Weekend: Vancouver, B.C.

I love getting away for a weekend to Vancouver, B.C.. Vancouver is one of Canada’s top destinations for LGBTQ travelers. Even better, it’s blessed with the natural beauty of ocean and mountain views for a perfect mix of sightseeing, adventures, diverse culture, and vibrant gay nightlife.

From the iconic rainbow crosswalks in Davie Village to exploring neighborhoods and suds on Vancouver’s Ale Trail, this is a city that packs a lot into a weekend—or longer. Plus, Vancouver’s got an inclusive atmosphere, mild weather, and exciting events throughout the year. With easy access from major U.S. and international cities and a strong commitment to LGBTQ inclusion, Vancouver is B.C.’s place for a fun, and culture-rich weekend escape.

Check out my map showing most of the locations referenced below.

Getting There

Especially—but not only—from the West Coast, I love how easy it is to get to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) directly.

If you’re coming by air, Vancouver has flights from major U.S. hubs, as well as many Asian and European hubs (we’ll fly through Vancouver on our return from Germany in September 2025). For U.S. visitors, you’ll clear Canadian customs in Vancouver upon arrival—and you’ll clear U.S. Customs and Immigration in Vancouver before you return as well. I’ve always found it so much easier to clear customs before boarding instead of after landing (in part because Portland’s set up to get from the plane to customs is tedious) so I love this arrangement, but you should allow a few extra minutes. And if you get there early, Vancouver has decent lounges that still accept Priority Pass.

As for getting to and from downtown, the airport has easy connections using the Canada Line light rail which is quick and inexpensive. It doesn’t run 24 hours, though, so double-check operating times if you’re arriving especially early or late.

From Portland and Seattle (and California, if you have the time), Amtrak also provides service to Vancouver. I’ve not ventured to Vancouver by train yet, but check HERE for more details.

And if you’re driving into Vancouver … it’s a pretty, and pretty easy trek from Seattle; obviously a bit longer if you’re coming from further south. The border crossing is also easy (easier still on the return if you have Global Entry) but do be mindful of what you’re bringing—what’s allowed by land isn’t significantly different than by air. Oh, and if you’re road-tripping, consider staying in a neighborhood with easier street parking and using public transit or rideshares to explore the city. Parking will not be cheap at hotels downtown.

Know Before You Go

Folks from the U.S. who have spent time in Canada before will likely be familiar with much of this, but the tips below should be helpful for first-timers and sometimes a reminder is good for the rest of us too.

Border and Entry Requirements: you’ll need a valid U.S. passport to enter Canada, but for most U.S. travelers visiting fewer than 180 days, you don’t need a visa. As noted in Getting There above, even though cannabis is legal in Canada, don’t bring any across the border—into or out of the country. It’s illegal.

Money: Canada uses the Canadian dollar (CAD) and the exchange rate between CAD and U.S. Dollars has been good in recent years. Credit cards are accepted most everywhere (but it’s still a good idea to have a little cash). Check with your card issuer for foreign transaction fees, but it’s generally best to pay in CAD and get your credit card company’s exchange rate versus the rates at point-of-sale. Tipping is similar to the U.S.—15–20% is standard in restaurants.

Phones and Cell Service: Be sure to familiarize yourself with your cell plan before going: some U.S. phone plans may charge for roaming. But Wi-Fi is often free and available in cafes, hotels, and public spaces, which will help you stay connected even if your plan doesn’t cover you for free here.

Weather and Packing: Vancouver has a coastal climate, and like other Pacific NW cities such as Portland and Seattle, it’s often rainy in fall through spring. Pack layers, a waterproof jacket, and an extra pair of shoes so you have dry ones. But, also like other Pacific NW cities, summer can be amazing with long, sunny, mild days, especially in July and August.

LGBTQ Safety

Vancouver is widely considered one of the most LGBTQ-friendly cities in Canada and North America. It’s a haven for LGBTQ refugees and other folks from all over the world, and feels safe and welcoming overall as well. Gay marriage was legalized in Canada back in 2005 and broad legal protections exist for LGBTQ folks. Personally, I’ve always felt safe and welcome wherever I’ve been in Vancouver.

Davie Village is the heart of the queer community, and Vancouver Pride (late July/early August) is a major event—one of the largest in Canada. In January, the Whistler Pride & Ski Festival welcomes LGBTQ snow bunnies to nearby Whistler (about 90 minutes north of Vancouver) for a festival on the mountain which has taken place since 1992.

All of the things above being said, as with anywhere, it’s still smart to stay aware of your surroundings—especially late at night or outside of the more central neighborhoods.

