Quick answer: Arrive at least two nights before an Alaska cruise from Vancouver. Take the SkyTrain from the airport (around C$8), stay near Canada Place or Coal Harbour, then spend a full day on the North Shore: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Grouse Mountain’s grizzly bears, Lonsdale Quay and the SeaBus back. On cruise day, check in early at Canada Place, drop your bags and enjoy the city until boarding.
If your Alaska cruise leaves from Vancouver, please don’t just fly in and head straight to the ship. Vancouver is one of our favourite cities. It’s the perfect start to an Alaska holiday, and a couple of nights here make the whole trip. We’re Destination Vancouver specialists, and we still find something new every time.
We flew from London in May 2026 with two nights before joining Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady on her very first Alaska sailing. This is exactly how we spent our (roughly) 48 hours, with prices, tips and the one thing I’d do differently. It works whether you’re sailing Virgin, Disney, Royal Caribbean, Princess or anyone else from Canada Place.
Watch our 48 hours in Vancouver
Getting from Vancouver Airport into the city
This is the easy bit. We took the SkyTrain (the Canada Line) straight from the airport. It cost around C$8 and dropped us right at the waterfront, a short walk from our hotel. It’s cheap and simple, and you don’t need a taxi. Keep an eye out for the Indigenous art as you walk through the airport: it’s a lovely welcome.
Where to stay: close to Canada Place
We stayed at the Coal Harbour Hotel, a couple of blocks from the waterfront. Canada Place, where the cruise terminal is, was a few minutes’ walk away, which made embarkation day so easy.
On our last trip we stayed near Davie Village, Vancouver’s LGBTQ+ neighbourhood, which is lovely and full of bars, shops and restaurants. This time we wanted to be closer to the ship. If you’re cruising the day after you arrive, the waterfront or Coal Harbour area is the one.
Evening one: Korean food and Davie Village
First stop: food. We had an incredible dinner at Banju, a Korean restaurant on Bute Street. Sides, mains and drinks came to about £48 for the two of us, which is really great value.
It’s across the road from Breka Bakery, which we loved last time, and like homing pigeons, we ended up in exactly the same spot again. Afterwards we wandered through Davie’s pedestrianised streets. We did plan a proper night out, but jet lag had other ideas.
Fun moment: on our way to dinner we passed a film shoot, which we were told was for the next series of The Last of Us. Vancouver really is Hollywood North.
Sunrise on the Canada Place waterfront
Jet lag had me up at 3am, so we made the most of it and walked down to the waterfront for sunrise. This is why I love Vancouver. The coastline, the mountains and the harbour are all right there, and we even caught Celebrity Solstice sailing in.
Look out for the seaplanes taking off from the harbour all day. Scenic flights are one of the city’s highlights. We haven’t done one yet, but they’re on the list.
Gastown and the Steam Clock
Before breakfast we walked over to Gastown, Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood. It’s all cobbled streets and cast-iron lamps, and it’s home to the famous Steam Clock, which puffs and whistles away every quarter of an hour. It’s fascinating to see the mechanism up close, and it’s an easy stroll from the cruise terminal.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
After a quick breakfast, it was time for the main event. We took a short taxi (about 10 minutes, and it cost around £8) to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, just across the water on the North Shore.
The setting alone is worth it. It’s stunning woodland, and a really easy way to connect with nature without venturing far from the city. There’s been a bridge on this spot since 1889, and the displays at the entrance bring that history to life.
I have a fear of heights, and yet I keep booking things that involve being very high up. There are three parts to Capilano, and I did all of them:
- The Suspension Bridge. It stretches about 140m across the canyon and it’s the big highlight. Yes, it wobbles.
- Treetops Adventure. A trail of smaller suspension bridges strung between tall trees. It’s great fun, with lots of wildlife and conservation information along the way.
- Cliffwalk. A walkway that hangs off the side of the cliff for a closer look at the river below the bridge.
There’s a full restaurant, a gift shop, an ice cream stand and a coffee shop if you want to make a half-day of it.
The tip we missed: Capilano runs a free shuttle from downtown Vancouver, but you need to book your ticket in advance and show it at the shuttle stop. Check the Capilano shuttle schedule before you go. It would have saved us the taxi fare.
Grouse Mountain and the grizzly bears
We weren’t ready to head back yet, so we took a 10 to 15-minute taxi from Capilano up to Grouse Mountain. The famous red Skyride is one of the largest aerial trams in North America. When we visited, it only ran in the evenings, so during the day we took the more modern cable car, which still has stunning views over the mountains and the whole city.
Worth knowing: early in the cruise season, Grouse Mountain is between seasons. Skiing had finished and summer activities hadn’t fully started. There are still scenic walks, a couple of zip lines and a sky coaster that was due to open soon, but it was quieter than usual.
The real highlight was meeting Grinder and Coola, the two grizzly bears who live at the top of the mountain. They were rescued as orphaned cubs and now live in a wildlife refuge there. They’d not long come out of hibernation, so they were still pretty docile.
I love that we started our Alaska journey by seeing bears straight away. I was hoping for wild bears later in the trip, but seeing bears at all was a treat.
