How to plan a Car Free Day Out in Richmond

You don’t need a car to have a great day out in Richmond. And even if you do have your own wheels, leaving them at home is an easy option here. With a little thought and planning, you can enjoy some brilliant excursions in and around the city via transit, bike-riding and even scootering. Read on for some of our favourite easy-access suggestions.

Line Dining

Driving isn’t required if you’re hungry to explore the region’s delicious dining scene. Just visit West Coast Food’s inspiring Dine the Line website to plan some taste-tripping local excursions via transit. Browse the site’s curated guides of handpicked eateries (complete with free, downloadable maps), then add a Day Pass to your Compass Card and take your appetite out for a day trip or two.

There are six themed guides––from Bring the Family to It’s Better with Friends––plus three guides based on SkyTrain routes. Each guide showcases a full menu of great places to eat and drink, indicating how to easily reach them on transit.

Consider the Dim Sum to Dinner option, which utilizes SeaBus and Canada Line services and showcases eight eateries between North Vancouver and Richmond––showing exactly where each one is located and how long it takes to walk to them from a Canada Line or SeaBus station.

Recommended Richmond stops in this particular guide include celebrated Cantonese restaurant Chef Tony; the authentic hawker-style food court at Richmond Public Market; and popular city centre eatery 75 West Coast Grill at the Vancouver Airport Marriott Hotel. Consider breakfast or brunch at 75 West Coast Grill, lunch at the Public Market and a savour worthy dinner at Chef Tony.

Craft beer fan? In partnership with the BC Ale Trail, several new brewery-focused car-free guides have also recently been added to the Dine the Line initiative. We particularly love the South of the Fraser guide, which includes lip-smacking Richmond beer destinations Monkey 9 Brewpub, Fuggles Beer and Five Roads Brewing––plus O’Hare’s Gastro Pub.

Saddle Up

Car-free excursions aren’t all about transit, of course. With its relatively flat topography and 80km of designated cycling routes, Richmond is also a perfect city to explore on a bicycle. Don’t have your own wheels? Richmond is home to Lime, a cool public e-bike and e-scooter scheme with docks dotted around the city. Download the Lime app, scan the QR code on the e-vehicle and you’ll soon be on your way. It’s super-easy to use.

Alternatively, you can check out Richmond on your own bike. Coming from Vancouver? Hop in the saddle and bring your wheels here on the Canada Line or cycle across the Bikeway attached to the Canada Line Bridge between Vancouver’s Marine Drive Station and Richmond’s Bridgeport Station. And while you’re here, consider visiting Sanctuary Cafe, a highly welcoming bike-friendly coffee shop in the city’s London Landing area.

Shop It

Outlet stores and malls typically require a car to get to. But Richmond’s McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver is right next to Templeton Station on the Canada Line branch that heads to the airport. You’ll see the gabled roofs and colourful stores from the train, and you’ll find popular brands––and great deals––at stores including Coach, North Face, Lindt Chocolate and dozens more.

Keen to shop indoors? You can also take the Canada Line to Aberdeen Station. The adjoining Aberdeen Centre’s Asian-themed shops include the huge Oomomo store. Alternatively, Lansdowne Station––the next stop––is just a few steps from the big box stores and more of Lansdowne Centre. Finally, Richmond-Brighouse Station is just across the street from CF Richmond Centre, with its popular brands and boutiques.

Hawker Dishes

If food is your main focus, though, Richmond is a must-do destination for authentic Asian dining. And one of the best ways to explore it is to visit some hawker-style food courts via the Canada Line.  These unpretentious dining halls are filled with independent vendors showcasing cuisines from China, Korea, Japan and beyond.

Around the corner from Aberdeen Station, the upstairs President Plaza Food Court is a hidden gem with a handful of counters. We love the jianbing wraps at O’Tray Noodle here. Across the street, Aberdeen Centre’s top-floor food court also offers enticing options––consider the street-style chicken wings at Wu Fung Dessert. Finally, a five-minute walk from Richmond-Brighouse Station brings you to Richmond Public Market where the food court’s Peanuts vendor serves delicious little wheel cakes.

If you go:

Plot your transit-based Richmond day out via the trip-planning tool on the TransLink homepage. Keep in mind that travelling from Vancouver to Richmond is a two-zone fare––if you’re anticipating several trips in and around the area, consider a day long all-zone Day Pass. And if you’re keen to try Lime, visit their website for additional information and to download the app.

Last Updated on March 27, 2024 by Tourism Richmond