Sightseeing Highlights

Vancouver is a city with endless sightseeing potential, in my opinion. In my travels, I’ve hardly made it out of downtown, and even after many trips, I’ve barely scratched the surface of all there is to explore. Here are a few of my favorites:

• The area around Vancouver Convention Center is almost always somewhere I wander through. The views of Vancouver Harbour with the mountains in the distance and sea planes arriving and departing are stunning (more on the sea planes below). Plus, there’s almost always a buzz of activity going on. And if you’re here before Christmas, there’s a fun Christmas market that pops up to surround the Olympic cauldron.
• Speaking of Olympics, Vancouver’s Olympic Village is another place to check out. Besides the 3km walking trail circling the False Creek area, there are a handful of sights to take in as well as a wealth of taprooms, restaurants, and other spots to pop into (CRAFT beer is one of my favorites—more on that below).
• I haven’t ventured into Science World, but even from the outside, the glass-walled geodesic dome built for the 1986 World’s Fair is a noteworthy Vancouver sight. There are plenty of trails and sidewalks to explore along the adjacent False Creek shoreline, including the above-mentioned walking trail.
• If you’re up for a longer walk, there are trails along the water toward Granville Island, where you’ll find shops, restaurants, galleries, the Public Market, and more. Alternately, you can also reach Granville Island via the Aquabus water taxis, which I recommend taking at least once on your trip for the views from the water. FYI, I also recommend having cash for the water taxis, which, contrary to other places, has historically been quicker and easier than cards (advance tickets can also be purchased on their website).
• Across the water from Granville Island beaches, parks, and trails that follow the water all along English Bay. Depending on how much you want to explore, the trails and parks stretch from Sunset Beach Park (closest to Granville Island) to English Bay Beach to Second and Third Beach and Stanley Park. There are plenty of beautiful sights along the way as well as places to stop and enjoy them.
• Morton Park is just steps from English Bay Beach and features one of my favorites public art exhibits: A-maze-ing Laughter, from the 2009-2011 Vancouver Biennale exhibition, is the work of Beijing-based artist Yue Minjun and is a great place to include on your tour of Vancouver’s sights.

Despite all the great sites listed above and photos scattered through this post, I think Downtown Vancouver has a beautiful skyline from a distance, but it’s not a city with a lot of architectural gems. One exception is The Butterfly, which was completed in 2024. If you’re up for a laugh, though, don’t miss this Reddit thread on the condo interiors…

Obviously, much of my Vancouver experience has been centered in downtown, but it you’re visiting, it would be a shame to just stay in downtown. A few ideas to get beyond the city center include:

• The Capillano Suspension Bridge isn’t walkable from downtown, but is worth the short drive to check out (if you’re willing to ante up for the $75+ admission ticket, that is). While the pedestrian bridge is itself fascinating, the trails, treetop walkways, and the various structures around the park are especially interesting. On weekends from May to September, there are staff on hand with various birds of prey, which is also cool to see up close.
• Vancouver’s sea planes are a unique way to get a birds-eye view of the city as well. Besides having scheduled flights to nearby areas, Harbour Air also does sightseeing flights above Vancouver. Despite being a very different experience than the typical commercial airport, do remember to bring valid identification—you’ll need it to get on board.
• And if you ski, definitely check out Whistler. Whether it’s for gay ski week or otherwise, there’s a reason why Vancouver hosted the Winter Olympics.

Eating and Drinking

Vancouver is a very international city with a lot of Asian influence in particular. I’m certain I’ve only scratched the surface of the city’s food scene—but I’ve certainly eaten delicious food here. While Eater is a typical go-to for me to discover new spots, I feel like it’s done me dirty of late, including pointing me to a few now-closed spots in Vancouver (moral: double-check any tips). Still, some spots I’ve particularly enjoyed included:

• Homer Street Cafe and Bar, a block away from the Central Library, is a great spot for weekend brunch, and I suspect other meals too. If it’s just two of you, aim for the pair of bar seats overlooking the kitchen—you’ll get a meal and a show! For brunch, the fried rice loco moco was delicious, as was the French toast (I was so full!). For dinner, the staff swear by the sablefish.
• La Belle Patate on Davie has dozens of varieties of poutine and is a regular stop on my travels here. I don’t know how you feel about fried potatoes with cheese curds and gravy, but if you’re not a fan, we’re probably not friends 😆.
• Kintaro Ramen has quite delicious bowls of the namesake noodles and broth. It’s a small dining room so there might be a wait, which I certainly think worth it, but there are also several other spots within a few blocks that I haven’t tried, so you probably won’t go hungry of disappointed.
• I don’t know if I have one specific highlight on Granville Island, but the market (noted above) full of fresh produce and prepared food, breweries, and food carts are all worth a stop.
• Cactus Club Cafe has a number of locations around town. I wouldn’t say the food was memorable, but the locations and views at several of their spots are. Come for happy hour to make it a more reasonable deal.

