Ringed by snowy peaks, the British Columbian city of Vancouver in Canada makes for a quintessential outdoorsy break – whatever the weather, writes Sarah Riches

Perched upon Canada’s west coast, Vancouver is a portal for whale watching cruises around Alaska in the US, which run between April and October. Yet it’s also a destination in its own right. Tucked at the base of the North Shore mountains, Vancouver is an ideal city break or beach escape for culture buffs and intrepid explorers. Nicknamed Hollywood North, the city has a thriving film industry.

Screen fans may already be familiar with its landmarks, as Jumanji (1995) and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) were shot here, along with popular TV shows The X Files and Suits. It also has a fascinating history, which you can uncover at museums devoted to indigenous culture or while exploring Gastown’s historic buildings such as Sun Tower, which is topped with a mint‑green dome.

Fans of architecture can also visit the city’s oldest property, Old Hastings Mill Store, which is now a museum, or admire the City of Glass’s contemporary skyscrapers such as the Neo-Futurist Vancouver House. So there’s plenty to do, come rain or shine.

Three unmissable things to do

Museum of Vancouver

This museum’s ‘The City before The City’ exhibition is a good place to begin. Four thousand years ago, a Musqueam village existed here, with First Nations hunting elk and fishing for sturgeon.

A chronological account guides visitors through the Great Fire of 1886, immigrants working in timber mills and canned fish factories in the late 1800s, the world wars, 1929 Wall Street crash and subsequent unemployment, homelessness and prostitution.

Highlights include a 1906 car, Edwardian dresses, a jukebox and diner in a 1950s area and 1960s posters on gay rights.

Gastown

Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood derives its name from a talkative 1860s bar owner, John ‘Gassy’ Deighton. After the 1886 fire devastated the city, Gastown was rebuilt in brick and stone, but declined in the mid-1900s.

Fortunately, artists and heritage advocates revitalised it in the 1960s. Today, it’s valued for its cobblestones, steam clock and neoclassical Waterfront Station. It’s also lined with indie businesses such as Bertacchi handmade hats and Café Kitsune.

Stanley Park

Vancouver is blessed with green spaces such as Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, which is inspired by Suzhou in China, and Stanley Park. Guests can hire bikes from Spokes Bicycle Rentals near the latter and loop the 10km stone seawall around the park, which is the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path.

Depending on the month you visit, you may pass some of the city’s 43,000 cherry trees or rhododendron and rose gardens. Recommend a stop for a break by the totem poles and scenic viewpoint close to Brockton Point lighthouse.

Three places to eat

Premium

Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel’s Botanist Restaurant bursts with plants on and off your plate. Travellers feast on rhubarb and elderflower salad scattered in bee pollen; lobster risotto topped with foraged mushrooms; or halibut with zesty sorrel and smoked buttermilk.

Finish with maple walnut tart or a Beekeeper cocktail made with Canadian rye whisky and candy cap mushroom ice cream in Botanist Bar, which is ranked among North America’s 50 Best Bars.

Mid-range

Housed in a former hotel dating back to 1906, Water St Café is opposite Gastown’s steam clock. Chef Alan Tse serves Italian dishes made with local ingredients. Start with the bison carpaccio with a pink peppercorn crust, shaved Parmesan and truffle aioli, then order the pan-seared British Columbian salmon served with mustard-tarragon potato salad drizzled in a maple vinaigrette or go for the Canadian Atlantic lobster tail in white wine. Local bands play upstairs.

Budget

If guests have already explored Seattle’s Pike Place Market then they’ll have an idea of what to expect from Granville Island Public Market. Its 150-plus stalls sell everything from cheese and charcuterie to pickles and pretzels. Visitors can also pick up egg fried rice in a nod to the city’s Chinese community.