Ah, lovely Vancouver. It’s not a surprise that this sparkling west coast city is filled with wonderful things to see, do and experience for travellers and families. The best news is that many of these activities don’t have to cost you a cent. Vancouver can be a very expensive city to live in and visit, so we need all the free stuff we can get, right? Take note of our curated list of freebies, and head out to enjoy any and all of these 101 free things to do in Vancouver, British Columbia.

101 Free Things to do in Vancouver

1. 1. Walk or bike the six kilometres of the new Arbutus Greenway from Kitsilano to Marpole
   2. Discover Camosun Bog near the UBC Endowment Lands
   3. Walk, run or bike the extensive trail network of the UBC Endowment Lands
   4. Pick a trail to walk along in Pacific Spirit Park
   5. Head down to catch some rays at Wreak Beach at UBC, and remember that clothing is optional
   6. Pack a picnic and people-watch at Kits Beach
   7. Play beach volleyball, throw a frisbee or take a walk along Spanish Banks and Jericho Beach
   8. Relive your student days hanging out in the Nest, UBC’s beautiful student centre
   9. Visit Stanley Park to see the First Nation totems
   10. Enjoy the views and take a selfie at Prospect Point in Stanley Park
   11. Walk, bike or roll all 10 kilometers of the Stanley Park seawall
   12. Watch a free outdoor movie in Stanley Park – every Tuesday from July 4th to August 22nd
   13. Pack a picnic and sit by Trout Lake in East Vancouver
   14. Catch the fireworks at the Honda Celebration of Light – watch in English Bay or Kits Beach for great views
   15. Stroll through the old quarry gardens at Queen Elizabeth Park
   16. Walk the dog in Everett Crowley Park
   17. Point the teens towards the skateboard park in Quilchena
   18. Shoot some hoops at the Kits Point Basketball court
   19. Take a free walking tour of one of four Vancouver neighbourhoods – Downtown, Gastown, Chinatown, Granville Island
   20. Visit a local water spray park for free summer cool down
   21. Play disc golf at Queen Elizabeth Park
   22. Visit a 2010 Olympic Winter Games site, like the Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza
   23. Groove to the free tunes at the Khatsahlano Music Festival along 4th Avenue in Kitsilano
   24. Play tennis at one Vancouver’s 18 free courts city-wide
   25. Wander around the shops and attractions at the Granville Island Kids Market
   26. Splash around at the large water park and slide on Granville Island
   27. Keep on the lookout for movie stars! Vancouver has the largest film industry in Canada
   28. Explore Sun Yat-Sen Park and its gardens full of Chinese architecture, bridges and pavilions
   29. Appreciate some art at the free Contemporary Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver
   30. Take in a free show at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival
   31. Visit the Vancouver Art Gallery for free on Tuesdays from 5-9 PM
   32. Watch the sunset from English Bay beach
   33. Take some epic selfies at Canada Place and wave at the cruise ships departing on weekends
   34. Discover Vancouver via Pokemon Go!
   35. Hike Dog Mountain at Mount Seymour Provincial Park
   36. Drive up to Cypress Mountain Lookout
   37. Hike through wooded trails at Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver
   38. Picnic in Whytecliffe Park, West Vancouver
   39. Watch the ferries come and go in Horseshoe Bay
   40. Hike up to Quarry Rock in Deep Cover
   41. Walk or bike the Rice Lake Loop Trail in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve
   42. Hike Baden Powell Trail on Vancouver’s North Shore mountains
   43. Cross the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge and walk the trails
   44. Visit the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre, packed with historic and hands-on displays
   45. Walk or cycle the 50 km of the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve on the North Shore
   46. Hike in Lynn Headwaters Park and visit the waterfall