While there’s good wine made not too far away in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, it’s beer that’s taken center stage for me in the city of Vancouver. If you’re really committed, BC has an entire network of Ale Trails—22 in all with over 200 breweries included. Vancouver’s is just one branch of that, but the Vancouver Ale Trail has a fully planned-out 3-day itinerary built to guide you through 20 of them. That’s a LOT of beer, so if you’re looking to prioritize, here’s a few of my highlights:

• Off the Rail Brewing has a small taproom with a number of beers I’ve liked and a few (more experimental ones) that were … interesting. Note for folks with disabilities that, while they have a small elevator, this isn’t the most accessible spot. It’s in a totally unassuming location surrounded by auto body shops, but the bikeway running by offers good people watching just the same.
• Bomber Brewing is just a few doors down from Off the Rail and also offers a great selection of beers. It’s worth pacing yourself at Off the Rail in order to make a stop here too. East Van Brewing is a couple blocks away too.
• The Mt. Pleasant neighborhood has a handful of great breweries and pubs all within easy walking distance of one another. Some favorites include electric bicycle, Craft Beer Market False Creek (see more below), BREWHALL with all the sports on TV as well as pop-a-shot and other games, Faculty Brewing, Electric Bicycle Brewing, and R&B Brewing’s Ale and Pizza House.
• Red Truck (plus a few other breweries) is a little further walk from the above mentioned Mt. Pleasant ones and if you were wanting to get additional miles in, you could keep going to Terminal City, Strange Fellows and then complete a loop at Off the Rail.
• Craft Beer Market, noted above, may not brew their own beer, but they have a nearly endless series of taps pouring fresh suds. The location by Olympic Village is a great spot to stop for a rest while exploring the False Creek area, even if you’re not planning to hit the myriad of other breweries mentioned above.

Nightlife

Vancouver’s LGBTQ nightlife is largely centered along Davie Village with a smaller but lively collection of bars and clubs. This vibrant stretch of Davie Street is home to iconic venues like Numbers Cabaret, Vancouver’s oldest gay nightclub.

My go-to in Vancouver is often Pumpjack Pub. Grab a beer (or pitcher) from the friendly bartenders, shake your thing on the dance floor, or tip the dancers.

Outside the core strip, Vancouver’s Eastside neighborhoods like Commercial Drive and the arty precinct around The Birdhouse are fast becoming go-to hubs for more underground, inclusive queer nightlife. I haven’t checked theee out yet, but did note that they hosted a number of the official 2025 Pride events, for what that’s worth. Besides The Birdhouse, venues such as Rio Theatre, The Cultch, and community spots like Havana and Storm Brewing frequently feature queer cabaret, drag showcases, and other events.

Lodging

Vancouver has a broad variety of hotel options and those also come with a wide variety of prices. For U.S. visitors, take note that most hotels (at least in my experience) list rates in Canadian dollars, so they’ll look more expensive than the actual cost after exchange rates. I’ve always gravitated to downtown hotels, which are easily walkable to most of the sightseeing highlights, food, drink, and nightlife listed above. Parking, however, is expensive, so if you’re driving, you may want to look closely at the details.

A few places I’ve stayed (or am about to stay at) include:

• Sonder (which had a brief licensing deal with Marriott that I was sad to see die) has the Sunset, one of their reception-less hotels in Vancouver, just a block off the Davie Street gayhorhood. The location is quite central, especially for nightlife and Pride events. Despite a very tired-looking bathroom, our room in August 2025 was otherwise spacious and had a great outdoor patio with a birds-eye view of Davie Street.
• Vancouver’s Hyatt Regency hosts a number of conference events. Certainly it’s convenient if that’s your reason for being in town, but it’s centrally located otherwise as well—if you’re willing to pay the premium for their rooms.
• The Holiday Inn and Suites (Vancouver Downtown) is just a couple blocks away from Davie Village and Yaletown making the location handy. The rooms are decent, though nothing special (at least as of my stay there a few years ago), but the central location makes up for it.
• The Burrard is a bit more boutique but is also centrally located, right on Burrard Street. The rooms are stylish and rates are typically reasonable. The rooms don’t have AC—usually not an issue given Vancouver’s mild climate, but could be a consideration if you happen to catch an unusually hot weekend.
• Just a block from the Burrard is the Century Plaza Hotel. I stayed here in 2022 and the hotel is old school—as in: not updated in quite a while. Their rates typically reflect this, so if you’re looking for a spacious, well-located room at a decent price, you’ll do just fine here.
• Slightly further afield from the hotels listed above is the Hampton Inn and Suites. If you’re headed out to Vancouver’s LGBTQ nightlife, you’ll have a little further walk if you stay here, but it is closer False Creek or BC Place if nightlife isn’t your focus or if catching a soccer game is on your agenda. The rooms are what you’d expect for a Hampton Inn.
• Sandman Suites Vancouver Davie Street is one place I haven’t yet stayed. The location is right there in the gayborhood and might be anything but restful for events like Pride. Up to you if that’s the right scene for your travels or not …