Vancouver is a gorgeous city, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains on the west coast of Canada. It is vibrant, clean, beautiful and urban, with something for everyone. Vancouver is a dream spot for families — packed with fun, educational, and outdoor activities for all ages. There aren’t many cities that effortlessly combine the ocean, mountains, and loads of green space, as a family we just adored it and we cannot wait to go back!
Getting There and Transportation
We relied on public transport for the whole trip, however we managed to walk to a lot of places from our hotel by the harbour! We used Uber twice, but otherwise used the SkyTrain and boats! It is a very walkable city, with a lot of people renting bikes to explore too! The SkyTrain system is really straightforward to navigate, and we did this from the airport straight down to our hotel at Canada Place using the Canada Line, which took around 20 minutes and cost CAD$19 for 2 adults, kids under 12 travel free of charge within the city which is amazing when travelling as a family. A central location will make everything really accessible and make getting around on foot so much easier too. We cover the flights and transfers in our travel day vlog below.
Accommodation
After viewing many hotels and changing our plans 10 times (us Knapp’s are renowned for this!), we decided to splash out and stay at the Pan Pacific Vancouver. We picked this mainly for the location to the cruise terminal (it quite literally sits on top of Canada Place Cruise Terminal), but also for its proximity in general to all of the sites of Vancouver.
The main drawer was the luxury, and the views!! We booked a Harbour View room and it was stunning and created some real core memories for us. Many of the 503 rooms offer these harbour views and we would highly recommend paying a small premium for this. The hotel is luxurious, it could maybe do with a little update to make it a little more modern, but it was clean and spacious and the beds were really comfortable which is the most important. There is a restaurant and bar on site which offer amazing views and attentive staff, but just a 5 minute indoor walk away, is the Waterfront Centre with all of your regular fast food restaurants, our Tim Horton’s breakfasts became a tradition of our stay! The rooftop pool was a particular plus point for us and we were lucky enough to have some beautiful weather to enjoy it in!
Many people choose the Pan Pacific when cruising as bell services will take care of your luggage for you! They will collect from your room (make sure it has your cruise luggage tags on - if you don’t have any they can provide them for all cruise lines), and the next time you see it will be at your cabin on the ship! They can also store luggage after your cruise at a reduced price of $5 per bag if you stayed there prior to your cruise.
Paradise Falls Family stayed in the Fairmont Waterfront on their trip. This is located right down by the water and the cruise terminal and in a great spot in the city centre. They absolutely loved this hotel and still consider it one of the best they’ve stayed in. The communal areas and the staff were exceptional. They got an upgrade to a harbour view room and had brilliant views across the water where you could watch seaplanes taking off and landing. We’d really recommend this hotel and would definitely stay here again! There is another Fairmont hotel in downtown Vancouver as well as the Waterfront one, if that location would suit you better.
Vancouver is a pricey city wherever you stay, so do allow this in your budget! Other nearby, but slightly cheaper, options that we looked at include the Auberge Vancouver) or the Hotel Belmont Vancouver.
Family Friendly Dining
Being young families, we didn’t hit any of the fancy dining spots in the city, but instead went for ease with the children, but actually loved everywhere we ate!
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The Old Spaghetti Factory
This chain of restaurants has over 40 locations, with one of them being on Water Street in Gastown, Vancouver. It is such an affordable option for families, with every entrée being accompanied for free with salad and bread to start, and ice cream to finish. We had 2 delicious meals here (yes we went back for a second time because we loved it!), in a really unique environment. I think I’m still dreaming about the lasagne!
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White Spot
White Spot is a Canadian chain that originated in Vancouver, and is known for its burgers and ‘Pirate Pak’ kids meals. It is pretty standard American/Canadian fare but was just what we needed, the kids loved the kids meals (and we loved the burgers), and the service was top notch too! Just what you need for an easy family meal!
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Tim Horton's
I’m pretty sure it’s against the law to go to Canada and not have Tim Hortons (it’s not, but it should be), and this became our breakfast every day. We still talk about how much we loved sitting planning our day eating our food! The breakfast muffins are to die for, and my number one choice of coffee is a French Vanilla Latte. You can’t not get donuts too of course!
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De Dutch
De Dutch is a beloved Canadian breakfast and brunch chain renowned for its signature dish, the "pannekoek"—a Dutch-style pancake that's thinner than a traditional North American pancake but thicker than a crepe. With stunning views of Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains, this spot is perfect for those seeking a hearty breakfast or leisurely brunch in a picturesque setting
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Quesada
If you’re in need of a quick, customisable Tex-Mex dinner, Quesada Burritos & Tacos offers just that. We had some really tasty food from the Canada Place location, and it was great for Callum, who is plant based too.
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Breka Bakery
If you read any blogs on places to eat in Vancouver, it’s pretty much guaranteed they will mention Breka Bakery. There are multiple locations that offer 24/7 service and an extensive selection of baked goods, get the apple fritters - trust me!
