Vancouver flights and travel guide

A picturesque and vibrant city by the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver is one of the few places where you can windsurf in the afternoon and ski the same evening. Vancouver has diverse, bustling neighbourhoods, from Chinatown and the Punjan Market Indian district to gay-friendly Davie Village and bohemian Commercial Drive (once known as Little Italy but now popular for its array of ethnic restaurants). 

Vancouver is one of North America's greenest cities, with the 404-hectare Stanley Park right in its backyard. Stanley Park is home to the renowned Lost Lagoon, while Siwash Rock and has a scenic 8.8km seawall path. 

Less than 30 minutes from the city centre are Cypress Mountain, Grouse Mountain and Mount Seymour, all of which have superb facilities and even offer night skiing.

BC Ferries, plying the Georgia Strait, connect Vancouver with Vancouver Island (including Victoria, British Columbian capital), and stunning gulf islands such as Galiano and Saltspring. A shorter ferry ride takes you to Bowen, a charming tiny island with a general store, coffee shop, pub and many hiking or bike trails.

Vancouver doesn't experience the weather extremes seen in other parts of Canada, but a rainproof jacket is essential, as it rains. A lot. Flights to Vancouver land at the international airport, renowned for its First Nations' art.

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Vancouver climate

Vancouver reputedly has the finest weather in Canada, but put that in perspective. Summers temperatures are in the low 20s and winters are mild (it rarely snows and temperatures in January, the coldest month, range from zero to 9 degrees Celsius). The city does get plenty of rain.

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When to fly to Vancouver

Peak Season:

Most visitors arrive from flights to Vancouver in July and August, though the tourist season begins in April and continues into the autumn. Skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts arrive mid-December, with peak season on the mountains lasting until February. May-June and September-October are great times for whale watching.

Off Season:

Vancouver doesn't really have a low season. 

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Getting around Vancouver

TransLink, Vancouver's efficient public transport network, includes electric trolley buses, regular buses, SeaBus passenger ferries, the SkyTrain elevated light-rail system and West Coast Express trains. Good-value FareSaver books of ten tickets, available at newsagents, are valid for 90 minutes on buses, SkyTrains and SeaBuses, while a day pass allows unlimited daily travel. A car is unnecessary in Vancouver, especially given traffic can be a problem. You can hail taxis on the street or call one in advance.

Cycling is a great way to explore Vancouver's neighbourhoods, with more than 16 bike routes covering more than 128km around the city.

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Vancouver insider information

• Spend a day exploring magnificent Stanley Park, where you’ll see lagoons, flower gardens, cedar trees and an abundance of wildlife, including coyotes, beavers, brant geese and trumpeter swans. Ride a bike along the 8.8km seawall, look out for the fine collection of carved totem poles near Brockton Point, and if you are game, you can even take a dip at Third Beach and Second Beach.
• Take a spectacularly scenic ride to the summit of Grouse Mountain on the Skyride, North America's largest aerial tramway system. The Skyride, which takes 12-minutes to the top (1100m), leaves every 15 minutes from 9am-10pm. 
• From the Vancouver Lookout, on the 50th floor of the Harbour Centre, enjoy stunning 360-degree views of the city and the picturesque North Shore Mountains.
• Vancouver Art Gallery, housed in a neo-classical building on Hornby Street, has more than 200 major works by British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and the a permanent collection of almost 8,000 works, the largest in western Canada.
• Take the sea bus from Waterfront Station across the Burrard Inlet to Lonsdale Quay Market, a great place to buy souvenirs and fudge. 
• The  Museum of Anthropology is well worth a visit. Don't miss Bill Reid's sculpture, The Raven or the Koerner Ceramics Gallery. There is also a great collection of totem poles from the Haida, Gitxsan, Nisga'a, Oweekeno and other First Nations.
• Explore the bustling markets and sample some authentic Cantonese cooking or dim sum (yum cha) at the third largest Chinatown after New York and San Francisco. The tranquil Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden, on the edge of Chinatown, is the first authentic classical Chinese garden built outside of China.

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Vancouver airports

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