Lonsdale Quay and the North Shore
Heading back down, we went to the North Shore, somewhere we’d never explored before. We were looking for the water taxi and stumbled into Lonsdale Quay, a big market full of food stalls: Mexican, a whole sweets section, and loads more.
I made a beeline for some frankly outstanding fried chicken. You get a lot for a very good price. Phil found a gluten-free Mexican spot too.
The claw machine incident: near the market there’s a “play until you win” claw machine. C$50 guarantees you two premium prizes. I saw Pokémon plushies and I was in. They turned out to be… lovingly unofficial. The lady running it was an absolute gem, though, and I had a lot of fun. Consider yourself warned.
Take the SeaBus back
One reason we headed to the North Shore was to ride the SeaBus back across the harbour. It’s part of the local public transport, so you just tap on with your card. It cost us about C$3.
It’s not the most glamorous way to cross, but the views of the North Shore, the downtown waterfront and the cruise ships at Canada Place are brilliant. If you’re a bit of a ship nerd like me, it’s a must.
Gluten-free pizza in Davie
For dinner we kept it simple at Firecrust Pizzeria, a favourite from our last visit because it does gluten-free pizza. Then we had a few drinks in Davie before bed.
Embarkation morning: watching the ships sail in
On cruise day, we were up early again (the theme of this trip) and back on the waterfront with a Tim Hortons to watch two of our favourite ships arrive.
- Disney Wonder sailed into Canada Place first. We’ve done a transatlantic on her sister ship, Disney Magic. Virgin is our favourite cruise line, but Disney is a close second, and I secretly hope our next Alaska cruise is on the Wonder.
- Brilliant Lady then made her first-ever arrival into Vancouver at the start of her very first Alaska season. We’d sailed her preview in Portsmouth before she launched, and less than a year later we were about to board her first Alaska voyage. It was very special to watch.
Check-in at Canada Place
Checking in was smooth. We dropped our bags, got our Bands, and were in and out within about 15 minutes. That’s a huge improvement on our last sailing from Canada Place, which was during the COVID period and involved multiple queues for forms and tests.
Top tip: check in early, drop your bags, then go and enjoy the city. Boarding didn’t start until 2pm, so we had time for one more attraction. And mind the Canada geese on the waterfront: the signs aren’t joking.
A last look over the city
We finished at the revolving restaurant at the Top of Vancouver. The viewing platform was closed that day, but you can go up to the restaurant (you pay to dine). The gluten-free options weren’t great for Phil, so we just had a coffee and a cocktail with the view. The glass lift ride alone is worth it.
Then it was time to board, with sail-away drinks on deck and the Lions Gate Bridge ahead of us.
Our 48-hour Vancouver itinerary at a glance
Day 1 (arrival)
- SkyTrain into town and check in near Canada Place
- Dinner at Banju, then a stroll through Davie Village
Day 2
- Sunrise on the waterfront, then Gastown and the Steam Clock
- Capilano Suspension Bridge Park (book the free shuttle!)
- Grouse Mountain and the grizzlies
- Lonsdale Quay, then the SeaBus back
- Dinner at Firecrust, then drinks in Davie
Embarkation day
- Watch the ships sail in with a Tim Hortons
- Check in early at Canada Place, then enjoy a last view of the city before boarding
Is it worth arriving early for an Alaska cruise?
Absolutely. Flying in from the UK, you’ll be jet lagged anyway. Two nights in Vancouver take the pressure off, protect you against flight delays, and give you a head start on Alaska’s scenery and wildlife. And Vancouver itself is brilliant.
See how the rest of the trip went in our Virgin Voyages Alaska trip review. Next, follow our Alaska port guides: Ketchikan and Sitka. If it’s your first time, start with our first-time guide to cruising Alaska, and read our full Virgin Voyages Alaska review.
FAQs
How do you get from Vancouver Airport to the cruise terminal? Take the SkyTrain’s Canada Line from the airport to Waterfront station. It cost us around C$8, and Canada Place is a short walk from there.
How many nights should you spend in Vancouver before an Alaska cruise? We recommend at least two. From the UK you’ll be jet lagged anyway, and it protects you against flight delays.
Where should you stay before a cruise from Canada Place? The waterfront or Coal Harbour, so you can walk to the terminal. We stayed at the Coal Harbour Hotel, a few minutes’ walk from Canada Place.
Is there a free shuttle to Capilano Suspension Bridge? Yes, from downtown Vancouver, but you need to book your ticket in advance. Check Capilano’s shuttle schedule before you go.
How long does check-in take at Canada Place? For our Brilliant Lady sailing in May 2026, about 15 minutes to drop bags and collect our Bands. Check in early, then enjoy the city until boarding.
Plan it with us
Phil and I are award-winning travel specialists, Destination Vancouver specialists and Virgin Voyages First Mates. We’d love to help you combine a Vancouver stay with your Alaska cruise, with flights and hotels packaged and ATOL protected. Book Virgin Voyages with us and you’ll get our bonus Sailor Loot as a thank you. Call 07307 602030, email hello@magical-traveller.com or get in touch.