Vancouver

Mountains, ocean and rainforest wrapped around a glass city.

Vancouver sits between the Pacific and the Coast Mountains, so you can kayak in the morning, cycle the seawall at lunch and be on a mountain by evening. It is also one of North America’s great food cities, especially for seafood and Asian cooking.

Best time to visit: June to September for dry, sunny days; December to March for skiing. Language: English. Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD).

Did you know?

Stanley Park is larger than New York’s Central Park.
Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Three ski areas are within about half an hour of downtown.

Things to do in Vancouver

Stanley Park (Park, free): Stanley Park is a 405-hectare public park in British Columbia, Canada, that makes up the northwestern half of Vancouver's Downtown peninsula, surrounded by waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay The park borders the nei
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, Vancouver (Cathedral, free): The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, commonly known as Holy Rosary Cathedral, is a late 19th-century Catholic French Gothic revival church that serves as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
Queen Elizabeth Park (Park, free): Queen Elizabeth Park is a 130-acre municipal park located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Vancouver Aquarium (Aquarium): The Vancouver Aquarium is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
VanDusen Botanical Garden (Botanic garden): VanDusen Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in Vancouver, British Columbia, in the Shaughnessy neighborhood.
Jericho Beach (Beach, free): Jericho Beach a Vancouver beach, is located west of the seaside neighbourhood of Kitsilano.
Orpheum (Theatre): The Orpheum is a theatre and music venue in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (Botanic garden): The Dr.
Museum of Vancouver (Museum): The Museum of Vancouver is a civic history museum located in Vanier Park, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Kitsilano Beach (Beach, free): Kitsilano Beach is a beach on English Bay in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Robson Square (Square, free): Robson Square is a landmark civic centre and public plaza, located in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia.
Science World (Science museum): Science World is a science centre run by a not-for-profit organization called ASTC Science World Society in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Second Beach (Beach, free): Second Beach is located at Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Wreck Beach (Beach, free): Wreck Beach is a clothing-optional beach located in Pacific Spirit Regional Park, a part of Electoral Area A just west of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church (Church, free): St.
Hastings Mill (Museum): Hastings Mill was a sawmill on the south shore of Burrard Inlet and was the first commercial operation around which the settlement that would become Vancouver developed in British Columbia, Canada.
Third Beach (Beach, free): Third Beach is located at Ferguson Point in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Point Atkinson Lighthouse (Lighthouse, free): Point Atkinson Lighthouse is a lighthouse erected on Point Atkinson, a headland in West Vancouver, British Columbia named after Captain George Vancouver in 1792, when he was exploring the Pacific Northwest in the ship Di
Minoru Park (Park, free): Minoru Park is a park located on the site of a former horse-racing track and airstrip in Richmond, British Columbia.
Victory Square, Vancouver (Square, free): Victory Square is a park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Sunset Beach (Beach, free): Sunset Beach is an urban beach park on English Bay situated in the West End neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Vanier Park (Park, free): Vanier Park is a municipal park located in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, created in 1967.
Seawall (Park, free): The seawall in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is a stone wall that was constructed around the perimeter of Stanley Park to prevent erosion of the park's foreshore and is the world's longest uninterrupted waterfront
Bloedel Conservatory (Zoo): The Bloedel Conservatory is a domed conservatory and aviary located at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Little Mountain (Hill, free): Little Mountain, elevation 125 m, is a mountain in the central part of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Playland (Amusement park): Playland Amusement Park is an amusement park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Locarno Beach (Beach, free): Locarno Beach is one of the beaches that line English Bay in Vancouver.
Spanish Banks (Beach, free): Spanish Banks are a series of beaches in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, located along the shores of English Bay in the West Point Grey neighbourhood.
Kensington Park (Park, free): Kensington Park is a large urban park in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Coastal Church (Church, free): The Coastal Church is a historic church edifice located at 1160 Georgia Street in the west end of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Roedde House Museum (Museum): The Roedde House Museum is a late-Victorian home located at 1415 Barclay Street in Vancouver, Canada.
