Vancouver was the first city we visited in Canada, and one we were so excited to explore. We had heard so many good things about this city, and it did not disappoint. It is surrounded by the most beautiful mountains, and the city itself has some wonderful things to see and do. However, as you might be aware, Canada is not the cheapest destination. Because of this, we’ve put together a list of some free and cheap activities to see Vancouver on a budget.

Cost: Free

The city of Vancouver has the highest population density of any city in Canada, with lots of high rise buildings. Because of this, the city itself isn’t the most exciting place to wander around. However there are some lovely areas. Of course, the best thing about wandering the city is that it’s free, helping you to see Vancouver on a budget.

Gastown is a neighbourhood in downtown Vancouver and is the site of the original indigenous settlement that became modern day Vancouver. The area has a really cool feeling to it, especially Water Street, which has been partly car free since 2024. Here you can find lots of cool contemporary clothing stores, furniture stores, tourist stores and restaurants. On the corner of Cambie and Water Streets is the famous Gastown steam clock. Even though it looks old, it was built in only 1977 to cover a steam grate. It goes off every 15 minutes with steam and whistles, with the hour mark bringing the biggest celebration. The whole area is super cool and is worth a walk through.

Another area of the city worth visiting is along the water and Canada Place. Canada Place is a building with a fabric decoration on top resembling ship sails. It is part of the Vancouver Convention Centre. It also houses the Vancouver World Trade Centre, a hotel, a flyover tourist attraction and is the main cruise ship terminal for the city. In terms of visiting, there’s not too much to do in this area. However it is nice to head into either Canada Place or the Convention Centre for a break from walking around all day.

If you want to learn more about the history of the city, there are also informative posters here. Around the outside of Canada Place, there are lots of signs that cover different important moments. These are a great way to learn more about the Vancouver on a budget.

The Convention Centre is also where the Vancouver Christmas Market is held, something you can read more about here. It’s definitely worth a visit and is a lovely part of the city.

Cost: Free

This is one of our favourite places that we’ve visited, because you know we love a park! Stanley Park is a 405 hectare area that was originally used by indigenous people before being turned into a public park in 1886. It is free to enter, and you could easily spend at least a whole day there. It’s one of the great actvities which makes it so easy to see Vancouver on a budget.

Most of the park is a dense forest area, remaining mostly unchanged since the 1800s. There are lots of walking trails through this area though and it is a great place to wander around. In this forest area you can find the Prospect Point field and picnic area, the hollow tree which is great for photos and two cafes. Crossing the Stanley Park Causeway, you’ll find Beaver Lake where we unfortunately saw no beavers. Make sure to keep your eye out for other animals though because you can also find skunks, racoons, coyotes, rabbits and lots of squirrels in the park.

From Beaver Lake it heads into the more touristy section of Stanley Park. This is where you’ll find the Stanley Park Railway, an outdoor amphitheatre, a rock and a rose garden, a little outdoor water park and so much more. This is also where the Vancouver Aquarium is, which costs around $40-45. Further towards the tip of the headland is the Brockton Oval, the Totem Poles and the Brockton Point Lighthouse. There’s a great view of the city from Stanley Park and the seawall walk goes around the whole thing. It really is a wonderful place to explore and you could easily spend a full day or even more!

Cost: Free

South of Vancouver city, Granville Island used to be an industrial area and isn’t actually an island, but a peninsula. It can be found under the Granville street bridge and can be accessed by another street level bridge. You can get an easy 30 minute bus from the city and then walk across to the island. Once there, you will find lots of independent clothing stores, souvenir stores and restaurants. There is also a hotel, a marina, a little water park, a kids entertainment centre, a theatre company and a little park.

However the main place to visit is the Public Market, which has been on the island since 1979. Here there are over 50 different vendors selling a wide variety of food where you will no doubt find something delicious. There’s both indoor and outdoor seating but it does get busy during lunch time so you might have to hunt around for a seat. As well as wandering around the market, you could easily spend a couple of hours looking around the shops so it’s a great way to spend half a day in Vancouver on a budget.

Cost: Free

We were lucky enough to stay in an Airbnb in North Vancouver, and we can recommend heading there during your visit. It is located on the other side of the water from the city and is mostly just suburbs with some lovely parks. It is also on a hill so has a great view across the water and back to the city. You can get there over either the Lions Gate Bridge or the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge. Both ways take about 45 minutes by bus or there is a ferry that goes right across the water to connect you to the other side.

The best reason to visit is just to wander around and admire all the houses. If you’ve never been to Canada or North America before, seeing the huge and gorgeous houses is something really cool. There are also some great walking trails such as the Mahon Park Trails or along the water near Keith Lynn Park, just outside of North Vancouver. We also stayed near and enjoyed walking along Grand Boulevard Park. We especially recommend this area if you’re visiting in Autumn (or Fall) because the colours of the trees is incredible.

However at the end of the day it is just a suburban area with some fancy houses so really is only worth a visit if you’ve got some extra time.

