Vancouver – A Quality Urban Trip and Stunning Nature in Western Canada
The city of Vancouver is considered the highest quality and best city to live in North America. Vancouver is a dream across the water bodies, a polished and elegant city with particularly polite and nice people. It is a city rich in every sense of the word, with urban sites and attractions, stunning and designed parks around it, and simply breathtaking nature in the mountains above, in the river channels, and in the many bodies of water surrounding it from every side.
How many days are needed for a trip to Vancouver?
For a full trip to Vancouver, it's best to allocate three full days. You can also tour in two days if you skip the surrounding nature sites and attractions far from the city center.
You can’t see all of Vancouver in a day and must find accommodation for your city trip.
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16 things you must see and do in Vancouver
- Sail with the sailboats at Canada Place
- Shopping and entertainment on Robson Street and at Robson Square
- Breathtaking view from the Vancouver Lookout
- The attractions of Brockton Point – the view from Hallelujah Point, Totem Poles, and the lighthouse in Stanley Park
- The stunning evening illumination of the Science World dome
- The magnificent neo-Gothic appearance of Christ Church Cathedral at the foot of downtown towers
- Relaxing in the sun at Third Beach in Stanley Park
- Enjoying a day with the kids at the Vancouver Aquarium
- Old Vancouver at Maple Tree Square in the heart of Gastown
- Fascinating historical criminology at the Vancouver Police Museum
- Landscape design of Sun Yat-Sen Park in Chinatown
- Spectacular views from the top of the tram to Grouse Mountain peak
- Colorful atmosphere and restaurants at Granville Island Public Market
- City museums of Vanier Park
- The beautifully maintained gardens of Queen Elizabeth Park and the dome of the Bloedel Conservatory
- Cross high above the abyss on the Capilano Suspension Bridge
Click here for sites and attractions in Downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park…
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What is Vancouver?
Vancouver is the largest city in Western Canada and one of the three largest cities (together with Montreal and Toronto) in the narrow strip north of the US border that is worthy of living, known as Canada. Vancouver has about six hundred thousand residents, and its greater metropolitan area is home to about two and a half million people.
- Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia, but it's not the state capital; that honor belongs to Victoria, located on Vancouver Island to the west.
- The city is located on the shore of the Strait of Georgia, which, like the city and the island, is named after the British explorer George Vancouver, who arrived in the area on behalf of the British crown in the late 18th century.
- Vancouver sits on the western part of the Fraser Valley, a river valley that flows through its southern part.
- It is surrounded to the north and east by the North Shore Mountains, the Canadian extension of the Cascade Mountains.
- In the 1860s, a rumor spread that gold was found in the valley, which led to a rapid migration from the USA and the de facto establishment of the city of Vancouver.
- In 1887, the small town was connected to the Trans-Canada Railway, a port was built, and since then it has become the largest city in the west.
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Vancouver Today
In recent years, the Canadian film industry has developed in the city, and it is now the third-largest city in North America for series and film production, after Los Angeles and New York. Because of this, it's nicknamed North Hollywood.
Today, it is a very wealthy city with an even richer social fabric, as a large part of its residents do not speak English as their first language. It consistently ranks as one of the cities with the best quality of life worldwide, boasts a growing high-tech industry, and offers very high-level social services (this isn't America!).
- Vancouver is located a two and a half hour drive north from Seattle in Washington State
- It lies a half-hour drive from the border with the United States, at the westernmost point of what is considered the longest land border in the world
- The American town of Point Roberts is located at the southern part of the Greater Vancouver area, at the western tip of the 49th Parallel North, the boundary line that stretches straight from Lake Superior to Vancouver
- Vancouver Island was excluded from the boundary, including the provincial capital, Victoria, which is situated south of the latitude line
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Map of Vancouver
How to get to Vancouver?
How to reach Vancouver by plane?
Vancouver International Airport (IVR) – The main airport of western Canada (and the second largest in the country after Toronto's Pearson Airport) is located on an island at the mouth of the Fraser River between Vancouver and the city of Richmond. The airport is just a fifteen-minute drive from downtown Vancouver and is also accessible via the Canada Line SkyTrain.
The airport is one of the home hubs for Air Canada and WestJet. It's well connected with numerous airports in Canada and the USA, mainly on the West Coast, but also major airports on the East Coast and the southern USA. There are several lines to major airports in Europe, making it very convenient to reach via transfer through Frankfurt, London, or Amsterdam.
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Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) – Seattle's largest airport, also known as Sea-Tac, is the major gateway to the Northwest. Nationally, it's the hub for Alaska Airlines, offering routes to all major airports in the surrounding states and across the U.S.
The airport offers a wide range of international routes, including to major European airports, allowing easy access to Seattle via transfer from Ben Gurion Airport. The travel time from Sea-Tac to Vancouver is just over two and a half hours, including the border crossing.
How to get to Vancouver by car?
