Top 10 Things To Do, Activities and Attractions in Richmond

"At the top of any list of parks in Vancouver is the city's world-renowned Stanley Park in downtown Vancouver. It's a natural rainforest that touches the ocean right in the midst of the city. There are so many free things to do in Stanley Park: biking or walking the seawall, nature walks on the park's miles of forest trails, exploring the Stanley Park gardens, or visiting the totem poles."

"The most iconic of Vancouver’s parks, Stanley Park has no shortage of stunning spots to bring your friends or enjoy in solitude — with hidden gems along the Seawall just waiting to be found and enjoyed. So pack up your picnic and grab your besties, because if you’re currently in Vancouver, there’s no better time than now to head out into the park."

"North of Vancouver's CBD is Stanley Park, a vast area of green that's almost an island. As well as fun outdoor activities and beautiful scenery, the park offers an opportunity to understand the First Nations people, the original inhabitants of Vancouver."

"Vancouver’s Chinatown is home to the first Ming Dynasty-styled garden built outside of China, with 52 craftsmen coming from Suzhou, China, to ensure the authenticity of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Named in honor of the first president of the Republic of China, the garden takes visitors back to 15th century China, though it was built only in the mid 1980s. The garden’s rocks that were imported from Suzhou, plants, water and architecture blend into an oasis of serenity in this bustling city."

"It’s a spot rich in history as it’s the first Chinese garden built outside of China. It’s also National Geographic’s “Top City Garden in the World”. This an extremely celestial outdoor space, providing quiet respite from the bustling city and offering dozens of opportunities to photograph 150-year old miniature trees, a jade green pond, and famous koi fish."

"You can also visit some of the firm-favourites such as; Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and the Millennium Gate."

"The Queen Elizabeth Park is a small park known for its extravagant flora that can be viewed year-round. Its 130 acres holds mountains along the north shore and a glimpse at the city’s skyline. The park also hold the Bloedel Conservatory, which houses plants from all over the world, and an arboretum, where visitors can watch breath-taking cherry blossoms bloom in the spring."

"This 53ha (130-acre) park in suburban Vancouver offers fabulous views of the city and its surrounding mountains. It’s perfect to visit in every season, thanks to the ever-changing vista. People can wander the grounds outside, or head inside to Bloedel Conservatory and its indoor tropical garden."

"Queen Elizabeth Park and Gardens: A gorgeous place for a leisurely stroll, particularly during springtime. Cherry blossom hunting: Come to Vancouver in the springtime to catch beautiful blooms all over the city. There’s even a handy map."

"A collection of more than 50,000 aquatic creatures make Vancouver’s Aquarium the largest in Canada. Located in Stanley Park, the facility features extensive exhibits and displays along with daily dolphin and beluga shows, sea otter feedings, shark dives and “4D” film screenings. You can even book your own personalized Animal Encounters to get up close and personal with some of these amazing creatures."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user SoftwareSimian used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Enjoy a few hours of fun with your partner checking out the wildlife at the Vancouver Aquarium. Featuring a total of over 50,000 animals spread across 30 exhibits, you’re sure to meet some creatures you haven’t heard of before, or learn something new about your favorite ocean dwellers."

"Get down on one knee surrounded by the beautiful blossoming flowers in the VanDusen Botanical Garden. This is the perfect option for a nature lover as the garden covers an impressive 55 acres of land and is outfitted with flowers from all over the world. If you’d prefer an indoor venue, the Bloedel Conservatory (4600 Cambie Street) is just a hop, skip and a jump away and is equally gorgeous."

"VanDusen Botanical Garden is close to Queen Elizabeth Park in suburban Vancouver. Although it doesn’t offer views of the park, VanDusen is a large garden filled with various plants and flowers that transforms into a light-filled wonderland during the holidays. These recommendations were updated on June 10, 2020 to keep your travel plans fresh."

"This highly popular green-thumbed oasis is a 22-hectare, 255,000-plant idyll that offers a strollable web of pathways weaving through specialized garden areas: the Rhododendron Walk blazes with color in spring,... Top ChoiceMuseum in Gastown & Chinatown"

"At last, our final day in Vancouver was spent in Grouse Mountain – The Peak of Vancouver. Here, Landon experienced snow for the first time. We spend a couple of hours here walking through soft snow, played around, and went snow sliding. What was supposed to be a simple, quick visit, lasted hours and created unforgettable memories!"

