The following itinerary assumes you have a month of no commitments, a set of stadium passport tickets and a high threshold for non-stop women’s soccer.
The 4th to the 7th of June - Getting There
You have two options for air travel if you’re coming from far away. Land directly in the city of Vancouver, or fly a bit South to Seattle and take other modes of transportation for the last leg. In general, Seattle has less expensive airfare, a RT flight from Denver to Seattle is about $250USD compared to $600USD landing in Vancouver. Of course, once in Seattle, you need to get North. The most exciting way to see the coast is by ferry ($19USD person or $52USD with car).
Where to Stay
If you want to be near the stadium, you’ll likely spend a hefty price. There are a few hostels available for about $25-50USD/night, while the always classy Days Inn type places are going for over $150USD/night. Anything nice downtown close to the stadium is pricing around $300USD/night. If you head out South and East to towns such as Burnby you can get a more reasonable $100/night for a nice place. Also, the SkyTrain system can drop you from the outskirts right into downtown action.
Canadian officials have recently encouraged locals to open their homes through networks such as Air BnB. If you are planning an extended stay, communal accommodations will be your best option for a friendly neighborhood and the chance to connect with local hosts.
If you’re in town by the 6th, plan to watch the opening ceremony and matches (in Edmonton) when host Canada will take on China. Look for plenty of soccer fans at Red Card Sports Bar to cheer on the Canucks.
The 8th of June - Match Day
The matches do not start until the afternoon so you’ll have time to scope out your route to the stadium. Expect traffic (car and mass transport) to be pretty heavy. The SkyTrain drops you off right near BC Place so get an early spot to avoid some of the chaos. Near the stadium, grab a late breakfast at The Charles Bar then file in to watch Cameroon take on Ecuador and World Champs Japan play Switzerland.
The 9th to the 11th of June - Tourist and Fan
While Vancouver is on a break, other exciting matches will be playing out across the country. The marquee match between France (#3) and England (#6) should be watched at The Pint Public House.
The 10th is a rest day and a perfect day to take in some local attractions. Some of you may know that Vancouver is the Hollywood of Canada and the hometown of a variety of performers (Ryan Reynolds, Carly Rae Jepson, Michael Buble, Seth Rogen and Pamela Anderson). Films such as Juno, Twilight, X-Men: Last Stand and more have been filmed around the lush city. A popular celebrity spotting ground is CinCin Ristorante… and by celebrity, we don’t include Justin Bieber.
The 12th of JUNE - Match Day
Follow the same rules as before. Be sure to eat a hearty meal (try and moderate consumption before the double header at BC Place). At the same time, the US will be playing in a highly anticipated match against their former coach Pia Sundhage and #6 ranked Sweden, so look for highlights while you’re there.
The 13th to the 15th of June - Tourist and Fan
After more than a week of soccer, take this time to relax as a tourist. Look at some open water kayaking from Granville Island or work on your tan among the college-aged crowd at Kit’s beach. On the 13th, head to Boteca de Brasil to catch Brazil play Spain. On the 15th, the home team will play The Netherlands, try Manchester Public Eatery for a pro Dutch crowd.
The 16th of June - Match Day - THE AMERICANS ARE COMING
Vancouver is expected to erupt when neighbor USA plays Nigeria on this night (over 40,000 tickets have been sold). While the US is favored, the Super Falcons of Nigeria will not make it easy. The Portland-Seattle corridor has become a soccer haven in the US, so expect many fans to be making this their single WWC destination.
The 17th to the 26th of June - Rest Up, Be a Tourist
Now that the group stages are wrapping up, you need to see some of Vancouver. The first knockout matches start on the 20th. Check out a previous article for a deeper list of host team taverns. Before the knockouts on the 21st and 23rd, consider an excursion to Whistler where you can ski a Glacier or go canoeing on Alta Lake.
This would also be a good time to stay on Vancouver Island. The capital of British Columbia, this island feels more like Europe than North America. Expect a quieter, but nonetheless unique escape from the busier Vancouver.
On TV, watch the winners of group A and C play a team that eked out of a group in 3rd. While the expectation is for these knockouts to be lopsided, you never know how they will truly end up.
On the evening of the 26th, catch the quarterfinal matches from Ottawa and Montreal. There’s a good chance both Germany and the USA will be playing today. For a big German-friendly viewing party, hit up the Vancouver Alpen Club.
The 27th of June - Quarterfinal Match
If Canada wins their group (A) and their following knockout match, they could be in this quarterfinal match in Vancouver. If the hosts do make it this far, you can guarantee a huge crowd pushing them into the semis. Prepare for a long celebratory night on the town. Note: Last call in BC is generally 2a.m. but municipalities can change to earlier or later. In downtown Vancouver you can expect 4 a.m. closing times around events.
The 28th of June to the 4th of July
You’ll have to watch both Semifinal matches on TV from Vancouver. Commercial Drive (aka “Little Italy”) is expected to be a party focal point as it has been in previous World Cup years. Be sure to find Americans and fireworks on the 4th (but remember it’s not a Canadian holiday), you can also watch the 3rd/4th place match out of Edmonton.
The 5th of July - Final Match
This is the reason you came to Vancouver. The match is in the late afternoon (16:00 local time) so you have the morning to prepare your outfit (find our Fan Gear article here) plus time to appropriately consume Crown Royal, Labatts or similar Canadian beverage brands.
Note: The legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19 (18 in some other regions). Law enforcement is expected to be in high alert after recent sport riots in the city. Public drinking is not allowed and you can be arrested for public intoxication.
Be safe and have a great trip!
