Canada · British Columbia
Vancouver
A big city with rainforest, beaches and ski slopes all within half an hour of downtown.
Vancouver is a glass-tower city squeezed between the Pacific and the snow-capped North Shore mountains, where you can ski and kayak on the same day. Stanley Park and its seawall wrap the downtown peninsula in forest and beach, Granville Island's market sits under a bridge on False Creek, and the food runs deep on sushi, dim sum and Pacific seafood. It is the gateway to Whistler, Vancouver Island and the Sea-to-Sky coast.
Suggested stay
3–5 days
Language
English, French
Currency
CAD
Timezone
UTC-7
Why you'll love Vancouver
Stanley Park A thousand acres of cedar and fir at the tip of downtown, ringed by a seawall path built for walking, cycling and sunset watching
Mountains at the door Grouse, Cypress and Seymour rise straight above the harbour, with forest trails in summer and night skiing in winter
Eating Some of the best sushi, dim sum and Asian food in North America, plus wild salmon, spot prawns and oysters from the coast
The water Beaches at English Bay and Kitsilano, little ferries across False Creek and kayaking in the fjord of Indian Arm
Best time to visit
May-Sep
18-23° days
49.261° N, 123.114° W
UTC-7 · America/Vancouver
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Weather & when to go to Vancouver
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best May-Sep
Hiking prime Jun-Sep
Snow prime Jan-Feb
Activity seasons none fair good prime
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Vancouver
No month is truly off-limits, but from roughly November to March the rain is near-constant and the skies stay grey, which is also when the North Shore mountains get their snow and the ski season runs.
Top things to do in Vancouver
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Stanley Park - cycle or walk the seawall
scenic nature wildlife 👍 PopularThe seawall loops around the park for about 9 km past the totem poles at Brockton Point, the Lions Gate Bridge, Siwash Rock and the beaches at Third Beach and English Bay. Hire a bike near Denman Street and ride it counter-clockwise, or walk the forest trails inside the loop.
-
Granville Island - the Public Market and False Creek
food culture arts 👍 PopularA former industrial island under the Granville Street Bridge, now a covered public market of seafood, bakeries and produce stalls surrounded by artists' studios, a brewery and theatres. Arrive by the little Aquabus or False Creek ferries.
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Museum of Anthropology - Northwest Coast art at UBC
culture arts history ⭐ Highly recommendedArthur Erickson's glass-and-concrete hall on the University of British Columbia campus holds towering totem poles and Bill Reid's carving The Raven and the First Men, one of the finest collections of First Nations art anywhere.
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Capilano Suspension Bridge - rainforest canyon crossing
nature wildlife scenic 👍 PopularThe long swaying footbridge high over the Capilano River in North Vancouver, with treetop walkways and a cliffside walk. Lynn Canyon Park has a smaller, free suspension bridge and swimming holes for those who skip the crowds.
-
Grouse Mountain - the Grouse Grind or the Skyride
hiking snow scenicClimb the Grouse Grind, a relentless staircase trail up the mountain's face that locals time themselves on, or ride the Skyride gondola for harbour views, a grizzly refuge and, in winter, skiing and snowshoeing above the city lights.
-
Deep Cove and Quarry Rock - paddle Indian Arm
adventure hiking ⭐ Highly recommendedA village at the mouth of Indian Arm, a steep glacial fjord east of North Vancouver. Hike the short forest trail to the Quarry Rock lookout, or rent a kayak or paddleboard and paddle up the arm between forested walls.
-
Richmond - dim sum and the Asian food scene
foodThe suburb by the airport is home to one of the largest Chinese communities outside Asia, with banquet-hall dim sum, noodle shops and malls full of Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Sichuan cooking, plus a summer night market.
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Gastown and Chinatown - the old city
history culture artsVancouver's first streets, all cobbles, Victorian brick and the steam clock on Water Street, now full of bars and restaurants. A few blocks on, Chinatown holds the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, a walled Ming-style garden.
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Salish Sea - whale watching for orcas
nature wildlifeBoat trips leave from downtown, Granville Island and Steveston to look for orcas, humpbacks, seals and sea lions among the Gulf Islands, with the best chances from spring to autumn.
Best areas to stay in Vancouver
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Downtown and Coal Harbour
First-time visitors $$$Towers, harbour views and the cruise terminal
Explore hotels in Downtown and Coal Harbour →
West End
Parks and beaches $$Leafy residential streets by the beach
Explore hotels in West End →
Yaletown
Couples and dining $$$Warehouse lofts, patios and waterfront
Explore hotels in Yaletown →
Kitsilano
Families and beaches $$Beach, yoga and West Coast living
Explore hotels in Kitsilano →
Mount Pleasant and Main Street
Breweries and indie scene $$Craft breweries, vintage shops, indie cafes
Explore hotels in Mount Pleasant and Main Street →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Vancouver
Getting to & around Vancouver
Getting there
Fly into Vancouver International (YVR) on Sea Island, about 25 minutes from downtown on the Canada Line
Flight
Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
The airport sits on Sea Island in Richmond, south of the city. The Canada Line SkyTrain runs from the terminal to Waterfront Station downtown in about 25 minutes, and a taxi takes a similar time outside rush hour.
