Before you know it, summer will have arrived and all your friends from out of town will be coming to you for the beautiful British Columbia experience. What’re you going to do? Let them down? Come on now, not on our watch.
Here are 8-day trips around Vancouver.
Squamish
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This is more of an “it’s about the journey, not the destination” day trip. Everyone has already been to Whistler so we don’t feel the need to put it on this list. Instead, stretch out your trip to Squamish by stopping at the Britannia Mine Museum, Porteau Cove and Shannon Falls. Go try and spot a seal in Brackendale (eagles are really only present in the winter). If you’re feeling really touristy, hop on the Sea to Sky Gondola. Finally, stop by Mag’s on 99 for some great fried chicken and Mexican food, then turn around.
Deep Cove
A staple day trip for Vancouverites, Deep Cove is a picturesque community. Rent a kayak in the morning for a couple of hours, grab some lunch, then hike up Quarry Rock and survey the scene. Once you’re done, treat yourself to a donut from Honey. Heck, buy em beforehand and eat them at the top!
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Golden Ears Provincial Park/Maple Ridge
This is definitely a destination for your most active friends. Pack lunch beforehand and go walk/hike around one of the biggest parks in BC. Tackle the trail up Golden Ears, or keep things a little more lowkey by walking along the creeks and lakes in the area. Afterward, swing by Big Feast so your friends can say they ate a restaurant featured on “You Gotta Eat Here”.
Cultus Lake
A big, scenic lake east of Abbotsford, Cultus Lake is good for a large group of friends. You can lounge on the beach all day, or, you can go all in and head to the waterpark for some real fun. Personally, we would do a little bit of both.
Bowen Island
So your friends want to take a ferry but you don’t want to go all the way to Vancouver Island. Fear not, because Bowen Island is only 20 minutes from Horseshoe Bay. Explore the area, shop around a little bit, then maybe hike up Mt. Gardner before you head back to ‘civilization’.
Steveston
One of the two ‘culture’ trips that we recommend, Steveston is a quaint little community south of Richmond. Explore the various museums and galleries, including the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, a national historic site. Then, walk around the harbour a little before you grab some delicious seafood from Pajo’s, located right on the water.
Fort Langley
We’re big fans of history, and Fort Langley has got it in spades. We recommend that you actually drive past it a little bit first so that you can visit the Greater Vancouver Zoo and look at the cool flamingos/giraffes/whatever suits your fancy. Then, head into town, go to the sweet Village Antiques Mall, and hit up Fort Langley proper, a 19th century fur trading post.
And there’s our list Vancouver! We hope that the next time asks you what they should do on their day off, you’ll be able to help them out a little bit.
