Earth, Water, and Ice! No, that isn’t a Seventies soul band, however somewhat the weather that outline Vancouver. The Canadian metropolis, located on a peninsula alongside the west coast of North America, is surrounded by rainforests thick with historical pines, seashores with crystal-clear waters, and snow-capped mountains rising like frosty guardians above the skyline. In Vancouver, you could possibly be sunbathing on a seaside within the morning and snowboarding within the afternoon. Town itself is pleasant on the eyes too, resembling a glass forest of towering skyscrapers with verdant parks scattered under – a wilderness woven round an city coronary heart.
Its location clearly makes it the proper dwelling base for outside actions, whether or not that be climbing, snowboarding, canoeing, and even whale watching. However Vancouver has extra on provide, making it an underrated trip vacation spot for the LGBTQ+ neighborhood as nicely. Vancouverites elevate Canadian hospitality and progressiveness to new heights, being a few of the most welcoming folks on this planet. Kindness could be very a lot a advantage in Vancouver! Add to that the historic homosexual district, Davie Village, which boasts a sizeable nightlife scene, and the stage is ready in your gaycation within the frozen North.
Desk of Contents
1. Basic Suggestions
2. Airport Switch and Transportation
3. Homosexual Lodges in Vancouver
4. Sightseeing & Actions in Vancouver
5. Homosexual Excursions in Vancouver
6. Eating places and Cafes
7. Vancouver Homosexual Bars and Golf equipment
8. Homosexual Saunas & Cruising Bars in Vancouver
9. Homosexual Seashores in Vancouver
10. Homosexual Occasions in Vancouver
11. Day Journeys from Vancouver
Basic Suggestions
Vancouver’s local weather is gentle and temperate by Canadian requirements, with distinct seasons. And, opposite to standard perception, snow tends to fall extra within the surrounding mountains than within the metropolis itself. Summer time (June to September) is the perfect time to go to, as the town comes alive with outside festivals, and seaside journeys develop into standard. For snowboarding, late December by March gives one of the best circumstances. Vancouver isn’t low-cost, nevertheless! Costs have risen during the last decade, however price range lodging may be discovered, notably through the shoulder seasons of March to Could and September to November.
Vancouver is thought for its inclusive, welcoming ambiance, and also you’re extremely unlikely to come across points on this regard. The center of the town’s LGBTQ+ scene is Davie Village, situated within the West Finish, the place you’ll discover rainbow crosswalks, bustling cafes, and quite a lot of gay-friendly bars and golf equipment. Business Drive is the second unofficial gayborhood, particularly standard with the lesbian neighborhood.
Airport Switch and Transportation
Getting from Vancouver Worldwide Airport (YVR) to the town middle is quick and simple. Essentially the most handy choice is the Canada Line SkyTrain, a speedy transit service connecting the airport to downtown Vancouver in simply 25 minutes and operating all the best way to the waterfront. The fare is round $4 CAD throughout peak hours and barely much less at different instances.
Taxis and rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft are additionally obtainable on the airport, with fares starting from $30-$40 CAD to downtown, relying on site visitors. When you’re within the metropolis, Vancouver’s public transportation is environment friendly and simple to navigate, with buses, SkyTrain, and SeaBus ferries connecting numerous neighborhoods. For added comfort, contemplate getting a Compass Card for simple tap-on entry throughout all transit modes.
Homosexual Lodges in Vancouver
Luxurious
Wedgewood Resort & Spa – This luxurious five-star boutique lodge close to Robson Sq. gives magnificence and luxury with its European-inspired décor. Whereas not completely LGBTQ+, it’s a favourite amongst these with money to spend attributable to its proximity to Davie Avenue. Every of its 80 rooms exudes sophistication, with balconies and customized touches. The lodge additionally includes a full-service spa, sauna, and health middle, in addition to a high-end restaurant and lounge with dwell music.
