Summer holidays are just around the corner – get prepared with these terrific options of day trips from Vancouver for the whole family. Whether you are looking for an educational trip or a thrilling adventure, you will find something in this list.
Cultus Lake Waterpark
Under two hours from Vancouver to the water park of kids’ dreams! Prepare for a fun day at Cultus Lake Waterpark, BC’s largest water park offerings multiple slides, pools and zones to hang out – perfect for the water-loving kids!
Address: 4150 Columbia Valley Hwy, Cultus Lake
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Lynn Canyon Park
Conveniently in North Vancouver, Lynn Canyon Park offers over 600 acres of old-growth forest for you and your family to explore. A great spot for a family picnic, a fun hike and a swim. Some trails even offer views of waterfalls! Be sure to pop into the educational Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre, where you can take in the history of the park.
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Address: 3690 Park Rd, North Vancouver
Chilliwack Corn Maze
A special spot perfect for families, The Chilliwack Corn Maze help to teach kids and families about farming and where their food comes from. Have fun in the interactive corn maze, learn about farming and enjoy homegrown snacks on site.
Address: 41905 Yale Road West, Chilliwack
North Arm Farm
North Arm Farm is ready to welcome families for the summer season. Explore their stunning grounds, meet the animals and the best part – pick your strawberries! The farm also offers a tasty menu of freshly grown and west coast inspired bites and drinks.
Berry picking in and around Vancouver
Address: 1888 Sea to Sky Highway 99 Pemberton
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UBC Botanical Garden
The summer is a wonderful time to experience the abundance of colourful flowers at the UBC Botanical Gardens. They also have the exciting “Greenheart Tree Walk,” an interactive 360 tree walk with amazing views! Plus, it is full of wonderful educational pieces to learn about local horticulture.
Cost: Adult, $10 or $23 with a Greenheart tree walk | Children 6-12 $5 or $10 with a Greenheart tree walk | Children under 5 go for free | Family of 4 $24 or $50 with a Greenheart tree walk
Address: Administration Bldg, 6804 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver
Greater Vancouver Zoo
Is there anything better than a visit to the Zoo!? Discover the habitats and lives of cool animals like alligators, red pandas, butterflies, ostriches and plenty more. The zoo has a fun train to zip around the property. The zoo is dedicated to conservation, with plenty of educational events included in your visit, perfect for kids of all ages.
Cost: Adult (18-64) $30.00, Student (18+ with ID) $25.00, Child (3-17) $23.00, Child (2 and under) Free. Train $6.00 per rider
Address: 5048 264th Street Aldergrove
Bridal Veils Falls Provincial Park
Located in beautiful Chilliwack, the Bridal Veils Falls Provincial Park is a cool spot for families to explore the accessible, flat trails with incredible views. Most famously, the park is known for its rushing waterfall, 60ms of water flowing over the beautiful rocks. End your adventure with a homemade picnic in the park!
Address: Bridal Falls
Castle Fun Park
Castle Fun Park is bursting with activities, so there is something for everyone in the family. Enjoy multiple mini golfing courses, go-karting, batting cages, bowling, laser maze, soccer kicking and so much more!
Cost: Varies, starting from $5 per person for attractions.
Address: 36165 N Parallel Rd, Abbotsford
Mann Farms
Mann Farms brings fun for people of all ages, making it a fabulous family destination, run by a fabulous family! They have plenty of amazing events planned for this summer including strawberry picking and tasting, goat yoga, and their barnyard adventures, where you can zipline, meet and pet the animals and so much more.
Cost: General admission covers most activities, $14.50 online, $16 at the door.
Address: 790 McKenzie Rd Abbotsford
Project Climbing
Head to Abbotsford to check out Project Climbing, an awesome bouldering spot where you can either learn or continue to improve your skills. Kids will love the challenge of climbing at different levels so it’s a great spot to try something new and fun as a family while staying active.
Cost: varies, starting at $16
Address: Unit 3 – 34100 South Fraser Way Abbotsford
Watershed Park
Delta’s largest park and convenient distance to Vancouver, Watershed Park offers over 10km of exciting trails perfect for biking, walking or scootering! Make a day of it with a picnic while enjoying the lovely view of Mud Bay.
Address: 11600 Kittson Pkwy, Delta
OWL Orphaned Wildlife rehab Society
Family love animals? The amazing OWL Orphaned Wildlife Rehab Society is a charitable organization offering patrons a chance to visit and donate to the saved bird of prey the support – eagles, falcons, hawks, ospreys, owls and vultures. Since opening, they’ve supported and saved thousands of birds. You and your family can enjoy a visit to learn about them, the dangers they face, integration and much more.
