Arbutus Greenway: Best Vancouver Bike Rides
Arbutus Greenway bike path in Vancouver is one of the best beginner-friendly cycle rides in the city.
Vancouver on the whole is a cycle-friendly city. There are loads of bike lanes, quiet roads designated as biking routes and there’s the Vancouver sea wall which loops around Stanley Park.
Cycling around Stanley Park is definitely the most popular cycling route in the city, but biking Arbutus Greenway is well worth doing too, and is one of my picks for the top Vancouver bike routes.
I ran the Arbutus Greenway path when I was training for the two Vancouver Marathon Events I’ve taken part in, and cycled it many a time too. It offers a much quieter experience than Stanley Park in general, and you still get some great views.
Plus, you’ll go through some lovely neighborhoods towards the South of Vancouver which are well worth exploring; and full of great cafes and shops.
Arbutus Greenway bike path is pretty flat and, at just under 9 km, it’s not too long either.
If you want to cycle the Arbutus Greenway, here’s everything you need to know.
Table of Contents
Arbutus Greenway – the Basics
- How long is the Arbutus Greenway?:Ā The Arbutus Greenway length isĀ ~9 km one-way
- Elevation Gain: 69m
- Duration: 1.5- 2 hours
- Difficulty: Easy. It’s mostly flat with a few shortish sections of incline
- Dogs: Dogs are allowed but must stay on leash.
Cycling Arbutus Greenway
Arbutus Greenway starts at Fir Street and West 5th just over Burrard Bridge in Kitsilano, on the southern side of the False Creek Seawall.
It then travels almost 9 km on a paved pathway to West 75th and Milton Street, almost all the way down to Vancouver International Airport!
Along the way, you’ll pass through several different neighborhoods of Vancouver. These include Granville Island (or near enough!), West 4th Avenue in Kitsilano, West Broadway, Arbutus Ridge, Kerrisdale Village, and Marpole Village.
Kerrisdale Village is one of my favorite areas in Vancouver. It’s a little further out from where I am in the West End, but it’s a nice little afternoon trip at the weekends.
If you’re down there, I really like Honolulu Coffee for a drink!
Along the way, the streets are lined with community gardens, and there’s a great view of Vancouver City around 37th Avenue.
From up here, you can see the ocean and the Northshore mountains.
It’s BEAUTIFUL!
Though the Arbutus Greenway cycle path officially ends before you get to Fraser River Park, I do recommend continuing on to this area.
This park runs alongside the Fraser River and there are some nice walkways by the river, and some boardwalks on the river too. You’ll often see logs being transported along the river and boats going up and down.
Arbutus Greenway map
Here’s a map of the whole of the Arbutus Corridor from Shaw’s Mobi bikes which you can use all around Vancouver.
This map also shows the different neighborhoods you’ll go through, the community gardens, Arbutus Greenway park, and some viewpoints that are worth stopping for.Ā
Arbutus Greenway Bike Rental
The easiest way to rent a bike for cycling the Arbutus Greenway corridor is to use the Mobi Bikes. These charge a small fee to unlock the bikes and you then get 30 minutes free riding.
The map above shows the stations for these bikes along the Arbutus trail.
Alternatively, you can rent bikes from Bee’s Knees eBike Tours and Rentals just over Burrard Bridge on Burrard Street.
Though I haven’t rented a bike from them, I have used them for snowshoes and their services have always been good.
About the Arbutus Bike Path
The Arbutus Greenway was an ongoing regeneration project in Vancouver that is now largely finished.
The 9 km stretch of an old Canadian Pacific Railway from Fir Street to West 75th/Milton Street has now been tarmacked over and makes the perfect cycling route.
The Greenway completion is over but there are still repairs and work done to make the pathway safer for both pedestrians and cyclists so do pay attention to any closures or diversions.
This Vancouver Greenway bike route is separated into one side for cyclists and one side for walkers and you’ll see plenty of people out and about.Ā
It’s still an ongoing project with plans to add extra features (such as seating and parks) to make it even nicer to explore.
View the plans and development process of Arbutus Seaside Greenway here.Ā
Last Updated on October 29, 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.
HannahĀ 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.
Vancouver is doing a great job expanding its cycling network! I haven’t been on the Arbutus Greenway yet, but it looks like a lovely pathway. Adding it to my list for an upcoming Vancouver visit.
It’s definitely got a lot of options for cycling and in general a pretty cycle friendly city š