Located in the heart of beautiful Stanley Park, the Vancouver Aquarium is a leader in research and education of marine life and conservation efforts. The aquarium is a self-sustained, non-for-profit facility dedicated to the conservation of aquatic life.

The university’s enjoyable biodiversity collection includes Canada’s largest blue whale skeleton and all manner of birds, insects, fish and fossils.

A great way of getting a unique view of the region’s fabled landscapes, this park offers no less than seven suspended footbridges, granting views 30m (100ft) above the forest floor.

Guitar legend Jimi Hendrix’s grandmother used to run a snack bar on Main Street in downtown Vancouver. Long after his death, fans would make the pilgrimage to the building, where a Hendrix exhibition had been installed. Now the building is making way for a modern apartment complex. Happily, the exhibition has already found a new temporary home. Once the new building is ready, the exhibition will return to its original spot – with the addition of a Hendrix statue some ten meters tall.

Holding excellent temporary exhibitions alongside a very strong permanent collection, the gallery was established back in 1931 and remains an artistic lynchpin for the city and wider region.

Intended as a means to strengthen the relationship between Chinese and Western cultures, this wonderfully serene traditional garden provides soothing respite from the pace of modern life outside its walls.

Dedicated to promoting contemporary Indigenous Art of the Northwest Coast, the gallery is named after a famous carver and sculptor who lived locally.

Affiliated to the university, these deeply attractive gardens also feature the Greenheart Canopy Walkway, taking you well above the forest floor.

Giving an educational and entertaining look into the wonders of science, this high-tech visitor attraction will appeal to any budding young enthusiasts – and plenty of older ones too.

Overlooking the city from up on high, Grouse Mountain offers visitors a variety of activities year round, from skiing, sleigh rides and snowshoeing in winter to lumberjack shows, paragliding and hiking in summer.

This stylish Yaletown bar is near-peerless in Vancouver for its cocktails.

One of the largest and best known of the city’s nightclubs, with regular guest DJs.

The city’s original brewpub, it’s also been voted the best in Canada.

What this quirky, well-stocked bar lacks in size it more than makes up for in character. A gem.

Vancouver has a broad array of Irish pubs – this is one of the most popular.

The views, service and food make this a truly classy option.

Vancouver loves its seafood, and you won’t find a better spot to enjoy it.

Specialising in First Nations-inspired cuisine, it makes for a remarkable meal out.

The contemporary cuisine has drawn the restaurant rave reviews since it opened in 2012.

Nothing fancy about this place and its roast meat sandwiches, but its legions of fans tell their own story.

Admire a glorious, snow-covered mountain panorama as you stroll barefoot along the warm sands of the Pacific shore – in Vancouver, you can do just that! The mountains at the city’s back rise well over a thousand meters above sea level. Mount Fromme boasts spectacular bike descents, while neighboring Grouse Mountain is legendary for its truly sweat-inducing climb. The steep path to the summit covers a little less than three kilometers, but along the way, there is a difference in altitude of 900 meters to be overcome. The record time for the climb is 25 minutes, but it takes most hikers one and a half to two hours to reach the top. In winter the Grouse Grind trail is closed, but then the ski and snowboard runs (some of them extremely challenging) of Vancouver’s best-known mountain are open to winter sports fans. Another very popular activity is exploring Grouse Mountain on snowshoes along its marked snowshoe trails.

Directly bordering high-rise downtown Vancouver, it is larger than New York’s Central Park and – unlike most urban green areas – a genuine wilderness: Vancouver’s Stanley Park with its gnarled, centuries-old maple trees. Eagles circle above their crowns, while the occasional raccoon and coyote rustles through the undergrowth. Located on a peninsula extending out into the Pacific, the park is encircled by the Seawall, a coastal promenade popular with joggers and inline skaters. Beach volleyball is played on several public bathing beaches, and there are public tennis courts and a pitch-and-putt golf course on the park’s perimeter.

Unspoiled forests, rugged mountains, rough waters: Vancouver really isn’t short of challenging destinations for adventure lovers. But even for day trips, having the proper equipment is important: Set off without and you could soon find yourself regretting it! In Vancouver, the place to stock up on all the gear for shorter and longer expeditions into the wilds is giant outdoor store MEC. Sleeping bag, snowshoes, thermals, kayak or mountain bike – MEC has everything it takes to put a gleam in an eager adventurer’s eye. In the unlikely event that you don’t find what you need here, simply take a few steps around the corner to MEC’s neighboring outdoor specialists, which include a shop specializing in the iconic Swedish brand Fjällräven.

A narrow suspension bridge spans the steep gorge where, 70 meters below, you can hear the rush of the Capilano River. The Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver’s best-known outdoor attractions. The same applies to the neighboring Cliffwalk, a semicircular series of walkways, bridges and platforms protruding from a granite rock face and on a level with the treetops. Thanks to an entire network of other platforms and bridges, you can enjoy a squirrel’s perspective of the forest. Next door, an exhibition of totem poles gives visitors an insight into the time when only the Canadian First Nations inhabited the area – the tradition of these gigantic sculptures is said to have originated in this region.

Many parts of Vancouver are located right on the coast and have long beaches and coastal promenades so conditions could not be better for exploring the area by kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard. Fantastic beaches, hidden coves and offshore islands all provided by a number of operators all year round. If you only want to venture out onto the water for an hour or two, then False Creek is the ideal place to paddle the waves against the high-rise downtown backdrop. An affordable alternative for visitors who prefer a sea trip that requires no personal exertion is the roughly ten-minute ride on the Seabus ferry, which shuttles back and forth across the fjord between downtown and north Vancouver from 6 am daily.

Out of the way there! The bobsleighs racing down the Olympic track in Whistler reach speeds of up to 125 kilometers per hour. Here, bob beginners can even snag a ride down the ice channel with experienced pilots. For winter sports fans wishing to try out as biathletes, it’s worth making the 90-minute drive to Whistler, where beginner courses are available. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, the famous resort was the venue for several disciplines, and both professional and hobby athletes love its breathtaking ski and snowboard. In summer, Whistler beckons with mountain biking, rafting and zip lining, as well as relaxation on hiking trails and the golf course.