Is Vancouver a Good Vacation Destination for the Whole Family? Absolutely!

Coming up with family vacation ideas can be tricky. The kids want to be active and entertained, and the adults want to fit in some delicious meals and elevated experiences. Plus, you might have a stroller that makes getting around some places a hassle.

Fortunately, Vancouver is very family-friendly. Not only are there a ton of family activities in Vancouver, but the city is also accessible for everyone. Here are five reasons why your family should vacation here:

Attractions Kids Will Love

You might have visited attractions in the past with the kids complaining about being soooo bored. This won’t be the case in Vancouver with family activities that will win over even the most hard-to-please kid.

If you have a child that wants to be the next Albert Einstein, visit STEM-themed attractions that are educational and interactive. Kids will get to do cool things like touch an actual dinosaur bone at the Pacific Museum of Earth.

For children who are into lively arts and culture, galleries and museums have special programming for great family vacation ideas. Every Sunday, the Vancouver Art Gallery hosts The Making Place, where kids get creative, crafting art like clay monsters.

Children who love the outdoors will also have a blast. They can ski and snowboard at the local mountains. Meanwhile, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park will have them crossing a bridge above rushing water and exploring a West Coast rainforest.

Outdoor Spaces Where Kids Can Play

Beyond attractions, Vancouver is basically one big green space. At parks in neighbourhoods across the city, your kids can bounce on trampolines and whiz along a zip line. Stanley Park, the city’s beloved 400-hectare urban park, is home to the Seawall, a waterfront path where you can happily walk (or jog) with your stroller while admiring gorgeous views.

A visit to Vancouver isn’t complete without chilling at one of the local beaches. While you won’t be able to work on your tan in the winter, you can make memories by searching for shells in the sand, or spotting birds as you meander along the shoreline.

Shopping for Everyone

Who says that shopping needs to be a stuffy, stressful nightmare? Granville Island is a scenic outdoor cultural hub with good food and fun stuff to browse and buy. You can stop first at Kids Market, where your children can check out puzzles and educational toys in between playing VR games.

Besides toy stores, the island is also full of studios where local artists make beautiful pieces of pottery and jewelry and chat about their passions. Both you and the kids will especially delight in the Public Market, where there’s lots of tasty local food and treats to sample, as well as artisan vendors displaying everything from chocolate to stained glass.

Not Your Typical Family-Friendly Dining

Family-friendly restaurants often mean laminated menus listing soggy pizza. But with Vancouver’s award-winning restaurant scene, you don’t have to sacrifice quality or style to fuel up the family.

Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe, a long-running diner in Kitsilano, is a charming place to start your day, with a delectable brunch menu that includes French toast with strawberries and whipped cream. Order a milkshake, and ask for two straws for sharing.

For a magical evening, dine at Grouse Mountain’s Observatory Restaurant after the family’s worked up an appetite skiing and tobogganing. The restaurant, with spectacular views of the city below, offers a multicourse menu spotlighting local ingredients such as Pacific lingcod. Children can order from kids’ selections like a burger or pasta.

Getting Around Vancouver Is Easy and Accessible

To make all these family vacation ideas come true, you need to be able to get around. Vancouver is a city committed to accessibility. You can wheel your stroller up and down ramps on the sidewalks, and most public buildings have elevators and automatic door openers for stress-free entry.

You’ll also have no problem with your stroller on Translink, the city’s extensive transportation network. Buses have a ramp for getting on, with drivers happy to assist you in getting comfy and secure. SkyTrain and SeaBus stations have ramps, elevators, and helpful attendants.

And once you’ve arrived at your station, you can dive into your next family vacation idea in Vancouver.