Travel

Seattle to Vancouver for Christmas: A Weekend Drive Up North

By Paul Rudy · Everett, WA

If you live around Seattle, Everett or Bellingham, you can get to a big, sparkly Christmas city without a flight. I spent part of the holidays in Vancouver, British Columbia, and put together a quick 38-second look at it. I filmed this in December 2024, so the video shows that season. The dates in this post are for the current season: the Vancouver Christmas Market runs November 16 to December 24, 2026, so there is plenty of time to plan a weekend drive up.

Colorful star lanterns hanging over a red holiday market stall

Why go

Vancouver does the holidays well. Between the market, the lights, the food and the waterfront views, it is easy to fill a weekend.

What's in the video

Here is the quick list of what you'll see, roughly in order. Remember, this is footage from December 2024:

The downtown skyline. The video opens on a view with the Harbour Centre tower.
The Vancouver Christmas Market. Star lanterns glowing at a red stall, a giant lit tree, and strings of Christmas lights. The official market is held at Jack Poole Plaza, 1055 Canada Place, on the downtown waterfront. It is also home to the Olympic Cauldron, which is the night shot near the end of the video.
Granville Island. The fruit stall in the video is at the Granville Island Public Market, which has stalls of produce and food.
Water taxis. Small passenger ferries cross False Creek, and Granville Island is one of their stops.
Gastown. The steam clock, at Water and Cambie streets.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The bridge lit up at night for Canyon Lights.
Lots of food. Pasta, a few desserts and some festive drinks. I ate well on that trip, and the video shows it.
Where I ate. Four restaurants I ate at on the trip: OEB Breakfast Co. in Yaletown, Twisted Fork in Gastown, Nuba in Gastown and Caffè La Tana on Commercial Drive. Details are in the "Where I ate" section below. The video does not label which shot is which restaurant.

A dessert plate with meringue, fruit and custard on a blue dish

The Christmas market

The Vancouver Christmas Market, billed as a European Village, is at Jack Poole Plaza from November 16 to December 24, 2026. My video is from the 2024 season, so details may look a little different this year. Entry is ticketed with timed arrival windows, and kids 6 and under are free. Food, drinks and shopping are bought separately inside. The official site lists hours that change through the season, so check it for the day you plan to go before you leave home.

Capilano Canyon Lights

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park runs Canyon Lights from November 20, 2026 to January 10, 2027. It is included with regular park admission, and tickets are timed-entry, so book ahead. Park hours for that stretch are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and it is closed December 25. The park also offers a free shuttle from Canada Place, so you don't need to drive it yourself. Check its shuttle schedule for the days you want.

A suspension bridge lined with white lights at night

Granville Island and the water taxis

The Granville Island Public Market is open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except December 25 and 26 (and January 1). Two ferry companies run small passenger boats on False Creek, False Creek Ferries and Aquabus, and both serve Granville Island. They are fun to ride, and a nice change from sitting in traffic.

Gastown

The steam clock lets off steam and plays a little chime every 15 minutes. It is at Water and Cambie streets. It is a quick stop and a good photo.

Where I ate

Here are the places I ate on this trip, in no particular order. Hours and details can change, so check each restaurant's own site before you go.

OEB Breakfast Co. I had breakfast at OEB's Yaletown location, 1137 Marinaside Crescent, along the seawall by False Creek. OEB is a breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant. Site: eatoeb.com.
Twisted Fork (now Fork & Friends). I had breakfast in Gastown at Twisted Fork, 213 Carrall Street. The venue now goes by Fork & Friends, and its brunch is still branded "Twisted Fork." Site: forkandfriends.ca.
Nuba. Lebanese food at Nuba's Gastown location, 207 West Hastings Street. Site: nuba.ca.
Caffè La Tana. I had dinner at Caffè La Tana, an Italian restaurant at 635 Commercial Drive, on The Drive in Grandview-Woodland. Site: caffelatana.ca.

Getting there from the Seattle area

The route is I-5 north to the border, then into Vancouver. From Seattle it is about 143 miles. The Seattle Times puts the drive at about three hours, plus whatever time the border takes. Border waits can be longer on holiday weekends, so check wait times before you go. The Washington State Department of Transportation posts them for the Peace Arch and Pacific Highway crossings, and both crossings are open 24 hours a day.

Bring the right ID. Canada says a valid passport is the only reliable, universally accepted travel document for U.S. citizens, and you will need an acceptable ID to come back into the U.S. by land too. Check the official rules for your own situation, especially if you're traveling with kids. If you'd rather not drive, Amtrak Cascades, Greyhound and FlixBus also run to Vancouver, according to the Seattle Times.

When to go

The market runs from November 16 to December 24, and Canyon Lights runs from November 20 to January 10, so a weekend in the first half of December works for both. Book timed tickets ahead, and leave time for the border.

Vancouver towers at dusk with the colorful Olympic Cauldron in front

Watch the video

Here's the quick 38-second version: Spending the holidays in Vancouver British Columbia! on YouTube. For the full tour, watch My Perfect Holiday Weekend in Vancouver on YouTube, an 8-minute look at the whole trip. You can also see the short as a reel on Instagram. Come along for more trips at travlnbike.com and on the TRAVLNBIKE channels. If you make the drive, tell me what you ate. I'm always looking for the next dessert.