Vancouver is consistently a top global destination for tourism and for quality of life. In 2016, Vancouver was voted the best destination in Canada in Travel Weekly’s 13th annual Readers’ Choice Awards. Once you visit this incredibly diverse city, it’s not hard to see why – there’s plenty of things to do in Vancouver BC!
From a wide range of kid-friendly restaurants, to skiing in Whistler Blackcomb, Vancouver has everything we look for when traveling as a family! Thankfully for us, Vancouver is only a 5-hour flight from Honolulu (where we’re based), making it easy to hop on a plane and visit our favorite places in the city over and over again.
Here are five reasons why we think you should visit Vancouver, British Columbia!
5 THINGS TO DO IN VANCOUVER WITH KIDS
A Luxe Stay at the Four Seasons Vancouver
There’s a reason why we choose to stay at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver over any other. It’s the most family-friendly and convenient hotel in the city, located right in the center of everything. The hotel is connected to the Pacific Center shopping mall and food court (for those mid-day french fry cravings). The Skytrain is located right outside the hotel so you’ll be able to travel by train everywhere including to and from the airport. Their in-house restaurant YEW Seafood+Bar is always a hit with the kids for breakfast and dinner.
Downtown Vancouver
Downtown Vancouver is eminently walkable – many of its main attractions and shopping areas are close together and its grid-like street system makes navigation easy. There is shopping on just about every corner, many family-friendly restaurants, and lots and lots of entertainment.
But what we love about downtown Vancouver the most is its culturally diverse restaurant scene. If you don’t find what you want in a restaurant, there is probably a food cart that serves it up!
Granville Island/Kids Market
Centrally located and near downtown, Granville Island is both a shopper and foodie paradise. This covered market offers some of British Columbia’s finest arts and crafts made by local artisans and local food specialties you just cannot miss. Not only can you shop till you drop, but there’s so much to see and do for the kids as well.
We spent 2 hours in the Kids Market – which is a large indoor play area. The kids can play and you can shop at the kid-friendly stores all located inside the market.
Grouse Mountain
Can’t make the 2-hour ride to Whistler for skiing?! Then head to Grouse Mountain, ”The Peak of Vancouver,” which offers a host of mountaintop experiences for the entire family.
Located just 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver this premier attraction offers the perfect destination for a snow covered, truly rewarding, and memorable experience. We were able to ice skate and snow shoe when we were there in January. There’s a variety of cultural, educational, and outdoor adventures to choose from – a day trip is highly recommended.
Whistler Village/Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb is Vancouver’s major ski resort, and is one of the two main mountains in the area that offer loads of activities for those who love ski and those of us that don’t (aka me). The mountains are massive and there is so much to see and do all year-round whether it be skiing, snowboarding, biking, or even spending a day at the spa.
The runs are varied and exciting and cater to all levels. The food is wonderful in be it on mountain or in the village (check out our Top 10 Kid-Friendly Restaurants in Whistler). We like to stay for 2-3 days to make sure we get our fill of snow!
So there you have it, five reasons why we believe Vancouver is the perfect family-friendly destination. There are so many things to do in Vancouver BC, the entire family will be satisfied.
Vancouver Resources
Looking for more things to do in Vancouver? Check out these 10 Weekend Trips from Vancouver you can take!
There are very few cities in the world that I absolutely love, and Vancouver is definitely one of them – cannot wait to go back later this year.