Your Summer 2023 Vancouver Outdoors Bucket List

May 24, 2023

5 min read

Three people kayaking on calm water with a city skyline in the background during daylight.

Summer in Vancouver is all about getting outside to enjoy the sunshine. Add hiking, hitting the beach, seeing whales and lots more to your summer 2023 Vancouver outdoors bucket list.

Get Up High in the Mountains

It’s easy to get to the mountaintops in Vancouver. Hop on the Grouse Mountain Skyride or the Sea to Sky Gondola and enjoy the views as it whisks you up to the peaks. At the top, you can grab lunch with a view or go for an easy hike on the walking trails. There are also lots of incredible viewpoints to explore.

Sunlight shining through trees onto a wooden viewing platform overlooking a lake and mountains in the distance.

Have a Beach Day

Vancouver is nearly surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, so it’s no surprise that there are tons of beaches in our city to relax on the sand, play volleyball, or go for a swim. If you prefer freshwater, don’t worry – we have lakes to swim in too!

Crowded sandy beach with people sitting, walking, and playing near water, with tall buildings and trees in the background.

Hike to Incredible Views

Summer is the best time to hike in Vancouver. Challenge yourself with one of the difficult trails on our list of the best summer hikes around Vancouver. Or pick one of our easy summer hikes for a less sweaty outing. If you’re into wildflowers, schedule one of these wildflower hikes for July or August. FYI: Summer in the mountains doesn’t start until early July – expect to encounter snow before then. Read our tips for safe summer hiking before you go.

Three people hiking on rocky terrain with a lake and forested mountains in the background.

Go Whale-Watching

With orcas living just offshore and thousands of whales migrating past each season, Vancouver is a great place to go whale watching. From March to October, you can see orcas (also known as killer whales), humpback whales, grey whales, minke whales, and Pacific white-sided dolphins. Whale-watching tours leave from docks at Granville Island and Richmond. You can also book packages that include a scenic seaplane flight to Victoria along with whale watching.

A yellow whale-watching boat named Prince of Whales with passengers observing orcas swimming in calm ocean water.

Enjoy the Blooms

In Vancouver, the warm weather brings gorgeous flowers. In late June and early July, local lavender farms explode into a symphony of purple. August and September are sunflower season, with huge fields of bright yellow blooms.

Field of sunflowers with bright yellow petals under soft sunlight and blurred trees in the background.

Bike the Seawall

Vancouver’s seawall is the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path. It runs for 28 km from Coal Harbour, around Stanley Park, and then beside False Creek. The best way to see it is by bike. Nearby shops make it easy to rent a bike.

Curved waterfront path with two people jogging, rocky shoreline, boats docked in marina, and city buildings in the background.

Brave the Capilano Suspension Bridge

The Capilano Suspension Bridge has been swinging 70 m (230 ft) above the Capilano River canyon for over 100 years. Stroll across the 137-metre-long (450-foot) bridge and the cantilevered walkways of the Cliffwalk and marvel at the river rushing below. Or get a squirrel’s eye view on the Treetops Adventure. It includes seven suspension bridges that let you walk through the forest canopy.

Long wooden suspension bridge with metal railings over a forested valley at sunrise or sunset.

Get Out on the Water

Some of the best views of Vancouver’s skyline are from the water. Sign up for a kayak or stand-up paddleboard tour and explore the shoreline under your own power. Or sit back and relax on a boat cruise. If you’re on a budget, you can combine sightseeing and transportation into the same adventure with a trip on the Seabus, Aquabus Ferry, or False Creek Ferry.

Small red and white water taxi on a lake with city buildings and sailboats in the background under a clear sky.

Attend a Game

Relax in the sunshine with a hot dog in hand as you cheer on Vancouver’s best athletes at an outdoor game. Book tickets to a BC Lions football game, Vancouver Whitecaps FC soccer game or Vancouver Canadians baseball game.