215 Best Sights in British Columbia, Canada

Opened in 2017 in a striking purpose-built waterfront facility at the foot of Lonsdale Avenue, this public gallery focuses on photography and media-based art. You can join a tour of the current exhibit, led by an art professional, on Saturday afternoon or Thursday evening. The on-site shop has an excellent selection of photography books and photo supplies, including Polaroid cameras.

North Vancouver's historic dry docks have been reimagined as a vibrant waterfront public space, including restaurants, cafés, a hip pub, a boutique hotel, and even a kids' water park reconfigured as an ice rink in winter. Just steps from Lonsdale Quay on the North Vancouver waterfront, the Shipyards are easy to reach by SeaBus. On Friday nights from May through September, more than 120 vendors, a wealth of food trucks, and a beer garden set up shop outdoors for the Shipyards Night Market. The Shipyards are also home to the photo-centric Polygon Gallery.

Totem poles are an important art form among native peoples along British Columbia's coast. These nine poles—eight carved in the latter half of the 20th century and one created in 2009—include replicas of poles originally brought to the park from the north coast in the 1920s, as well as poles carved specifically for the park by First Nations artists. The several styles of poles represent a cross section of BC Native groups, including the Kwakwaka'wakw, Haida, and Nisga'a. The combination of carved animals, fish, birds, and mythological creatures represents clan history. An information center near the site has a snack bar, a gift shop, and information about BC's First Nations. 

The only freshwater lake in the center of Vancouver, Trout Lake, in John Hendry Park, has a sandy beach and a swimming raft. Community festivals and family picnics are popular here, and there's an attractive farmers' market on summer Saturdays. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free); toilets. Best for: swimming, walking.

Accessible only by foot, this historical log chalet provides lodging for guests or food and tea for day guests in the summer months. Built in a clearing across from the Twin Falls Creek in three phases between 1908--1928, the teahouse provides phenomenal views of the double falls (keep your eyes peeled for mountain goats, they are often spotted hanging out above the falls). The 16.4-km (10-mile) mostly forested out-and-back trail will take you three hours to reach the teahouse. Access to the trailhead is from the Takakkaw Falls parking lot. Reservations are required for an overnight stay. Recently, the teahouse was shut down for renovations, and a new operator will be taking it over, so be sure to check the website for updated information on both accommodation and dining options.

If you're planning to visit several of the attractions at the University of British Columbia, the UBC Attractions Pass can save you money. The pass includes admission to the Museum of Anthropology (currently closed for renovation), UBC Botanical Garden and Greenheart Canopy Walkway, Nitobe Memorial Garden, and Beaty Biodiversity Museum. Book three and save 25%. Passes are valid for six months for the museums and 12 months for the gardens, so you don’t need to squeeze all your sightseeing into one day. Purchase the pass at any of the participating attractions.

Ten thousand trees, shrubs, and rare plants from around the world thrive on this 70-acre research site on the university campus, which abuts Pacific Spirit Park. The complex feels as far away from the city as you can get, with forested walkways through an Asian garden, a garden of medicinal plants, and an alpine garden with some of the world's rarest plants. A Walk in the Woods is a 20-minute loop that takes you through more than 1,000 species of coastal plant life. The garden gift store is one of the best of its kind. One-hour guided tours, free with garden admission, are offered on certain days; call or check the website for a schedule. If you're planning to visit several attractions at UBC, a UBC Museums and Gardens Pass will save you money.

The 308-meter-long (1,010-foot-long) Greenheart TreeWalk Canopy Walkway, a swaying network of suspended bridges weaving a trail between huge cedars and hemlocks, is a thrilling way to explore the garden. Along the way, you stop off on eight platforms in the trees, each more than 15 meters (49 feet) high, while an additional two-story viewing platform tops a freestanding tower more than 22 meters (72 feet) in the air. Visits to the walkway are at your own pace or by a 45-minute guided tour, where you learn about the forest, local wildlife, environmental issues, and First Nations traditions; call or check the website for seasonal tour schedules. The walkway is a great adventure for kids. Just note that small children must either be able to walk on their own or be carried in a child backpack or other carrier (strollers aren't permitted).

Once the sun sets, head to Vallea Lumina, just a short drive from the Village. Here, you'll meander through the old-growth forest on a 1.5-kilometer (almost 1-mile) hike to take in the mesmerizing light, sound, and art displays in the dark. When you're done, head to the campfire for a snack and games. Make sure to book your tickets in advance. In the busy season, there is a complimentary shuttle from the Village to the venue.

Canadian painter Emily Carr's haunting interpretations of the British Columbian hinterland are among the attractions at western Canada's largest art gallery. Carr (1871–1945), a grocer's daughter from Victoria, BC, fell in love with the wilderness around her and shocked middle-class Victorian society by running off to paint it. Her work accentuates the mysticism and danger of BC's wilderness, and records the diminishing presence of native cultures during that era (there's something of a renaissance now). The gallery, which also hosts touring historical and contemporary exhibitions, is housed in a 1911 courthouse that Canadian architect Arthur Erickson redesigned in the early 1980s as part of the Robson Square redevelopment. Stone lions guard the steps to the Georgia Street side (the plaza is often the site of festivals and other events); the main entrance is accessed from Robson Square or Hornby Street.

