20 Can’t Miss Hidden Gems in Vancouver

Vancouver is a stunning Canadian city that’s filled with fascinating cultural attractions and surrounded by beautiful mountains and forests. There’s no shortage of popular sights to enjoy, such as the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Vancouver Art Gallery, but if you want to beat the crowds and see some of the city’s lesser-known attractions, you should avoid the guided tours and set out exploring on your own.

This travel guide highlights 20 must-visit Vancouver hidden gems you can’t afford to miss if you love to wander off the beaten path.

1. VanDusen Garden’s Elizabethan Hedge Maze

• Website: vandusengarden.org
• Address: VanDusen Botanical Garden, 5251 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6M 4H1
• Opening hours: November – February: 10 am – 2 pm / March – April: 10 am 5 pm / May: 9 am – 6 pm / June – August: 9 am – 7 pm / September – October: 9 am – 5 pm

There are only six Elizabethan hedge mazes in North America, and the VanDusen Garden has one of them. Three thousand pyramidal cedars comprise the maze, which was planted in 1981. The Garden also has 55 acres of beautiful grounds to explore, so give yourself a few hours to embark on a self-guided tour.

2. The Marine Building

• Address: 355 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2G8
• Opening hours: 8.30 am – 5 pm Monday to Friday

The Marine Building is a fantastic example of Art Deco architecture and style. It was designed to evoke the image of a rock rising up from the sea, and it’s finished in exquisite detail with marine-themed doors, sconces, and walls. You’re free to wander around daily when the main doors are open.

3. Cambie Climbing Tree

South of Downtown Vancouver is the Cambie Corridor, where a renowned evergreen tree in a residential area offers fantastic views of the city. The exact location is kept secret to minimize crowds, but you can begin your search by heading south from King Edward Skytrain Station.

4. The Original Japadog

• Address: 899 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 3G5
• Website: japadog.com
• Opening hours: 10.30 am – 9.30 pm daily

Japadog combines classic American hotdogs with a variety of Japanese toppings and the results are delicious. It’s a fantastic example of the Asian-fusion food that the international city of Vancouver does so well. There are several Japadog trucks and brick-and-mortar eateries throughout the city, but the original, which opened in 2005, can be found on Burrard Street.

5. Vancouver Police Museum

• Address: 240 E. Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1L3
• Website: www.vancouverpolicemuseum.ca
• Opening hours: 10 am – 5 pm Thursday to Saturday / 12 pm – 5 pm Sunday

Nestled between the historic neighborhoods of Gastown and Chinatown is the Vancouver Police Museum. This fascinating place is housed inside a historic building that once served as the city’s coroner’s court, morgue, and autopsy facility. There are over 30,000 rare artifacts, documents, and photos on display here to help you learn about the history of crime, justice, and policing in Vancouver from the 1800s to the present day.

6. Neon Vancouver Ugly Vancouver

• Address: Museum of Vancouver, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC V6J 3J9
• Website: museumofvancouver.ca/neon-vancouver
• Opening hours: 10 am – 5 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Sunday / 10 am – 8 pm Thursday, Friday & Saturday

Around 19,000 neon signs illuminated the streets of Vancouver in the 1950s, but many considered them to look cheap and tawdry, and there was a pushback against them over the following two decades. Vancouver was gradually regenerated into a green, natural metropolis, but the Museum of Vancouver documents the city’s vivid neon history in its fun Neon Vancouver Ugly Vancouver exhibit.

7. Vancouver’s Offbeat Sculptures and Statues

Vancouver is a creative, artistic city, and you’ll spot street art all over the place. Here are some offbeat sculptures and statues to look out for.

Reclining Figure

Address: Dude Chilling (Guelph) Park, 2390 Brunswick St, Vancouver, BC V5T 3L8

Michael Dennis’ 1991 sculpture, ‘Reclining Figure,’ in Geulph Park became so popular that Mount Pleasant locals began to refer to the park as ‘Dude Chilling Park.’ An unofficial sign was erected renaming the park in 2012, but it was removed by the city parks department, much to the chagrin of locals. Two years later, the sign was re-erected as an official art piece.

Girl In a Wetsuit

Address: Stanley Park Seawall Path, Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2

‘Girl In a Wetsuit’ started life as a copy of Copenhagen’s ‘Little Mermaid,’ but when Vancouver was sued for copyright infringement, she was updated with a snorkel mask and fins. Look out for it from the seawall path in the West End’s Stanley Park.

Giants

Address: Ocean Concrete worksite, 1415 Johnston Street, Granville Island, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9

Brazilian artists Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo have painted six silos on the former industrial area of Granville Island. They’re now colorful, cheerful giants overlooking False Creek and the Ocean Concrete plant.

Inukshuk

Address: 1750 Beach Ave, Vancouver, BC V6G 0A8

This 6-meter granite statue is a striking Inuit monument. Structures of its kind are traditionally used as landmarks and navigational aids, but they also symbolize hospitality and friendship.

The Drop

Address: 1055 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC V6C 0C3

‘The Drop’ is an impressive 65-foot-tall water droplet that serves as a reminder of the relationship between the Pacific Northwest and its waterways.

Digital Orca

Address: 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC V6C 0C3

This 25-foot-tall statue is smaller than a real orca, but it’s no less impressive. Its pixelated design gives the impression that it has leaped straight out of a video game.