Address: 3800 – 72nd Street, Delta
Canadian Flight Centre
Ready to be a pilot?! This amazing kid-friendly flight simulator experience is one of a kind. Pick where you wish you captain your plane – surf trip to Tofino? Meet the Queen in England?! – and experience a flight without ever leaving the ground. Options are for 60 or 90 minutes and the perfect family fun activity.
Cost: 30 mins $125, 60 mins $220
Address: 11715 Baynes Rd #603, Pitt Meadows
Big Splash Water Park
Make a big splash this summer with a family trip to Big Splash Water Park. Located in Tsawwassen, this 7acre water park is a fun-tastic spot with plenty of slides, pools, splash pads and much more.
Cost: 4 years and up to $35 plus tax Child 3 and under free, with paying Adult, Twilight Admission$25 plus tax, Season’s Pass for Family of 4 $450 plus tax
Address: 4775 NuLelum Way, Tsawwassen
Honeybee Centre
This summer, Honeybee Centre is a “hive” of activities. Committed to teaching the truth about bees and honey, you and your family can learn all about the bees, their habitat and the honey they produce at the centre through hands-on experiences and courses. The centre also has a charming tearoom to enjoy treats made on-site and a farm shop to take treats home.
Address: 7480 176 St, Surrey
Surrey Nature Centre
The Surrey Nature Centre is dedicated to educating families and allowing them to explore the beauty Surrey has to offer! There are self-guided story tours offered for now, which allow you and your family to take your time on a route that is related to a storybook! Stories and routes change every month.
Historic Stewart Farm
A visit to the Historic Stewart Farm allows your family to see what farming life was really like over 100 years ago. Here you can explore the grounds, wander around the flower gardens, and see the interesting, historic farmhouse!
Cost: Varies, check the website
Address: 13723 Crescent Road Surrey
Bear Creek Park
All aboard Eddy the Engine! Eddy has been charming families at Bear Creek Park since 1996! A ride on Eddy the Engine lets you experience all the wonders of Bear Creek park including the forest, the gardens and over the bridge. Follow your ride with a family fun game of mini-golfing, right on site.
Cost: Train ride only $7, 18-hole mini-golf $7 or combine the experience for $10
Address: 13750 – 88th Avenue at King George Blvd. Surrey
Alice Lake Provincial Park
Enjoy the stunning beauty of BC with a family visit to Alice Lake Provincial Park. Easily accessible from Vancouver, this one-of-a-kind park is top-notch for swimming, fishing, canoeing, walking and of course, relaxing and building castles or playing frisbee on the shore.
Address: BC-99, Squamish
Jungle Jacs
Yahoo – for a day filled with activity and fun, head to the popular Jungle Jac, an amazing spot for entertaining children of all ages. Families can enjoy a game of laser tag, trampoline, water slides, bumper cars and more. Build special memories together at Jungle Jac.
Cost: Up to 6 months old: Free – 6 months old; 12 months old: $5.00; 1-year old – 3 years old: $11.99; 4 years old – 17 years old: $15.99 Adults free! Additional activities like bumper cars cost more.
Address: 589 Nicola Ave, Port Coquitlam
Cypress Mountain
Cypress Mountain is not only for winter months! In fact, they’ve got tons of exciting options for the summer ahead. Gain high speeds with their new Mountain Coaster, where you can soar up to 40 km/per hour, along the 1.7 km track, hike the beauty of the hills, try geocaching or spot wildlife!
Address: 6000 Cypress Bowl Rd, West Vancouver
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Vancouver Whale Watching
Is there anything more magnificent then spotting whales in their natural habitat?! Experience the joy of whale watching with your family this summer! You will travel through the stunning Gulf and San Juan islands by zodiac boat and led and driven by knowledgeable marine guides.
Cost: Small zodiac tour, adult $155, children $155. Large Zodiac tour, Adults $145, children $85
Address: Various options
Whiterock Skim Boarding
Whiterock offers some of the best and most beautiful beaches in BC, perfectly designed for skimboarding! White rock Skim Boarding is family run and has been making waves since 2014. You can rent skim boards or take lessons to become more acquainted! A great place to spend the day having fun in the sun.
Cost: $115 for private family lesson for 3 – costs vary.
Address: 15782 Marine Drive White Rock
Fraser River Discovery Centre
This summer, the Fraser River Discovery Centre is offering family-friendly activities and programs so that kids can connect to the Fraser River in exciting new ways, from getting to grips with replica animal skulls to learning about Indigenous communities that have lived along the river known as the Fraser since time immemorial.
Address: 788 Quayside Drive, New Westminster
Whistler Mountain
Only 1.5 drive from Vancouver, Whistler Mountain is ready to welcome families for a great summer in the sun. Experinece the magnificent peak to peak gondola, brave the beautiful cloudrake skybridge, hike the alpine trails and so much more! There are plenty of lakes to swim in and great places to eat, too!
Address: 4545 Blackcomb Way, Whistler
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