What should we do? Guide books are all well and good but what do the real experts, the folks who live and frequent here think we should do?

2 of us (wife and I), Pretty active, love hiking, running and generally exploring the outdoors.

What month are you visiting?

I've lived in YVR and currently live next door in YYC.

Vancouver is not a mystery. It is not a world class city, especially in the sense that the cities marketers want you to perceive it as, with amazing destinations, or things to do. The guide books will steer you straight.

If I were you I'd spend 3 days there at a maximum, and then 3 days on Vancouver Island. That's where the value is.

If you love the outdoors, Whistler is a no brainer. It is only a 90 minute drive from downtown Vancouver, and is one of the most wonderful places in Canada.

Amazes me how people can write about apparently planning to spend time visiting an airport and another person apparently has even lived in a couple.

Contrary to what some FTers seem to think, an airport code is not a city name.

As for what to do in Vancouver and the surrounding area, i suggest any decent guidebook or online 'what to see and do' search will give you the answers. Locals often know less about what attracts tourists than the guidebooks do. That's because locals do what residents do, eat, sleep, work rather than what tourists do. There are plenty of Vancouverites who have never been to Stanley Park or Granville Island for example but it would be a rare tourist who would not have.

As a visitor, my advice regardless of what time of year you plan to visit, is don't forget to pack a rainjacket and an umbrella. Vancouverites delight in telling everyone their city has the 'mildest climate in Canada'. What they forget to tell you is that it rains year round too.

YYJ gets half the rain and twice the sun of YVR. Apparently.

This is FT, and I find it faster to type airport codes
I think my colleagues do wonder when they ask for travel advice and get it in airport codes though.

Not saying it won't rain at all but it's been pretty dry in July and August the last number of years with a number of dry streaks.

There are a number of walks and hikes in and around Vancouver.
From a very basic perspective, Vancouver is a very walkable city, particularly around the downtown core. Vancouver has a pretty extensive seawall which take you through some very picturesque parts of the city. We take walks along it regularly. Some parts might be better served riding a bike like around Stanley Park.
There are also extensive trails around the city and into the north short mountains with varying degrees of difficulty. This is one of the websites we use for ideas and reference. Note, some of the trails are no joke with unprepared hikers sometimes needing to be airlifted out by local search and rescue.
One of the popular well know trails is the Grouse Grind which is a trail which leads up to the Grouse Mountain resort area. You typically hike up, have a beer, and take the tram down.
Apart from the walks and trails, Lynn Canyon is nice. We like to visit Granville Island (along the seawall). Daytrips to Squamish/Whistler, Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands are kind of nice.
In the summer, there are a number of festivals and events around town that are pretty fun.

Whistler. �Nuff said. If you love the outdoors, there is no better place.

What Jay said and add The Chief for a hike, we prefer it to Grouse Grind. Squamish Chief

Vancouver is world class but small, no more that 2 -3 days. The city is a base not a destination.

Whistler-Sea to Sky corridor 2-3 days. Base yourself in Squamish or Pemberton and skip staying in Whistler. Both are only 30min drive from Whistler.

Gulf Islands 1-2 days or longer if in the summer. Vancouver Island is too big to explore meaningfully on such a short trip.

Why is it that people think their perception of somewhere is somehow the perception everyone will have? That to me is the height of arrogance and presumption. I do happen to love the outdoors and I have no interest in visiting Whistler after having visited once. It does not represent the 'outdoors' to me, it simply represents a typical N. American ski resort town.

If someone is planning a visit to a city, then 'outdoors' does not come into it at all unless that someone considers a walk through a park as representing the 'outdoors'. In which case, for Vancouver, Stanley Park will meet that definition.

If you actually want 'outdoors' in Canada, then by my definition of 'outdoors', you spend a week backpacking in one of the National/Provincial Parks, or canoeing in a place like Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario. You don't go to Whistler for a day or take a ride up Grouse Mountain on the gondola. Or visit Niagara Falls for a day and call that 'outdoors'. There are plenty of far better places to experience the outdoors in Canada, than Whistler. 'No better place than Whistler', you must be joking Finkface.

Nuff said indeed.

While I won’t dignify your insulting post by quoting the entire thing, I will point out what the OP asked for, bolded for your convenience in case reading comprehension is an issue:
Last time I checked, Algonquin Park was some 4200kms from Vancouver. Hardly fits his requirements of ‘YVR and surrounding area’, which was what I responded to. And ‘think’ generally means opinions which is exactly what I gave - an opinion. If one stating an opinion that differs from your so obviously vastly superior knowledge of all things outdoors equals ‘the height of arrogance and presumption’ then I apologize for offending your poor little snowflake sensibilities.

And there is far, far more to the Whistler area than the Village or a gondola ride.

[QUOTE=majik;29445270]Vancouver is world class but small, no more that 2 -3 days. The city is a base not a destination.

Grew up in Vancouver, can confirm.