After a foiled attempt to visit British Columbia and Alberta in 2020, Dave and I were finally able to make the journey in August 2024, where we embarked on a 30-day trip that spanned Vancouver Island, Banff and Vancouver.

We started our one-month trip in Northern Vancouver where it would be convenient to pick up our rental car and be close to the Horseshoe ferry terminal for our morning departure to Nanaimo. We stayed the night at the Lonsdale Quay Hotel, which is close to the SeaBus terminal and the bustling area by the waterfront. There are a ton of restaurants in this area, and the night of our visit, there was an outdoor market going on, with live music and lots of people out enjoying the evening. By the time we dropped our luggage and went in search of dinner, it was close to 9:00 PM; despite the later hour, most restaurants were still packed with long wait times. We were able to get a table at Sempre Uno for some nice pasta and wine, before calling it a night.

We departed Vancouver and spent two amazing weeks on Vancouver Island and a week in Banff; at the end of our week in Banff, we made the long drive back to Vancouver for our last week in Canada. The drive from Banff to Vancouver is over 540 miles (close to 900 kms), so we stopped in Revelstoke one night and Kelowna a second night to break up the nine-hour drive. Revelstoke and Kelowna are both great midway stopovers if you’re in the area. For more on Revelstoke, click HERE.

Kelowna has a thriving winery scene, with more than 35 wineries in the area. We only had one afternoon so we decided to visit three wineries in West Kelowna on the north side of Okanagan Lake, which has views that feel more like Italy than Canada. We stopped at Mission Hill, Quails’ Gate and Mt. Boucherie Estate, and I would recommend them all! If Mission Hill is on your itinerary, consider making a tasting reservation or confirming that the restaurant is open for wine by the glass; the day of our visit the tasting room was crowded and the restaurant was closed for a special event.  Even if you aren’t a wine enthusiast, the property is stunning to tour. In Kelowna, the waterfront area in the downtown is buzzing. By the marina, head to the Cactus Club Café for a lively happy hour scene, then walk a few blocks for dinner at the fun and funky Skinny Dukes Glorius Emporium.

We finally made it to Vancouver after a long day of driving! Once we dropped our luggage at our Airbnb, we drove to North Vancouver to drop the rental car, and were finally able to ride the SeaBus back to the city. The SeaBus runs between North Vancouver and the Vancouver waterfront every 15 minutes, and the 10-minute journey costs approximately US$4.00 each way (per person). When we reached the waterfront, we decided to walk the half mile back to our apartment so we could get our first look at the city and stretch our legs.

During our short visit, we explored as many neighborhoods as possible, walking 18 miles over the course of four days. Some highlights were Robson Square in the Financial District (including a fancy cocktail at the Fairmont Vancouver), a photo op in the colorful Pink Alley, window shopping in Gastown with a mandatory stop at the steam clock, and Chinatown. We saw a lot of homeless people near Chinatown, so if you’re walking in that area at night, be aware. Another must-do is to take the water taxi to Granville Island to shop at the huge covered market (make sure you bring an appetite), and visit the many artisan shops on the Island for souvenirs and gifts. We had dinner one night in Yaletown, which has pedestrian areas and lots of bars and restaurants and, given more time, is worthy of further exploration.

We could have spent a couple days exploring Stanley Park, the sprawling green space that makes up the northwestern half of Vancouver’s Downtown peninsula, surrounded by the waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay. With over 1000 acres to explore, there are many bike and walking trails, as well as an aquarium, beaches, a seawall, a high-end restaurant, and more. We spread our visit to the park over two days, visiting the aquarium one day, and completing a 9 mile bike ride along the seawall on another. When you’re visiting Stanley Park, don’t miss the collection of totem poles, which began in the 1920s when the Vancouver Parks Board started buying them thinking that they would eventually build a replica First Nations village in Stanley Park. Some of the original totem poles were carved as early as the 1880s and are the most visited attraction in Vancouver.

There is a lot to do and see near the marina, which is called Coal Harbor. Canada Place convention center adds a visually attractive backdrop, and Spray Park would be a great place to take the kids on a hot day. Cardero’s restaurant is a local fixture and has excellent al fresco and waterfront dining (good food too!). Lastly, the Olympic Cauldron, a massive Olympic torch that was built for the 2010 Winter Games, is located in Burrard Landing, which is in the Coal Harbor vicinity.

We had some great food during our stay at The Magnet, Alimentaria Mexicana, Robba Da Matti, Cardero’s and Tre Viet. While you’re visiting Granville Island, check out The Liberty distillery for some excellent spirits and cocktails.

On our last night in Vancouver, we stayed at the Fairmont Vancouver International Airport, which is located inside the International terminal. After stopping for cocktails at four Fairmont properties during our trip, we felt it was only fitting to spend our last night at one (not to mention our flight home was at 6:45 AM the next morning).

The pandemic forced us to put off our visit to Vancouver for four years, but I’m glad to report it was absolutely worth the wait!