Vancouver is by far the cleanest and safest city I’ve ever visited. The stereotype about Canadians being friendly could not be more true. My cousin Michael and I visited with our uncle to run a half marathon in Stanley Park which is Vancouver’s version of Central Park. It is absolutely gorgeous and full of things to do. We ran the seawall and got to see the lighthouse, train, beautiful fall foliage and bridges through the massive park.

The Gastown district is another fun part of town to explore. We took a cab from our AirBnB since Vancouver doesn’t have uber/lyft. The historic streets are lined with fun restaurants including Nicli Antica Pizzeria, Nuba Restaurant and the Alibi Room,  boutiques and art galleries. You also must see the Steam Clock to get a picture.

Granville Island is a must stop as well. With an amazing public market food hall, adorable shops and a distillery, there is something for everyone on the island. Not to mention the beautiful waterfront views.

There were great breweries keeping with the Pacific Northwest vibe. Our favorites were the 33 Acres Brewing and the Granville Island Brewing. Both offered flights and fun atmospheres to enjoy the afternoons.

Chinatown was one of the best I’ve ever visited and the 3rd largest in North America behind New York and San Francisco. A MUST visit is the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden which for $14 takes you a world away from the city vibes and into the most gorgeous gardens, flowers and architecture. There were also amazing dim sum and other restaurants that you could spend your whole trip just eating in Chinatown.

On our last day, we took a ferry for about $35 round trip to Victoria to explore more of British Columbia and even got to see two whales on our hour and a half trip!! Highly recommend seeing the Butchart Gardens, the Parliament Buildings, Thunderbird Park, and the Inner Harbour. One day was definitely not enough and I’d recommend staying for at least 2-3!