George Wainborn Park (Park, free): George Wainborn Park is a 2.5-hectare park along False Creek, located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
St. James Anglican Church (Church, free): St.
Brockton Point Lighthouse (Lighthouse, free): Brockton Point Lighthouse is located at Brockton Point in Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Hastings Racecourse (Park, free): Hastings Racecourse is a casino and former thoroughbred horse racing facility at Hastings Park, British Columbia, Canada, 6 kilometres from Downtown Vancouver.
Capitol Hill (Hill, free): Capitol Hill is a 203-meter-tall hill in the city of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, and also is the name of the neighbourhood spanning the summit of the hill.
Lighthouse Park (Park, free): Lighthouse Park is a neighbourhood park located in a residential area in West Vancouver, Canada.
St. Mark's Chapel (Church, free): St.
Vancouver Playhouse (Theatre): The Vancouver Playhouse is a civic theatre venue in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Nelson Park, Vancouver (Park, free): Nelson Park is a park in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Jack Poole Plaza (Square, free): Jack Poole Plaza is a plaza in the Coal Harbour neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Georgia Viaduct (Bridge, free): The Georgia Viaduct is a twinned bridge that acts as a flyover-like overpass in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Centre A (Gallery): Centre A is a non-profit public art gallery in Vancouver committed to the research, production, presentation and interpretation of contemporary Asian art.
Oppenheimer Park (Park, free): Oppenheimer Park is a park located in the historic Japantown in the Downtown Eastside, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Robert Burns Memorial, Stanley Park (Memorial, free): The Robert Burns Memorial is an outdoor memorial and statue of Scottish poet Robert Burns, located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Chehalis Cross (Memorial, free, hidden gem): The Chehalis Cross, or Chehalis Monument, is a Celtic cross memorial commemorating the eight people who died when the tugboat Chehalis sank off Stanley Park.
New Brighton Park (Park, free, hidden gem): New Brighton Park is a waterfront park in the Hastings-Sunrise district of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, facing the North Shore Mountains with beach access to the Burrard Inlet.
Central Park (Park, free, hidden gem): Central Park is a 90-hectare urban park in Burnaby, British Columbia, founded in 1891.
Everett Crowley Park (Park, free, hidden gem): Everett Crowley Park is a 38-hectare large forested park with trails, located within the Champlain Heights area of Vancouver.
Moray Bridge (Bridge, free, hidden gem): The Moray Bridge, also known as the Moray Channel Bridge, and formerly the Middle Arm Bridge, is a crossing over the middle arm of the Fraser River in Metro Vancouver.
Sea Island Connector (Bridge, free, hidden gem): The Sea Island Connector, is a crossing over the middle arm of the Fraser River in Metro Vancouver.
Dinsmore Bridge (Bridge, free, hidden gem): The Dinsmore Bridge is a crossing over the middle arm of the Fraser River, and a former section of River Rd., in Metro Vancouver.
No. 2 Road Bridge (Bridge, free, hidden gem): The No.
Great Marpole Midden (Archaeological site, hidden gem): The Marpole Midden, also known by archaeologists as the Great Fraser Midden or Eburne site, is a 4000-year-old midden near the mouth of the Fraser River, in the Marpole neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Museum of Anthropology at UBC (Museum): The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada displays world arts and cultures, in particular works by First Nations of the Pacific Northwest.
Hastings Park (Park, free): Hastings Park is a municipal park located in the northeast sector of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood.
Garden City Lands (Park, free, hidden gem): The Garden City Lands is a large urban agricultural and conservation park in the City Centre of Richmond, British Columbia.
Contemporary Art Gallery (Gallery, hidden gem): The Contemporary Art Gallery is a non-profit public contemporary art gallery in downtown Vancouver.
Falaise Park (Park, free, hidden gem): Falaise Park is a large urban park in East Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Pantages Theatre (Theatre, hidden gem): The Pantages Theatre was a vaudeville and film theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, located in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood.

Where to eat and drink in Vancouver

Granville Island, Granville Island: Public market, artisans and seafood by the water.
Miku, Coal Harbour: Aburi flame-seared sushi with harbour views.
Blue Water Cafe, Yaletown: Sustainable West Coast seafood in a heritage warehouse.
Japadog, Downtown: Japanese-style hot dogs from a cult street cart.
Elem, Vancouver: The most talked-about opening of the year.
Kavita, Vancouver: Vancouver’s exciting newcomer.
Chez Céline, Vancouver: A French newcomer winning hearts.
Angela Pastificio, Powell Street: Fresh pasta on Powell Street.

Also in North America

Plan a trip to Vancouver