Staying in Vancouver extra day: morning suggestions

[Silverspringcruiser]

If we can only drop off our bags but can't get into our hotel room (which is likely) what can we do before everything opens? The obvious answer is go have breakfast (or second breakfast). But is there something else to do? It will be Canada Day, if that matters.

[martincath]

Canada Day in recent years hasn't made a massive impact - and even if we get a firework show, in the morning it will have virtually no impact at all (as the afternoon goes on, it's common to see folks start staking out good viewing spots along the Seawall for fireworks many hours in advance of the ~10pm show).

 

So basically Canada Place itself will be hoaching all day (entertainment schedule should appear here once firmed up, check the 2023 one currently still there to give you an idea of the sort of stuff that happens) and traffic annoyances from street closure basically just between the pier and Olympic cauldron. Since it's a Monday this year, transit schedules will drop to Weekend levels which might add a few minutes if you try and go places, but generally all the touristy things are exempt from closures on public holidays, so as long as you don't want to spend a day shopping it should pretty much feel like a regular Saturday anywhere that isn't very close next to the pier, except that there will probably be a lot more flags displayed around town.

 

Back to the core of your question - you seem to have already noticed we are not a town of early opening attractions! Assuming you dined onboard well enough to last you for a few hours at least, I'd suggest hitting parks - very few are gated, so if the suns up you can enjoy them. Especially if you wanted to go for a lengthy loop around Stanley on the Seawall, right after dropping your bags at your hotel is ideal - it's at least 5 miles plus getting to the entrance from your hotel, so doing that before the day warms up too much is a good idea. Your hotel might have free bikes - quite a few do, and not just the superfancy ones - and as checked-in guests you should be able to borrow them even if your room isn't ready yet. If not, consider renting a bike - they're especially handy for the Seawall, basically tripling your travel speed for less calories expended!

 

Other than 'do parks first' it really comes down to your taste in what to do - you know you and those you're travelling with a lot better than I ever could! We've got so many options - and like I said, virtually nothing touristy will be closed for the holiday - that it's all about prioritising the things which are most likely to be popular for you. TripAdvisor is a great starting point to see what Joe Q Public mostly thinks are the best things to do overall.

[Silverspringcruiser]

Thanks. I had to see if "hoaching" was a typo. I see it means swarming. I was thinking of going to back to Canada Place, but from last year's schedule it looks like nothing start until 11. I did see that the Vancouver Art Gallery opens at 10 and that will only be about 1/3 mile (1/2 km) from our hotel.

 

I should also add that we're also spending 2 days in Vancouver before the cruise, so we'll probably have already done some morning tourist activities, like a bus tour or Granville Market.