"The Peak Chalet offers lots of dining options, from grabbing a beer and nachos on the Altitudes Bistro patio through to a multi-course fine dining extravaganza at The Observatory."

"At last, our final, spur of the moment location was a view of BC Place (Vancouver’s Whitecap’s Stadium). We walked around Vancouver and ended up overlooking a gorgeous nighttime view of the cityscape. Most of Day 2 was spent with our friends, taking photos and playing tourist throughout Vancouver."

"Sense is a Vancouver spa designed for the sake of stimulating the senses and restoring both the mind and body. Found in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Sense is an intimate and elegant luxury retreat offering a full appetite of therapies and treatments from massages to facials. Open every day of the week, Sense offers a blend of services and memorable experiences from facials to massages, and all the way down to your fingers and toes with pedicures and manicures."

"Look out for the mural on the wall to find Vancouver’s ‘longest running craft brewery’ in gritty East Vancouver at 310 Commercial Drive. Enter through the loading bay and you’re in the working brewery, so watch out!. Brewer James Walton has been brewing up unpasteurized beer for nearly 25 years and you’ll only find fresh beer here — there are no cans or bottles in sight."

"They don’t have a tasting room, but do welcome guest into their workspace to taste their beers. They don’t serve pints or food, or even have chairs. But you can sample up to 6 beers (one at a time, of course)."

"This brewery has over 180 rotating taps which they call Brainstorms. Just to warn you, it's not professional at all and you will see flies. Now that the warnings are done, you need to see this place."

"Owned by a husband-and-wife team, Powell Brewery’s award-winning beer is so popular with locals that they had to move to a bigger premises on Powell Street in 2014. They offer both seasonal and year-round beers, including the Cheeky Session, the Dive Bomb Dark Ale, the Lazy D’Haze IPA, and the Old Jalopy Pale Ale. The latter won Powell Brewery bronze for “Extra Special Bitter” at the World Beer Cup Awards in 2016."

"Award winning brewery and couple-owned (sweet), Powell never disappoints. With a rustic vibe and a all seasons patio, their beer continuously pleases. We also, of course, love supporting mom and pop shops like this independent microbrewery."

"Powell’s Old Jalopy Pale Ale is still one of the best core beers that Vancouver has. Powell maintains a difficult balance of an established and consistent regular lineup and creative seasonal and experimental offerings."

"It’s hard to believe Parallel 49 only opened a few years ago; the brewery has really exploded since opening. Their brews embody the fun of craft beer and their flavours showcase a diversity of original flavours. The tasting room acts as a refuge for beer afficiandos and newcomers alike, and allows visitors to enjoy sampler sizes of everything from ales, lagers, malts and popular seasonal brews."

"A massive overhaul to their taproom along with a more dedicated shift in focus to start creating some really inventive beer has Parallel ranking much higher than we would have given them credit for a few years back. They are on fire right now, and having the creative minds of Boombox in-house is just an added bonus."

"This is a local favorite and if you get there after 3pm on a Saturday you will be fighting for a seat after a long wait. Service can be a wild card and staff often looks overwhelmed but the beer is cheap. With the opening of their new tap room your even more likely to find a spot to get in."

"After breakfast, make your way to one of the pickup points for Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. There’s a free shuttle starting at 8:45 AM that picks up and returns visitors from seven different points in the city."

"Learn about the ‘Capilano Tramps' from the 1900s, the original tourists to the park Dare to do the Cliffwalk, a labyrinth of cantilevered bridges, stairs and platforms 33 metres above the forest floor"

"Situated off Commercial Drive in the heart of East Van, this park has long had a permanent pot cloud over it. Accept it or head to nearby Victoria Park where you can watch Italian old-timers play bocce. Don’t limit yourself to the park itself."

"Mosquito's sleek modern decor, mood lighting and aphrodisiac-filled menu make it worthy of your proposal. Plus, you’ll be able to celebrate with a glass of bubbly immediately after your partner says yes!"