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A Vancouver travel journalist just published a bucket list for a city most Canadians think they already know. Turns out, they don’t.

100 Things to Do in Vancouver Before You Die landed in March 2026, written by Kathryn Anderson, a Vancouver-based travel journalist and creator of the award-winning blog Coffee and Mascara. It’s part of Reedy Press’s well-known “Before You Die” series, and it does exactly what the best travel guides do: it makes you look at a familiar place with fresh eyes.

The timing is good. With summer approaching and families across Canada starting to map out their travel plans, Vancouver keeps coming up as a top domestic destination. And with the FIFA World Cup coming to Canada in 2026, the city will see more visitors than ever. If you’re planning a trip, or if you live there and haven’t explored half of what’s in your own backyard, this book deserves a spot on your shelf.

The Background

Anderson has lived in downtown Vancouver for a decade, with several more years in the suburbs before that. She thought she knew the city well. She didn’t.

“Even for a local, there is always something new to discover,” she writes. Her favourite find during the research process: a treetop walk with suspension bridges hidden inside a botanical garden that she hadn’t known existed.

That’s the honest hook of this book. It’s not written for the tourist who wants to tick off the CN Tower equivalent and move on. It’s built for people who want to actually experience Vancouver, whether that’s their first visit or their fiftieth.

What Vancouver Actually Is (And What People Get Wrong About It)

Anderson is direct about one thing: Vancouver gets lumped in with the rest of Canada, and that’s a mistake. It’s nothing like Toronto or Montreal. The climate is milder, the mountains are close enough to see ocean views from their peaks, and the city sits at the intersection of Pacific wilderness and cosmopolitan culture in a way that’s genuinely rare.

The rain reputation? Partially earned, partially overblown. Yes, it’s a rainforest. But summers regularly hit 35 degrees Celsius. The city has seven beaches. Locals dress in layers because the weather can turn at any moment, but they’re outdoors 365 days a year because of it.

For families, that’s actually a selling point. You don’t have to wait for perfect weather to plan a trip. Rain gives you an excuse to hit the aquarium, explore Granville Island’s Public Market, or find a craft brewery with a patio covered enough to keep everyone comfortable. (Yes, some of those have great kids’ menus.)

The 48-Hour Framework Every Tourist Dad Should Know

Anderson lays out a framework for first-timers that’s worth bookmarking. If you only have two days, she says, your time should touch three things: the city, the mountain, and the sea.

Start downtown. Take a water ferry to Granville Island, walk the Public Market, and explore the seawall around Stanley Park. Bike the full loop if you’ve got the legs for it. Then head north to the mountains: ride the gondola up Grouse Mountain or hike a North Shore trail. Depending on the season, you’re either skiing with ocean views or riding a mountain coaster.

That combination, urban energy plus wild nature plus ocean air, is what makes Vancouver stand out from every other Canadian city.

The Food Scene Is Worth the Trip Alone

Vancouver’s food culture reflects its diversity and coastal identity. The Michelin Guide added Vancouver to its roster, and the 2025 edition recognises 76 restaurants, including 12 with one Michelin star. Anderson’s book covers the culinary side with obvious enthusiasm; she admits she could have written an entire separate volume just on where to eat.

From Pacific seafood to globally inspired cuisine in neighbourhoods like Mount Pleasant and Yaletown, the city punches well above its weight. For families, places like The Vancouver Fish Company offer world-class seafood in an accessible setting. The Granville Island Public Market alone could fill a morning and provide lunch without much effort.

The Book Itself

100 Things to Do in Vancouver Before You Die retails for $19.95 CAD and runs 160 pages in a handy 5.5 x 8.5 softcover format. It’s light enough to toss in a carry-on or a backpack.

Anderson has upcoming book signings and presentations through April and May 2026 across Vancouver and Langley, including events at R&B Ale House on April 19th (free and open to the public) and Indigo locations on Robson Street and in Langley. If you’re in the Lower Mainland, those events are worth a look.

You can follow Anderson on Instagram at @misskatanderson and share your own Vancouver experiences with #100ThingsVancouver.

Why This Matters for Canadian Dads

Canada is a big country, and we have a habit of booking flights to somewhere warm when one of the most extraordinary cities on the continent sits a few hours away by plane. Vancouver is legitimately world-class, kid-friendly, and endlessly varied. You can hike old-growth forest, paddle on the ocean, and eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant all in the same day.

Anderson’s book is a useful roadmap for making that happen without wasting a single hour. Whether you’re planning a family road trip to BC this summer, looking for a long weekend with your partner, or genuinely trying to explore more of Canada, it’s a solid $20 investment.

Some cities reward people who dig past the obvious. Vancouver is one of them.

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100 Things to Do in Vancouver Before You Die by Kathryn Anderson is available now wherever books are sold. ISBN: 9781681066332.