Vancouver Canada Gateway: 3 Days
Three days keeps the Richmond and North Shore days from the 2-day version , then adds the first real highway leg up Highway 99: Squamish and the Sea to Sky Gondola, the corridor’s easy middle stop before Whistler. Have more time? Step up to 4 through 7 days .
| Day | Focus | Distance/travel time from Vancouver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond and Steveston, dim sum and the Fraser River | ~25-30 min Canada Line, ~55 min total to Steveston |
| 2 | North Shore (Lynn Canyon or Capilano, Grouse Mountain) | 20-40 min, SeaBus + bus |
| 3 | Squamish and the Sea to Sky Gondola | ~60km, ~45-60 min drive |
Book these before you go
- Sea to Sky Gondola admission ticket
- Grouse Mountain Skyride tickets
- Downtown Vancouver hotel for all 3 nights
Day 1: Richmond, Your First CAD Lesson
Land at YVR, Canada Line downtown first to drop bags, about 25 minutes, roughly CAD 9.35 total once the base fare and the mandatory YVR AddFare stack together, a surcharge that only applies leaving the airport. Double back to Richmond’s Brighouse Station for dim sum genuinely stronger and cheaper than downtown Chinatown’s, Parker Place mall on No. 3 Road is the easy start. Push on to Steveston for the working fishing harbour and the free Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site.
Which Vancouver am I actually standing in?
This one: British Columbia, Canada, Pacific coast, Canadian dollars, airport code YVR. A US-dollar price tag or a mention of Portland means someone quoted you Vancouver, Washington by mistake, roughly 300km south in a different country entirely.
Day 2: The North Shore, Mountains by Boat
SeaBus across Burrard Inlet, about 12 minutes, then one suspension bridge, not both: the free Lynn Canyon Park bridge (1912, roughly 50 metres above the creek) or Capilano at roughly CAD 75-80 for the bigger, built-out version with Treetops Adventure. Ride the Grouse Mountain Skyride in the afternoon, roughly CAD 86-89, for the wildlife refuge and the city’s best panorama. Return before a 4-6pm crossing, bridge traffic backs up fast at rush hour.
Day 3: Squamish, the Stop Between Two Mountain Ranges
Depart by mid-morning, Highway 99 runs about 60km and 45-60 minutes to Squamish, the natural halfway point toward Whistler even if Whistler itself isn’t on this trip yet. The Sea to Sky Gondola runs a 2026 adult ticket roughly CAD 62-76 online, cheaper than at the gate, for the summit suspension bridge and views over Howe Sound. Hikers who find a gondola too easy can scramble the Stawamus Chief instead, the granite monolith towering over town. Visiting November through February, budget an extra hour for Brackendale, just up the road, where one of North America’s largest bald eagle gatherings shows up on the riverside dyke trail every winter, free to view.
Do I need a car for Squamish?
Yes, or a shuttle or booked day tour. No SeaBus or SkyTrain reaches this far up the coast, unlike Richmond or the North Shore on the first two days. Compare self-drive rates on Discover Cars if three days has already convinced you a rental beats a single tour booking.
Book the Sea to Sky Gondola ticket online before you leave Vancouver, gate prices run higher and summer lines are real. Three days samples this gateway’s easy reach and its first highway leg; Whistler, Victoria, and the rail option east all wait on the longer versions of this itinerary.