Train
Pacific Central Station
VIA Rail's Canadian arrives from Toronto via Jasper, and Amtrak Cascades trains run up from Seattle
Coach
Pacific Central Station
Intercity coaches arrive from Seattle and from towns across British Columbia
Ferry
Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay
BC Ferries sail from Swartz Bay near Victoria to Tsawwassen, and from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay or Tsawwassen
Cruise
Canada Place
The main home port for Alaska cruises, in the heart of downtown on the harbour
Getting around
SkyTrain
Driverless elevated trains on the Expo, Millennium and Canada lines link downtown with the airport, Richmond and the eastern suburbs
TBC
SeaBus
Passenger ferry across the harbour from Waterfront Station to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, connecting with buses to the mountains
TBC
Bus
TransLink buses reach Kitsilano, UBC, Main Street and the North Shore trailheads the SkyTrain misses
TBC
False Creek ferries
Small Aquabus and False Creek Ferries boats hop between downtown, Yaletown, Granville Island and Kitsilano
TBC
Walking and cycling
The seawall runs from Coal Harbour round Stanley Park to False Creek and Kitsilano, with Mobi shared bikes and protected lanes downtown
Free
Day trips from Vancouver
Whistler
1-2 daysMountain resort village
North America's biggest ski resort in winter and a mountain-biking and hiking hub in summer, with the Peak 2 Peak gondola linking Whistler and Blackcomb. The drive along Howe Sound is half the point.
Getting there
car | bus | tour
About two hours north on the Sea-to-Sky Highway by car, coach or tour
Squamish
Full dayClimbing and gondola town
Ride the Sea to Sky Gondola for views over Howe Sound, watch climbers on the granite face of the Stawamus Chief, and stop at Shannon Falls on the way.
Getting there
car | bus
About an hour north on the Sea-to-Sky Highway by car or bus
Victoria
1-2 daysIsland capital
British Columbia's capital on Vancouver Island, with the Inner Harbour, the Parliament Buildings and the Butchart Gardens. The ferry through the Gulf Islands is a scenic trip in itself.
Getting there
bus | ferry | flight
About three to four hours door to door by bus and BC Ferries, or a short floatplane hop from the harbour
Bowen Island
Half dayIsland village escape
A forested island in Howe Sound with a small harbour village at Snug Cove, easy trails around Killarney Lake and a laid-back pace that feels far from the city.
Getting there
ferry | bus
About 20 minutes by BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay, reached by bus from downtown
A little history of Vancouver
For thousands of years the shores of Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River were home to the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, and the city stands on their unceded territory. George Vancouver charted the inlet for Britain in 1792, the same summer as Spanish navigators, and the Fraser gold rush of 1858 brought the first wave of settlers to the mainland colony.
The city grew from a sawmill settlement and a saloon opened by Gassy Jack Deighton, the origin of Gastown. Incorporated in 1886, it burned to the ground weeks later, then boomed as the Pacific terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Expo 86 and the 2010 Winter Olympics set it on the world stage, and waves of migration from across the Pacific shaped the city it is today.
George Vancouver charts Burrard Inlet for Britain
The Fraser River gold rush brings thousands to the new Colony of British Columbia
Gassy Jack Deighton opens a saloon on the waterfront, founding Gastown
The City of Vancouver is incorporated, and the Great Fire destroys it weeks later
The first Canadian Pacific transcontinental passenger train reaches Vancouver
Stanley Park opens
The Lions Gate Bridge opens across the First Narrows
Expo 86 world's fair opens, and the SkyTrain begins service
Vancouver and Whistler host the Winter Olympics
Know before you go
Payment
Cards everywhere
English
Everywhere
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type A / B
120 V, 60 Hz
Dialing
+1
Mobile network & SIM card
Get an eSIM before you fly
A Canada eSIM installs in minutes and works the moment you switch off flight mode. No SIM swap, no roaming bill.
FAQs about Vancouver
▸ When is the best time to visit Vancouver?
May to September, when the weather is at its driest and sunniest and the seawall, beaches and mountain trails are at their best; July and August are the busiest. From roughly November to March it rains often and stays grey but rarely gets very cold, and that is when the local ski hills and Whistler open.
▸ Does it really rain all the time in Vancouver?
In winter it can feel that way: the months from late autumn to early spring bring long runs of drizzle and cloud. Summers are the opposite, often dry and bright for weeks. Pack a waterproof jacket outside the summer months.
▸ Can you ski from Vancouver without going to Whistler?
Yes. Grouse, Cypress and Seymour sit on the North Shore within about half an hour of downtown and offer night skiing, and Cypress hosted events at the 2010 Olympics. They are smaller local hills; for a proper ski trip, Whistler is the destination.
▸ Is Vancouver safe?
Generally, yes. The blocks of East Hastings Street around Main Street, next to Gastown and Chinatown, have highly visible homelessness and open drug use, which can be confronting but is rarely aimed at visitors. The more common problem is car break-ins, so never leave anything visible in a parked car.
▸ Is Vancouver expensive?
Yes, it is one of Canada's most expensive cities, especially for hotels in summer. Eating in Richmond, Chinatown and along Main Street, and using the seawall, beaches and free parks, keeps a visit more affordable.
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