Stanley Park makes for an entire day of fun in itself. Rent bikes to ride 9 kilometers (that’s 5.6 miles to us Americans) along the famous Stanley Park Seawall. The loop is entirely flat and one-way, so you can't get winded or lost.
The path loops by the First Nations totem poles, a sandy beach and two playgrounds, with beautiful views of the Vancouver skyline and Lions Gate Bridge. The north end of Stanley Park is surprisingly quiet, just salty sea air and waves lapping at the rocky shore. You might forget you’re in the middle of a bustling city, the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada.
There are several bike rental shops near the park’s entrance for all your biking needs: from 16-inch wheels for the smallest cyclists, to e-bikes, tandem bikes and your run-of-the-mill mountain bikes and cruisers. Child seats and trailers are available to rent, too. We paid CA$64 for three bikes from Spokes Bicycle Rentals, which included helmets and locks. (The bill translated into $47.79 USD — love that exchange rate!)
When you’ve worked up an appetite, head back to Robson Street to refuel. You’ll find every cuisine under the sun on this vibrant street. Our favorites: Guu with Garlic izakaya, a local Japanese tapas chain, and Dinesty Dumpling House, another local chain similar to Din Tai Fung.
Save at least two hours to explore the massive Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park. Its name is a bit misleading. While it has your typical aquarium crowd-pleasers (clownfish, sharks, sea lions), it also has monkeys, a chameleon and a free-roaming sloth. Check out the daily schedule for animal shows posted at the entrance and make sure to catch a sea lion feeding.
