Cheap things to do in Vancouver
Street food, free galleries, local pints and a SeaBus ride to North Van.
This is Vancouver for people who know that the best version of a city rarely costs much: market stalls, a bowl of pho, a cold pint at a neighbourhood pub. Three days cover Gastown, the West End and North Vancouver's Lonsdale Quay, all on foot or cheap transit, with zero pressure to spend up.
Day 1: Gastown and downtown grit
Start with the steam clock, grab a JAPADOG outside, drift through Victory Square, and end the night at Steamworks with a local pint in hand.
- 10:15 AM
Gastown Steam Clock
Free Gastown landmark, watch the famous steam clock do its thing and wander the historic block.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:00 PM
Victory Square
Free neighbourhood park in the heart of things, good people-watching and a relaxed afternoon stroll.
Map - 7:30 PM
Steve's Poké Bar
Build-your-own poké bowls near Coal Harbour; cheap, fresh and quick before the pub.
Map - 9:00 PM
Steamworks
Classic Gastown pub with good local beers at pub prices, exactly the right local bar to end the night.
Map
Day 2: Granville Island to the West End
Browse the market, eat a cheap pho bowl, duck into a Victorian house museum, then finish on poutine and a quiet local bar.
- 10:15 AM
Granville Island Public Market
Granville Island Public Market, free to browse, great street food stalls and local vendors, easy walk south.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:00 PM
Roedde House Museum
An 1893 Queen Anne house in Barclay Square, furnished as it was; $10, open Wed, Thu, Fri and Sun afternoons.
Map - 7:30 PM
La Belle Patate
La Belle Patate, cheap Quebecois poutine and comfort food, top-rated and very Central Vancouver.
Map - 9:00 PM
Pumpjack
Davie Village pub with big windows onto the street; a cheap pint and the neighbourhood going by.
Map
Day 3: SeaBus over to the Quay
Cross the inlet for a free waterfront gallery, a Turkish döner at the market, Vietnamese rice plates, and a last pint watching the harbour lights.
- 9:30 AM
Lonsdale Quay Market
Wander the waterfront market stalls for a cheap morning coffee and a browse, free to enter.
Map - 10:30 AM
The Polygon Gallery
Sawtooth-roofed gallery on the waterfront for photography and contemporary art; free entry.
Map - 12:30 PM
Seaside Doner Kebab - Lonsdale Quay
Cheap, top-rated Turkish döner, street-food style, right at Lonsdale Quay.
Map - 7:30 PM
V-Nam Restaurant
Cheap Vietnamese pho and rice plates, budget-friendly and a short walk from the Quay.
Map - 9:00 PM
Tap & Barrel • Shipyards
Lively pub with waterfront views right at the Shipyards, good local pint to close the night.
Map
Where to stay
The Keefer
The Keefer sits at the edge of Chinatown, a short walk from Gastown and well-placed for all three days without the downtown hotel price tag.
Skwachàys Lodge Hotel & Gallery
Skwachays Lodge is an Indigenous arts hotel on the edge of Gastown with rates that tend to undercut the downtown chains and a story worth knowing.
Make Vancouver your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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Book ahead
- Talaysay Tours: a few days ahead
- Capilano Suspension Bridge Park: a few days ahead
- Harbour Air Seaplanes: a few days ahead
- Sea to Sky Gondola: a few days ahead
- Peak 2 Peak Gondola: a few days ahead
- Whistler Blackcomb: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Capilano at full price on a cruise ship day, when Lynn Canyon gives a free bridge and better swimming.
- The Gastown Steam Clock as a destination. It is a three minute photo on the way to dinner.
- Granville Island by car. Ferry, bus or walk over the bridge instead.
- Robson Street chain dining. Eat in Yaletown, Gastown, Main Street, Kits or Richmond instead.
The full Vancouver travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around