Mid-range
Sandman Suites Vancouver on Davie – Whereas Vancouver doesn’t have any particularly LGBTQ+ accommodations, the Sandman, with its rainbow-painted roof, is as shut because it will get. This all-suite lodge towers over Davie Village, inserting you within the coronary heart of the motion with unobstructed ocean or metropolis views out of your balcony. Every suite appears like a house away from dwelling, with a settee and kitchen. In addition they provide pet-friendly suites. The Sandman has an on-site restaurant, a fully-equipped fitness center, and a rooftop pool.
The Burrard – This retro-chic lodge close to Davie Village exudes youthful power with its quirky, 50s Miami motel vibe. The fashionable rooms encompass a lush courtyard with a fireplace pit and ping pong tables. The lodge additionally includes a café and a consolation meals restaurant, very best for a laid-back keep near the LGBTQ+ scene.
Blue Horizon Resort – You possibly can’t go improper with a room that has a view, and each room on this lodge comes with a balcony boasting million-dollar views of English Bay and the town under. Conveniently situated inside strolling distance of Davie Avenue, this lodge excels in its facilities, together with an on-site restaurant, pool, steam room, sizzling tub, giant health middle, and landscaped backyard.
OPUS Vancouver – A boutique lodge in Yaletown (close to the well-connected Canada Line) famend for its vibrant design and steadfast LGBTQ+ credentials—having earned the IGLTA’s Welcoming Normal and internet hosting annual Satisfaction occasions. Its 87 spacious, colorfully appointed rooms characteristic floor-to-ceiling home windows, plush bedding, Nespresso machines, and Bang & Olufsen sound methods. Friends get pleasure from amenities together with a totally geared up health centre, a personal rooftop terrace, and the opal-lighted lounge and bar.
Price range
The Cambie Hostel Seymour – This adults-only hostel is housed in a 120-year-old heritage constructing, providing loads of character at an inexpensive value in downtown Vancouver. Its prime location makes it very best for budget-conscious vacationers who admire historic allure. Personal rooms with shared bogs can be found for many who choose to not keep in a dorm-style setting.
Sightseeing & Actions in Vancouver
Stanley Park – You don’t even want to depart the town to be totally immersed in nature in Vancouver; this 1,000-acre city forest is the town’s emerald coronary heart and ten p.c bigger than Central Park. Stanley Park is full of gorgeous surroundings and a various array of wildlife, together with raccoons. Sure, raccoons! Alongside the Seawall, you’ll discover quite a few ocean viewpoints, together with Brockton Level Lighthouse, Prospect Level and Siwash Rock – a placing pure rock formation. The park additionally gives seashores like Third Seashore, and historical past buffs can examine a group of First Nations totem poles. E-book tour →
Capilano Suspension Bridge – Initially inbuilt 1889, the precarious bridge sways between towering evergreens, so the daring can get pleasure from views of the forest and river gorge under. However there’s extra than simply the bridge—guests can even discover the Treetops Journey, a sequence of smaller bridges excessive up within the cover, or take a look at their nerves on the Cliffwalk, a slender pathway clinging to the canyon’s edge. Getting there’s straightforward: from downtown Vancouver, take the free Capilano Shuttle (seasonal), or catch bus #236 from Lonsdale Quay. E-book tour →
Granville Island – A energetic cultural hub, Granville Island is dwelling to artisan retailers, galleries, theaters, and the well-known public market. Stroll by the colourful market, seize a chew from native distributors promoting all the things from contemporary seafood and gourmand cheeses to baked items and crafts, and revel in your meal on one of many waterfront patios with views to the sounds of native avenue performers. Simply accessible by ferry or a brief stroll from downtown. E-book tour →
Gastown – Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood options cobblestone streets, Victorian structure, stylish boutiques, impartial galleries, quaint cafés, an eclectic mixture of eating places, and classic avenue lamps that forged a comfy glow within the night. At its coronary heart is the well-known Gastown Steam Clock, a unusual landmark that puffs steam and whistles each quarter-hour. E-book tour →
Vancouver Artwork Gallery – Situated in downtown Vancouver, the Vancouver Artwork Gallery was previously a courthouse however now homes a formidable assortment of over 12,000 items, showcasing Canadian, Indigenous, and worldwide artwork throughout numerous durations and types. Highlights embody works by famend Canadian artist Emily Carr, alongside modern exhibitions that rotate all year long.
