1

Butchart Gardens is in Victoria not Vancouver. I wouldn't waste a day to go all the way over there, though you might enjoy the ferry ride.

Where to stay? I don't know, I live here. Downtown near Stanley Park probably, which is also a place where you could spend a whole day if you want.

The gondola up Grouse Mountain is a nice ride. there are grizzly bears in an enclosure up top.

Lynn Canyon suspension bridge.

UBC Museum of Anthropology.

2

Stanley Park, Gastown, Baywalk, Grouse Mountain, Whistler.

The options are endless really, this is Vancouver were talking about. Arguably the most beautiful city in the world.

3

It's far from being the most beautiful city in the world.

It's an overbuilt lumber town with no respect for the teeniest bit of heritage even if it's only 120 years old.

It's in a spectacular setting though with a few nice sites if you dig them out.

4

#3 - Dig what out? In your opinion what is the most beautiful city in the world?

#4 - You copied exactly what I wrote, no originality? lol

5

What are your interests? Give a clue to get a clue?

6

Follow the tourists to all the same spots and Be Happy!

Get on a Ho Ho tour and wave to the Charming City Dwellers!

Shower them with shiny coins-Vancouverites Love Shiny Things!

7

There are so many things to do. You might have to decide between outside Vancouver activities e.g. Whistler which would take from at least breakfast to dinner time to do. Capilano Bridge, Grouse Mountain are not considered out-of-Vancouver activities.

8

It would be easier to give advice if you gave a little more information (who's "we"? Do you have kids with you, or are you all adults? What do you like?).

As has already been said, Butchart Gardens is in (or, to be precise, slightly north of) Victoria, not Vancouver. But if you want to see it, a day trip to Victoria is a fine idea. Getting a tour of the Victoria Legislative Buildings is also worthwhile. So is a walk along Dallas Rd from Ogden Point to Beacon Hill Park - you can walk along a trail above the cliffs, with views of the sea, or (even better) get the stairs down to the beach and walk along the beach on the rocks; then walk back to downtown through Beacon Hill Park. The only difficulty is that, while it's easy to get between Victoria and Vancouver using the city transit systems, you might need a bus trip to conveniently get to Butchart's, which leaves less flexibility for seeing other things.

Victoria aside, there's plenty to see in Vancouver. Whether or not you bike regularly, I'd recommend renting a bike and cycling the Seawall around Stanley Park (it's better in evening, when it's not as crowded with pedestrians), which is a gorgeous ride. Inside the park, there's a lot of good hikes (Lost Lagoon is nice), and I'm a big fan of the Vancouver Aquarium. My next-favourite thing in Vancouver is Granville Island, which has loads of great artsy shops and a big gourmet food market. The Museum of Anthropology on the UBC campus has a lot of great First Nations art and stuff and is certainly worthwhile.

If you and your travelling companions DO bike regularly, it's fun to bike the whole Seawall - around Stanley Park, along False Creek, and all the way out to the UBC campus. The whole thing's about 25km. You could even combine it with some of the above suggestions, if you timed it right, since it runs past Granville Island and out to UBC where the Museum of Anthropology is.

Gastown is a fun area, though a little touristy.

Capilano's kind of overpriced. Lynn Canyon and Grouse Mountain are fine suggestions if you don't mind renting a car, but combined with a day trip to Victoria there's enough in Vancouver proper to fill your time.