So I’m going to Vancouver at the end of August for a 10-day break. What should I do? What should I see? What’s unmissable?
If possible I’d like to keep driving to a minimum as I don’t particularly want to do the whole car rental/driving on the wrong side of the road thing. But if it means getting to a particularly good site, then I’ll consider it.
So…plan my holiday for me!
Don’t trip over the film crews. It seems like about 90% of television and 50% of movie filming is done there, these days. You might see if there’s any list of shooting you might want to observe.
I don’t know if Wreck Beach (a nude beach) is your thing, but it may be worth a look.
The Bloedel Floral Conservatory is beautiful. It’s this indoor place which has many plants and exotic birds.
Definitely hit up Stanley Park.
I suggest also visiting the UBC campus, the most beautiful university campus I’ve ever seen.
All around Vancouver, there are these amazingly tall trees. I was much impressed by them.
Have fun! Vancouver is one of my favourite cities. 
On my prior note: also Simon Frasier University, whose quad is recognizable from Battlestar Galactica. I was there a number of times and it freaked me out to see such an obscure location on the screen.
Actually, there’s not much of anything in Vancouver to see or do, But if you cross the Columbia River Portland is a pretty fun place to visit.
Amusing, Czarcasm! But I don’t think a non-“local” would get it.
Vancouver has lots of fun things to do (the aquarium and Granville Island) and I haven’t really happened upon any things I wouldn’t recommend (Gastown is distinctly fine and cute but not as awesome as they want to sell it as)- but a place to eat that I will recommend strongly if you are near Gastown is Meat & Bread. It is absolutely tasty- both times I’ve been there, we’ve had a first sandwich and then ordered another sandwich to share immediately afterward. Another fun eating event that we enjoyed was the Chocolate Buffet at the Sutton Place Hotel. Certainly not 4 star quality desserts, but unusual and not that expensive.
If you like being way up in the air on a swinging thing, try the Capilano Canyon Suspension Bridge. 
Also, bring an umbrella. They don’t call it “rain forest” for nothing.
And watch out for the banana slugs.
One thing you have to remember is that Vancouver is on the west coast! That way, you won’t waste a lot of time walking up and down the east coast looking for it.
BTW they drive on the right side of the road in Canada.
But I think ScareyFaerie lives in one of those drive-on-the-left countries across the pond, like Malta or Japan. 
For blues try The Yale.
Remember to watch out for Scott, he’s a dick.
I met with some friends on their way back from Vancouver today.
One of them did the skeleton at Whistler.
Unfortunately, this activity is not available in August.
I want to do that now.
I don’t blame you for not wanting to drive, the lower mainland (Vancouver and suburbs) are horrible for traffic.
If you get bored take the bus to Nanaimo, scenic 90min ferry ride, rent a car there and come on over to the* real* west coast, Ucluelet or Tofino. Spend a day and go off shore for halibut or salmon and see whales while you do.
ETA: Visit Playland and ride the wooden roller coaster, head up Grouse Mountain for a great view
What you get out of a visit to Vancouver really depends on the type of things you’re interested in. The aquarium in Stanley Park is awesome, but Stanley Park itself is kind of unimpressive. Walking on the seawall around the perimeter is actually more interesting.
Granville Island in the summer is fabulous… there’s a reason it’s always packed with tourists! There’s a lot of fresh fruit, seafood and funky jewelry to be had down there. There’s also a small gallery at the Emily Carr Institute with some interesting pieces done by art students.
UBC campus as mentioned upthread can be interesting but they’re always under construction, so it can be confusing to try to find your way around when they’ve changed the roads and blocked off access. It’s best to take the bus down and navigate by foot. If you end up there, don’t miss the Museum of Anthropology. They have fantastic First Nations exhibits and an open storage collection. You can literally spend the whole day pulling open drawers and looking at artifacts. The new(ish) Beaty Biodiversity Museum is kind of cool too, but not very big. Nitobe Gardens in the summer is gorgeous.
The Capilano Suspension Bridge is decent, but it’s not really accessible by transit. Well, it is, but it’s going to take you a long time if you do it by actual public transportation and not a private tour bus. If you end up being in a car, I’d actually recommend going to Lynn Valley for a hike. They also have suspension bridges, but it’s less touristy and free.
I’m a local, so I remain thoroughly unimpressed by the steam clock in Gastown… but tourists from all over seem fascinated by it. There are always a bunch of them blocking up the sidewalk taking pictures! Gastown itself has a bit of charm but it’s changed a lot over the years and doesn’t have much for people to do except eat in the restaurants.
One place I think a lot of tourists miss out on is “downtown” New West. It’s not Vancouver proper so a lot of people tend to dismiss it, but it’s actually older than Vancouver and has maintained a lot of its architectural charm. It’s easily accessible by skytrain (just get off at New West station).
Oh, and one place to avoid is definitely the Museum of Vancouver. I’ve never had anyone visiting who wasn’t disappointed by it. It’s incredibly small and the displays are quite amateurish. It shares the same building as the planetarium… and it’s a small building!!! It really is meant for locals who want to see (sometimes cool) temporary exhibits but provides very little representation of Vancouver itself.
Phew… hope these suggestions give you a start to your plan. I could come back with more suggestions if you indicate what sort of things are your cup of tea.
I’ll second this. IME, as a tourist, Lynn Canyon was just as interesting as Capilano (and Lynn Canyon has a suspension bridge too), but at no cost. Plus, you can hike through the rainforest, though as Sunspace notes, you want to avoid the banana slugs (don’t worry; they’re harmless, just slimy). When I’m in Vancouver, I always try to fit a visit to Lynn Canyon, and a walk through its rainforest, into my schedule–it is a lovely, tranquil, place to visit; and not far from a busy downtown.
When I went to Vancouver in 2010 I was able to get everywhere quite efficiently on public transportation alone - light rail, buses, and ferries. I got some good advice here. The ferry ride to North Vancouver was fun in its own right.
I went to (and would heartily recommend) Granville Island, the UBC Museum of Anthropology (along with the University grounds in general), the Vancouver Art Gallery, and Lynn Canyon. A rental bike made for a nice ride around Stanley Park and along the waterfront up False Creek. I did a fair amount of just walking around in some interesting neighborhoods like Kitsilano - I walked to Granville Island from downtown, for example. I tried to do the Grouse Grind hike, but the trail was closed at the time; however, I got some additional trail walking in at the Cleveland Dam on the way back from Grouse Mtn.
We took a water taxi on False Creek, ate at Legendary Noodle, and did the shopping district thing along Robson. The Japadog stand was underwhelming to me. I liked the Vancouver Maritime Museum, but that might not be for everyone.
Have fun!
If you can afford the fare, take a float plane to Victoria for the day. Not only is Victoria a great day trip (Check out the Royal BC Museum). But the float planes fly low for terrific views of the San Juan Islands, shipping, and occasionally even pods of whales.