Grouse Mountain – Simply quarter-hour from downtown Vancouver, Grouse Mountain is accessible by the scenic Skyride gondola. On the mountain summit, you’ll be handled to breathtaking views that no photograph may ever actually seize. In winter, guests can get pleasure from snowboarding, snowboarding and ice skating, whereas summer time brings climbing trails, mountain zip-wires and the Grouse Mountain Lumberjack Present, to see some hunky lumberjacks logrolling, chopping wooden and doing the two-man peg – that is not what you suppose! You too can go to a grizzly bear habitat, dwelling to orphaned bears and different endangered species. E-book tour →
English Bay Seashore – Any variety of Vancouver’s different seashores might be right here (similar to Sundown Seashore and Third Seashore) however this seaside stands out as being good for a laid-back afternoon after sightseeing, with its sandy shores, lovely sunsets, and shut proximity to Davie Village’s eating places and bars. The Seawall, a picturesque waterfront path, runs alongside the seaside, providing a terrific route for strolling, biking, and rollerblading. Guests can even discover cozy cafés, standard eating places, and the long-lasting Inukshuk sculpture—a weird human determine fabricated from rocks!
Chinatown – Vancouver is dwelling to one of many oldest and largest in North America, due to its thriving Chinese language inhabitants. Guests can discover its bustling streets full of conventional retailers, colourful markets and genuine Chinese language bakeries serving one of the best dim sum you’ll ever style. The neighborhood is also dwelling to the serene Dr. Solar Yat-Sen Classical Chinese language Backyard, a ravishing Ming Dynasty-style backyard that gives a peaceable retreat from the town. E-book tour →
Homosexual Excursions in Vancouver
The Actually Homosexual Historical past Tour in Vancouver – Glen Tkac is a little bit of an area legend as a tour information in Vancouver, who actually is aware of his native homosexual historical past. Be part of him on this two-hour tour to study concerning the metropolis’s first Satisfaction Parades within the historic, tree-lined West Finish, Jim Deva Plaza, bookstore bombings, a transgender activist who uncovered Vancouver’s largest crime, the town’s hidden homosexual village, the story of a two-spirited warrior, and extra. The tour concludes within the coronary heart of Davie Avenue Village, the place he`ll level you in the precise course for all of the unbelievable homosexual bars and eating places. E-book tour →
Eating places and Cafes in Vancouver
Rating on Davie – Is it a drink? Is it a meal? It’s a Caesar cocktail! Rating on Davie is a gay-friendly sports activities bar and restaurant on Davie Avenue, well-known for its quirky cocktails made with clamato juice and spirits, topped with skewered meals. These vary from flatbread pizzas to burgers with onion rings, cheese and pickle sandwiches, an entire rooster, and extra. If this novelty doesn’t attraction, in addition they serve a variety of consolation meals to line your abdomen earlier than a giant night time out within the village. The place is all the time energetic, with cool decor like ceiling lanterns and partitions adorned with magnetic alphabet letters for play.
Melriches Coffeehouse – This impartial café is the proper spot for espresso, breakfast, or brunch whereas exploring Davie Avenue. Recognized for its nice espresso, meals, service, and ambiance, Melriches is a beloved staple within the LGBTQ+ neighborhood.
The Birds & The Beets – A comfy, LGBTQ-friendly café in Gastown with rustic decor reflecting the realm’s model. The Birds & The Beets gives contemporary, domestically sourced components with glorious espresso, sandwiches, and baked items. It’s good for breakfast or a laid-back lunch, and also you’ve bought to like the identify!
