Activities To Enjoy Alone In Vancouver

Vancouver is a city that has not only many attractions and cool neighborhoods but also a gorgeous coastline and snowy mountains. It’s a great Canadian city to explore solo. Here are just some activities you can enjoy alone.

Eat ice cream

In the summertime, Vancouver locals love to eat ice cream. Fortunately, it’s an activity you can definitely enjoy solo. Make it an adventure and visit Earnest Ice Cream and then check out Science World and Olympic Village. Or you can head out to Port Moody and enjoy Rocky Point Ice Cream at picturesque Rocky Point Park. Explore Vancouver’s historical neighborhood Gastown, and visit either Soft Peaks or Twisted Ice Cream. Finally, if you don’t mind waiting, award-winning Bella Gelateria is one of the most popular options in downtown Vancouver.

Head to the beach

Vancouver hugs the West Coast, so there is an abundance of beautiful beaches. Some popular choices include First, Second, and Third Beaches around Stanley Park. Next is English Bay Beach, which can get very busy during lovely weekend days. Kits Beach is another popular option, and Kitsilano is a great neighborhood to explore following a day of sun and sea. Another option for some adventurous alone time is Wreck Beach, a clothing-optional beach and the largest naturist beach in North America.

Relax in a coffee shop

A great solo activity in any city is relaxing in a coffee shop—no matter what the season—and either reading a book or people-watching. Because Vancouver has such a focus on local products, you can expect to find some fantastic independent coffee shops around the city. 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters is a favorite with locals, due to their coffee, perfect Main Street location, and delicious Lucky’s Doughnuts made on-site. For serious coffee lovers, Revolver selectively sources beans from across the world and has different coffee flights for sampling.

1. Visit Queen Elizabeth Park

Park

“Queen Elizabeth Park is home to some of the most beautiful and well-maintained gardens in the world.” There are three big differences between this park and its counterpart in Stanley Park. Firstly, Queen Elizabeth Park stands at the highest elevation in Vancouver, which means stunning views of the city, backdropped by the snowy mountains of North Vancouver. Secondly, Stanley Park doesn’t have manicured gardens. Finally, Bloedel Conservatory is an indoor tropical paradise. Over 120 birds fly free inside the dome, and there are over 500 exotic plants and flowers thriving in the temperature-controlled environment.

Spend time in a museum

Visiting museums may be the best solo activity, and fortunately, Vancouver does have a few fascinating institutions. The H.R. MacMillan Space Centre is all about astronomy education. The Museum of Anthropology houses one of the world’s finest collections of Northwest Coast First Nations Art inside an award-winning building. Science World is a great hands-on museum, while Burnaby Village Museum will have you stepping back in time to the 1920s.