About 10 minutes from downtown Vancouver is the area's most famous attraction, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which sees some 800,000 visitors each year. The original bridge was built in 1889, and although it's been replaced since then, there's been a bridge here ever since. Swaying 230 feet above the Capilano River, the plank and cable bridge stretches 450 feet from one side to the other. Other attractions at the park include the world's largest privately owned collection of totem poles, totem carving demonstrations, hiking trails, two restaurants and a gift shop.

Constructed in an authentic Ming Dynasty-style, the garden is renowned as being the first of its type built since the late 15th century. Traditional materials from Suzhou, the Garden City of the People's Republic, were used in the construction. It was built with only carefully arranged rocks, wood, plants and water, all without using screws, nails or power tools. The principles of yin and yang opposites, such as light and dark and rough and smooth, are a strong element in this garden's design.

This popular West End beach is a favorite of swimmers and sunbathers. An international fireworks exhibit, Symphony of Fire, is held each summer, and the park hosts the Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day. On Sunday afternoons when the weather is fair, a band plays in the gingerbread-style bandstand.

Located in a wetlands environment at the mouth of the Fraser River on Westham Island, this spot is ideal for bird watching. More than 250 species of migratory birds including herons, peregrine falcons, bald eagles, swans, geese and ducks can be seen. In November, the Snow Goose Festival is held as hundreds of birds stop for a rest on their long journey south.

Located on the city's highest point, this gem of a park features spectacular views of the North Shore, the mountains and Vancouver's skyline. Nature is at its finest amid the multitude of flowers, quiet ponds, ducks, wild birds and butterflies. The silver-domed conservatory features numerous climactic zones, including a desert area and a simulated tropical forest, with plants, birds and fish from South America, Mexico and Africa. The park also features a gift shop, restaurant, mini golf, tennis courts and Frisbee golf.