Nuba in Gastown – Gastown has one of the best eating places and thus Lebanese eatery is beloved for its contemporary, wholesome Mediterranean dishes like falafel, hummus, and shawarma. The parts are beneficiant, the meals tasty and the ambiance all the time buzzing. Nuba additionally gives loads of vegan and gluten-free choices.
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop Home – A Vancouver establishment, Joe Fortes is standard attributable to its top-notch seafood, oysters, and steaks. Situated close to Robson Avenue, it’s a preferred selection for each particular events and informal eating. The rooftop backyard patio is a good spot to get pleasure from a meal on sunny days.
A’ La Mode– Granville Island market is stuffed with eateries however this one actually takes the biscuit, or extra precisely, the pie. Their gourmand pies are actually singular and created from the founder’s selfmade recipe. Both sit down throughout the cafe itself or take your prize out onto the patio.
Vancouver Homosexual Bars and Golf equipment
The Fountainhead Pub – How’s your head? Seems Vancouver’s is fairly good. The homosexual bar that’s discovered on the entrance to Davie Village, “The Head” has all the things you could possibly want from a homosexual bar: a pleasant crowd, low-cost drinks, and a big outside patio space with “on the brink of hit the city” vibes. They actually have a record of creatively named photographs to get the night time going.
Numbers Cabaret – Vancouver’s longest-running homosexual membership, Numbers is an iconic multi-level venue with a dance flooring, large patio, and somewhat jazzy rainbow-colored stairs. Each night time they’ve DJs taking part in a mixture of music, together with pop, home, and retro hits, in addition to internet hosting karaoke nights and drag reveals.
Celebrities Nightclub – Thought of certainly one of Vancouver’s extra high-end LGBTQ+ golf equipment, Celebrities is a high-energy spot that includes EDM DJs, unimaginable visuals, and one of the best sound system within the metropolis. The massive dance flooring makes it clear what this iconic membership is all about.
PumpJack Pub – You’d be hard-pressed to discover a homosexual scene with out a good bear bar, and Vancouver isn’t any exception. PumpJack Pub gives a pleasant, unpretentious vibe with occasions like beer busts, leather-based nights, underwear events, and go-go bears.
The Junction – This versatile homosexual bar on Davie Avenue transforms from an informal daytime hangout right into a energetic nightclub because the solar units over the mountains. It has a neighborhood at its coronary heart and is thought for being open till 3 a.m., 7 days and nights per week, with blissful hours, sports activities showings, tasty pub meals, trivia nights, and drag… a number of drag! By night time, they’ve rotating DJs taking part in all the things from basic old-school camp to fashionable pop hits.
1181 – This trendy, intimate lounge on Davie Avenue boasts fashionable decor and serves an upscale vibe. It additionally has one of the best craft cocktails within the gayborhood and hosts themed nights and spectacular drag reveals, which convey the neighborhood in.
The Keefer Bar – Whereas not completely a homosexual bar, The Keefer Bar in Chinatown is nonetheless standard with LGBTQ+ of us as a result of it’s simply actually cool—and we’ve good style. It’s a Chinese language apothecary-inspired cocktail bar. That claims all of it, actually!
Homosexual Saunas & Cruising Bars in Vancouver
Steamworks Baths Vancouver – If you must let off a bit of steam – see what we did there – then Vancouver has its personal Steamworks, This standard chain additionally has branches in Chicago and San Francisco. It is the busiest and greatest bathhouse in Vancouver with all of the amenities you’d anticipate unfold out over two flooring, together with a giant sizzling tub, a steam room and darkish rooms. They maintain many spicy occasions and have a dwell DJ most weekends. Word that membership is requited to enter, however this may be acquired on the door.
