CANADA
VANCOUVER
Closest Airport
Vancouver [YVR]
Queen Elizabeth Park and Botanical Gardens:
The park was at the top of the hill within the city. It has plenty of paid parking and good signage to find what you’re looking for. The Botanical Center has an indoor green house with all sorts of species and a kid-friendly path. The birds have clear labels and so do the plants so it’s easy to help littles navigate the space and learn.
Outside of the green house is a cute park with several gardens, quiet spots for a picnic and benches to enjoy the views. We went on a weekday and it was still very busy. It was a nice spot but there are plenty of beautiful areas around that make this lower on the list to revisit.
These iconic statues and the park around it were amazing to see through the eyes of a kid. The informational cards made it a great way to educate the little ones, even in simple terms. The area was crowded, so we kept the kiddos in the stroller so they didn’t get overwhelmed, but parking was easy to find. The bathroom had lines and wasn’t the most kid friendly, but was clean. Our daughter’s favorite part was seeing the horse drawn buggies driving around the perimeter and rolling in the grass.
Stanley Park Playgrounds & Stops:
There are some wonderful waterfront playgrounds inside the park complex. We flew into Seattle and had a drive up to Vancouver, so by the time we got there the kids needed to run around. The parks were a great way for them to get out and explore. Very clean, had picnic tables, restrooms and trash bins all nearby and gorgeous views.
There is a beautiful one right on the water that we spent over an hour in. There are bathrooms, picnic tables and shady trees right there as well.
Additionally they have a horse and carriage ride that circles through the park and makes for a fun afternoon to ride, but also to watch for. The girls were so excited to hear the horse bells jingle as we drove around they kept their eyes open to spot the carriage.
Access: Easy to get to but parking was very tight, arrive early or plan to walk a good distance to reach the entrance.
Layout: There is an inside and outside section, it is clearly marked and easy to navigate.
There are multiple levels so if you have a stroller you’ll need to be ready to carry it or find the elevators (which took a minute). Babywearing may be a good option.
Amenities: The exhibits are all very kid-friendly and kid height so they can see into the tanks. There is a kids play area where they can see different sea creatures, pretend to drive a boat and run around safely. It has a swing gate to mark the area but I would not bank on that keeping kids who are looking to get out from escaping so keep an eye on them.
There are lockers to store things that you don’t want to carry.
A nursing room is located on the lower level by the lockers and has two chairs, a large mirror, sink and good space to nurse in a quiet area.
Bathrooms have kid size toilets and either stools or low sinks to make it easy for kids to use the restrooms.
Closest Airport
Vancouver [YVR]
WHISTLER
Closest Airport
Vancouver [YVR]
Drive: An easy drive up from Vancouver the views en route are equally incredible as the actual destination. There are several places you can pull off and stop. There is a little gold mining town along the way, we didn’t stop but that would be a good break if little ones needed it.
Hikes: We did a short hike off the highway (about 30 min north of the city on the right) that led us to a beautiful waterfall). It was very short and our 2 year old was able to easily navigate the terrain, even though it was a little steep. It was mostly accessible for a stroller though we wore baby and think that was easier. There was a good amount of parking and pit toilets available. There were also several picnic tables.
Peak 2 Peak: We did the Peak 2 Peak ride when our kids were 5 and 2.5 years. We had two strollers and no idea what we were getting into. It was April but the runs were full and when we went in, the staff sold us our tickets and showed us where to board. As soon as we got on the gondola, we realized we were in for it-skiers and visitors used the same lift all the way to the top. You step off onto snow packs and are literally walking along the top of the ski runs between cars. You are on several different gondolas to scale this mountain. The first was a private car, so it was just us for the 10-12 min ride to the first landing. This was nice and relaxing for the girls. Once we got off, it was chaos with skiers hopping around us and we were completely “those people” pushing strollers through the snow pack and trying to not get run over. Our girls had never seen snow and the older one was intrigued and also very over it. We got in line for the second gondola which was much bigger and shared with others and had a time trying to catch the moving cart with both strollers. At the very top, more chaos as skiers zipped by. This is where the beauty really is though and was so worth it. We played in the snow, with icicles, took pictures by the Olympic Rings and hung out by the ski racks to avoid being knocked over. We were able to find seats in the dining area, but ended up carrying the strollers to get there, the snow was not something you could push through. Overall, the experience was amazing, but I would definitely suggest wearing baby or waiting until they can go without a stroller.
Food: around Whistler is plentiful. Be prepared for lines at peak times, or make reservations to avoid big waits. We stopped at a French bistro and enjoyed pastries and coffee, it was exceptional but VERY small and cramped. Again, strollers were not our friends and we had to collapse them to fit inside.