VANCOUVER GUIDE

This summer I had the incredible opportunity to travel and work remotely in BC. Having lived in Toronto my whole life, I was completely blown away by the endless mountains, water, and scenic landscapes that encompassed BC. I spent the majority of my time in Vancouver, and used the weekends to check out Kelowna, Whistler, and Tofino, and I have to say….I am completely obsessed with this province. The trip was so incredibly special, (and very hard to leave!). If you know me, you know that I live for health and wellness, nature, food, wine, and coffee, and BC delivered all of that and more. I scouted out all of the “it” spots, with a few hidden gems I discovered myself, and I am so excited to share them all with you! I also included some things that I wish I had time to do but will do next time! Pro Tip: Vancouver is big into happy hours – literally almost every single restaurant offers an incredible happy hour between 3-6, so definitely research each spot before you go because you could be in for half-priced everything 😉 ENJOY!!

Coffee/Baked Goods:

Small victories
Nemesis
49th Parallel
Beaucoup Bakery

Food:

Minami or Miku – upscale sushi worth every bite (go for happy hour!)
Ahn & Chi – delicious Vietnamese cuisine!
Ask for Luigi- amazing italian and aperol spritz *not a great area but close to Gastown
Chewies- go for happy hour oysters!
Joe fortes- rooftop patio for seafood
The Greek- I loved the Yaletown location
Field & Social- amazing grab and go salads)
Nook- I love the Kits location. If you can’t get a table I suggested ordering pizza + aperol spritz to go and watching the sunset on the beach with a blanket!
Turf Living- health salads, sandwiches, and more – obsessed with this spot!
Heirloom- incredible vegetarian restaurant! Get the kale caesar salad!
Beach House Restaurant in West Van (go here on drive home from Whistler) – Gorgeous oceanside vibe with great food!
Hundy Burgers – casual spot on 4th ave!
Tacofino – casual spot on 4th ave!
Lees Donuts (granville island market!)
Candied Sockeye salmon (get from any vendor at Granville Island Marketing…sooo delicious!)
Chickpea food truck
Nuba – delicious mediterranean
Suika – incredible japanese!
Rain or Shine Icecream

Drinks:

Keefer Bar
Diamond – a speakeasy cocktail bar with a great vibe!
The Stable House Bistro- incredible wine bar with an epic patio!
The Cider House – one of the many awesome spots on Yew Street
Parallel 49 Brewing- get the mezcal gose – one of my favourite breweries ever

Vancouver: Activities + Things to do:

Walk or bike along the seawall
Rent bikes and bike the seawall to stanley park
Walk along 4th avenue
Yaletown
Gastown
Granville Island Market
Hike the Grouse Grind
Yew Street – very coastal vibey street in Kitslano!
Kitslano (Kits) Beach
Rent kayaks in deep cove and stroll along Gallant ave (pick up honey’s donuts!)
Quarry rock in deep cove
Olympic Village
Bowen lookout
Capilano Suspension bridge
North Arm Farm

Whistler:

Stop in squamish on the way to Whistler and do the Chief Hike!
Accommodation: Fairmount Chateau
The Ascent Trail (this is a hike up the mountain!)
Lost Lake + Green Lake Hiking Trails (more of leisurely walking trail)
Peak to peak Gondola
Araxi for dinner….fine dining but worth every bite!
Sushi Village
Scandinave Spa

Kelowna:

*Kelowna has a few different wine regions and we went to some in Kelowna and Wine Country, but we definitely didn’t get to everything! Will definitely be back!

Accommodation: Sparkling Hills Resort + Spa
Elite Mile wine tours – incredible wine tours – Mile the owner was such a wonderful guide!
Wineries: Mission Hill Winery (we booked an incredible 4-course dinner at the Terrace Restaurant), Quail’s Gate, 50th Parallel, Summerhill, Hatch, Arrow Cellars, Ex Nihilo, Gray Monk, Kitsch
Check out beaches at Lake Okanagan and Lake Kalamalka
Sunday Farmers Market in Kelowna

Tofino: OBSESSED!!!!!!!!

Accommodation: Pacific Sands
Surfing (we rented at Long Beach Resort and Surf Sisters)
Chinook Salmon Fishing
Whale Watching
Walk around the main streets(Campbell Street, Main Street etc)
Go to Pettinger Point with a glass of wine and blanket at sunset!
Rhino Coffee
Tofino Coffee Roasters
Tofino Brewing Co – amazing vibes, salmon jerky and beer!
Casual eats: Tacofino Food Truck, Surfside Grill, Shed
Dinner/Nicer eats: Wolf in the Fog (make a reservation as soon as you see this!), Shelter, 1909, Kuma
Ice cream: Chocolate Tofino
Beaches: Cox Bay Beach, Chesterman Beach, Long Beach