The city where you can ski, swim and visit a film set in one day

Seven wonders within Vancouver, Canada

Framed by the shimmering Pacific and snow-capped peaks, this glass-and-steel metropolis manages to feel both cosmopolitan and wildly untamed. Vancouver may be renowned for its outdoor destinations, but this Canadian adventure hub also has plenty of indoor riches.

1 Get a kick out of Vancouver’s World Cup venue

Canada will play two of its three matches in the FIFA World Cup 2026, which begins on June 11 at BC Place and home fans will raise the roof – even though this stadium already has a retractable one. Built in the 1980s on the edge of a waterway, away from the CBD, it has since been enveloped by the entertainment precinct of Yaletown, and is now literally around the corner from some of Vancouver’s liveliest bars. There is also a sculpture memorial outside the stadium, dedicated to a young local athlete who had part of his leg amputated and founded a “Marathon of Hope” to raise awareness for cancer. His story is profoundly moving. See destinationvancouver.com; bcplace.com

2 Take a stroll through stunning Stanley Park

Locals take pride in directing visitors to Stanley Park, the city’s largest urban park boasting 400 hectares of natural rainforest, beaches and diverse wildlife. It’s also a bike rider’s paradise, with the choice of hugging the seawall or venturing inland under the canopy. The rainforest provides a lush backdrop to the beaches scattered around the park. And then there’s the Hollow Tree, an ancient red cedar tree stump with a cavity so large that cars and even an elephant have squeezed inside it. The park is also home to an installation of First Nations art and totem poles, giving an insight to a different history of Indigenous peoples. See destinationvancouver.com

3 Go beyond smoked salmon and maple syrup on Granville Island

Every big city claims its main food market is next level. Granville Island public market is more intimate than “next level”, and all the more enjoyable. Its array of artisan smallgoods and home-grown delicacies is offered up with a cosy warmth and local pride. The Canadian obsession with maple syrup and salmon combine for smoked salmon jerky, and maple syrup glazed salmon nuggets. Sample cranberry buffalo pepperoni and cinnamon records – large discs of crispy flaky pastry. Better still, take a foodie tour of the market, with a progressive meal thrown in, and ask for Manuela, a professional actress full of flair and fun, to be your guide. See granvilleisland.com

4 Get a bird’s-eye view of Vancouver on a scenic flight

Whether it’s a four-seater or something larger, Vancouver’s seaplane fleet adds another dimension to the city’s urban transit culture. Locals use them as taxis to get from the city to other parts of British Columbia, businesses choose them to deliver freight and tourists love the 30-minute joy flights that soar high above the harbour, delivering a glorious drone’s-eye view of the city. On any given day the sky is filled with small craft buzzing between a dozen destinations along the coast, including flights to Seattle across the border, which may come in handy for those wanting a quick connection to see matches during the World Cup. See destinationvancouver.com

5 Head for a year-round Grouse experience

The city’s most visited year-round attraction is at heart a ski resort but offers so much more. In winter, in addition to the ski runs, Grouse Mountain has a Light Walk, outdoor skating pond and snowshoeing. When the weather warms up, you can ride a zipline over the back valley or take a lift to the top of a wind turbine and stand in its glass viewing booth. But my highlight is seeing the pair of grizzlies padding about in their refuge. In spring, you can drive to Grouse, see the bears, ski down the slopes and get back to the city in time for a swim. See grousemountain.com

6 Savour the suspense of the Capilano Bridge

Suspended 70 metres above a river and forest canopy, this stunning wooden suspension bridge spans 137 metres over the Capilano River. You need to hang on to the side as you cross because the volume of traffic makes it sway significantly. Once across, you can walk around a series of seven mini-suspension bridges among the treetops. On the home side, there’s a dramatic walk around the side of the cliff. A young man once proposed to his girlfriend on the walk but the ring slipped from his fingers to the bottom of the canyon. Park rangers sent a team to look for the ring and, amazingly, found it. See capbridge.com

7 Behold a touch of Gotham on the harbour

This art deco masterpiece near the port was the city’s tallest building for nearly a decade after its opening in 1930. The Marine Building’s architects said it was intended to evoke “some great crag rising from the sea, clinging with sea flora and fauna, tinted in sea-green, touched with gold”.

They achieved this by using a ship’s prow as lighting and decorating the lobby with intricately carved sea life, while the walls are inlaid with 12 varieties of local hardwoods. The effect is absolutely stunning, rivalling the best of Manhattan’s art deco lobbies, and making it a magnet for shooting for Gotham-era films, including The Flash, Fantastic Four, Batwoman and Smallville. See destinationvancouver.com

The writer travelled as a guest of Destination Vancouver.