What better way to celebrate living in a world-class city, than by exploring it again?
Reconnect with your routes by hopping on a bus, SkyTrain, or/and SeaBus and get access to exclusive deals at Vancouver’s favourite tours and attractions. When you flash your Compass card to any of these businesses, you’ll immediately get perks that only locals in the know will receive.
So plan out your trip and grab your card, because your next stop is adventure!
UBC Museum of Anthropology
The Raven and the First Men, Bill Reid. On display at MOA.
One of the best museums in Western Canada, The MOA is home to an outstanding collection of Indigenous art, traditional clothing and wares from around the world. Wander through the hulking totem poles and celebrate the culture of BC’s first people.
Show your Compass Card to receive: 25% off admission
How to get there:
Take the 99 B-Line to UBC Exchange
Transfer to #68 Westbrook Village bus and exit at West Mall
or
Walk! (it’s not too far)
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Photo: @powder.pics
When the stresses of city life are overwhelming, there’s no better spot to zen out. Plus, the bust of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in the courtyard is perfect for trying out crazy Instagram filters. Tip: he looks fantastic as an anime hero.
Show your Compass Card to receive: 2-for-1 admission + 20% off at the gift shop
How to get there:
Take the Expo Line Skytrain to Stadium-Chinatown Station
Or
Take the #7 Dunbar bus and exit at Carrall Street
Vancouver Mysteries
See Vancouver through the eyes of a super spy, a hotshot police officer or a spandex-clad superhero (spandex not required). A unique and fun way to tour around the city, these downtown capers are perfect for families or a group of friends.
Show your Compass Card to receive: 20% off your following visit
How to get there:
You’ll be given your meeting spot once you sign up, but tours typically begin in the downtown core, accessible by multiple bus routes, SkyTrain and SeaBus.
Museum of Vancouver
Overlooking Vanier Park, MOV is a great way to end a stroll around False Creek. Pop by to take in their rotating exhibits or peruse the longer-term installations like That Which Sustains Us (an examination of people’s interactions with forests and their natural environment) or Neon Vancouver / Ugly Vancouver (a collection of bygone era neon signs from around YVR).
Show your Compass Card to receive: 2-for-1 admission
How to get there:
From Downtown: Take the #2 Macdonald bus and exit at Maple Street
From Kits: Take the #2 Downtown bus along Macdonald or Cornwall
Vancouver Whale Watch
You call yourself a local, and you’ve never mingled with a pod of orcas? It’s time to get in on what tourists have known for years: whales are cool! You won’t believe how easy it is to spot these massive mammals so close to home.
Show your Compass Card to receive: free tour map
How to get there:
Take the Canada Line to Richmond Brighouse Station
Transfer to the #401 One Road bus and exit at Steveston Exchange
Vancouver Art Gallery
@scottlittle
The centrepiece of Vancouver’s downtown core, you know the VAG, you love the VAG. If you’ve been cooped up for a while, you could likely use a little art therapy. And with a world-famous collection of modern and traditional West Coast art, the creative side of your brain will be out of hibernation before you leave.
Show your Compass Card to receive: 25% off admission
How to get there:
Take the Canada Line to Vancouver City Centre Station
or
Take the Expo Line Skytrain to Granville Station- the gallery is within walking distance from both
Rhoedde House Museum
Play house for a day, in an old Victorian-era heritage home. Restored with meticulous detail, each room is straight out of a BBC costumed drama. It’s a look inside the domestic life when the height of drama was who ate the last of the teacake.
Show your Compass Card to receive: 2-for-1 admission
How to get there:
Take the #5 Robson bus and exit at Broughton Street
Bill Reid Gallery
@heypatrickshannon
One of BC’s most notable artists, this downtown gallery is dedicated to showcasing Reid’s work along with contemporary indigenous voices. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, you know that massive green sculpture at the YVR Airport, Jade Canoe? See, this list is already making you a better Vancouverite!
Show your Compass Card to receive: 2-for-1 admission
How to get there:
Take the Canada Line to Vancouver City Centre Station
or
Take the Expo Line Skytrain to Granville Station- the gallery is within walking distance from both
Grouse Mountain
Don’t worry, we won’t make you take the grind up. Some of the freshest air and best views are only 25 minutes from downtown. The peak of the city has plenty to fill a day with, whether it’s zip-lining, a live lumberjack show, or just leisurely doing some grizzly watching (…they’re in a contained enclosure where they can roam, FYI).
Show your Compass Card to receive: $5 off adult mountain admission
How to get there:
From Lonsdale Quay, take the #236 Westbound bus on W Esplanade Ave
Contemporary Art Gallery
From current exhibition: Big Form Big Space, Leon Polk Smith
Just outside of Yaletown, this fantastic gallery has quickly become one of the city’s top art spaces. Independently run, and non-profit, CAG works with artists from Canada and around the world to produce exhibitions and off-site projects. With free admission, it’s a wonderful spot to take your littlest culture vultures.
Show your Compass Card to receive: 10% off at the bookshop
How to get there:
Take the #10 Granville/Downtown bus and exit at Nelson Street
Science World
If you haven’t visited Science World since your field trip days, you owe it to your childhood self to see how much it’s evolved since then! With new attractions and exhibits, the spirit of discovery inside that big golf ball has never been stronger. Feel free to pack a ziplock of Teddy Grahams to keep with tradition.
Book online: Use the code TRANSLINK15% when booking online to receive 15% off general admission.
How to get there:
Take the Expo Line Skytrain and exit at Main Street- Science World Station