F212° Steam – One other nice sauna in Vancouver with a pleasant format, clear, pleasant employees and good colleges! An all gender night time makes this essentially the most inclusive bathhouse on the town too.
Homosexual Seashores in Vancouver
Wreck Seashore – You’ll discover LGBTQ+ folks in any respect of Vancouver’s seashores, however its well-known clothing-optional seaside is a agency favourite. It is the longest nudist seaside in North America and a secluded oasis of rugged cliffs, silky tender sands, panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, and many bare folks. Wreck Seashore has a hippie, anything-goes vibe, and its elements are separated by the paths you are taking to succeed in them, with the seaside round Path 7 being the most well-liked with LGBTQ+ nudists. Right here you’ll discover fewer households and extra bare homosexual folks.
Homosexual Occasions in Vancouver
Vancouver Satisfaction Pageant – Vancouver’s Satisfaction is a giant one, attracting over 400,000 folks yearly in late July. It’s a full 9 days of occasions, starting from drag lessons and workshops to avenue events and concert events. The occasion culminates, after all, in an enormous parade alongside Robson and Denman Streets earlier than arriving at Sundown Seashore, the place the get together continues till shifting over to Davie Avenue nicely into the night time.
Eastside Satisfaction – Why simply have one Satisfaction when you may have two? Eastside Satisfaction is a smaller, community-focused occasion that takes place at first of the season in June, at Grandview Park in East Vancouver. This has extra of a family-friendly celebration really feel to it and gives dwell music, native distributors, and good Vancouver vibes.
Vancouver Queer Movie Pageant (VQFF) – The VQFF, held yearly in August, is the biggest queer movie pageant in Western Canada. The pageant showcases numerous movies from LGBTQ+ creators, exploring queer tales from around the globe. Screenings are accompanied by discussions, panels, and particular occasions.
Queer Arts Pageant – Held in July, this multidisciplinary arts pageant celebrates queer artists and performers throughout a variety of mediums, together with visible artwork, music, dance, and theater. The pageant showcases each native and worldwide expertise and focuses on pushing boundaries in artwork and tradition.
Winter Satisfaction at Whistler – Although not in Vancouver, Whistler’s Winter Satisfaction and Ski Pageant, held in late January, is value mentioning as one of many world’s greatest homosexual snowboarding occasions of the yr. Simply two hours from Vancouver, this week-long occasion blends winter sports activities with outrageous events and high quality LGBTQ+ leisure.
Day Journeys from Vancouver
Whistler – Only a two-hour drive alongside the scenic Sea-to-Sky Freeway, Whistler is world-famous for being one of many largest ski resorts in North America, with slopes open year-round. The village itself is a bit of alpine paradise good for romantic getaways to get pleasure from its spas, eating places with cozy fireplaces, and a few old style TLC within the contemporary, crisp mountain air. Whistler Satisfaction and Ski Pageant, held each January, is among the largest LGBTQ+ ski occasions globally, so don’t go if you happen to plan on stress-free.
Victoria – No journey to Vancouver is full with out a go to to Vancouver Island—sure, Vancouver the town isn’t truly on the island. Victoria, the capital of British Columbia on the island, is reachable by way of a scenic ferry trip by the Gulf Islands, the place you would possibly see whales if you happen to’re fortunate. As soon as in Victoria, there’s lots to do, like visiting the long-lasting Butchart Gardens, well-known for its vibrant blooms, or the Royal BC Museum to find out about native historical past and First Nations tradition. The Inside Harbour is one other spotlight, with views on one facet and all British-inspired structure on the opposite. E-book tour →
Harrison Sizzling Springs – Slightly below two hours from Vancouver, Harrison Sizzling Springs is as luxurious because it sounds. Well-known for its pure mineral sizzling springs and exquisite lake, you may spend the day soaking within the swimming pools, having fun with spa remedies, or strolling alongside the waterfront away from the world’s woes.
Featured picture by Cornelia Schneider-Frank from Pixabay
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