Vancouver 
There is no debate that Vancouver is an amazing city full of fun things to do and see.
Credit: Fort Langley National Historic Site
However, some of the great things to experience and see are not just in the city, but in the surrounding areas. Day trips outside the city offer up some incredible scenery and interesting activities during the fall months. The autumn colors can be incredibly beautiful, especially with the surrounding mountains, valleys, rivers, and lakes. Spend some time on local farms, go back in time at a museum, go for a hike or a bike, or simply relax. Whatever you choose, your autumn day will turn out perfectly.
1. Visit a Winery or Two
A great way to spend a day in the Lower Mainland is by visiting one, or more, of the area’s fine vineyards and wineries. Fall is the perfect time to do this, as the best time to visit is between late August and early October as the grapes are ripened, and harvesting and crushing begins.
Most vineyards are in the Fraser Valley area, so it is a good way to spend a day outside the city. Each winery has chosen how to serve the public during this time, so not all have their tasting rooms open. It is important to check each business website before planning to visit. Township 7, Backyard Vineyards, and Vista D-Oro Farms & Winery are just a few of those who will take tasting reservations online.
Websites:
2. Visit a Farm for Fun Fall Activities
Taves Family Farm in Abbotsford is the perfect place to spend a fall day, and it is easy to pass an entire morning or afternoon here with all the sights and activities to enjoy.
Celebrating 30-plus years in business creating family fun and great farm-to-fork products, the farm offers an opportunity to enjoy a sunflower patch, a U-Pick goji berries area, cold-pressed apple cider, hay rides, pony rides, a corn maze, U-Pick apples, a pumpkin patch, petting barn, goats, Farmville, pedal karts, jumping pillows, and so much more!
Address: 333 Gladwin Rd, Abbotsford
Details
3. Watch the Salmon Run
This is one of the most spectacular natural sights that can be seen in the fall in the province. There are quite a few places where you can watch the salmon running upriver, a unique and fun sight to witness. Along with some fresh air and beautiful fall foliage, you can enjoy a nice walk or hike to view the fish jumping upstream.
Check out the 4-kilometers of trails in Squamish – the Mamquam River Trails. This is a series of trails through the Mamquam River Salmon Spawning Channels.
The Mamquam River feeds these channels and, every fall are filled with Coho and Steelhead coming from the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean to spawn.
Directions
Details
4. Spend the Day in Stevenson
Stevenson Harbour is a great place to hang out for the day. Not only are there fantastic fresh seafood restaurants to enjoy, but the atmosphere and scenery is well worth it as well. Spend some time exploring the harbour to look at the boats and check out the little shops, or head on over to the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site to learn about the once-thriving community of canneries, boat yards, residences and stores located here.
Directions
Website
5. Spend the Day in Hope
A good day trip out of Vancouver, spending time in the town of Hope is an excellent way to waste away a fall day. You can enjoy the free art walk around (or drive if the weather is too cool) that takes you past the numerous chainsaw carvings that are dotted throughout the town. You can pick up the walking guide at the Visitor’s Center. Pick up a coffee at the Blue Moose Coffee House and stroll through the autumn air. Soak up the beauty of the fall colours along the river and simply enjoy the day.
Directions
Website
6. Find Your Way Through a Corn Maze
The Chilliwack Corn Maze is another fun way of spending some time outdoors this fall. Each year brings a different design and for this year they have created a unique design showing the “world together”. Each year the farm partners with a local charity to raise awareness for their cause as well as donate to. This year it is the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Along with the corn maze there is a concession, pumpkin patch, farm animals and more. Please reserve your entrance tickets online.
Address: 41905 Yale Rd W, Chilliwack
Website
7. Visit Scariest Corn Maze in Canada
Visit Maan Farms and get spooked out of your mind. Take on the role of Thomas, try to navigate the corn maze’s deepest depths going from one scene to another, uncovering the remains of Thomas as you go. Each scene will have its own challenges that you must conquer in order to make it out alive of The Scariest Corn Maze in Canada.
Address: Maan Farms & Estate Winery, 790 McKenzie Rd, Abbotsford
8. Go Kayaking in Deep Cove
It’s time to take advantage of the last of the great, warmer fall days before winter hits. Get your kayak out onto the water in one of the prettiest and calmest areas in North Vancouver – Deep Cove. This is a popular place for locals because beginners can explore the calm shoreline while more experienced kayakers can head across the inlet to Belcarra Regional Park, where they can explore Jug Island or pull in at the Belcarra Picnic Area for a break. It is best if you have your own equipment but if not, check out the rentals in the area.
