The Main Street neighborhood of Vancouver is the coolest area of the city. It’s where you’ll find the hipsters, a high density of independent coffee shops, breweries, and independent stores and boutiques.
In this blog post, I’ve got Main Street as running from Terminal Avenue all the way down to 33rd Avenue. This incorporates the neighborhoods of Mount Pleasant, Riley Park, and Little Mountain. Most of the ‘action’ happens between 8th Avenue and 30th Avenue but I felt it worth including some of the other streets and Main Street things to do too.
Looking for more things to do in Vancouver and nearby? Check out my Vancouver travel guides which are full of information on the best things to do in Vancouver, the best Vancouver restaurants, and detailed guides for each of the main neighborhoods.
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What to do on Main Street in Vancouver
From beer to shopping, Vancouver’s best coffee, and great parks, Main Street in Vancouver has pretty much everything. If you’re visiting Vancouver you should definitely spend a day wandering around the area and exploring a different side of the city.
1. Take a Self-Guided Brewery Tour
One of the best things to do on Main Street Vancouver is to taste some of the city’s best beers.
Main Street is full of local brewers with tasting rooms where you can enjoy a flight and some snacks. A lot of the Main Street breweries are around 8th-4th Avenue and include local favorites such as 33 Acres, Main Street Brewing, Faction Brewing, and more.
Take a look at my beer tour by bike in Main Street in Vancouver here.
2. Got to Science World
Science World sits at the northern end of Main Street and is such a fun activity in Vancouver for kids. They have their regular exhibitions then typically have another limited-run exhibition taking place.
If you’re visiting during summer it’s best to book your ticket in advance as it can get busy here!
3. Eat at Some of Vancouver’s Best Restaurants
Some of the best restaurants in Vancouver are found along, or near, Main Street in Vancouver. There are a lot of vegetarian and vegan restaurants on Main Street such as The Acorn and MeeT on Main.
And some of the other great restaurants on Main include Dock Lunch, Published on Main (Canada’s best restaurant 2022), and Anh and Chi.
4. Explore the Main Street Shops
There are so many awesome shops on Main Street! Whether you’re looking for clothes, gifts, household goods, or something else, you’re sure to find a store on Main Street to suit your needs. Some of the best Main Street stores include:
- Much & Little: Gift shop & clothing
- 8th & Main: Clothes Store
- The Soap Dispensary: Refillery for cleaning and body/skin supplies
- Nineteen Ten: Home goods
- Welk’s General Store
- Regional Assembley of Text: Super cool stationary and gift store.
One of the best ways to discover some of the great shops on Main Street is to just go out and walk! There are always new stores popping up including some pop-up shops, so taking a walk is the best way to discover them.
5. Ride the Sea Wall
Head down towards where Main intersects near False Creek and take a ride on the seawall! This part of the seawall doesn’t have beaches, but it has some great parks and beautiful views of downtown Vancouver.
6. Explore the independent coffee shops
There are loads of cute independent coffee shops on and near Main Street in Vancouver. Some of my favorites include those below, but, as with the stores, just go and explore!
- The Federal Store: for cake, coffee, and foodie items from local producers
- Marche St George: Supercute exterior and great pastries
- Gene Cafe: Great coffees and ideal location for people watching
7. Shop at MEC
MEC is the ultimate outdoor store in Vancouver. Their flagship store on 2nd Avenue is set over two floors and has everything you could possibly need for your outdoor adventures.
Going there to browse is honestly one of my favorite rainy-day adventures in Vancouver!
8. Take a Mural Walk
The Vancouver mural festival takes place every summer and there are a lot of murals as a result of the festival in and around Main Street.
It’s fun to watch the artists at work as they’re putting together their creations or enjoy them once they’re finished.
9. Watch Live Music
Main Street is one of the best areas in Vancouver for watching some live music on a night out. Two of the best places are The Biltmore and The Fox Cabaret. Check out their websites to see what themed nights and live music they have coming up!
10. Attend the Farmers Market
In this area, there are quite a few different farmers’ markets. The one at Riley Park is one of my favorites as it tends to be a bit larger and happens at the weekend which is when I’m more able to visit.
At Vancouver’s farmers markets the stalls can change weekly so it’s a good idea to check in advance to see which local producers will be there and when.
11. Hang out at Dude Chilling Park
Dude Chilling Park was originally created as a prank but has now become an official park under that name.
The name refers to the art in the park which is of a ‘reclining figure’. It’s a nice park with plenty of shaded areas, some tennis courts and a kids’ playground.
Perfect for relaxing if you’ve had a busy day of shopping on Main Street!
12. Attend a game at the Nat Bailey Stadium
The Nat Bailey Stadium is home to the Vancouver Canadians baseball team. Though I don’t know much (anything, really) about baseball, the games we’ve watched here have been great fun.
In the summer there are special nights where they have fireworks after the game, or a day per season where dogs are welcome too.
If you’re feeling hungry take on the 3ft hot dog for your game snack!
13. Play Disc Golf in Queen Elizabeth Park
Queen Elizabeth Park is the highest point in Vancouver and is a beautiful park full of gorgeous manicured gardens and flowers and plenty of green space to have a picnic.
