Best Views in Vancouver

Vancouver is well known for being one of the most beautiful cities in Canada, if not the world. It has a stunning mountain backdrop and gorgeous pine forests. The city itself is located right on the water and has some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen!

The best part about Vancouver is it’s amazing viewpoints and over the past 5 years, Dave and I have made it our mission to find as many as possible.

This guide has a list of the absolute best views in Vancouver some of which are also the best sunset spots in Vancouver! All the locations listed are either within Vancouver or a short drive from Downtown Vancouver.

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Vancouver’s Best Viewpoints and How to Find Them

Welcome to the ultimate list of the best viewpoints in Vancouver and how to find them! The list includes some of Vancouver’s hidden gems like the Horseshoe Bay Lookout Platform which is a great sunset spot!

1. Stanley Park Seawall

One view overlooks the bay and shows you the bridge from a side angle and at the other viewpoint, you will be standing directly above Lions Gate Bridge – photo above. This one is my personal favourite!

There is a parking lot at Prospect Point which is paid parking. If you are catching public transport, you will still need to walk for about 30 minutes.

Dog Mountain is one of our favourite short hikes in Vancouver. It is especially popular in Winter because it is one of the easier trails to walk on in the snow with not too much elevation. This is a great trail for the whole family including your dog!

The return hike will take you about 2 to 2.5 hours. I recommend wearing micro spikes for this one to help stop you from slipping on the trails.

The parking lot is not very big but we have never had a problem finding a spot. It is free so easy to stop at quickly on the way back from a hike or skiing on Cypress Mountain. There are toilets and picnic tables at the lookout so you can spend ages up there enjoying the view.

🛌 Visiting Vancouver soon and wondering where to stay? Here are the best areas to stay in!

Their menu is pretty small, with their main hot meal being pizza and they only have a couple of different beers on tap but the location makes it perfect!

The Shed has undercover seating and propane fires to keep warm at next to a grassy field which seems like a popular off-leash dog spot.

The parking lot is large but can often be full in the late afternoon. It shouldn’t take too long for a parking spot to open up if you hang around as there are some people that stop here just to check out the view.

The Shed is located at the lower end of Cypress Mountain before you reach the Cypress Mountain Lookout. It is unfortunately just a pop up bar because there are plans to build more apartments there which is just devastating because it is SUCH a popular bar and a great place to get out in the community. It has been there since we moved to Vancouver at the end of 2021 but they have started to put up scaffolding recently so I feel like the construction may start soon.

The secret platform isn’t the easiest to find so I have a blog post written especially for you with instructions on how to find it. When we first went looking for this place, we got a bit lost at first.

The best way to reach this spot is by car, which will take around 25 minutes from Vancouver. If you don’t have your own car, consider hiring an Evo or Modo.

Update 2026: Sadly the platform itself was vandalised and destroyed but this still makes for a great spot to watch the sunset and the ferries go by.

This park is one of the highest points in Vancouver and is also known as “the top of the city.” It gives you awesome views of the city and North Shore mountains. It is also a great spot to visit at night as well as the day because you can see the twinkling city lights.

You can catch the Seabus across the water from Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay. From the quay you get a fantastic view looking back over the water towards Downtown Vancouver. The sunsets and night time views of the city’s twinkling lights from this spot are also worth a photo!

10. Vancouver Lookout / Harbour Centre Lookout

The Vancouver Lookout at Harbour Centre is open day and night and gives you unobstructed views of Vancouver, Gastown, Coal Harbour, and the gorgeous Stanley Park. You will journey up for 40 seconds in a glass elevator to 168.6m above ground to the panoramic deck above Vancouver.

11. Capitol Hill, Burnaby

Capitol Hill Reservoir Park in Burnaby is 203m high and is located in (you guessed it) Burnaby! The best part about it – you get an awesome view of Burnaby’s Metrotown skyline, the Vancouver skyline and the North Shore Mountains without having to hike!

You are able to drive all the way up to the top or, if you don’t have a car, you can catch the Expo line to Patterson. From Patterson, you can get bus #129 to EB Hastings St at Springer Ave. The rest of the walk from the bus stop to the viewpoint will only take you around 6 minutes.

12. Burnaby Mountain

Burnaby Mountain is another great viewpoint in Burnaby with a grassy section which I think would be great to have a picnic on. There is also a kids playground here. From the grass, you can see views of Downtown Vancouver and Lions Gate Bridge.