Address: 2156 Banbury Rd, North Vancouver
Website
9. Drive the Pemberton Valley for the Fall Colors
Head out on the highway north of Whistler, to the Pemberton Valley and the Mount Currie area to see some spectacular scenery and gorgeous fall colors. The mountains provide a excellent destination for a days journey. Take a picnic lunch with you or spend some time in the town of Pemberton to discover local restaurants. You can also enjoy the natural sites, museums and shops in the town. Spend a lovely day exploring this zone this autumn.
Website
10. Experience a Pumpkin Festival
Autumn brings the famous pumpkin festival at Aldor Acres Family Farms. Come out to the farm from September 19th to October 31st and experience numerous animal displays setup throughout the barns along with the Petting Zoo area outside. Don’t forget to check out the antique farm machinery display provided by the B.C. Farm Museum. Take some time to enjoy a tractor-pulled hayride out to the pumpkin patch to find that perfect pumpkin. They grow over 15 different varieties of pumpkins spread out over 20 acres, so there is sure to be one for everybody! You can also pick up your farm fresh veggies, eggs and pork, along with some of Grandma Anderson’s homemade preserves.
Address: 8301 252 St, Langley City
Website
11. Search for a Sasquatch
If you consider the provincial parks just for summer activities, think again! Fall brings lovely colours and cooler weather, along with less crowded trails, waters, and beaches. Hike, fish, bike, or spend some time paddling at Sasquatch Provincial Park this autumn to enjoy some quiet outdoor time.
Don’t forget to keep your eyes open for the elusive Sasquatch! Or, if you prefer, head over to the nearby Harrison Hot Springs village to find their local Sasquatches!
Directions
Website
12. Spend the Day at Grouse Mountain
Just 15 minutes outside of the city of Vancouver, you can experience some wilderness and gorgeous settings on Grouse Mountain. You can easily spend a whole day exploring the area’s hiking trails, suspension bridge, restaurant and gondola.
You can walk all the way up and take the gondola down, or vice versa. The views are phenomenal, and the fresh fall air and scenery will make you never want to leave.
Address: 6400 Nancy Greene Way, North Vancouver
Website
13. Learn Some History at Fort Langley
Travel back in time to the 1800s at Fort Langley National Historic Site, an authentic Hudson’s Bay Company trading post. Here, you can enjoy demonstrations such as blacksmithing and barrel-making, or take a guided tour, or pan for gold. The area around this historic site also offers some great shopping opportunities and eateries, so spending the day in the area is easy.
During Halloween, Join Fort Langley’s expert storytellers for a two-hour program of spine-chilling stories as you walk through the village at night.
Address: 23433 Mavis Ave, Langley City
Website
14. Hang Out at the Playground of the Gods
Just outside of Vancouver, on Burnaby Mountain, you will find the Playground of the Gods.
While residents and visitors may be used to seeing totem poles carved by the First Nations of Canada, these unique carvings were actually done by a Japanese man named Nuburi Toko. It took him, along with his son and a local carpenter, a year to create the 25 poles that are in the park. Our travel tip is to take a picnic, a blanket and go at sunset to get the best pictures.
Directions
Website
15. Experience Hell’s Gate
This amazing place is just over 2 hours from Vancouver and a place that should be on your bucket list. The thrilling ride on the Airtram takes you down 152 meters into the beautiful Fraser Canyon to a historic site and a chance to walk over the Suspension Bridge.
This site is home to one of the only descending air trams in North America, along with a fisheries exhibit, a wall dedicated to Simon Fraser, gold panning, observation decks, a fudge factory and a café. Plan to spend a good chunk of time here to really enjoy the experience of 750 million litres of water travelling through a 33-metre-wide passage.
There are fun fall experiences, such as the pumpkin drop.
Directions
Details
16. Go Birdwatching at Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary
There are at least 583 bird species that live or migrate through the province, and there are plenty of places around Vancouver to view them. Bird lovers will find that they will be able to see a good variety in the fall months.
Fall and winter feature thousands of Snow Geese and dabbling ducks, hundreds of Trumpeter Swans, and numerous species of diurnal raptors and owls. Check out the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta for a nice day outside the city.
Address: 5191 Robertson Rd, Delta
Website
17. Go Whale Watching
Having so much coastline makes it easy for locals and visitors to get out on the water to watch for magnificent whales. While it is never guaranteed, it is well known that you can catch a glimpse of these ocean mammals up until the end of October.
