GET YOUR BEARINGS
Vancouver occupies part of a peninsula and is almost entirely surrounded by water: the Strait of Georgia to the west, the broad harbour to the northeast, and False Creek to the south. To the northwest, the high-rises quickly dwindle and the lush green forest of Stanley Park begins.
The city is on a grid system and is divided into a distinct series of neighbourhoods. The glassy skyscrapers of Downtown are bordered by historic Gastown, now a buzzy evening hub, Chinatown and Yaletown, Vancouver's answer to Soho, with chic conversions and swanky boutiques. A hop across False Creek takes you to the elegant homes, bookshops and peerless beaches of Kitsilano. It's a 30-minute drive over the Lions Gate Bridge to the coastal parks, mountains and wildlife of the North Shore.
The Vancouver Visitor Centre (open 8.30am-6pm daily) is at 200 Burrard Street.
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The Fairmont Pacific Rim on Vancouver Harbour at 1038 Canada Place is the shiny jewel in the crown - with a rooftop pool. Finished in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics, it has 377 generous rooms, each with a Nespresso machine, Bose iPod dock and giant marble bathroom. Doubles from C$309.
Two minutes' walk from Vancouver Art Gallery, the Rosewood Hotel Georgia at 801 West Georgia Street reopened last summer, adding up-to-the-minute design flourishes to the 1927 original. Doubles from C$395.
Built in 1898, The Victorian at 514 Homer Street has 49 period-style rooms starting at C$99, B&B.
DAY ONE
A walk in the park
Start your trip at Stanley Park. Around three times the size of London's Hyde Park, it's a haven of temperate rainforest and hidden lakes, lapped on three sides by the ocean and encircled by a 9.7km sea wall. It's up to you whether you rollerskate, hike, run or cycle around it. Head in - it's free - to see the cluster of eight First Nations totem poles and the Vancouver Aquarium (C$21).
Lunch on the run
The street food scene is thriving, with quality vans dotted all over Downtown, serving everything from pulled-pork sandwiches (Re-Up BBQ) to dim sum (Le Tigre) and Grilled Cheese. The most popular snack for fusion-mad Vancouverites is the Japadog - hot dogs with teriyaki sauce, noodles and seaweed etc.
Download the free Street Food Vancouver app or book a two-hour Eat Your Cart Out tour for C$35 with lots of free samples, via the Tour Guys. Tours depart from in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery at 1.30pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Window shopping
Robson Street is the city's thoroughfare for Canadian chains. Lululemon Athletica at No 1148 is a home-grown brand making sportswear for beautiful people. Stock up on stretchy yoga pants to get the Vancouver look.
Nearby Water Street in Gastown is sprinkled with one-off boutiques. Check out the eco-friendly shoes at John Fluevog, housed in an old parking lot at number 65, or design classics at Parliament at number 115. Seek out accessories at One of a Few at number 354 Water Street, and Anthropologie-style homeware at Old Faithful at 320 West Cordova Street.
An aperitif
Choose between Salt on Gastown's Blood Alley, a brick-lined tasting room serving cheeses, cured meats and more than 100 wines by the glass, and Judas Goat next door, a tapas pit stop with zinc counter, tiled floor and rows of acid yellow stools. At Diamond on nearby Powell Street sip a Gastown (gin, grapefruit, vermouth, ramazzotti, absinthe) while spying on the streets below through lofty sash windows.
Dining with the locals
Vancouverites are serious about seafood and Blue Water Cafe at 1095 Hamilton Street in Yaletown is the place to be seen eating sashimi. Further down, at 1228 Hamilton Street, Rodney's Oyster Bar serves chowders, steamers and shellfish. Bao Bei, 163 Keefer Street, is Chinatown's hippest small-plates, no-reservations hang-out, while Boneta in Gastown serves inventive twists on local ingredients - steelhead trout with beet salad and duck crackling - and has a three-course set menu for C$45.
DAY TWO
Cultural morning
Vancouver Art Gallery at 750 Hornby Street has a large permanent collection of British Columbian art and an impressive photography section featuring Vancouver Schoolers Rodney Graham and Jeff Wall alongside Andreas Gursky and Cindy Sherman. Open daily, 10am-5pm (Sundays in the summer until 9pm); admission C$20.
Out to brunch
Stock up on eggs, coffee and Caesars (the Canadian take on a Bloody Mary, with added clam juice) at Medina on 556 Beatty Street. A Lebanese twist means tagine, rosewater waffles and lavender lattes feature alongside more traditional staples.
Take a view
The best - and most satisfying - view in the city is from the top of Grouse Mountain, north of the city, open daily, from 9am-10pm. In the summer, a shuttle bus runs from close to the Fairmont Pacific Rim on Canada Place and takes 25 minutes - free with a Peak Experience ticket (C$41.95) which buys a round trip on the mountain's gondola and chair lift ride.
Take a hike
Alternatively, shun the gondola and hike up. The Grouse Grind is a sweaty, ultra-steep 3km forest clamber which takes 50 to 90 minutes to complete. Take plenty of water. At the top, visit the grizzly bears, stretch off in an outdoor yoga class and have a drink in the cafe with a bird's-eye view before catching the gondola back down (C$10) - the Grind is one way.
Stop at the Capilano Suspension Bridge en route back to the city. It's one of the world's longest (140m), highest (70m) and swingiest, swaying above the foamy waters of Capilano Canyon. A treetop trail and suspended cliff walk offer further heart-racing vistas. Open daily, from 8am-8.30pm in summer; admission C$31.95. A free shuttle bus returns you back to Canada Place in Downtown.
Icing on the cake
Granville Island is actually a peninsula, not an island, offering a villagey atmosphere close to the city centre. You can take a three-minute mini ferry (C$5.50 return) from the bottom of Hornby Street or drive for five minutes over Granville Bridge.
The island is crammed with artists' studios, ceramics workshops and shops selling handmade hats and vintage postcards. At its heart is the Public Market, a vibrant food hall selling everything from seafood to salted caramel ice cream, served up with lovely views of bobbing boats.
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