Resembling a flying saucer stuck atop a high-rise, the 553-foot-high Vancouver Lookout Tower has fabulous views of Vancouver and its surrounding landscapes—on a clear day, as far as Mount Baker in Washington State. A glass elevator whizzes you up 50 stories to the circular observation deck, where knowledgeable guides point out the sights and give a (free) tour every hour on the hour. The top-floor restaurant (604/669–2220) makes one complete revolution per hour. (Note that the elevator ride up is free for diners.) Tickets are good all day, so you can visit in daytime and return for another look after dark.

Sharing the seafaring history of the Pacific Northwest and Arctic regions, this family-friendly museum houses the RCMP Arctic St. Roch, the first ship to sail in both directions through the treacherous Northwest Passage and the first to circumnavigate North America. You can scramble around the decks and into the St. Roch's cabins, imagining yourself as a sea captain attempting to navigate the Arctic. About a third of this museum has been turned over to kids, with touchable displays offering a chance to drive a tug, maneuver an underwater robot, or dress up as a seafarer. Toddlers and school-age children can work the hands-on displays in Pirates' Cove and the Children's Maritime Discovery Centre. The museum also has an extensive collection of model ships. While you're here, take a moment to look at the 30-meter-tall (100 foot) replica Kwakiutl totem pole in front of the museum. The massive white-and-yellow contraption behind the Vancouver Maritime Museum is the Ben Franklin submersible. It looks like something a Jules Verne character would put to sea but was actually built in 1968 as a marine research tool to, among other things, chart the Gulf Stream. A more fascinating claim to fame is that it was once the largest of its kind in America and was instructional for NASA. The information about how people lived in such close quarters for extended periods of time provided preliminary research data on the dynamics of living aboard a space station.

Home to the Museum of Vancouver, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vanier Park is also known as the best kite flying venue in the city. Every summer, this is also where you'll find the Children's Festival and Bard on the Beach theater—both presented under billowing tents along the water.

Located directly across from the Kootenay Park Lodge, this beautiful picnic area is just off the highway with ample parking, outhouses, and tables placed along the scenic banks of the fast-flowing Vermilion River.

Local kids clamor to visit this offbeat minizoo, home to the largest collection in North America of live tropical insects. You can even hold many of the 60 or so varieties, which include walking sticks, scorpions, millipedes, and a pharnacia—at 22 inches, the world's longest insect. The staff members know their bug lore and are happy to dispense scientific information and fun entomological anecdotes.

Planning a picnic? Stop here first. Bakers, green grocers, cheesemakers, and other artisanal producers from across Vancouver Island sell their wares in this century-old indoor space that was once a department store. In summer especially, ready-to-eat treats abound here, from homemade pies and fresh baked bread to tacos, sandwiches, and fish-and-chips. In winter, it's a much quieter place.

This 4.6-km (3-mile) out-and-back trail has minimal elevation, making it a fun one for the whole family. The trail is a wide, heavily trafficked path through the forest, until you eventually reach the Wapta Falls ("wapta" means "river" in the Sioux language of the Stoney people). The falls are especially forceful and impressive in June and early July, when the run-off is still high. Easy. 

This former Canadian Pacific Railway passenger terminal was built between 1912 and 1914 as the western terminus for Canada's transcontinental railway. After Canada's two major railways shifted their focus away from passenger service, the station became obsolete. But a 1978 renovation turned it into an office-retail complex and depot for SkyTrain, SeaBus, and the West Coast Express (a suburban commuter rail). In the main concourse, murals up near the ceiling depict the scenery travelers once saw on journeys across Canada. This is where you catch the SeaBus for the 13-minute trip across the harbor to the waterfront public market at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, and the adjacent Shipyards with its restaurants, galleries, and open-area concert space.

Running along the coast from Bamfield to Port Renfrew, this is an extremely rugged 75-km (47-mile) trail for experienced hikers only. It takes an average of six days to complete and is open from May 1 to September 30. A quota system helps the park manage the number of hikers, and reservations, through Parks Canada, are mandatory. Hiking requires payment of a reservation fee, ferry fares, and an overnight-use fee.

This is a 21.3-km (13.2-mile) circuit with 700 meters (2,297 feet) of elevation gain which takes you to Twin Falls backcountry campground. The trail takes you through the Yoho Valley and past Twin Falls and Marpole Lake. There is a seasonal suspension bridge, so check the trail report to ensure it's in operation before you go. Note that reservations for the campground must also be made in advance. Difficult. 

This brewery crafts award-winning small-batch Belgian-inspired and West Coast-influenced beers. There's no kitchen on-site, but guests are encouraged to order takeout from local restaurants. Indoor tastings are available, and the large outdoor patio has amazing views of the Purcell Mountains.

This calm cove near Horseshoe Bay is popular for swimming, scuba diving, sunset watching, and, at low tide, hiking out to Whyte Islet just offshore. Amenities: food and drink, parking (for a fee), and toilets. Best for: sunsets, swimming, and walking.