Travel Guide to Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver is one of the most diverse, and exciting, cities in North America! Our staff has traveled there by car on the Trans Canada Highway, flew into the Vancouver International Airport, embarked on a cruise ship from Canada Place, and arrived in the city via ferry from Victoria. Once there, the attractions are endless!
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The City of Vancouver is a coastal, seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia in western Canada. Located on the western half of the Burrard Peninsula, Vancouver is bounded to the north by English Bay and the Burrard Inlet and to the south by the Fraser River. Vancouver Island, across the Strait of Georgia, shields Vancouver from the Pacific Ocean.
The city is the most densely populated city in Canada, with a population of over 660,000 residents.The metro area houses 2.6 million, the third largest metro area in Canada.
Top spots for exploration include downtown’s Stanley Park, with its old-growth cedar forests surrounded by water views and sandy beaches, and the Granville Island Public Market. Other popular neighbourhoods include the West End, Gastown, Yaletown, and Chinatown.
Air transportation is provided by the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) located south of downtown, while cruise lines operate from Canada Place. Two BC Ferry terminals serve the city, one to the northwest at Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, and the other to the south at Tsawwassen in Delta.
Highway 99 extends northward to Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton, and connects to the south with U.S. Interstate Highway 5 (I-5). The Trans Canada Highway 1 also provides access to Vancouver and to Abbotsford to the east. Banff and Lake Louise in Alberta are a scenic day’s drive (850 kilometers or 530 miles) from Vancouver, travelling through the Coast Mountains, wine country of British Columbia and the spectacular Canadian Rockies.
Vancouver features one of the mildest and most temperate climates in Canada, with the coolest summer average high of all major Canadian metropolitan areas. It is one of the wettest Canadian cities; snow falls only nine days per year on average.
Enjoy your travel to Vancouver!
| The downtown Vancouver skyline, with Canada Place in the center (Staff Photo) |
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Views Around City Center in Vancouver
New and old in downtown Vancouver
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Busy street scene in downtown Vancouver |
| The Cactus Club Cafe near Canada Place |
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The Harbor Area
Vancouver harbor tour boat
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Bikes for rent in Vancouver |
The Port of Vancouver at Canada Place
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| More of the Port of Vancouver showing some of the business and industrial areas |
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Canada Place
Canada Place provides visitors with inspirationally Canadian experiences, from interactive and educational elements to world-class national celebrations. Canada Place opened in 1986 as the Canada Pavilion for Expo 86 and has since become a national icon and a hub of activity on Vancouver’s waterfront. Canada Place is owned and operated by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
Canada’s busiest harbour and third largest city surrounds Canada Place, which includes the Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal, the FlyOver Canada virtual flight experience and the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel.
Read more at the website of Canada Place
Canada Place in Vancouver
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FlyOver Canada ... Virtual Flight! |
| The unique, spectacular architecture of Canada Place |
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Cruise Lines Operating Out of Canada Place in Vancouver
The Port of Vancouver’s cruise terminal at Canada Place welcomes upwards of 900,000 passengers each year as the homeport for many Alaska cruises. The three-berth terminal can service up to four luxury cruise ships at one time. The terminal is owned and operated by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Each cruise ship that docks in Vancouver contributes approximately $2 million to the local economy.
Read more at the Vancouver 2024 Cruise Ship Schedule. Also read the Vancouver Cruise Ship Information & FAQs about boarding, disembarkation, Arrival at Canada Place, baggage, passenger screening, customs and more.
Cruise lines sailing from Vancouver include Princess, NCL, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity, Silversea Cruises, Cunard, Crystal Cruises, Disney and others.
Cruise ship awaiting departure from Vancouver's Canada Place |
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2024 Vancouver Travel Information from TripAdvisor
The exterior of the Pan Pacific Hotel, part of Canada Place in Vancouver Restaurants and dining options in Vancouver Airline Flights to Vancouver: TripAdvisor Rental Cars in Vancouver: TripAdvisor
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| It was a wonderful night at the Pan Pacific Hotel before boarding our Alaska cruise at Canada Place in Vancouver, British Columbia |
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Flying Into Vancouver
Vancouver is served by Vancouver International Airport (YVR), located on Sea Island in the city of Richmond, immediately south of Vancouver. YVR is Canada's second-busiest airport, and the second-largest gateway on the west coast of North America for international passengers. It is located 12 km (7.5 mi) from downtown Vancouver.
