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🗺️ Complete Itinerary · Updated 2026

Vancouver in 3 Days, 2 Nights

An hour-by-hour itinerary — Stanley Park · Granville Island · Capilano Suspension Bridge · Grouse Mountain — plus a Whistler or Victoria day trip. Full CAD budget for your first West Coast visit.

3
Days 2 Nights
9+
Stops
~CAD 1.6K
Per Person*
100%
DIY
What This Trip Looks Like

A Vancouver plan that's city + mountains + sea in 3 days

These three days cover every side of Vancouver — Day 1 in the city with Stanley Park and Granville Island, Day 2 across to the North Shore for Capilano and Grouse Mountain, and Day 3 a day trip to Whistler (2-hr drive) or Victoria (by ferry). Choose whichever suits you.

📅
Duration
3 Days 2 Nights
💰
Budget / Person
~CAD 1,400–1,900
🌤️
Best Season
May–Sep · Salmon Sep–Oct
🎯
Best For
Nature + city lovers
Day-by-Day Schedule

The hour-by-hour plan for all 3 days

Each stop lists how to get there and an approximate cost. Prices in CAD (CAD 1 ≈ THB 27). Vancouver runs on TransLink SkyTrain + bus + SeaBus; rent a car on Day 3 if you self-drive to Whistler.

1
DAY ONE
Stanley Park & Granville
Stanley Park · Seawall · Gastown · Granville Island
Morning · 09:00
Check in around Downtown / Coal Harbour

Drop your bags at the hotel, then walk to Stanley Park (15 min from Downtown) — the first stop of your West Coast trip.

🚇 SkyTrain Waterfront 💰 Free
Late morning · 10:00
Stanley Park — cycle the Seawall

An urban park larger than Central Park. Rent a bike (CAD 12/hr) and ride the 10km Seawall loop past the Totem Poles, Brockton Point and Prospect Point — mountains, ships and skyline all at once.

🚴 Rent 2–3 hrs 💰 Bike CAD 30
Lunch · 13:00
Lunch — Gastown

Head to Gastown, the city's oldest district — eat at Tacofino, Meet on Main (vegan), or Steamworks Brewing in the heart of it.

🚇 SkyTrain Waterfront 5-min walk 💰 CAD 25–35
Afternoon · 15:00
Gastown — Steam Clock + Vancouver Lookout

Photograph the famous Steam Clock that whistles every 15 minutes, then head up the Vancouver Lookout (Harbour Centre) for a 360° view of city, mountains and sea.

🏛️ Heritage District 💰 Lookout CAD 19
Evening · 17:00
Granville Island — food + craft market

An island under the Granville Bridge — the Public Market has local food stalls, sweets and craft beer. Walk False Creek or take the Aquabus back to Downtown for great bridge views at dusk.

⛴️ Aquabus CAD 4 💰 Food CAD 25
Dinner · 19:30
Dinner — Yaletown waterfront

Upscale waterfront Yaletown — try Glowbal (modern Canadian), Blue Water Cafe (top seafood) or Joe Fortes (oyster bar). Vancouver is known for Pacific Northwest seafood.

🚇 SkyTrain Yaletown-Roundhouse 💰 CAD 45–80
🏨 Stay Downtown tonight — easy on the SkyTrain · see recommended Vancouver hotels
2
DAY TWO
North Shore — Capilano & Grouse
Capilano Suspension Bridge · Grouse Mountain · Lonsdale Quay
Morning · 09:00
SeaBus across the inlet to North Vancouver

A 12-minute SeaBus from Waterfront SkyTrain crosses to Lonsdale Quay on the North Shore — included in a regular TransLink fare, with great Downtown skyline shots on the way.

⛴️ SeaBus 12 min 💰 TransLink Day Pass CAD 11
Late morning · 10:00
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

A 137m-long bridge 70m above the Capilano River, plus the Cliffwalk (a glass walkway along a cliff face) and Treetops Adventure. Free shuttle from Lonsdale Quay or Canada Place.

🚌 Free shuttle 💰 Ticket CAD 64
🎟️ Book Capilano in advance →
Lunch · 13:00
Lunch — Lonsdale Quay Market

A food market like Granville Island but smaller, with better inlet views. Try Cheshire Cheese, a poke bar, or Tap & Barrel on the water.

🍕 Food market 💰 CAD 20–30
Afternoon · 14:30
Grouse Mountain — Skyride + Peak Chairlift

Ride the Skyride gondola to the 1,250m summit for city, inlet and Vancouver Island views in one shot. Summer brings the Grizzly Bear refuge and free lumberjack show; winter is a ski resort.

