Indoor Adventures | Outdoor Adventures | Kids Adventures

Indoor Adventures

Indoor adventures include not only learning and entertainment spaces like museums, art galleries,movie theatres, clubs and bars, but activity centres like rock climbing gyms and badminton courts. Vancouverites like going places and doing things.

When they can't get outside to climb or swim or exercise, they opt for the next best thing, doing those things inside. As a result, you'll find that much of what you can do outside around Vancouver, you can do inside as well.

While you're in town, catch the Vancouver spirit and do as many active things as you can, whether it's climbing, exercising in one of the many indoor recreation facilities or dancing until the place closes in one or more of Vancouver's exciting night spots.

If you're looking for entertainment, Vancouver has a varied, sophisticated theatre and music scene. You can attend the opera, theatre, ballet or symphony. You can listen to chamber music, early music and baroque music. You can listen to jazz, blues and popular music. It is literally the case that Vancouver has something for everyone.

If you like to dance, you'll find plenty of places to dance, no matter what kind of dance you prefer. You'll even find a wonderful restaurant where you can dine and dance the night away.

During the winter you'll find three mountain ski areas, all within a half hour of the city and only minutes from the North Shore: Cypress Mountain at the top of Hollyburn Mountain, Grouse Mountain Ski Resort at the top of Grouse Mountain and Mount Seymour Provincial Park.

If you are facing the North Shore Mountains from Vancouver, Cypress is to the left, Grouse is in the middle and Seymour is to the right.

Mild winter days provide the perfect hiking, walking, cycling, running and paddling climate. Sewell's Marina is open all year round if you want to rent a boat, and so is Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre. Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak is open in the winter for special paddles.

Of course if it's raining or if you happen to be lucky enough to arrive during Vancouver's rare winter snowfall (it happens about once a winter), you may prefer one of the 9 indoor pools in Vancouver or one of the 5 on the North Shore. Most public pools also have saunas, whirlpools, and/or steam rooms.

Whatever time of year you visit, you can include outdoor activities in your itinerary. We guarantee that your outdoor activities will be among the happiest memories you take home with you. For more information about outdoor activities in Vancouver see the Rec Centre website.

Vancouver Kids' Adventures

Vancouver is a great place to bring children any time of the year. In the winter they can spend days exploring Science World, the Aquarium, The Space Centre and local museums. Outside, they can go for beach or forest walks. Even in the rain, walking in the woods is fun.

If they prefer snow, they can build snow men, ski, board or snow tube at Mt. Seymour Provincial Park, Grouse Mountain or Cypress Mountain. If they prefer water, they can swim in one of the many local indoor swimming pools.

In spring, they can visit the parks, go for beach or forest walks in the sun, skateboard at a local skateboard park, attend the International Children's Festival, ride the SkyRide to Grouse Mountain or visit one of the indoor kids' amusement centres.

In summer they can enjoy the giant outdoor pools at Second Beach in Stanley Park or Kitsilano Beach, go to ballgames at Nat Bailey Stadium, watch spectacular fireworks, ride the tiny ferries that ply the waters of False Creek, play golf at a local pitch and putt and frolic at the beach.

In fall, they can watch movies being made and enjoy the magnificent show the trees put on as their leaves turn from green to red, yellow and orange. Trees in Vancouver in the fall often look like permanent fireworks.

Any time of the year kids can do most of these things as well as ride the SeaBus and the SkyTrain, hang out at KidsBooks or the public library, visit the Children's Market on Granville Island, walk across one of the suspension bridges on the North Shore or throw rocks into the many North Shore creeks and rivers.