How to Spend a day in Vancouver before your Alaska cruise
Vancouver is one of the most wonderful cities in the world – it’s incredible food and outdoor adventure as well as museums and shopping against the backdrop of the Salish Sea and the Coast Mountains make it a feature of your Alaska cruise, not merely a transition point if you’re lucky enough to be sailing from here.
I’m a born and raised Seattleite and I also work in the Alaska visitor industry and have spent a lot of time in Vancouver – I now how much more relaxed you’ll be if you arrive the day before your cruise and don’t have to stress out about making it on time and I know how much you’ll love Vancouver!
If you have more time to spend, check out even more of my recommendations for Vancouver, as well as my Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle week long itinerary.
- Where to stay in Vancouver
- What to do with your luggage
- Getting around Vancouver
- Walkable and transit urban adventures
- Outdoor Adventures
Where to stay in Vancouver the night before your cruise
If you’re in Vancouver for a cruise, I highly recommend staying either downtown or near the airport. It may be tempting to save some money by staying further away in the suburbs or in a neighborhood vacation rental but that will be really frustrating for a one night stay or for a multi night stay if you want to focus your visit on the downtown area.
Staying in a hotel is also a big benefit because they’ll store your luggage for you before check in or after check out. Consider booking your hotel through the cruise line, it’s likely to be a bit less expensive and have more availability than you’ll find available to the public.
I love the Fairmont Waterfront because of it’s absolutely ideal location, fun rooftop garden and pool and the wonderful restaurant that focuses on local food.
Use this map to compare hotels and vacation rentals across different neighborhoods (this is an affiliate link which means if you book here I receive a small commission at no cost to you) I highly recommend staying downtown or near the airport for convenience and minimal luggage handling:
What to do with your luggage while exploring Vancouver
If you’re staying in a hotel nearby, hotels will store you luggage for you before check in or after check out giving you freedom in exploring the city.
If you book a tour through your cruise line that includes an airport or hotel transfer, they will manage your luggage for you.
If you’re on your own and not staying at a hotel or taking a tour that includes luggage handling, take advantage of the luggage storage available in Canada Place Cruise Terminal. This is only an option for the day, not overnight – make sure to pick up your bags well before the closing time of 5pm.
Getting around Vancouver
Downtown Vancouver and the waterfront area are very walkable, which make that a great base for exploring the city. The city bus and Skytrain are great ways to around the city and back and forth to the airport.
Vancouver also has taxis, rideshares and several bike rental locations near Stanley Park
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Best things to do with your day in Vancouver
Walkable and transit friendly urban adventures
If you want to stay in the city and focus on city things, Vancouver is very walkable for those who are comfortable walking. There’s great public transit in Vancouver for those not interested in walking.
Some sights you don’t want to miss include:
- Wandering the historic Gastown neighborhood near the cruise terminal
- Riding the pedestrian false creek ferry
- Eating and shopping your way through the Granville Island Public Market
- Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coastal Art – a celebration of First Nations Art and Culture
- Flyover Canada – at the Canada Place Cruise Terminal – this immersive movie experience takes you virtually across the vast and diverse country of Canada
- Chinese Canadian Museum – learn about Chinese culture in Canada in one of North America’s largest Chinatowns
Outdoor adventures in Vancouver
If you’re outdoorsy, you’ll be in heaven in Vancouver, where outdoor adventure is abundant including right in town.
Rent a bike to ride around the 9 mile loop of Stanley Park, or go for a walk among the park’s old growth trees. Vancouver has many beautiful beaches where you can spend the afternoon or catch a sunset.
You can also rent a kayak, or take the shuttle from Canada Place to Grouse Mountain and take a gondola up the side of a mountain for incredible views and hiking opportunities. You can also visit the resident bears in their mountain habitat or rope up for the ropes course or zipline. Grouse Mountain is a ski area in winter and there may still be snow at the summit through the end of June.
There’s also a shuttle to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park from Canada Place. Capilano is Vancouver’s famous historic suspension bridge, with plenty of treehouse-like walkways and trails on the ground too.
For an epic day of driving and exploring, rent a car and head up the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler or book a tour that takes you along the route. The drive is truly spectacular, with gorgeous mountains to your right and Howe Sound to your left. Make sure to stop in Squamish for coffee, lunch or happy hour, the Sea to Sky Gondola and Shannon Falls and of course take the Peak2Peak gondola in Whistler!
Final Thoughts
If you’re not planning to stay overnight in Vancouver, make your exploration day after disembarkation when you can take advantage of the luggage storage available at Canada Place.
I always recommend arriving in your embarkation port the night before any cruise – staying overnight in a hotel near the port will allow you to leave your luggage at the hotel before check in so you can explore the city without your bags and reduce the chances of missing your cruise or not having your luggage!
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