Vancouver is the western end of Canada's most legendary road, the Trans Canada Highway or Highway 1 (technically ending at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal a bit north of downtown). This highway runs along the entire populated central part of Canada (close to the US border and connecting all major Canadian cities). The more relevant route for tourists is Highway 99, which connects Vancouver with the US Route 5 at the border between the countries. This highway is the main route linking Vancouver with Seattle.
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Vancouver's Metro and Ferry Lines
Vancouver's metropolitan transportation system isn't the most developed tool for getting around in the big city, but it complements car travel. Generally, Vancouver is an easy and convenient city for driving and parking. Its center isn't large, and tourists usually don't have much need for the system that mainly connects the city center with the outlying districts and suburbs. You can use the lines within the city center districts to shorten some walks.
The system is called SkyTrain because of its elevated route above the streets of central Vancouver. It includes three train lines – the Canada Line (light blue), the Millennium Line (yellow), and the Expo Line (blue). Additionally, the network also includes the SeaBus ferry line that connects the waterfront with North Vancouver and the B-Line express bus line.
Vancouver is connected with other nearby cities and towns through ferry lines. The connection of the city with Victoria, the provincial capital, is from the central ferry terminal at Tsawwassen, an international terminal with routes also to destinations in the USA.
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When is the best time to visit Vancouver?
Vancouver is a city with very clear weather patterns – except for a very short summer window, it's cold and foggy most of the year. It resembles Seattle's neighboring weather, being chilly to freezing from fall until early spring.
- Summer in Vancouver is the perfect time window to explore the city and its surroundings. During the peak summer, temperatures range from pleasant to warm, and on clear days the view of the city is simply spectacular.
- Vancouver is a very rainy city, but in summer there's a break from the rainfall, and in July and August, it hardly rains at all.
- Spring in Vancouver is also a good season for visiting, with temperatures usually tolerable to reasonable. This season has a lot of fog giving the city a unique character and quite a bit of rain (mostly drizzling – light sprinkle rain).
- Fall in Vancouver is a tough season almost like winter. It's often very rainy, cold, and occasionally can already be snowy. Winter in Vancouver is only for the hardy, it's cold, rainy or snowy, and there's no such thing as sun.
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How to Plan a Trip Route in Vancouver?
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A Travel Route in Downtown Vancouver
- Vancouver's downtown is a very pleasant place for entertainment. The main activity here is on Robson Street, the city’s main shopping street.
- In the heart of downtown, you'll find the large Robson Square, home to a big shopping mall and the Vancouver Art Gallery.
- Just one block west of the main square is the city's historic gem, Christ Church Cathedral, one of the oldest and most beautiful buildings in town.
- In the eastern part of downtown, by the shores of False Creek, there's the massive BC Place Stadium and not far from it, the geodesic dome of the city's fantastic Science Museum.
- The city library has also become a downtown must-see in recent years, thanks to its unique design by Moshe Safdie, resembling Rome's Colosseum.
- East of downtown is Canada Place, right on the waterfront, with the Vancouver Lookout perched atop its tower.
- East of Canada Place, you can take a stroll through the ancient (everything's relative on the Pacific coast) streets of Gastown district, centered around the lovely Maple Leaf Square. South of the district is the bustling Chinatown, home to the stunning Chinese garden.
- Not far away, in Japantown you will find the Vancouver Police Museum, one of the most popular in the city.
- On the other side of downtown to the west lies the West End district, and to its north is Stanley Park, considered one of the most beautiful and best urban parks in the world. The park is located on a peninsula surrounded by bay waters. Inside the park, you'll find roads, hiking trails, major urban attractions, and stunning beaches.
Click here to purchase online tickets for the Vancouver Police Museum…
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Travel Route in Granville and Vancouver's Southern Districts
Granville Island was once an important fishing hub, and it's still lined with an abundance of fishermen's boats. Over the years, this industrial island south of Downtown Vancouver has transformed from a landscape filled with outdated warehouses into a tourist attraction that draws a massive number of visitors.
- The covered market opened on the island (actually a peninsula) is one of the most popular spots for tourists and locals in Vancouver.
- The area hosts excellent restaurants, and the old warehouses have been turned into shops and artist studios.
- To the south of the island stretches Granville Street, a main thoroughfare with shops and restaurants.
- The street runs south towards Little Mountain, an elevated area where the elegant Queen Elizabeth Park is located. Nearby, the VanDusen Botanical Gardens also serve as a tourist destination, especially beloved by city residents.
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A tour route in Greater Vancouver and the natural sites north of the city
In the northern parts of the Vancouver metropolitan area, the mountainous elevation begins, and the outskirts of the city feature tall coniferous forests and rushing stream channels.
- Historic hanging wooden bridges were built over the Capilano River and in the canyon known as Lynn Canyon, which today are particularly popular green attractions.
- The bridges cross over the canyons and lead into parks where paths were carved among the forest trees.
- Over the canyons rises the picturesque and tall Grouse Mountain, which in winter is a very popular developed ski resort. In the summer, you can also climb to its peak via a cable car that goes up to the observation deck at the top, offering a simply spectacular view of the entire metropolis.