This is a popular spot for sunset and there are also some walking trail you can do. Make sure you check out the Totem Poles while you are there!

Burnaby Mountain is not the easiest to get to by public transport as it takes a long time with lots of walking. I recommend driving if you can as there is lots of free parking available.

13. Grouse Mountain

Grouse Mountain is one of the 3 local North Shore Mountains of Vancouver. The views from the top are awesome and overlook Vancouver and the harbour. You can reach the top either by hiking the infamous Grouse Grind which is 2.9km one way with an elevation gain of 853 (lots of stairs and mainly done for fitness by the locals), or you can get the gondola.

They now also have their Peak Sunset Deck, which is at the very top of the mountain and the perfect place to catch the sunset from. You can get the chairlift up there or walk to the top which will take you around 30-40 minutes.

To get back down the mountain, you will need to purchase a ticket for the gondola, as downhill hiking is not allowed due to the popularity of the trail.

You cannot bring your dog on this one, as dogs are not allowed on Grouse.

14. Spanish Banks

Spanish Banks is a sandy beach located along the shores of English Bay in Vancouver. From the beach you can see the city skyline and it is a really popular spot during Summer for sunset gatherings with friends. During sunset, the light bounces off the city buildings which is really pretty.

There are also volleyball courts on the beach which are really popular in the Summer. Parking is paid per hour and is located all along the beach, however as it is such a popular spot it can sometimes be hard to get a spot.

🛶 Spanish Banks is one of the best paddle boarding spots in Vancouver

16. Lighthouse Park

When I say Vancouver has everything, I mean it! Mountain, forests and some really stunning oceanside spots! Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s a park on the water with a lighthouse that is really popular during sunset for photography and picnics by the water.

The park is made up of a few different trails or alternatively, if you just want to get down to the water quickly to see the lighthouse, it will only take you around 10 minutes.

Apart from the viewpoint by the lighthouse, there is another stunning spot 15 minutes from the lighthouse called Starboat Cove.

17. Saint Marks Summit

Saint Marks Summit is one of the best day hikes in Vancouver, located in Cypress Provincial Park. The views from the top are absolutely incredible! You can see out across Howe Sound and the Sea to Sky.

It is 10.5km return with an elevation gain of 587m. The hike will take you approximately 4-5 hours. Most of the hike is a steady uphill through the forest but when you pop out at the viewpoint it is totally worth it! The viewpoint is small and it can get crowded here on the weekends so I recommend going during the week if you can.

We did this hike in Summer on a Monday night for sunset and there was only one other group at the viewpoint.

18. Hollyburn Peak

Hollyburn Peak is a hike located on Cypress Mountain which you start from the Nordic Ski Area. The hike is 8.7km with an elevation gain of 446m and will take you around 3-4 hours to complete. The views from the top down the mountain and of the water and the city are gorgeous!

This hike is especially beautiful in the Winter with the snowy trees but you can also do it in Summer. The hike is a bit of a grind but the views make it worth it!

19. Quarry Rock Lookout

Quarry Rock is a short and easy Deep Cove hike in North Vancouver that leads you to a stunning views overlooking Deep Cove, Belcarra, and Indian Arm. The main trail is 3.8km with an elevation of 100m and will take you around 1.5 hours.

At the viewpoint, you can sit down comfortably on the rocks and enjoy the view of swimmers and paddleboarders in the water below. It is a great spot for a sunset picnic but watch out for the mozzies in Summer! They can be fierce!

You can park in the Panorama Park carpark for the Quarry Rock trail but this parking lot does fill up quickly so you may need to park on the street which will add 10-15 minutes to your hike. There are toilets available in Panorama Park.

20. Cactus Club Coal Harbour

If you are looking for a restaurant with a view in Vancouver, the Cactus Club Coal Harbour has you covered! The restaurant has incredible views looking out over the Harbour, Stanley Park and the North Shore Mountains. The food is also really good! I recommend making a reservation to ensure you get a seat in the restaurant because it is popular!

21. Ambleside Park and Ambleside Beach

The Ambleside Park and beach in West Vancouver, both have amazing views of Downtown Vancouver, Stanley Park, English Bay and Kitsilano across the water. They are both popular places for locals to hang out, go walking or running.

There is also a playground and a dog park here so it is a great place to spend a few hours having a picnic with friends and family. This is one of our new favourite places to go with Winnie! It even snowed there recently and it was magical. Cue “Snow on the Beach” by Taylor Swift.