Vancouver is a fascinating city. And while it is no doubt a vacation destination all its own, many people travel to the city to board cruise ships that sail to Alaska from Canada Place. So while the average vacationer may have a full week or so to spend in Vancouver, some cruisers don’t. How should you spend limited time in Vancouver? We are here to help with that. Here are some of the best things to do in Vancouver before your Disney Cruise to Alaska.
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Sailing to Alaska from Vancouver on a Disney Cruise
When sailing on a Disney Cruise to Alaska from Vancouver, or any cruise for that matter, you’ll want to make sure you fly in the day before your cruise sets sail. Even if you are on a budget, this is non-negotiable in our minds! If you are late from a delayed or cancelled flight, delayed train, or any other reason, this ship will leave without you. So it’s extremely important when planning your cruise, that you allow time and money to fly in a day early.
That being said, if you’re sailing out of Vancouver, you should plan some time to explore the city! On our trip, we planned for a day before the cruise and about a day and a half after. It wasn’t nearly enough time to do everything in Vancouver that we wanted to, but we got to see and do a lot in a short amount of time. And I guess this just gives us a reason to go back.
Sailing from Alaska to Vancouver, you’ll be boarding at Canada Place. Which is really a destination all its own. We stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel before our cruise, which was a bit pricey, but completely worth the convenience for us.
How Many Days Do You Need in Vancouver?
A Disney Cruise to Alaska is a big trip for many. Between travel time for anyone who doesn’t live on the west coast, excursion planning, time and time spent before and after your trip, it can be quite the trip to plan. You’ll want to make sure you are planning to arrive with enough time before your cruise to account for any delays in transportation. Arriving a day early is always recommended, but if you have more time before or after your cruise, take some time to explore this incredible city! Ideally, we would have liked to have 4 or 5 days to spend there. But we only had about 2 days, which gave us enough time to get a good taste of Vancouver. Which just means we will have to go back!
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Getting to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park without a car is not only easy, but it’s free. Around Vancouver, it’s easy to find a free shuttle to take you to this amazing park. Just look for the buses and board! You can find out more information about getting to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park here.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a rainforest park found about 30 minutes from the city of Vancouver. This natural beauty also features activities for the adventure seeker, like their famous suspension bridge. And a Cliff Walk that is not for the faint of heart. They also serve food here. Which in our opinion, wasn’t the best. But it wasn’t the worst either. Considering the price, if you don’t have to eat here, we recommend somewhere else when possible. But if you just need food, it’ll do the trick.
The treetops adventure takes you through the forest, while the Cliff Walk takes you over the forest and river, with incredible views. Even if they are a little terrifying. You can also learn about the history of the park, see and learn about totems, shop the gift shop and just enjoy the beauty of this place. Depending on which activities you partake in, plan to spend about 3-4 hours here.
Stanley Park
One of the coolest things about Vancouver is that it’s a city filled with nature. And it’s so easy to get to. Stanley Park is an oasis from the city. And so much to offer. You can ride bikes, hike, learn about the history of the park, see the famous miniature train and even visit the Vancouver Aquarium.
This is one place we didn’t make it to during our time in Vancouver, mostly because the weather was not cooperating. But we plan to visit it the next time we are there. You can learn all about Stanley Park in Vancouver here.
Granville Island
Home to over 300 businesses, Granville Island is the perfect place to shop for souvenirs, grab a bite to eat or even take some delicious breads and pastries for your journey home. This fun location in Vancouver that’s fairly easy to get to. We chose to use the foot ferry, the Aquabus, which is about a 3-minute ride from most stops. But you can also take the bus, ride a bike, and if you have a car, you can drive.
Granville Island is such a cool place! Watch street performers, shop for some new books and grab a bite to eat while you’re there. There are tons of places to grab food with so many options like coffees and teas, sandwiches, bakery items, pot pie, pizza, seafood, you name it. We spent about 4 hours here exploring the shops, getting food and listening to some live music. But how long you spend will really depend on what you want to do.
You can find more information about Granville Island here.
Canada Place
When sailing out of Vancouver to Alaska, Canada Place is the cruise terminal you’ll be sailing from. And it’s really cool! Canada Place has a lot going for it. Being situated on Coal Harbour, the scenery is just beautiful. But outside of its location, the cruise terminal has a lot to offer. With plenty of places to eat right across the Harbour, and some shops, even if they are a bit touristy, this is a great way to spend Embarkation morning if you happen to have the extra time. Since we stayed at Pan Pacific before our cruise, it was an easy walk before our boarding time opened.
Canada Place is also home to Fly Over Canada. Which, for Disney fans, is like Soarin. But for Canada. So you can take some time to do that. Or watch the cruise ships come and go from the port. And learn more about Vancouver on the Canadian Trail.
To see all you need to know about Canada Place, click here.
High Tea at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
We love high tea. So, whenever we see a high tea is available where we are traveling, we’re sold. High tea at the Fairmont Hotel is known for being some of the best around. And they change the theme every few months, so even if you’ve been to it once, it’ll be a different experience the next time you g0!
We’ve made a complete video on YouTube about our experience at High Tea at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver and you can watch that here.
You can find out more information about High Tea at the Fairmont Hotel here.
Starbucks Reserve
Though the Starbucks Reserve in Vancouver may not be the most impressive one in North America, getting to visit a Starbucks Reserve is a unique experience. Try something special from their menu and take in the ambiance. It’s easy to find and located at 700 Pender Street in Vancouver. And we were able to easily walk to it from our hotel.
Grouse Mountain
Many people love Grouse Mountain for the Sky Ride. This gondola of the sky takes you up the mountain for the most scenic views. But outside of the Sky Ride, you can also hike, take in the scenery, eat and more at Grouse Mountain.
And much like Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, there is a free shuttle that will take you from the city to the mountain. You can find out more about visiting Grouse Mountain while in Vancouver here.
More things to do in Vancouver before your cruise to Alaska
Outside of some of the most popular destinations in Vancouver, it’s important to note that there is just so much to do! If you love museums, Vancouver has you covered. If you love nature, there are endless opportunities to experience it. And the food is just incredible, pretty much at every turn. If you have a whole week to spend here, it’s a destination we highly recommend. If you only have a couple of days, we hope this post has been helpful for you to maximize your time there!
Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she's not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip .
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