Everything you need to know about accommodation and hotels in Vancouver
Vancouver is a fabulous and high-quality city, and naturally, its hospitality industry stands out with exceptional quality. Since it is a large city, the nature of accommodation is very urban. Most of the city's hotels are located in the center or near major transportation hubs such as the airport and major highways close to the city.
Accommodation in Vancouver is primarily divided into two types:
- Staying in urban hotels in downtown
- Staying in motels on main roads or business hotels at Vancouver airport
Click here for a list of 8 quality hotels in the heart of Vancouver…
In the center of Vancouver, there are several main clusters of hotels:
- The downtown hotels of Vancouver are located near Robson Square or on the streets surrounding the central square. This area offers a variety of hotels, from luxurious five-star establishments to standard urban three-star hotels. There are also several three-star hotels with a motel-like atmosphere near BC Place Stadium.
- There is a range of urban hotels, mainly four-star and boutique hotels, on the Vancouver waterfront, close to Canada Place.
Motels and roadside hotels in Vancouver are also a great lodging option, especially for those arriving in the city by car. The main clusters of motels are located on several key routes:
- Motels near the city's airport, including large business hotels and motels of major chains along the routes leading to Highway 99.
- Motels of major chains along the A1 highway route, within Burnaby.
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Map of Accommodation Areas and Hotels in Vancouver
Gastown and the Waterfront
Gastown is the historical core of Vancouver. Today, the old district features a series of streets with a vintage look spreading out from the charming Maple Leaf Square, one of the most picturesque vintage squares in British Columbia. To the south, you'll find the large Chinatown district, complete with attractions and commercial streets.
The city's waterfront developed later, originally as a gray port and now as a tourist attraction with the city's famous observation tower – the Vancouver Lookout. On the pier near the observation tower stands the unique architectural masterpiece of Canada Place. Today, the area combines tourist movement between attractions, bustling streets, financial functions, and a fair share of ethnic residential spaces, including Japantown.
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What are Gastown and Vancouver's Waterfront?
Gastown, Chinatown, and Vancouver's Waterfront are fascinating residential and commercial districts in the eastern part of downtown Vancouver, near the city center.
- Gastown is the historic core of the city. The district was founded in the mid-19th century around a tavern and developed as the first settlement along Burrard Inlet, the deep fjord to the north of the Fraser River's mouth where Vancouver's port is now located.
- About twenty years after Gastown's establishment, the first houses of Chinatown were built to the south of the district, serving as homes for Chinese immigrants who arrived as part of the gold rush and later to build the trans-Canada railway.
- The waterfront evolved thereafter, initially as a bustling commercial port and transportation hub. In the 1960s, the city decided to make the waterfront more appealing to visitors. It underwent a facelift, with commercial towers and attractions being built. The most famous of these are the Vancouver Lookout observation tower, followed by Canada Place, which became a symbol of the city.
Click here to purchase online tickets for the Vancouver Lookout observation deck…
Downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park
Downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park are fun places to walk around in the heart of Vancouver. Downtown Vancouver is a mix of skyscrapers, commercial streets, and here and there, important historic buildings and museums.
The bustling Robson Street is the main shopping axis of the city, crossing downtown from the geodesic dome of the Science Museum and the giant football stadium to the West End neighborhood and English Bay Beach. North of the West End neighborhood lies the wooded Stanley Park, one of the most perfect urban parks around.
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Stanley Park is Vancouver's main urban park and one of the best and most beautiful urban parks in the world. Its main charm lies in its natural base, including a forest interspersed with walking trails and here and there, gardens and man-made attractions. The park is spread over a peninsula (formerly an island connected by a tombolo) at the western edge of downtown Vancouver. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by the waters of Burrard Inlet.
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Granville and Natural Sites around Vancouver
The covered market on Granville Island is one of the liveliest places in Vancouver. To its south, Granville Street along Highway 99 is a hub of stores and restaurants favored by locals. Near Granville Island, at the end of False Creek, you'll also find Vanier Park with its urban museums, a massive beach, and a promenade boasting views of Downtown.
Click here for a day trip from Vancouver to the mountains and Grouse Mountain Cable Car…
On the outskirts of Vancouver, you'll find impressive man-made natural sites like Queen Elizabeth Park and the VanDusen Botanical Gardens, as well as the suspension bridges of Lynn Canyon Park and the Capilano River. These are fun, forested parks infused with a touch of wild nature. Towering above it all is Grouse Mountain and its legendary cable car climbing to the summit.
Sports Events and Teams in Vancouver
Hockey – The Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver's hockey team, the Canucks, joined the NHL in 1970. The Canucks are the pride of Vancouver, even though they've never won the Stanley Cup. Starting in the 1990s, the team has consistently performed at a high level and often makes the playoffs. They are usually seen as the underdog and rely on local players who become true cultural heroes in the city.
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The team plays at Rogers Arena in the south of Chinatown, which can hold up to 18,000 spectators. Nearby is the gigantic BC Place Stadium, the home ground of the BC Lions (BC stands for British Columbia), the city's popular football team in the professional Canadian Football League, the CFL.
