English Bay to Kits Beach: Vancouver's Beach Walk

Vancouver is one of the few big cities where you can walk from a dense downtown neighbourhood to a sandy beach in a few minutes, and this route strings together the best of them. It starts in the West End, a leafy district of apartment towers and old houses that is home to the city’s LGBTQ+ Davie Village, at English Bay Beach, the city’s favourite place to watch the sun go down over the water.

From there the seawall runs along Sunset Beach to the Burrard Bridge, a 1932 Art Deco landmark with generous sidewalks and views up False Creek. On the far side lies Vanier Park, a waterfront lawn on land that was once part of the Squamish Nation village of Sen̓áḵw, now home to three museums and the city’s summer Shakespeare festival. The route ends at Kitsilano Beach, the heart of the laid-back neighbourhood locals call Kits, with its volleyball courts, mountain views and a saltwater pool 137 metres long.

The walk is flat except for the ramp up onto the bridge, and it can be done in either direction; end in Kits if you want a swim, or at English Bay for sunset with a drink in the West End.

Getting there. Start at the corner of Davie and Denman Streets, a short walk from Robson Street or reached from downtown by bus 6 along Davie Street. From Kitsilano Beach, buses 2 and 22 on Cornwall Avenue and bus 4 on 4th Avenue return downtown.

Permits & tickets. The beaches, seawall and bridge are free. The Museum of Vancouver, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver Maritime Museum and Kitsilano Pool charge admission; check their sites for current prices and hours.

Good to know:

Lifeguards are on duty at English Bay, Sunset and Kitsilano beaches in summer only; check the city’s current beach schedule.
Kitsilano Pool is seasonal, typically open from late spring to early autumn.
On the nights of the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks (usually late July and early August) English Bay is packed and nearby streets close to traffic.

Day 1

Beach to beach across the Burrard Bridge

Davie Street and Denman Street → Kitsilano Beach 5 km

Navigate this day Print day

A-maze-ing Laughter, English Bay Beach, Sunset Beach, the Burrard Bridge, Vanier Park and Kitsilano Beach.

Segments

A-maze-ing Laughter 0.1 km Map

Davie Street and Denman Street → Morton Park

City park

In little Morton Park stand 14 bronze figures by the Chinese artist Yue Minjun, each about three metres tall and frozen mid-laugh. Installed for the Vancouver Biennale in 2009 and later donated to the city, they are among Vancouver's most photographed public art. About 10 minutes.

About this place

A-maze-ing Laughter is a 2009 bronze sculpture by Yue Minjun, located in Morton Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: Cameron Norman from Toronto, ON, Canada · CC BY 2.0
English Bay Beach 0.6 km Map

Morton Park → Inukshuk

Beachfront promenade

Cross Beach Avenue to the sand. English Bay Beach is where the city gathers for summer fireworks and the New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim, and where freighters lie at anchor offshore. Walk east along the promenade, past the Sylvia Hotel on the far side of the street, to the stone Inukshuk made by Alvin Kanak for Expo 86. About 20 minutes.
Sunset Beach 1 km Map

Inukshuk → Burrard Bridge ramp

Paved seawall

Follow the seawall along Sunset Beach, a long stretch of sand and grass with logs to lean against, towards the mouth of False Creek. Near the Burrard Bridge, climb the stairs or ramp up to the bridge deck. About 20 minutes.

About this place

Sunset Beach is an urban beach park on English Bay situated in the West End neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the city seawall system and is bisected by a multi-use path for bicycling, walking, and skating that connects to the adjacent Vancouver Aquatic Centre and Burrard Street Bridge. The park is maintained by the city government and includes public washrooms, concession stands, an off-leash area for dogs, and a False Creek Ferries dock. Between May and September, lifeguards are posted at the beach.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: PamMcP · CC BY-SA 4.0
Burrard Bridge 0.9 km Map

Burrard Bridge north end → Burrard Bridge south end

Bridge sidewalk

Opened in 1932, the Burrard Bridge is a concrete and steel Art Deco landmark with ornate central towers, lamps and busts of Captain George Vancouver and Sir Harry Burrard. The wide sidewalks are separated from the cycle lanes and give fine views over False Creek, Granville Island and the downtown towers. About 15 minutes.

About this place

The Burrard Bridge is a four-lane, Art Deco style, steel truss bridge constructed between 1930 and 1932 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The high, five-part bridge on four piers spans False Creek, connecting downtown Vancouver with Kitsilano via connections to Burrard Street on both ends. It is one of three bridges crossing False Creek. The other two bridges are the Granville Street Bridge, 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to the southeast, and the Cambie Bridge, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the east. In addition to the vehicle deck, the Burrard Bridge has 2.6 m wide sidewalks and a dedicated cycling lanes on both sides.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: Luke.Ernz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Vanier Park 1 km Map

Burrard Bridge south end → Vancouver Maritime Museum

Park lawns and paths

Descend to Vanier Park, a waterfront lawn favoured by kite flyers. The Museum of Vancouver and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre share the building with the conical roof, and the Vancouver Maritime Museum shelters the St. Roch, the RCMP schooner that sailed the Northwest Passage in both directions. In summer, the Bard on the Beach tents stand by the water. About 45 minutes, longer with a museum.

About this place

Vanier Park is a municipal park located in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, created in 1967. It is home to the Museum of Vancouver, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, the City of Vancouver Archives, and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. It is also the site of the ancestral Squamish settlement of Sen̓áḵw.
Read more on Wikipedia Photo: Xicotencatl · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kitsilano Beach 1.4 km Map

Vancouver Maritime Museum → Kitsilano Pool

Waterfront path and sand

Follow the path around Kits Point to Kitsilano Beach, where volleyball courts and a wide lawn face the sea and the North Shore mountains. At its western end is Kitsilano Pool, a saltwater pool 137 metres long that opened in 1931 and is the longest outdoor pool in North America. About 30 minutes, longer with a swim.

About this place

Kitsilano Beach is a beach on English Bay in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the most popular beaches in the city.
Read more on Wikipedia