Vancouver

The necessary anchor for a first visit: Stanley Park, the seawall, Granville Island, urban beaches and the region’s deepest bench of restaurants. Use it as a walkable base rather than trying to turn every day into a long excursion.

Richmond is the food detour that matters, especially for Cantonese seafood, dim sum, regional Chinese cooking and food courts; Steveston adds a waterfront stroll and fishing-village atmosphere. Go with a targeted eating plan, not expectations of major sights.

North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Deep Cove put rainforest walks, mountain views, Grouse and ferry terminals within reach of a Vancouver hotel. It is the best outdoors day trip, though bridge traffic makes it less effortless than it looks on a map.

A short ferry ride delivers Snug Cove, easy forest walks, beaches and Howe Sound views without committing to a bigger coastal trip. It is a reset day, not a place to cram with attractions.

The Sea-to-Sky stop for waterfalls, climbing, biking and broad Howe Sound views; the gondola is the fast payoff when weather cooperates. It feels more athletic and less resort-scripted than Whistler.

The region’s full-service mountain base for skiing, riding, bike-park days and lift-accessed alpine scenery. Give it at least two nights—doing it as a rushed Vancouver day trip wastes both places.

Beyond Whistler, the valley turns quieter, farmier and more local, with strong mountain views and access to more serious trail and road-trip terrain. It suits travelers who find Whistler Village too polished.

Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Pender Harbour and Egmont make a ferry-dependent mainland coast that feels like an island: beaches, paddling, forest and a slower rhythm. Stay at least two nights; a ferry crossing is not a quick detour.

A farther, more remote-feeling extension for the Sunshine Coast Trail, canoe routes, Lund and Desolation Sound access. The two-ferry journey is substantial, so it earns its place only on a longer nature-focused trip.

Fort Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Harrison offer farms, breweries, river landscapes and lake-country escapes east of Vancouver. It is a good car-based harvest-season or local-food branch, not a first-five-days priority.