To start your Vancouver holidays on the right note, make like a Vancouverite and wake with the sun.

The perfect way to get your bearings around Vancouver is to go for a bike ride around its 28-km long seawall, also known as the “world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path”. Start by renting your bicycle from one of the rental shops at the Georgia Street entrance of Stanley Park – Vancouver’s famous urban forest.

This 1,000-acre park is emblematic of the symbiotic relationship between the city’s expansive stretches of nature and its steel-and-glass skyscrapers. Many of the trees found in the park are centenarians, while a contemporary seawall borders its perimeter. Housing the Vancouver Aquarium and ample dining options (including the famous Japadog food cart), Stanley Park is one of Vancouver’s most popular recreational spots.

A short ferry ride away, Granville Island offers a delectable collection of shops, galleries, cafes, book stores, and theatre venues. Its Public Market is a hot favourite among locals and tourists alike; get ready to pick up all manner of delicious food and baked goods, local produce, and unique gifts while you are here.

For a cultural encounter like no other, spend an afternoon at the renowned Museum of Anthropology. It houses more than 500,000 cultural artifacts, including an extensive collection of First Nations art and objects originating from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Gawk at First Nation totem poles, canoes, feast dishes, and ceremonial masks in the Museum’s Great Hall. Look out for the iconic sculpture Raven and The First Men by First Nations artist Bill Reid – this memorable artwork is featured on the Canadian $20 bill.

For more first-time Vancouver experiences not to be missed, check out this list. Or hop over here if you prefer an insider’s guide to Vancouver’s must-dos.

Blessed with a milder climate relative to other Canadian cities, Vancouver’s neighbourhoods and nature parks are made for walking.

For those captivated by Vancouver’s Chinese culture and cuisine, take a “wok” around Chinatown – literally and figuratively. This four-hour walking tour begins with a meandering journey through the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden, an impressive urban oasis of green which topped the global list of city gardens in National Geographic’s Secret Journeys of a Lifetime.

Be prepared to marvel at barbequed ducks and gasp at jars containing animal and plant parts with mystifying medicinal properties. After all that walking, you will be rewarded with a dim sum (bite-sized portions of Chinese food) lunch and traditional tea ceremony.

If you prefer uncovering Vancouver’s hidden secrets and decadent pasts, make a beeline for the Forbidden Tour. During the walk, you’ll discover the lost souls of Gastown, or uncover how this seemingly spotless city came to be known as the capital of sin.

What better way to take in Vancouver’s natural beauty than from 1,250 metres above ground? The North Shore Mountain Discovery tour takes you up Grouse Mountain through the creeping trails of the North Shore rainforest, and across the 70-metre-high Capilano Suspension Bridge – a heart-stopping feature on many a traveller’s Vancouver to-do list.

Alternatively, you may wish to book a tour with Cycle City Tours. Experiencing the city on two wheels, you’ll discover Stanley Park and Granville Island, plus the Olympic Village and Gastown, a cobbled heritage area ranked among the most stylish neighbourhoods in the world.

As far as culinary adventures go, Kissa Tanto offers a strange, other-worldly gastronomic experience. Even the sign on the door is odd: “Please fix your hair and remove the mud from your boots.”

Whatever you make of this quirky new player on Vancouver’s sizzling culinary scene, it is definitely one worth checking out. Pete Wells, in a New York Times article, describes it as “Italian food made with Japanese sensibility and ingredients”, while Alexandra Gill calls it “a sultry supper club from another time.”

For something more quintessentially Vancouver, Blue Water Café, which dishes out sustainable seafood and sushi in Yaletown, is your best bet.

Next up, follow the trail of Vancouver foodies to what food writer Jennifer Pallian (aka Foodess) calls “something of a well-kept secret”. At Lift Bar and Grill at Coal Harbour, you can savour crispy Humboldt squid, salmon tempura roll, and braised beef short ribs. Wash it all down with your favourite wine while relishing fabulous harbour views at the rooftop bar.

For other top food picks in Vancouver, check out this list of restaurants curated by industry insiders.