A Weekend in Vancouver

Two weekends ago, we packed our bags and made our way North towards the Canadian border for a few days in the city. We had both been to Vancouver in college, but it had been a few years and this trip was totally different than the others. Not only did we have more time to explore, but we also had a long list of activities and restaurants we wanted to enjoy. We were only in the city for 48 hours (almost exactly!) and we packed a ton in. Read on to see our highlights.

Shop Haley’s off the shoulder top, perfect for a spring getaway, from Rollick here.

 Hotel Stay

We stayed at The Burrard, right next to Granville Street, and the hotel was adorable. Each of the rooms were retro and full of character, immediately transporting you to a charming vacation spot from the 1950s. There’s gorgeous greenery in the middle courtyard of the hotel, and the rooms are so cozy and comfortable.

Where to Eat

• Chambar Restaurant for brunch. Get the waffles. Actually, no…get 4 waffles, and then some for dessert. They’re that good.
• West Oak for a trendy spot outside of downtown Vancouver. We stopped here before Dark Table for a round of drinks, but the food menu looked amazing as well.
• If you’re looking to be totally put out of your comfort zone, you need to go to Dark Table. It’s a completely (and we mean completely) dark dining experience. All of the servers are blind, and you’ll walk away with a whole new appreciation and understanding.
• Elysian Coffee was downstairs right next to our hotel lobby, and we couldn’t get enough of their coffee. Between that, the juices and the avocado toast, this place had it all.

Experiences

After brunch on Saturday, we ventured over to Granville Island Public Market to stroll around and look at the shops. For anyone who’s been to Pike Place Market, it feels a lot like that, only bigger. There was so many amazing things to try and smell and look at – a total paradise for anyone who enjoys farmer’s markets.

After that, we ventured over to tour Vancouver’s first pure craft distillery in Granville Island called The Liberty Distillery. We learned all about the history of the distillery, and got to try many of their carefully crafted spirits. The bar area was adorable, so on our way out, we made a point to stay and grab drinks. We each got something different, and none of them disappointed!

We packed so much into Sunday, but besides eating, we really just did two big activities. Our first stop was Fly Over Canada. If you’ve ever been to Soarin’ Over California in Disney’s California Adventure Park, it’s really similar to that. The line was short, the views were beautiful and it was the perfect rainy afternoon activity. The next stop was the aquarium. We’d heard so many things about the aquarium and finally had to go see for ourselves. We definitely recommend it! With so many floors and exhibits to check out, we barely had enough time to see it all. It was another perfect rainy afternoon activity, and we even got to see a dolphin show (Ashley’s fave!) while we were there.

A special thank you to The Burrard for the incredible stay, and Tourism Vancouver for hosting us in the city.   

We’ve partnered with The Burrard for a special two-night giveaway. Head to our Insta here to enter.

XX,

A & H