   47. Walk up the 2.9 km Grouse Grind – ‘Nature’s Stairmaster’
   48. Drive the spectacular Sea to Sky Highway to Squamish
   49. Walk around Alice Lake, north of Squamish
   50. Hike up Black Tusk in the Garibaldi Mountain range north of Squamish
   51. Take at pit stop at Shannon Falls Park
   52. Hike the Sea to Summit trail at the base of the Sea to Sky Gondola
   53. Learn about spawning salmon at Capilano River Hatchery
   54. Hike up Mt Gardiner on Bowen Island
   55. Walk around Killarney Lake on Bowen Island
   56. Search for tumbled beach glass on Hummingbird Beach, Bowen Island
   57. Play in the Bowen Island School Playground
   58. Visit Barnet Marine Park, Burnaby’s only saltwater beach
   59. Walk to the Jug Island lookout from Belcarra Regional Park in Belcarra
   60. Talk a walk in Burnaby’s Central Park
   61. See the sunrise from the Tower of the Gods on Burnaby Mountain
   62. Go back in time at Burnaby Village Museum
   63. Enjoy a day trip to Harrison Lake and take a dip
   64. Take a self-guided Circle Farm Tour in Harrison Mills
   65. Walk along the oceanside trail on the Cape Roger Curtis on Bowen Island
   66. Tackle the entire False Creek seawall route from Vanier Park to English Bay
   67. Take a free guided tour of the Rennie Art Collection at Wing Sang
   68. Check out SFU’s Starry Nights at the Trottier Observatory and Science Plaza, and observe the night sky through powerful telescopes
   69. Walk the West Vancouver seawall from Ambleside to Dundarave
   70. Take the Circle Farm Tour in Langley
   71. Spend the day in Golden Ears Provincial Park – walk the trails or enjoy the waters of Alouette Lake
   72. Enjoy the waterfall in Bridal Veils Park
   73. Drive to Hope and explore the Othello Tunnels, now part of the Trans Canada Trail system
   74. Watch the planes take off and land at the public observation area at Vancouver International Airport
   75. Bird-watch at Boundary Bay Regional Park near Tsawwassen
   76. Check out the cool Terra Nova Adventure Play Environment in Richmond
   77. Fly Kites in Steveston’s Garry Point Park
   78. Bike or walk around the Richmond Dikes
   79. Walk along Iona Beach in Richmond
   80. Discover the peat bog habitat of Richmond Nature Park (entrance is free or by donation)
   81. Pick blackberries in season at MacDonald Beach
   82. Attend Free Drive-In Movies at Landsdowne Centre in Richmond
   83. Enjoy a stroll along the Fraser River Walk in Steveston, Richmond
   84. Spot the original beach cottages along Crescent Beach
   85. Let the dog off-leash in Fraser River Park in south Vancouver
   86. Walk along the Pier in White Rock
   87. Visit the Kids Gallery at the Surrey Museum (entrance is free)
   88. Explore Burns Bog in Surrey
   89. Enjoy the spring cherry blossoms on a walk in the Marpole neighborhood
   90. Hike to Kanaka Creek in Maple Ridge
   91. Explore the wetlands and bird life of Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam
   92. View the Amazing Laughter sculptures in English Bay
   93. Walk from Jack Poole Plaza to Stanley Park in Coal Harbour in downtown Vancouver
   94. Meet a new friend and enjoy some local craft brew on their backyard patio
   95. Watch the sunset from Crab Park on Burrard Inlet in East Vancouver
   96. Visit the B.C. Golf Museum
   97. Check out the free summer Movie Night at Connaught Park in Kitsilano
   98. Stargaze at Gordon MacMillan South Observatory in Vanier Park
   99. Channel your inner Judge Judy and take in a legal hearing at the downtown Vancouver Law Courts
   100. Browse through the vinyl stacks at Zulu Records on West Fourth Avenue
   101. Check out a Car Free Day on a summer Sunday

You’ve got to admit, this is a pretty impressive list of all the great free things to do in Vancouver!

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Photo Credit: Tourism Vancouver

What are your favorite free things to do in Vancouver? Share your tips in the comments below.

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