7 essential summer experiences in and around Vancouver (CONTEST)
While the areas outside of Vancouver often seem to sprawl endlessly, so many activities within the city are accessible safely via transit — without ever needing a car.
As businesses reopen to visitors from around Metro Vancouver and the rest of the province, TransLink is there to help you travel, reliably and safely, and get you back to all the dining, adventure, and family-fun that our city has to offer.
Remember to wear your mask before boarding and during your trip on transit — a mandatory requirement that started on August 24. With increased daily cleaning protocols, disinfecting “Pit Crews,” and physical distancing measures in place, TransLink is ready to welcome riders back on transit for their next #VancouverComeBack outing.
With that in mind, here are seven things to consider doing before the end of the summer.
Visit VanDusen Botanical Garden
VanDusen Botanical Garden/Tourism Vancouver
Take a stroll around the lush gardens at VanDusen, admiring all of the vibrant summer flowers and the fragrant scents they send through the air. While you’re there, stop by Shaughnessy Restaurant from 3 pm onwards and enjoy an exclusive $5 drink made with VanDusen honey, gin, and fresh lavender from the garden.
Diners must present their VanDusen ticket to redeem the offer. To get there, take a number 10 or 17 bus from downtown or a SkyTrain and a connecting bus. Using TransLink’s Trip Planner can help you avoid peak travel times.
Dine at local restaurants
Dine OutSide/Chambar
Most of us have missed the simple pleasure of dining out over the past few months. Now, it’s possible to safely visit our favourite spots once again for date night or dinner with the people in our social bubble.
Just in time, Tourism Vancouver’s newest summer initiative, Dine OutSide, is running through to September 21. Dine OutSide participating restaurants are offering diners prix fixe menus, special promotional deals, or “take-outside” picnic packs to enjoy at pop-up patios and parks around the city.
Whether it be a bite at Chambar near Chinatown-Stadium Station or a refreshing pint at Steamworks Brewing Company just steps from Waterfront Station, the majority of restaurants are located close to a transit stop so you can enjoy the evening without worrying about the drive home.
Explore Capilano Suspension Bridge
Shutterstock
The incredible Capilano Suspension Bridge offers unparalleled views of the soaring evergreens and surrounding rainforest from 110 feet above. If heights generally make you feel uneasy, you’ll be comforted to know that the cables of the bridge are actually strong enough to withstand a fully loaded 747 airplane.
Explore the park to its fullest with a nature walk or hike. Complimentary history and nature talks are offered regularly throughout the day and provide interesting facts about the park’s past, unique ecosystem, and climate. And did you know that BC residents can enjoy unlimited admission to the park for one full year from the date of purchase? Enjoy all of the benefits of a yearly annual pass for the price of just one day’s regular admission!
Rediscover the Peak of Vancouver
Skyride/Grouse Mountain
Summer would not be complete without spending an afternoon (or three) traversing mountains along the North Shore, taking in beautiful panoramic views from an elevated perspective.
Now, Grouse Mountain (aka, the Peak of Vancouver) is offering free mountain admission for up to two kids with the purchase of a full-price adult or senior mountain admission pass — all summer long. Visitors can also save 40% on evening admission after 4 pm every day. (FYI, the 236 and 232 busses ride right to the mountain base.)
Admire exhibits at the Vancouver Art Gallery
Vancouver Art Gallery/Landon Mackenzie
At the Vancouver Art Gallery, you can rediscover your appreciation for art by viewing pieces by Canadian, Indigenous, and internationally acclaimed artists all under one roof.
The gallery is operating with reduced capacity, and its 1931 Gallery Bistro rooftop patio (a hidden gem) is open for al fresco dining. Take the SkyTrain to Granville Street, sanitize your hands at one of the stations located on-site, and walk over to the artsy epicentre.
Fly high
FlyOver Canada/Tourism Vancouver
When you’ve exhausted your options for land- and water-based activities, try an excursion that offers a new perspective. FlyOver Canada is nestled at Canada Place in downtown Vancouver, and it’s now offering discounted deals on simulator experiences that let you feel like you’re flying over Canada and Iceland.
If you plan on taking a flight for a break outside of the city, Harbour Air can inspire your trip with discounted offers on plush oceanside hotel stays.
Learn about culture
Museum of Anthropology/Tourism Vancouver
If you’re curious to learn more about different cultures, a visit to the Museum of Anthropology at UBC should be on your end-of-summer bucket list. Be fascinated by magnificent displays of Northwest Coast First Nations artworks and see over 9,000 objects in the Multiversity Galleries.
The museum is open for visitors at a reduced capacity, but you can also take a walk around the grounds and see monumental Haida houses, poles, and Musqueam house posts. Bus routes like the 10, 4, 68, and 84 can get you there.
Contest
To enter for your chance to win a #VancouverComeBack prize pack that includes a two-night hotel stay at the Westin Bayshore, FlyOver Canada Passes with a souvenir photo for two, two passes to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, a $125 Visa gift card courtesy of StayVancouverHotels.com, two TransLink DayPasses, and an exclusive #VancouverComeBack mask, do the following:
- Follow Inside Vancouver and TransLink on Instagram — @inside_vancouver @translink and tag a friend in the contest post below, alongside the hashtag #dhcontest.
View this post on Instagram
Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 pm on September 16, 2020. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted via Instagram to claim their prize.
For more information and to plan transit routes for your summer experiences in Vancouver, click here. And to learn more about all of the exclusive hotel offers available this summer to make the most of your Vancouver visit, head to tourismvancouver.com/comeback/hotels.
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