The West End in Vancouver is located just next to Stanley Park and goes from Highway 99 to Sunset Beach Park. Here you can find Davie Village which is Vancouver’s gay district with a cute rainbow crosswalk. There’s also gay bars and clubs, LGBTQ+ bookstores and clothing stores and rainbow flags everywhere. Another area to visit is Robson Street, which is full of more amazing clothing stores and restaurants. The seawall walk also goes along the edge of West End, so it’s a great place to detour for some food during your journey.

Another great residential area to visit is Kitsilano, which is right near Granville Island. Right across the water from Sunset Beach Park in Kitsilano is Vanier Park which has amazing views back at the city. In Vanier Park is also the Vancouver Maritime Museum and the Museum of Vancouver if you’re interested in visiting them. Around the corner is Kitsilano beach and Kitsilano pool, a large heated outdoor saltwater swimming pool. It also has three slides and a café so is a great place to hang out on a warm day. There’s also great shopping on 4th Avenue and Greektown where Greek Day is held annually in June.

Cost: Free

One walk to do to and from the city is to walk across the Lions Gate Bridge. The 1.8km suspension bridge goes across the Burrard Inlet from Stanley Park to the north side of Vancouver. We began the walk across the river from the Park Royal shopping mall on the North side of the water. It took us about half an hour to cross the bridge and you can cross on both sides. As it is a suspension bridge, it does move a little bit as trucks drive by or in high wind. It’s also not the widest walkway so keep that in mind if you get nervous around heights.

After crossing the bridge, we exited on the city side to head to the Prospect Point Lookout. Here is the most amazing view back to the bridge and across the harbour, where you can sometimes spot seals and whales! There’s also seats here, a lovely café and a bathroom so a good place to stop after the walk.

If you’re not done walking, another amazing walk in this area is the Sea Wall Walk. This 10km walk does a loop of Stanley Park and is along the water for almost the whole walk. It goes past the the Brockton Point Totem Poles and Lighthouse as well as under the Lions Gate Bridge. It also goes past two beaches, the Second Beach swimming pool, the lost lagoon and the harbour. The natural landscape and greenery along the path is so beautiful.

As 10km is a decent walk, a great way to experience the walk is in parts. Stanley Park has heaps of walking paths all throughout so it’s easy to join the loop at any point. Depending when you’re in Vancouver you might even see whales or seals from the walk too, which is wonderful.

If you’ve got time to leave the city, there are lots of wonderful day trip options from Vancouver. However as many are a drive away, we’re just going to discuss two of the easiest ones without a car. Both are definitely worth visiting but if you can only get to one, we hope this will help you pick the best one for you!

Cost: $72 CAD

This large park is only a short 30 minute journey to the north of Vancouver. This beautiful 27 acre park is in the rainforest and has many things to see and do. The main one is walk across the famous suspension bridge, with a span of 137 meters, 70 of which are above the Capilano river. The other activities in the park include a treetop adventure with seven bridges through the trees. There is also a cliffwalk that is suspended off the cliff and looks a bit scary if you’re not a fan of heights (like Krissie!). There are also almost two kilometres of paths on the ground through the forest, as well as places to eat.

Tickets must be bought online in advance for a specific time slot, and get you entry to all the attractions in the park. However tickets aren’t cheap, at $72 CAD each or almost $78 AUD each. If you do want to visit, there is a public bus straight from Vancouver city that only takes half an hour. However the park also runs a free shuttle service from the city for paying visitors, and you can find more about that here.

This was one of our favourite day trips of the entire trip! It only took us a day to start considering moving there for a season. Whistler is a ski village 125km north of Vancouver that is a popular destination, particularly during winter. You can drive there in an hour and a half, but if you’re relying on public transport, it’s still easy! There are a couple of companies that do this journey, but the best is Epic Rides. They go from central Vancouver to the middle of Whistler in 1 hour 45. It costs $44 CAD each return, and there are many trips per day, especially during ski season. You could also book a tour if you want some more structure to your day!

One of the most amazing things about Whistler is it’s location, and you get to enjoy the incredible scenery from the bus. It is located in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains and the drive up is stunning. As well as the beautiful location, the village itself is amazing and has the most magical vibe. Obviously there’s lots to do there during ski season, but if you’re considering another season, it’s still worth visiting.

During summer, there’s mountain biking and lots of nature walks. However you can also just wander the village, look through all the shops, and get some food. We were also lucky enough to visit on the first day of the outdoor ice skating, which is open from late November to late March. There is also an all year round ice skating at the Meadow Park Sports Centre, just a 15 minute bus ride away from Whistler. So whether you’re visiting to ski, to hike or just to wander the village, it really is worth it to experience this adorable village in the most incredible hills.

We hope this post has given you some great idea for your trip to Vancouver on a budget. There really is so much to see and do, and so much for free! With some great food and shopping, an incredible park, some cool suburbs, a couple of beautiful walks and some great day trip options, you’ll be busy trying to fit it all in. If you do visit, let us know what your favourite parts were and if you saw any beavers!

We got up to quite a lot travelling in Vancouver on a budget, including a day trip to Whistler. If you want to see what we chose to do in the city, you can check out our vlogs below:

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