Fifty or more airlines service Vancouver at YVR, including these:
| Aeromexico | Air Canaa | Air France |
| Air New Zealand | Alaska Airlines | American Airlines |
| British Airways | Cathay Pacific | China Eastern |
| Delta Air Lines | Harbour Air | Japan Airlines |
| JetBlue | KLM | Korean Air |
| Lufthansa | Qantas | United Airlines |
YVR is also one of the few major international airports to have a terminal for scheduled float planes.
For current flight information, visit the website of Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
| Vancouver International Airport (Photo courtesy of the YVR Airport) |
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Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre
The Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre (VHFC) offers 22 seaplane slips, with modern concrete docks constructed using a world leading SEAFLEX® mooring system. The facility boasts a number of innovative design features, such as a self-contained, state-of-the-art secure fueling system, environmentally friendly floating docks. It also features a fully accessible public glass elevator to allow people to transfer from the lower level of the famous Vancouver Seawall to the upper level at Jack Poole Plaza, home of the 2010 Olympic Cauldron.
Several airlines fly from VHFC, including Harbour Air, Seair Seaplanes, Gulf Islands Seaplanes, Kenmore Air and Corilair. The Hullo Ferry also operates from VHFC.
For current flight information, visit the website of Vancouver Harbour Flight Center.
| The Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre |
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Passenger Rail Service in Vancouver
British Columbia offers a number of passenger rail service, incluing these:
- Rocky Mountaineer - luxury train travel between Vancouver, Kamloops, Banff and Jasper
- VIA Rail - The Canadian operates from Vancouver to Kamloops, Jasper, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Toronto
- Amtrak - Cascades from Vancouver to the States of Washington and Oregon
Trains depart from Pacific Central Station, and the Rocky Mountaineer Station at 1755 Cottrell Street.
Lions Gate Bridge
Located in Vancouver, the Lions Gate Bridge was completed in 1938 over the waters of the Burred Inlet, and passes through Stanley Park. It carries three lanes of traffic on Highway 1A/99A. The bridge features a pedestrian and cyclist sidewalk on either side of the deck. It is the longest suspension bridge in Western Canada.
Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver
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Lions Gate bridge from a cruise ship viewpoint |
Stanley Park
Stanley Park is Vancouver's first, largest, and most beloved urban park, a magnificent green oasis in the midst of the urban landscape of the city. Situated on a peninsula at the northwestern edge of downtown Vancouver, Stanley Park is one of the city's main tourist destinations, attracting approximately 8 million visitors each year.
With miles of paved and dirt trails, and an array of kid-friendly spots (including a pool, water park, miniature railway and more), this 400-hectare (1,000-acre) haven is recognized as one of the greatest urban parks in the world. As Vancouver's first park, with its ever-blooming gardens, pristine coastal areas and roughly 500,000 cedar, fir and hemlock trees, Stanley Park has continued to live up to its "greenspace" designation for almost 130 years.
Learn more at the website of Stanley Park.
Welcome to Stanley Park in Vancouver
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The paths and walkways at Stanley Park |
Garden scene at Stanley Park
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Boat docks near Stanley Park |
Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Carriage Tours
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Stanley Park Seawall Loop
The 10-km or 13,123-step seawall loop around Stanley Park is one of Vancouver’s most popular fresh-air attractions.
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More to See and Do in Vancouver
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Vancouver has attractions and things to do for all ages, and interests. Some of the popular attractions include the following:
- Granville Island
- Vancouver Aquarium
- VanDusen Botanical Garden
- The Aquabus
- Vancouver Lookout
- Science World
- Bloedel Conservatory
- English Bay
- Brockton Point Totem Pole
- Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
- Gastown
- Queen Elizabeth Park
- Museum of Anthropology
- Capilano Suspension Bridge
- Grouse Mountain Skyride
- Lynn Canyon Park
- Cycling Tours
- Whale watching excursions
- Harbor boat rides
- Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge
- Steveston Village
- The Grouse Grind
- Shannon Falls Provincian Park
- Lighthouse Park
- Things to do in Vancouver with photos and traveler reviews
Interactive Map of the Vancouver, British Columbia Area
More Information about Vancouver
Other Popular Canada and Alaska Destinations |
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