We will be in Vancouver for only 24 hrs and are wondering what are the best sites to see/things to do.?

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anna

List of attractions in Vancouver:

Vancouver Aquarium
Come to face-to-fin with over 70,000 animals including beluga whales, Steller sea lions, dolphins, seals and more! Enjoy the dolphin and whale shows, sea otter feeds, and shark dives. Free-roaming animals abound in our popular Amazon Gallery and be sure to stop by our newest gallery that's full of interactive exhibits and a children's play learning area. For a unique hands-on adventure, ask about our Animal Encounters program. Open 365 days of the year. For more info, call 604.659.FISH or visit:
http://www.vanaqua.org/home/

VanDusen Botanical Garden
A living museum of plant collections from around the world, this spectacular 55-acre botanical garden is beautiful in every season. Highlights: Spring - Rhododendron and Laburnum Walks, ornamental cherry trees; Summer - Perennial and Water Lily Gardens; Autumn - brilliant autumn colour display; Winter - witchhazels, viburnums, hellebores. The Garden is home to 65 species of birds. Free parking, convenient access by public transportation, wheelchair accessible. Gift shop and restaurant.
http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks/parks/vandusen/website/index.htm

Vancouver Art Gallery
A world-class art encounter located in the heart of downtown Vancouver. The Vancouver Art Gallery showcases contemporary and historical art from around the world. 2007 exhibitions include Fred Herzog â€“ an incredible body of photographs featuring urban street life in Vancouver, a summer â€˜must-seeâ€™ Monet to Dali: Modern Masters from the Cleveland Museum of Art â€“ the most important showing of European painting and sculpture in Vancouver in over fifty years, and Emily Carr and the Group of Seven â€“ featuring some of Canadaâ€™s most iconic painters. Call 604.662.4719 or visit:
http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/home.cfm

Capilano Suspension Bridge
Naturally thrilling since 1889, Capilano Suspension Bridge is breathtakingly suspended 450 feet (135m) across and 230 feet (70m) above Capilano River. Cross over to Treetops Adventure and walk from one magnificent Douglas fir to another via a series of seven elevated suspension bridges, some reaching as high as 100 feet (30m) above the forest floor. A complete West Coast experience just minutes from Downtown.
http://www.capbridge.com/

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
In the heart of downtown Vancouver, Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden is the first authentic classical Chinese garden ever built outside of China. It is a feast for the senses and the mind and is acclaimed for providing peace, tranquility and a harmonious delight for the nature lover, cultural tourist, and sight-seeing visitor. Within this paradise, enjoy a cup of complimentary tea, a guided tour and our Chinese garden gift shop; an experience in itself. Open year round.
http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com/

Vancouver's tour bus:
http://www.bigbus.ca/

Rich Z

Don't miss Stanley Park on a peninsula adjacent to downtown. It is gigantic and includes beaches, forest, and wildlife. If you are into Casinos there is one (River Rock) near Vancouver airport. Don't miss the craft shops, water front, nightclubs and restaurants on Granville Island just over bridge from downtown. For shopping there are a lot of areas but the Canada Place section near the Cruise terminals has a lot of upscale stores packed together.

There are tour buses (although we never took one since there was so much that was obvious to enjoy without a tour). The public transit ferry ride across False Creek to North Vancouver is great. If you want a day trip, take the ferry to Vancouver Island for an exciting water view and a beautiful historic destination.

They have some very elegant restaurants but our favorites were the ethnic ones along Broadway, a street where you can find every Asian cuisine competing against every other at a density of about five authentic ones per block for miles.

Pichi

Don't miss gastown! There are great restaurants in gastown, too. Also, Stanley Park, though it sustained a lot of damage in recent storms, it's a fantastic place! Also, the city library .. yep ... the city library .. its awesome!

For that short of time in Vancouver, definitely take a tour. I would recommend one of the tourbusses where you can get on and off at will to see the various sights.

Here are websites to several companies:
http://www.bigbus.ca/ (get on, get off tours)
http://www.grayline.com/Grayline/destinations/canada/vancouver.go

hairlessafro

Stanely Park but after the wind storms it won't be it's former glory. I think there are tour busses in Van. Go to Granville Island to eat. Enjoy!

whiskeyflirt

don't miss out on granville island there is lots to do there. also robson if you want to spend your time shopping and possibly star sighting...stay away from east hastings its not a nice area.

Barbados Chick

I would go up Grouse Mountain on the gondola. There is a bear refuge there and the view is spectacular! Also a lovely "First Nations" restaurant. Makes for a lovely day and gives a good taste of the West Coast.
Capilano suspension bridge is also very historic - good food & scenery.
One day is NOT long enough though!

penticton_123

Take the gondola to the top of Grouse Mtn to get a great view of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Then head to Granville Island for the market and buskers. Nightlife on and near Robson Street.

St. Judy's comet

I was just in Vancouver for 24hrs last weekend. We ate dinner at a TERRIBLE (food was good but service was so bad it was laughable) restaurant downtown (DON'T go to King Fortune) and we went to Grouse Mountain and rode the Gondola up and ate at one of their restaurants up there. That was amazing! The view was gorgeous and the lodge up top was really nice. Ther eis ice skating and skiing up there too if you're interested in that.

Check it out:
http://www.grousemountain.com/

michrb52

oh if I were there I would definitely want to see Sarah McLachlan's house, she lives in Vancouver

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