nordstrom's and realized half of the population seemed to be in that store. We tried a couple of other places and it was insane!!! There was a long line out the door at Uggs just to get inside! So, we decided to do what any sane person would do and we headed to the bar for refreshment. That was the extent of our shopping day.

Had a wonderful time and so love being back in Vancouver. Thanks for all the help and advise.

sundriedtopepo

Glad to hear you had a fun time, topeater. Just out of curiosity, how did you get to VanDusen gardens? We go by car, just wondering from the point of view of a tourist...