This is part of our Ultimate, Hyper-Specific Vancouver City Guide, featured in the May 2024 issue of Vancouver magazine. We’ve created 25 unique personas and 25 unique itineraries to match. If this to-do list for ‘your culinary school friends’ isn’t helpful, perhaps one of the other 24 bespoke schedules will be. Explore them all here.
7:00 a.m.: Work It Out
Kickstart your day with boutique studio fitness at Altea Active ($50 for a guest day pass). Experience ballet barre, boxing, or get adventurous with antigravity fitness classes like aerial yoga. Imagine you and your sister, hanging like athletic bats in your fitness hammock swings: looks like you’ve got the setting for next year’s family Christmas card all figured out. Afterward, unwind in the Altea spa meditation lounge or steam cabins, where you can open your pores and up to your sister about all the clothes you’ve “borrowed” over the years.
425 W 6 Ave., alteaactive.com
10:00 a.m.: Such Great Heights
Still haven’t tired out your active sister? Book a climbing session at the Hive Heights climbing wall ($30 for a day pass). Show your support as she conquers new heights, channelling her inner Miley Cyrus because—as Miley famously said—“it’s the climb.” 670 Industrial Ave., hiveclimbing.com
12:00 p.m.: Towers of Power
This nerd wants to work out her brain, too, as it turns out. (Does she ever just sit down?!) Send her on a self-guided architectural tour while you take a dang nap—the City of Vancouver has a map outlining several points of historical interest, including the Permanent Building and the Marine Building. Downtown, vancouver.ca
6:00 p.m.: Dine Like Queens
Finally, after all that exercising, you’ve worked up an appetite. Take your sister to warmly lit, wallpaper-adorned Bao Bei in Chinatown, the Michelin-recognized modern Chinese stalwart serving one of the city’s best-value tasting menus. For $65 each, you’ll experience a parade of the restaurant’s greatest hits: share hanger steak with smoked chili and charred pineapple or crispy tofu alongside secrets from your shared childhood. 163 Keefer St., bao-bei.ca
9:00 p.m.: Sip by the Sea
For post-meal drinks, head to Batch on Plaza at the Plaza of Nations. Enjoy live music, waterfront views and starry nights—the perfect setting for potential romantic mixing and mingling. With cozy firepits and a selection of canned wines, beers and themed cocktails, it’s the ideal spot to soak in the Vancouver skyline and maybe even meet some fellow singles. 770 Pacific Blvd., batchvancouver.com