Another fun thing to do at Queen Elizabeth Park is to play disc golf! Disc golf is a fun game that’s a cross between golf and frisbee where you throw the disc and try to get it in to the goal.
It’s free to play, you just need your own set of discs.
14. Explore the Bloedel Conservatory
The Bloedel Conservatory sits up the town of Queen Elizabeth Park and is a tropical greenhouse full of tropical birds.
As you walk around you can have fun trying to spot all the various bird types and say hi to the parrots who are usually just sitting on their perches sleeping or preening themselves.
This is one of the best things to do in Vancouver when it rains cause you’ll escape the heat and the rain!
15. Go to the VanDusen Gardens
The VanDusen Gardens are to the West of Main Street and are beautiful!
Besides the gardens, there’s usually a maze, a cool waterfall, and often some events such as the lights at VanDusen over Christmas in Vancouver and food trucks in the summer
You can even check out their bloom calendar to see what’s in bloom when you plan to visit.
16. Enjoy local wines at VinVan
VinVan is a super cool pop-up wine bar that holds regular wine evenings in various locations across the city. Besides the wine bars, they hold super clubs and Sunday Roasts! It’s one of the best things to do in Vancouver for sure.
Final thoughts on the best Main Street Vancouver things to do
If you’re looking for activities in the Vancouver Main Street area, then be sure to work your way through the ideas on this list. These things to do on Main St Vancouver include a mix of active things like biking, as well as more cultural activities such as museums and gardens to visit
My favorite thing to do in Main Street is to visit the Bloedel Conservatory and play disc golf with friends at Queen Elizabeth Park. We also love exploring some of the best restaurants on Main St too.
If you’re looking for more things to do in Vancouver’s neighborhoods, be sure to check out my neighborhood guides such as the best things to do in Gastown, what to do in Yaletown Vancouver, the best Kitsilano things to do, the very best things to do on Granville Island, and what to do in Vancouver’s West End.
Canada Travel Planning Guide
Should I buy Canada travel insurance?
100% YES! — You should have travel insurance for all your trips. Though Canada has “free” healthcare, it’s only for residents. If you’re just visiting, you’ll need travel insurance should you need medical care. It also helps you claim for delayed flights or lost/stolen baggage. We use SafetyWing for our travel insurance!
Is it safe to rent a car in Canada?
Yes — Renting a car is a good idea in most of Canada as public transit isn’t the best!
Car hire is usually quite reasonable, especially compared to some other countries and they’ll all be automatic so you shouldn’t have a problem driving it if you’re used to manual transmission.
I personally use a mix of DiscoverCars and RentalCars to find the best deal that works for me when I rent a car. I used them in Norway, Italy, and Canada when we first moved, and have never had an issue. For RV rental I recommend Outdoorsy.
What’s the best way to pay/exchange money for Canada?
Wise (formerly Transferwise!) — I use my Wise card everywhere these days. I fill it with a certain currency and then I can spend it in countries across the world, online and even for direct debits. Wise has the best currency exchange rates (and they’ll even tell you when you can get it cheaper elsewhere!). When you pay in another currency through chip and pin or tap/wireless, they’ll automatically convert it for you – it’s easy! This link gets you a fee-free transfer.
Do I need a visa for Canada?
Many countries do not need a visa to travel to Canada — However, you may need an ETA which costs $7 (you need this if you’re from the UK). You can buy them online and they usually take a few hours to come through though it can take longer. Only ever buy from this official website otherwise you’ll end up paying more money necessarily. If you want to move to Canada, check out my guide to the Working Holiday Visa which is how we first moved there! Always check the official Canadian Immigration website to see whether you need a visa to travel there.
Will my phone work in Canada?
It depends — Some American and European companies work in Canada for a certain amount of data or time but many will not work at all. Getting a Canadian SIM card will help you get around with Google Maps and stay in touch with people back home. There isn’t much free WIFI in Canada so you can’t really rely on that, especially if you’re heading outside of major cities.
Where can I book my Canada accommodation?
I always check Booking.com for hotels or Hostel World for hostels. If I’m looking for something for a bigger group of people, or a bit more unique (cosy cabins, luxury beach houses) then I use VRBO.
When we first moved to Canada we used Trusted Housesitters to get free accommodation!
What’s the best site to buy Canada flights?
I only ever use Skyscanner to find cheap flights no matter where I’m travelling!
Last Updated on August 21, 2023 by Hannah
Hannah started That Adventurer after graduating back in 2013 and has documented all of her adventures since then. From backpacking South America to city breaks in Europe, a 3 month road trip across the USA in a self-converted van and 6 years living in Canada, you’ll find posts on all of this.
Hannah specialises in active travel and on That Adventurer you’ll find hiking, walking, biking, skiing and all sorts of active travel guides to allow you to see a destination in an adventurous way.
Now back in Europe, you’ll find new guides as Hannah and her husband spend the next year ‘digital nomading’ from Norway to Portugal, Switzerland to Scotland and places in between.
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