8. The 9 O’Clock Gun

• Address: Stanley Park Dr, Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2
• Opening hours: Fires at 9 pm

This old British canon, situated on the Stanley Park seawall, was originally installed over a century ago to help locals keep time. It’s fired at 9 pm every evening.

9. The Sam Kee (Jack Chow) Building

Address: 8 W Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1R3

The Sam Kee Building is just 6 feet 2 inches deep and is considered the shallowest freestanding commercial building in the world. After its original 1920s construction, it contained public baths, a barber shop, offices, and stores. Today, the building is owned by Jack Chow Insurance and is known by that name.

10. Wing Sang Building

Address: 51 East Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1S9

The Wing Sang Building is one of the oldest in Vancouver’s Chinatown. The year of its creation, 1889, is painted on its facade. It’s also known for its unusual door on the second floor, which appears to lead to nowhere. The building now houses the Rennie Collection of contemporary art.

11. Mountain View Cemetery

• Address: 5455 Fraser Street, Vancouver, BC V5W 2Z3
• Website: vancouver.ca/mountainview
• Opening hours: 8.30 am – 4 pm daily

Mountain View is the only cemetery in Vancouver, and over 200,000 Vancouverites have been laid to rest here. This beautiful cemetery covers 106 acres and is an important piece of Vancouver’s history.

12. Science World Station

Address: 1455 Quebec St, Vancouver, BC V6A 3Z7

The first ever streetcar in Vancouver ran between Granville Island and Science World, and it was designed to serve as a demo for future streetcar expansion throughout Downtown. It ran as a tourist attraction from 1998 until 2011, when funding cuts closed it down. Much of the old track was removed, but the Science World Station remains a relic.

13. Alternative Beaches

English Bay Beach and Kitsilano Beach are where many tourists and locals flock to soak up the sun, but here are two hidden gems for those who want to avoid the crowds.

Jerico Beach

• Address: 1515 Discovery St, Vancouver, BC V6R 4K5
• Hours: 7 am – dusk

Jericho Beach lies west of Kits Beach and is a popular spot for kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, and barbecuing in the summer. It offers excellent views of the North Shore Mountains.

Wreck Beach

• Address: 6572 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
• Hours: 7 am – dusk

Wreck Beach sits on the edge of the University of British Columbia campus at the end of a steep staircase. It’s a wonderfully wild beach that overlooks the Strait of Georgia.

14. Nitobe Memorial Garden

• Address: 1895 Lower Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
• Website: botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/visit/nitobe-memorial-garden
• Opening hours: November – March: 10 am – 2 pm / April – October: 10 am – 4.30 pm (closed Mondays)

Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park is often considered one of the best places to escape into nature, but Nitobe Memorial Garden is a true hidden gem. It’s a traditional Japanese garden situated on the UBC campus — you can drop into the UBC Botanical Gardens and the Greenheart Treewalk when you visit.

15. Habitat Island

Address: 1616 Columbia Street, Vancouver, BC V5Y 0E5

Habitat Island, known as ‘Beer Island’ by locals, is an urban nature sanctuary in False Creek. Native trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses have been planted on the island and along the waterfront path to provide a safe habitat for small animals, insects, and marine life.

16. La Casa Gelato

• Address: 1033 Venables St, Vancouver, BC V6A 3R9
• Opening hours: 1 pm – 10 pm daily

This gelato store has made it into the Guinness World Record books for carrying the most flavors at any one time. More than 588 flavors have been created in La Casa Gelato, including many oddities such as aloe vera, curry, and cheddar and apple.

17. Horseshoe Bay

Horseshoe Bay is a seaside village in West Vancouver and is a wonderful place for a picnic and peace and quiet. It also marks the start of the popular Sea-to-Sky Highway that connects Vancouver with Whistler. It’s worth dropping by if you’re headed for a day trip to Vancouver Island.

18. Fraser River Park

Address: 8705 Angus Dr, Vancouver, BC V6P 6G2

Fraser River Park has rolling lawns, tree-lined pathways, and fantastic views of the Fraser River. The boardwalk here moves in and out of marshlands and beaches, and it’s a fantastic place to watch the sunset. You’re far from central Vancouver here, but you could drop by on your way to Richmond, which is just a little further south.

19. Creekside Park

• Address: 1455 Quebec St, Vancouver, British Columbia V6A 3Z7 Canada
• Opening hours: 6 am – 10 pm daily

Creekside Park is adjacent to Science World and home to Vancouver’s largest playground. The climbing structures are inspired by nature, and there’s a tube slide and zipline for the kids to enjoy.

20. Honey Doughnuts & Goodies

• Address: 4373 Gallant Avenue, North Vancouver, BC V7G 1L1
• Website: honeydoughnuts.com
• Opening hours: 6 am – 5 pm daily

There are many fantastic cafes and bakeries in Vancouver, but the soft, fluffy doughnuts at Honey’s have been endorsed by the likes of Kate Winslet, Jennifer Lopez, and Ryan Gosling. Drop by for brunch or lunch when you’re in North Vancouver.

Discover Your Favorite Secret Spots in Vancouver

These are some of the best hidden gems in Vancouver, but you may discover even more secret spots when you start exploring this exciting city for yourself.