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Vancouver Itinerary with Kids: Family-Friendly Trip Ideas

ByJessica Lee Updated on

Vancouver is one of those cities where you can pack a surprising amount of variety into a family trip. You can explore a bustling downtown, bike or stroll along the waterfront, wander through a massive forested park, eat your way through a public market, and head into the mountains, all without traveling very far.

We’ve now visited Vancouver twice with our kids at very different stages. Our first family trip was with our 9-month-old and 2.5-year-old, and we returned in July 2023 with all 3 kids, then 18 months, 5.5, and 7.5 years old. My husband has also visited Vancouver additional times to visit family.

Both trips reinforced how well Vancouver works for families. There’s plenty to do with babies and toddlers, but it doesn’t feel like a destination built only around kids. Stanley Park, Granville Island, the beaches, North Shore mountains, and Vancouver’s diverse neighborhoods give families an easy mix of outdoor adventures, city exploring, food, and more traditional kid-friendly attractions.

This quick Vancouver family itinerary pulls together places we’ve enjoyed along with additional ideas to help you plan your own trip to Vancouver with kids. It’s not meant to cram everything into one visit. Pick what appeals to your family, adjust for the ages of your kids, and use it as a starting point for exploring Vancouver.

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Our Vancouver Trips with Kids

First trip: Vancouver with our 9-month-old and 2.5-year-old, 2 nights in October. We stayed at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Vancouver Downtown Suites and drove into and around Vancouver.

Second trip: We returned in July 2023 with all 3 kids, then 18 months, 5.5, and 7.5 years old. We stayed at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, flew in, and got a rental car to get around.

Family-Friendly Itinerary Ideas for Vancouver, BC, Canada

  • Stanley Park – a world-renowned park with trails, beaches, and more attractions; ride bikes, join a tour or discover the park yourself
    • Stanley Park Train – a 15-minute ride through part of the park on a miniature train
    • Totem Poles – a group of totem poles sourced from different areas of British Columbia that tell a story of the First Nations
    • Hallelujah Point – beautiful point along the seawall with city skyline views
    • Siwash Rock – unique stacked rock with great view to the inlet and West Vancouver
    • Lions Gate Bridge – First Narrows Bridge that connects Stanley Park to North Vancouver, known as a gate to The Lions – twin mountain peaks 
    • Vancouver Aquarium – city aquarium in Stanley park with sea otters, beluga whales and more
  • Vancouver Lookout – a skyscraper with an observation deck with 360° city views
  • Jericho Beach – beautiful beach and park with views of North Vancouver mountains and the city skyline
  • Wander Downtown 
    • Walk along Robson St – a popular shopping district, good people watching
    • Explore the Gastown district – the oldest neighborhood in Vancouver
    • Gastown Steam Clock – street clock only powered by steam and whistles
  • Visit Richmond – a coastal city directly south of Vancouver, about a 20-minute drive, a multicultural mecca, home of the highest concentration of immigrants in Canada
    • Richmond Night Market – open mid-May to mid-October, celebrate international cuisine in Canada
    • Steveston Harbour/Fishing Village – check out this quaint fishing village and harbor with a fish market, various shops and waterfront dining
    • Go on a whale-watching and wildlife-watching boat tour
    • Aberdeen Centre – a 3-story mall with a variety of stores and Asian eateries
  • Capilano Suspension Bridge Park – famous suspension bridge through the trees in North Vancouver, along with additional treetop bridges, walkways, and a cliff walk, free shuttle available from downtown
  • Capilano River Regional Park – only a few minutes north of the suspension bridge park, lies this beautiful city park with a river, mountain views, and trails
  • Capilano River Hatchery – along Capilano River, see jumping salmon
  • Cleveland Dam – located on the south end of Capilano Lake with beautiful mountain and lake views and hiking trails
  • Lynn Canyon Park – scenic canyon park with various hiking trails and suspension bridge
  • Grouse Mountain Skyride – gondola ride above the towering trees with city and water views, only a few minutes north from Cleveland Dam and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
  • Granville Island – a small peninsula with the public market, additional shops, restaurants and lots of boats
    • Granville Island Public Market – an expansive indoor market with a variety of fresh food suppliers and dining options
    • Kids Market – a special market just with kids in mind, kid-related shops and a play area with a cafe 
  • Queen Elizabeth Park – beautiful city garden perched on a hill with views of downtown Vancouver

Food Ideas for Vancouver, BC, Canada

  • Medina – chic brunch cafe known for their coffee and waffles
  • Salmon n’ Bannock – Vancouver’s only First Nations restaurant, specializing in wild fish, game meat, and bannock
  • Nuba in Gastown – cozy Lebanese restaurant
  • Kingyo Izakaya – tapas-style Japanese restaurant
  • Tacofino – fun creative tacos, originally only a taco truck, now multiple restaurants
  • The Vancouver Fish company – traditional seafood restaurant, on Granville Island
  • Chef Tony – known for dim sum, gets crowded, in Richmond

Top Tips for Vancouver, BC, Canada

  • You can bring a birth certificate for children 16 and under, and do not need a passport to visit Canada if you drive across the border. Children of any age need a passport if you fly. Adults need a passport regardless.
  • There’s free public Wi-Fi throughout the city.
  • Downtown Vancouver is walkable, but it also has a great public transportation system, including the SkyTrain, bus, and ferry. There are various shuttle and tour services and car shares (Car2Go, Evo, Zipcar, and Modo). Also, Uber and Lyft are now finally allowed to operate in Vancouver.

Planning a Family Trip to Vancouver

After two trips to Vancouver with our kids at very different ages, it’s a destination I’m happy to keep returning to. Our first visit looked very different with a baby and toddler than our second trip with three kids, but Vancouver worked well for our family both times.

I especially love how easily you can combine city sightseeing with outdoor adventures here. Spend the morning exploring downtown or Granville Island, the afternoon wandering through Stanley Park, or head across the water toward the mountains and forests of North Vancouver. You don’t have to choose between a city trip and an outdoorsy family vacation.

And we’re not done with Vancouver yet. We’re planning another family trip back next summer, so I’ll continue adding more of our experiences and recommendations as we explore further.

If you’re still planning where to go next, explore more of my family travel destinations in North America. Vancouver also pairs especially well with the Pacific Northwest, so head next to my complete guide to Seattle with kids or browse 60+ things to do in Seattle with kids if you’re considering combining the 2 cities into a larger trip.

Traveling as a bigger family? I also have a detailed guide to finding hotels for a family of five when the standard two adults and two kids hotel search starts making things unnecessarily complicated.

Or, if you’re still figuring out the bigger picture, head to my Start Here page for traveling with kids for family trip planning guides, destination ideas, flying tips, and more.

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