The Top 5 Reasons to Visit Vancouver, British Columbia Now
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Vancouver, British Columbia is widely revered as the “Hollywood of the North” and is truly one-of-a-kind, with stunning architecture, mesmerizing natural beauty and a way of life unparalleled. From colorful downtown neighborhoods, to culturally diverse suburbs and mountainside districts, there’s plenty to explore.
Source: Destination Vancouver
The compact urban core makes the city seem much larger, but because the flora and fauna are never far, it doesn’t take much to discover an oasis from the urban hustle. The seawall, which extends around Stanley Park, is the longest uninterrupted walkway in the world. These are the top five reasons why Vancouver, British Columbia should be on your bucket list.
1. A Foodie’s Paradise: The Cuisine + Cocktails
Located in the heart of Coal Harbour, Showcase Restaurant is is a reflection of Vancouver’s ethnicity with a diverse mix of flavors, influences and inspirations. For your artisanal cocktail fix, we recommend trying the Waterfront Gin & Tonic—concocted with two local gins that are distilled and crafted on Vancouver Island. One gin uses botanicals such as juniper and coriander, while adding butterfly pea blossom for a distinct indigo hue with underlying earthy tones, while the second is a classic London dry gin mixed with premium British Columbia rhubarb to create a liqueur that achieves a perfect balance of tart, sweet and subtle vegetal tones.
Showcase Restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia
Enjoy exceptionally delicious Pacific Northwest cuisine, served with impeccable service in a sophisticated and welcoming environment. Showcasing sustainable seafood, favorite dishes at Showcase Restaurant include Showcase Corn Bread with housemade cheddar-infused cornbread, parmesan foam and jalapeño syrup, Seared Kuterra Salmon with sustainably raised British Columbia salmon accented with broccolini, herbed potatoes, pickled mustard seeds, and tarragon emulsion, as well as a 10oz Grilled Ribeye with smoked paprika confit potatoes, roasted squash purée, green beans, agrodolce shallots, and cabernet jus.
Take the time to indulge your sweet tooth and enjoy one of many decadent desserts such as Pear & Fig Napolean with spiced pear, mascarpone cream, pear ginger sorbet, port wine and fig jam, as well as a Molten S’more Lava Cake with vanilla ice cream, chocolate ganache, graham crackers, chocolate lava cake, and a toasted marshmallow. Hungry yet?
2. Artistic Abundance: Vancouver Art Gallery and Public Installations
If you don’t equate Vancouver with the fine arts, it’s time you discovered the Vancouver Art Gallery. The largest public art museum in Western Canada, you’ll spend an afternoon exploring photographs by masters such as Ansel Adams, as well as important works by Emily Carr and other respected British Columbian artists.
Source: Destination Vancouver
However you spend your time at the gallery, be sure not to miss the significant collection of paintings by Canadian modernist Emily Carr, who was known for using bold colors and a style strongly influenced by local indigenous peoples to bring B.C.’s unique landscape and culture to life. Today, the Vancouver Art Gallery is home to a significant collection of paintings, sketches, ceramics, photographs and letters by one of British Columbia’s most ground-breaking artists. When exploring Vancouver, you can't help but take pictures of the sights around you. From colorful murals to breathtaking public art installations—Vancouver is filled with beauty and you can't help but find yourself sharing it with the world on Instagram.
Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood is a favorite one to explore on foot by locals and visitors. It has a strong, arts-driven community vibe and is home to many murals that have changed the face of the city. Taking place over 10 days every summer, the Vancouver Mural Festival is Western Canada's largest free celebration of public art, having produced over 250 murals across the city.
3. Luxury Shopping: Robson Street and Pacific Centre
At the leading edge of fashion in the heart of downtown, CF Pacific Centre is Vancouver's premier shopping destination with over 100 shops featuring Canada's Flagship Nordstrom and Holt Renfrew—the high-end Canadian department store, comparable to Saks Fifth Avenue, sells fashion and lifestyle items that spotlight a range of well-known international designer brands, including Alexander McQueen, Prada and Valentino.
Known as the “Luxury Zone,” Alberni Street (between Burrard Street and Bute Street) keeps on getting more and more lavish in its offerings. Upscale boutiques in the area include Tiffany & Co., Jimmy Choo, Brunello Cucinelli, Tory Burch, Saint Laurent, Chopard, Prada, Burberry, and Panerai.
4. Botanic Bliss: VanDusen Botanical Garden and Queen Elizabeth Park
Explore VanDusen Botanical Garden, an inspiring 55-acre outdoor oasis in the heart of Vancouver with over 7,500 plant species and varieties. Spot and photograph local wildlife, find your way through an Elizabethan hedge maze and unwind in a serene setting with picturesque lakes, a tranquil waterfall, inspiring architecture, beautiful sculptures, and 70 botanical collections.
Bloedel Conservatory is a domed, lush paradise located in Queen Elizabeth Park atop Vancouver’s highest point. More than 100 exotic birds, koi fish, and 500 exotic plants and flowers thrive within its temperature-controlled environment.
5. Architectural Marvels: Hatley Castle
On the grounds of Hatley Park, Hatley Castle was completed in 1908. A Victorian architect designed the “castle” and landscape artists from Boston designed the gardens and surroundings. Its impressive exterior is matched only by the lavishness of the interior appointments; oak and rosewood paneled rooms, baronial fireplace, teak floors, and specially made lighting fixtures. The conservatory was at one time filled with white orchids imported from India and a large banana tree grew in the center under the dome.
Source: Destination Vancouver
The rooms of the house were filled with flowers from the Conservatory throughout the year. The Hatley Castle estate features hundreds of heritage trees significant for their size, rarity and diversity, including 250-year-old Douglas firs that are among the largest in the area. The showpieces of the park are considered to be the formal gardens of which the Italian, the Rose and the Japanese gardens are the best known.
WHERE TO STAY IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Discover the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel, where you’ll be welcomed to British Columbia with style, substance and award-winning hospitality. With a Coal Harbour locale, the hotel is ideally located in downtown Vancouver—moments away from the Vancouver Seawall, Stanley Park and shopping on Robson Street.
Thoughtfully designed rooms and suites at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel offer pillow top beds, modern technology and home-like comforts, and many feature views of Coal Harbour or the downtown cityscape. For access to the hotel's exclusive VIP lounge, Concierge Level accommodations await you. Book below to reserve your room at the lowest price, guaranteed.
Note: This information was accurate when this article was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