🚌 Bus 236 from Lonsdale 💰 Skyride CAD 75
Dinner · 18:30
Dinner at Grouse Peak or back Downtown

The Observatory atop Grouse Mountain serves a tasting menu (CAD 90+) with 270° city views, or head back down for dinner on Robson Street Downtown.

🌃 Sunset view 💰 CAD 40–90
🏨 Stay Downtown again — last SeaBus is around 23:00
3
DAY THREE
Day Trip — Whistler OR Victoria
Whistler (Sea-to-Sky, 2 hrs) or Victoria (ferry, 1.5 hrs)
Morning · 07:30
Choose: Whistler (mountains) or Victoria (island)

The two best day trips from Vancouver — Whistler via the Sea-to-Sky Highway (2 hrs; bus tour CAD 130) for mountains and Shannon Falls, or Victoria via a 1.5-hr BC Ferries crossing for a Victorian city and Butchart Gardens.

🚌 Day tour / rental car 💰 Tour CAD 130
🎟️ Book Whistler / Victoria tour →
Late morning · 10:00
Option A — Whistler Village

The 2010 Olympic ski village — ride the Peak 2 Peak Gondola (CAD 95), the longest unsupported span in the world between Whistler and Blackcomb. In summer, walk Lost Lake and the Train Wreck Trail.

🏔️ Olympic Village 💰 Gondola CAD 95
Late morning · 11:00
Option B — Victoria Inner Harbour

BC's English-Victorian capital — the Parliament Building, Royal BC Museum, and afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress (CAD 95). Quieter than Vancouver, with a walkable old downtown.

⛴️ BC Ferries CAD 18 walk-on 💰 Food CAD 30
Afternoon · 14:00
Highlight per option

Whistler: Shannon Falls Provincial Park (a 335m waterfall) on the way back / Victoria: Butchart Gardens, a 22-hectare flower garden (CAD 39 in summer). Pick one to fit your plan.

🌸 Highlight 💰 CAD 0–40
Evening · 18:00
Back to Vancouver — grab bags + last dinner

Return to the city, collect your bags, and have a final dinner in Robson or Vancouver's Chinatown — try Phnom Penh (Vietnamese-Cambodian) or a sushi bar before you head on.

🍣 Asian seafood 💰 CAD 30–60
Trip Budget

Estimated cost for 3 days, 2 nights (per person)

Based on the plan above — excludes flights and personal shopping. Hotel assumes a double room (split by 2). CAD 1 ≈ THB 27.

🏨2 nights' hotel Downtown 4★ · double, split by 2CAD 550–850
🦀Food, 3 days ~CAD 80/day — markets + seafoodCAD 240
🚇TransLink + SeaBus + Aquabus ~CAD 40/dayCAD 120
🎟️Tickets + day trip Capilano · Grouse · Whistler/VictoriaCAD 350
Approximate totalCAD 1,400–1,900

* CAD 1,400–1,900 ≈ THB 38,000–51,500 per person — varies with hotel tier. Vancouver has Canada's most expensive hotels (CAD 275–400/night avg); budget travellers can save ~30% with Airbnb in Mount Pleasant or Kitsilano. Excludes flights and souvenirs. CAD 1 ≈ THB 27 (May 2026).

Tips For This Trip

7 things to know before you go

🛂
Sort your Canada visa
Thai passport holders need a TRV applied for 2–4 weeks ahead, or an eTA if you hold a valid US visa — see the Canada visa guide →
💳
Get a Compass Card (TransLink)
One card for SkyTrain + SeaBus + bus across the city — CAD 6 plus top-up, or a Day Pass at CAD 11.5 if you take 4+ trips a day.
📶
Set up an eSIM before you fly
YVR has good free WiFi, but you'll want your own data once you leave. Airalo starts around CAD 9 for 1GB and works on landing.
🎟️
Pre-book Capilano + the day trip
Summer crowds are heavy — Capilano timed entry sells out 2 weeks ahead, and Whistler bus tours run only a few times a day, so book first.
🌧️
Pack an umbrella + rain jacket
Vancouver sees rain ~165 days a year (worst Nov–Mar). Even summer can be wet — layers beat a heavy coat.
💵
Tip 15–20% + BC PST 7% + GST 5%
Menu prices exclude 12% tax — the bill then adds a 15–20% tip at the POS. Tapping is easier than signing.
🛡️
Get travel insurance
Canadian healthcare is very expensive — important if you do Grouse or Whistler where injuries can happen — see insurance plans →
Trip Route

All 3 days on the map

Click a pin to see which day each stop belongs to.

Start planning your trip

Ready to go?
Start by booking a hotel Downtown

This plan stays Downtown both nights — close to the SkyTrain and Stanley Park, central to everything, with prices compared across 3 sites.

🔴 Book Vancouver hotels Vancouver guide