Visit Vancouver

ASBMR is excited to host our Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC, Canada, for the first time! Listed in TIME's World's Greatest Places, Vancouver offers an abundance of activities for everyone. Below you can find a list of highlights from Destination Vancouver, as well as tips from our very own ASBMR member David Kendler, a local Vancouverite. 

Destination Vancouver: 

• Grouse Mountain, The Peak of Vancouver - located in North Vancouver, an approximately 30-minute transfer from the Convention Centre. Grouse Mountain is a premium four-season attraction, with shuttle service every 30 minutes from Canada Place (located right outside the Convention Centre). 
• Stanley Park Seawall - an impressive 8.8-kilometer (5.5 mile) paved route that loops around the park and, along with adjourning seaside pathways, connects the part to downtown Vancouver and skirts its entire inner waterfront (accumulatively, it's a 28-km path around the city's waterfront! Check out the map here: Vancouver Seawall Map 
• Science World British Columbia - located in the False Creek area, an approximately 15-minute transfer from the Convention Centre. BC's premiere science center features hands-on exhibits and activities guaranteed to entertain and educate. Current exhibit highlights include "James Cameron - Challenging the Deep" & "Trailblazing - Women in Canada since 1867"
• Vancouver Aquarium - located in Stanley Park, an approximately 15-minute transfer from the Convention Centre. The Vancouver Aquarium is home to thousands of incredible ocean species and amazing aquatic life. 

David Kendler, a local ASBMR Vancouverite

Favorite Restaurants close to the Convention Centre - 

• Miku - Japanese restaurant that serves high-end Japanese food including excellent sushi with a view out over the water, Canada Place, and the North Shore. 
• L'Abattoir - French restaurant requires a short stroll through Gastown - you will be rewarded with excellent French cuisine.
• Water Street Cafe - Pacific Northwest cuisine with a view of passersby in Gastown.
• Cardaro's - A unique restaurant by the water serving excellent Seafood.

Restaurants a short ride from the Convention Centre - 

• Seasons in Queen Elizabeth Park - This is an all-time favorite. I regularly take visitors to dine here with a view of the city and the North Shore Mountains. Queen Elizabeth Park is a large city park, capturing magnificent views - there is also a botanical garden. 
• Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie - Vancouver has a very large Chinese diaspora and this is a good example of Taiwanese cuisine with small plates to share. Because of the large Asian population, Chinese culture in Vancouver is less adapted to he North American taste and will allow you to experience regional Chinese cuisine.
• Richmond Chinese Restaurants - Vancouver Airport is on an island across the water from Richmond, one of the largest Chinese communities in North America. The Skytrain from waterfront will take you all the way to Richmond where there are innumerable Chinese restaurants serving everything from noodles, dim sum, seafood and much more. At some of the restaurants, you will have to request an English language menu unless you can read Chinese characters. 
• Bluewater Cafe - This upscale seafood restaurant is in "Yaletown", a short taxi ride from the Convention Centre. Though pricey, the seafood here is some of the best in the city.

Tourist Things to Do -

• Gondola to the top of Grouse Mountain - Access from the North Shore. There is a bus transfer from downtown Vancouver and even the public bus which will take you to the base. At the top there are spectacular views looking south over the city, as well as some walks along trails at the mountaintop. There is a restaurant with a wonderful terrace to sit and have a drink.
• Capilano Canyon Suspension Bridge - Also on the North Shore with a bus from downtown Vancouver to take you there. The suspension bridge crosses a very deep gorge amid the beautiful nature of the North Shore mountains.
• Stanley Park Seawall - This is a MUST! The seawall follows the coast around Stanley Park, one of the largest city parks in North America. Walking it will take you two or three hours; you can rent a bicycle (even an electric bicycle) and cycle around in under an hour.
• Stanley Park Aquarium - This is one of the largest aquariums in North America and allows you to see a lot of the native fish which live in the sea around Vancouver
• Shopping on Robson Street - This is The Street with all the designer shops and numerous cafes and restaurants. It is a short walk from the Convention Centre.
• Hotel Vancouver (Fairmont Hotel Vancouver) - This historic hotel is one of a series of hotels across Canada, constructed to accommodate people travelling by rail across the country. 
• Granville Island, False Creek Ferry - Granville Island, under the Granville Street bridge bordering False Creek is a large complex with craft boutiques and a large Farmer’s market. The market is right by the water’s edge capturing spectacular views of the False Creek bridges and North Shore mountains. There are plenty of restaurants and casual eating places available here. Small ferryboats traverse False Creek taking you up False Creek or across to the Stanley Park beaches. There is a walking/cycling trail all the way around False Creek by the seaside.
• Seabus to North Vancouver, Lonsdale Quay - There is a large passenger ferry boat which moves you from waterfront (beside the convention centre) across the Burrard Inlet landing at Lonsdale on the North Shore. This is part of the transit system and used by many commuters but does afford nice views of the North Shore mountains and the Vancouver city coastline. Lonsdale has a market and is a bus terminus for destinations on the North Shore.
• Jericho Beach - Jericho is one of a string of Vancouver beaches along the south shore of English Bay extending all the way to the University of British Columbia campus. Though the water is cool year-round, on hot summer days Jericho is a popular destination. You can capture excellent views of the North Shore mountains and the city in the distance while walking on the sand between giant logs washed up from the sea.
• Anthropology Museum - The Vancouver region has a rich history of indigenous (First Nations) culture and art. This museum has an excellent display of artifacts and indigenous art. Across the street is the University of British Columbia campus, which is one of the most beautiful settings for a university.
• Gondola in Squamish - Squamish is a town on the coast, about one hour north of Vancouver along the “Sea to Sky Highway.” The highway is one of the most beautiful road trips in North America. Squamish was originally a logging town; it maintains some of the character of the past with lumberjacks actively logging the forests. More recently it has become a destination for kayaking, paddleboard and river rafting. There is a gondola to take you to the top of the mountain for spectacular views.
• Gondola in Whistler - Whistler is one of the premier ski resorts in North America popular both in the summertime and the winter. The drive from Squamish will take you about 45 minutes through some beautiful mountain scenery. In Whistler there are many restaurants, shops, and pubs. The gondola to the top of the mountain operates year-round and there are many trails both at the bottom and at the top of the mountain for hiking.

For more ideas regarding restaurants and site-seeing in Vancouver, visit the Vancouver Convention Center’s web site.