12 Free and Cheap Date Ideas to Try in Vancouver
Vancouver is a beautiful city, but it is also known as one of the most expensive cities in North America. Fortunately, going on a date with your special someone doesn’t have to break the bank. Check out these fun free and cheap date ideas for Vancouver couples.
1. Visit a night market
Market, Canadian
2. Go to a brewery
Brewery
3. Wander around Granville Island
5. Go hiking
6. Have a laugh
Vancouver TheatreSports™ League is the city’s number one improv comedy company. They do 11 shows a week, 52 weeks a year, entertaining more than 60,000 people along the way. Join the crowd and have a laugh alongside your loved one. Regular adult tickets range from $15.75 to $24.25. However, on Sundays, they are discounted to $8.75 for the 7:30 pm show. Current shows include OK Tinder—Swipe Right Comedy, Oh Canada—The True North Strong and Funny, and #NoFilter—The LOL of TMI.
Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, 1502 Duranleau Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, +1 604 738 7013
Picnic in the park
A picnic may be an old-school date option, but it’s also one of the best. Head to Queen Elizabeth Park to watch the sunset over the city. Alternatively, Stanley Park has a lot of beautiful picnic spots and also has free movies after sunset on Tuesdays in July and August, which would perfectly complement your picnic. A third option is Rocky Point Park in Port Moody. Its ice cream store, Rocky Point Ice Cream, is one of the cheapest and best in the Greater Vancouver Area.
Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Queen Elizabeth Park, 4600 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Rocky Point Park, 2800 Murray Street, Port Moody, BC, Canada
Board game night
Another date night favorite from past decades, you can enjoy board games at home or in one of Vancouver’s board game-friendly restaurants. Storm Crow Tavern is known as Vancouver’s original nerd bar, as it has an outstanding board game collection. The best part is that the food is reasonably priced, and they have weekly specials, so it’s still a cheap and fun date idea. Pizzeria Ludica is another option, as they have over 800 board games from which to choose!
Storm Crow Tavern, 1305 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC, Canada, +1 604 566 9669
Pizzeria Ludica, 189 Keefer Place, Vancouver, BC, Canada, +1 604 669 5552
7. Sunset at the beach
Park
8. See live music
Although going to a concert of a world-renowned musician will hurt the budget, there are many free and cheap live music performances happening across Vancouver every week. LiveVan is a great website, which lists many of the live music performances, including who, where, and how much it costs. There are also many pubs on Granville Street—and around Gastown—which feature live music weekly, such as the iconic The Roxy, which has been known for hosting the city’s best nights out for 27 years.
The Roxy Cabaret, 932 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, +1 604 331 7999
9. Salsa dancing
10. Stargaze at HR MacMillan Space Centre
The HR MacMillan Space Centre in Vancouver is “like no place on earth.” In the evening, it costs $13 for adults to experience both a Planetarium Star Theatre Show and the Gordon Southam Observatory. However, visiting only the Observatory is by donation. It’s open on Friday and Saturday nights from 8 pm to midnight. The Observatory features a half-meter Cassegrain telescope, which allows you to stargaze and observe the skies around Vancouver, alongside your date.
HR MacMillan Space Centre, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, +1 604 738 7827
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