Stanley Park





Grouse Sky Ride





Capilano Suspension Bridge





Ambleside - West Vancouver





Affordable Vancouver Accommodations

Vancouver Hostels

If you have ever been to Vancouver, BC, Canada before you know there are about a million different things you can do if you enjoy the great outdoors. If you've never been, you should probably do a little research before you arrive in Vancouver because there is so many activates you can do that you may get overwhelmed trying to decide what exactly is right for you.The following are all activities I've done being a Vancouver resident and think that just about anybody in the world would also enjoy these activities.Stanley Park is a massive urban park that is on the outskirts of down town Vancouver. The park measures 1000 acres and is roughly 10% larger than New York's Central Park. The park features an 8.8KM seawall path that circles the park and is used by over 2 million people per year. The park also features over 200KM in trails and paths for hikers and joggers.Stanley Park is chalk full of forest, monuments, beautiful ocean views and animals. On top of these natural attractions the park also features an outdoor salt water pool, an aquarium, an 18 hole pitch and putt golf course and numerous restaurants. If you happen to visit Stanley park around Christmas time, you can also take a ride on their annual Christmas train that is a spectacle of Christmas lights and decorations.Grouse Mountain is located in beautiful North Vancouver, just minutes from downtown Vancouver. In the winter Grouse Mountain is home to fantastic local skiing and snowboarding but in the Summer months it turns into a great place to get some exercise via the Grouse Grind as well as a fun place to see the entire city from the sky. Grouse Mountain has something called the Skyride which runs from 9am-10pm 7 days a week. Basically, every 15 minutes the Gondola will take you to the top of the mountain where you will be treated to views of the city of Vancouver, the Pacific Ocean, snowy mountain peaks and the Gulf Islands.The Skyride also includes numerous shows including a lumberjack show, bird watching, two grizzly bears and some wolves. If a romantic dinner is what you are looking for, Grouse Mountain features 'The Observatory'; a fine dining restaurant that overlooks the entire horizon. Another great romantic activity you can do is time your trip up the mountain to coincide with the sun set; the sun set from atop the mountain is absolutely breath taking.The Capilano suspension bridge is a massive tourist attraction located in North Vancouver very close to Grouse Mountain. The main attraction is obviously the suspension bridge; the bridge is quite large measuring 136 meters long and 70 meters above the water. The original bridge was built out of hemp but has since been rebuilt using steel cables and massive amounts of concrete to ensure the safety of all visitors. The park is not limited to bridge tours, they have numerous other attractions as well. If you have the time you could easily spend the day going on Treetops Adventure, rain forest ecotours, mind blowing gardens, nature trails, North America's largest private collection of First Nations totem poles, period decor and costumes, and exhibits highlighting the park's history and the surrounding temperate rain forest.West Vancouver is generally known as one of the higher end areas in the Greater Vancouver areas, but that doesn't mean that it can't be enjoyed by everybody. Ambleside is a beautiful little area right next to Dundarave. Ambleside is a 15 block area that runs along the Pacific Ocean and features a beautiful sea wall where you can unwind at the end of your day. After you've walked the sea wall I recommend taking a walk up to the street and stopping off for a bite to eat at one of the dozens of cafes, pubs and small restaurants.Let's face it, if you are planning on staying in any major city in the world, chances are you are going to be paying premium rates to stay in hotels. Just because accommodations at hotels can be pretty outrageous, doesn't mean you need to find a shady hotel or stay on the outskirts of town.If you plan on staying in Vancouver for awhile, I highly recommend checking out one of the many. There are both higher end as well as super affordable hostels in the Vancouver area that will leave you with more money in your pocket to spend on the amazing tourist attractions as well as all the fine dining Vancouver has to offer.Keep in mind, these are just a couple of outdoor attractions that are available in Vancouver. There are dozens of other amazing attractions in Vancouver and you will find that everybody enjoys something a little different, so make sure you talk to a few different people before fully committing to any particular travel agenda.