Christmas Time Vancouver B.C.
OH CANADA, how you’re so magical this time of year.
Living in Seattle, Cameron and I love taking quick weekend trips up to our northern neighbors. Whether it’s for the night or just the day, you’ll find so many fun and festive holiday activities to do this time of year.
Our favorite Canadian Christmastime adventures are listed below!
VISIT GROUSE MOUNTAIN
After your 8 mintue ride up the tram, you arrive in a winter wonderland.
Complete with real reindeer, Santa’s workshop, an ice skating rink, zip lining, a lodge with multiple restaurants & a movie theater playing Christmas classics, lifts for skiing and snowboarding, a light walk (lights turn on at 4:00pm), sledding, and even a wind turbine that can be toured. SO MUCH TO DO. Activity hours vary, so check out Grouse Mountain’s Website to help plan you trip and activities.
Our favorite part of visiting Grouse Mountain was skating on the ice rink. You can bring your own ice skates and skate for free, or rent a pair for $8 CAD. Remember ice hockey is a national sport in Canada, so don’t be intimated by the professional adjacent ice skaters.
VISIT THE VANCOUVER CHRISTMAS MARKET
For $10 spend the evening at this German inspired holiday market.
Meet your friends and prost to good times, purchase an ornament from Käthe Wohlfahrt, or grab a glass of gluehwein and watch the live music atop the lift sized Christmas pyramid.
PRO TIPS: Go early, we arrived about 4:00pm and the lines were negligible however, when we left around 6:00pm the lines were a tad crazy. Cash is only accepted at the ticket booth, but you can do what we did and purchase your tickets on your phone while in line. The tickets were emailed to me and I was able to have them download on my phone to scan before we got to the entrance.
GRAB A DRINK AT THE FAIRMONT PACIFIC RIM
Try one of the many holiday drinks. Cameron highly recommends the Feliz Navidad, it’s even vegan! Made with tequila, rum, Amaro (herbal liqueur), horchata (made with rice milk and agave syrup), and Christmas spices. It’s for sure a festive drink. Hang by the fire and warm up after a day on the mountain. If you decided to stay for the weekend, this is a great place to stay. I also recommend the Fairmount Waterfront.
GO CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
With exchange rates it’s a great time for Americans to shop in Canada. For stays shorter than 48 hours, each person can bring back $200 worth of goods back duty free.
Or grab a ton of items you can’t get in the US, like Smarties, Ketchup Lay’s, or maple syrup.
CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE PARK
I feel like this is one of the most popular activities in all of Vancouver B.C. and for good reason. Just a few minutes down the road from Grouse Mountain, go at dusk this time of year to explore the park with daylight, but once night time falls you’ll be able to experience Canyon Lights.
PROTIP: If you do Grouse Mountain, save the tram ticket, as there is a $2 off coupon on the back for the suspension bridge.
MORE PRO TIPS:
• Longer boarder crossing times and heavier traffic into Vancouver B.C. can be expected during rush hour and weekends.
• Make sure you bring your passport
• Most cell phone plans allow for talk and text in Canada & Mexico for no additional fee, but check with your provider before traveling.
• Be aware if any of your credit cards charge international fees.
• If you drive outside of the city Vancouver B.C. be aware that many highways require you to have snow tires (Mud + Snow) or chains are required from October 1st to March 31st. For more information head to British Columbia’s information website.