You can view orcas, humpback whales, grey whales, and minkes, and along the way, you will often come across seals, sea lions, porpoises, and bald eagles.
Leaving from Granville Island or Coal Harbour is convenient for downtown transit, but taking a trip from Horseshoe Bay or Steveston as a departure point means that you will be spending more time looking for whales but will see fewer scenic views of the city on your way to the Strait of Georgia.
Website
18. Spend a Cool Day in a Museum
On a cool fall day, it may be best to look for an activity that takes you indoors, or at least a mixture of indoors and out. Enjoying a museum outside the city is the perfect way to explore another area.
One of the most interesting and different museums just outside Vancouver is the unique Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley.
The museum has over 25 civilian and military jets, piston-driven engine aircraft, gliders, and helicopters on display, six of which have been restored to flying condition.
Address: 5333 216 St, Langley City
Website
19. Pick a Perfect Pumpkin
Picking a pumpkin may be slightly different this year, but it still can be done. When October rolls around, the lovely Eagle Acres in Langley is awash in fall colours.
Throughout the month of October, you can enjoy SaFarmi Pumpkin Patch! The farm has twenty unique varieties of pumpkins and gourds, including pinks, whites, and blues. This drive-thru experience will take you around to visit the animals, allowing you to stop field-side and hunt for the perfect pumpkin. I
Address: 8796 240 St, Langley Twp
Website
20. Go for a Hike up the Chief
Avoid the hot summer days and wait until the fall to take on this challenging hike up “the Chief.” The locals love it, and visitors to the area want to experience the gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
The hike has a roughly 500-meter elevation gain to the first of three peaks and a 590 meter or a 630-meter gain to Peaks 2 and 3. It is considered an intermediate hike and takes about 90 minutes to reach the first peak.
Directions
Website
21. Head to Bowen Island
Known as a haven for rest, relaxation, and nature away from the city, this unique island has many activities to enjoy. There are nature hikes and walks, road and mountain biking, kayaking and paddle boarding, beachcombing, golf, horseback riding and scuba diving.
You’ll also find several art galleries and a museum, restaurants and cafes, shopping, yoga, dance, gyms, spas and other wellness treatments.
To get to Bowen Island for the day, head to Horseshoe Bay and walk onto the ferry for a short ride, then explore the Island by foot.
Directions
Website
22. Enjoy Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park
A two-hour drive outside the city, you will find this piece of heaven on earth. Not only can you enjoy more than 40 kilometres of hiking trails, but if the fall weather is good, you can also spend some of your day on the water with your kayak or canoe and with a fishing pole in your hand.
Of course, the fall colours will enthrall you with their beauty and make you want to spend much more than just one day here.
Directions
Website
23. Visit the Sunshine Coast
A day on the road (and the ferry) takes you along the stunning scenery and unique small towns of the Sunshine Coast, just a short hop from the city of Vancouver.
You can easily spend a day exploring the region – stopping to take pictures, enjoy a walk, eat some great local food, drink some local brews, or simply soak up the atmosphere of one of the most spectacular areas in the entire province.
24. Rent a Boat
North of Vancouver, you will find the triangular-shaped Howe Sound – the southernmost fjord along the coast and easily accessible for a day cruise from the city. A cruise in this area can give you a completely different perspective of the area, so even if you have travelled the Sea to Sky Highway, this is still a cruise worth taking.
The scenery is spectacular, and there are plenty of chances to see wildlife and marine animals. Rent a boat to take you, your friends, or your family on a perfect autumn day out on the water.
Website
25. Go to Lighthouse Park
Nestled in West Vancouver, this 75-hectare park is one of the most accessible places to spend the day. Not only will you be able to do some forest soaking in the fantastic old-growth forest as you wander the paths.
Not only is this a great park to hang out in, but this area is also a National Historic Site and one of the most photographed and recognizable landmarks in the entire Lower Mainland.
Address: 4902 Beacon Ln, West Vancouver
Website
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFaxCLanVFV/
26. Spend a Day in White Rock and South Surrey
A pretty oceanside resort town that is busy in the hot days of summer offers up deserted beaches and lovely walks in the cooler fall months.
Stroll the boardwalk and pier, shop at the local shops, and enjoy the crashing of the waves. Take a selfie by the famous white rock that gives the beach its name. If you have time, head over to the nearby Crescent Beach and Blackie Spit (South Surrey) to have another lovely walk and watch the birds.
If you still have time, Crescent Park is also worth some time to lose yourself amongst the giant trees.
Website
