Me and my better half fly out to Vancouver this Saturday. Going for a 3 week holiday and reccy. Really excited and can't wait for us to finally go (have been planning this for ages now).

We are flying from Manchester to Vancouver, then spending the first 7 days in Vancouver (staying downtown), then getting a backpackers bus tours to Shuswap Lake, Banff, Jasper then back to Banff. Then we get the Greyhound bus to Kelowna to stay with family for 5 days, then finally get another Greyhound bus back to Vancouver and spend another 4 days there.

I'm sure there will be plenty to keep us entertained. We are planning on checking out Stanley park, going up Grouse Mountain then on to Goat Mountain, and checking out some of the suburbs etc. But are there any places to see that we shouldn't miss? This applies to Kelowna as well. Any viewpoints or hidden little gems off the tourist track that are worth checking out?

There are many threads on this if you do a search.

Some ideas for Vancouver:

If you are going up Grouse Mountain get off the bus at the Cleveland Dam and enjoy the view. Afterward walk up to the gondola (or wait for the next bus if you're lazy). See Lynn Canyon suspension bridge (free) instead of Capilano (you'll feel like you've been mugged). On the North Shore also try and get to Deep Cove and rent a kayak.

Visit Granville Island for the market and the artisan's studios. Walk from there to Vannier park and Kits beach, then up to West 4th for shopping and dining. Visit the Museum of Anthropology at UBC.

For a change of pace (and another side of Metro Vancouver) take the Skytrain to Richmond centre. Shopping and eating aplenty if you want. Then take a bus to Steveston. The Cannery museum is interesting, you can drink beer on a deck, eat fish and chips, and wander along the riverside boardwalk.

Apparently there is a Brit shop that sells golliwogs.

Around Kelowna are lots of wineries. If I had to chose just one it would be Mission Hill in West Kelowna. It is a great setting with magnificent views over the lake, wonderful architecture, and the wine's not bad either.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=670463

This might not appeal to you at all, as it's not in Canada, but if this is not a frequent trip for you then take the greyhound bus out to Seattle for a day out. You won't regret it if you haven't been there before.
Near Vancouver, don't forget Whistler and also the Capilano Bridge.

You could have yourself a tour of the local grow ops. Just knock on one random door out of every four to find one. Follow that by a drive out to the bush to see the RCMP dragging another cold corpse out of the forest....disposal of a drug scammer, grass, rip off merchant or generally inept liability. Then head down to the newly opened Chop restaurant to see the assorted groups of gansta's - Independent Soldiers or HA - bigging it up at the top table with their skinhead beardy steroid henchmen. Then drive downtown to see the under age crackhead chicks turning tricks for their low level wannabee gansta fellas.

Kelowna's freakin' rad !!! Good times. Love it

Great to see you back

How long you been out?

You can take a Hop-on Hop off bus tour of Vancouver and you'll be able to see all the sights.