Vancouver

Understand

While Vancouver is a comparatively young city, founded in 1867, its history begins long before. The Coast Salish indigenous peoples (First Nations) have lived in the area for at least 6,000 years. The present city's namesake Captain George Vancouver sailed through the First Narrows on 13 June 1792, naming Burrard Inlet after his friend Sir Harry Burrard. The first settlement on the downtown peninsula was Granville, on the spot of today's Gastown. In 1867, the year of Canada's confederation, a saloon was built on this site and gave birth to a small shantytown of bars and stores, adjacent to the original mill, on the south shore of what is now the city's harbour. A seemingly endless supply of high-quality lumber was logged and sold through the ports of Gastown and Moodyville, across the inlet. Some of the trees were gigantic beams which were shipped to China to construct Beijing's Imperial Palace. One account maintains that the world's windjammer fleets could not have been built without the trees of Burrard Inlet. Vancouver's first City Hall was little more than a hand-painted sign nailed to a wooden tent post. The arrival of the transcontinental railway, a few years later, spurred growth even more, and by 1892 the area had over 20,000 residents. 18 years later, this figure was over 100,000. Factor in constant growth every year since (many in the double digits), and Greater Vancouver today is Canada's largest metropolitan area west of Toronto by far, with more than 2,600,000 residents, more than half of British Columbia's population as a whole. It is also the fastest growing part of Canada. During the 1980s and 1990s, Vancouver received a large number of immigrants from Hong Kong fleeing the impending handover to China. Greater Vancouver is today one of the most ethnically diverse metropolitan areas in the world, home to the second largest Chinese population in North America after the San Francisco Bay Area, and with about half its population being born outside Canada. It is also home to a large and influential Sikh community, and one of the main centres of the Khalistan movement that advocates for the carving out of an independent Sikh nation from India. For many, Vancouver truly "arrived" in 1986, when the city hosted the Expo 86 World's Fair. Media attention from around the world was consistently positive, though many saw the resulting gentrification of poorer areas as being harmful to Vancouver's lower-class citizens, as many residents of the Downtown Eastside were evicted from their homes. Vancouver also hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, which was lar

Getting there

By plane

Vancouver International Airport

1 Vancouver International Airport (YVR IATA), 3211 Grant McConachie Way, Richmond (Sea Island in Richmond), ☏ +1 604-207-7077, [email protected]. The Domestic and International Terminal is the main terminal that most travellers will use, while the South Terminal has prop, small jet, and seaplane service to local communities in British Columbia and Yukon. YVR is the second busiest airport in Canada, with frequent flights from cities in British Columbia, the rest of Canada, other North American countries, Asia, and Europe. It is also the only Canadian airport to have direct flights to Australia and New Zealand because of its westerly location.

TransLink's SkyTrain (Canada Line) provides direct service to downtown Vancouver in 25 minutes. The fare from YVR to Vancouver is $9.85 (July 2025), which includes the two-zone base fare of $4.85 plus a $5 surcharge (the "YVR AddFare") incurred only for departures from the airport. Bus N10 runs overnight to Vancouver when the Skytrain service is closed. Route C92 connects the South Terminal with Bridgeport station on the Canada Line during limited daytime hours. The typical travel time from the airport to downtown by taxi is 20-30 minutes. Fares for a taxi ride from the airport to Vancouver or Richmond are fixed and vary depending on the zone of the destination. The zone map and fixed rates are posted at YVR Taxis. Metered fares apply for all trips going to the airport, and for trips from outside the zones. All taxis that serve the airport are required to accept credit cards.

Seaplane There are floatplane facilities about 300 metres south of YVR's South Terminal and in downtown Vancouver at:

2 Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre (CXH IATA), 1055 Canada Place (Downtown Vancouver), ☏ +1 604-647-7570. VHFC Terminal opens daily at 7:00 AM. Operating hours change seasonally. (updated Jan 2026) These floatplane facilities offer frequent flights to downtown Vancouver and/or YVR. Flight to downtown Vancouver from Comox (50 minutes, summer), Nanaimo harbour (20 minutes), Powell River (40 minutes), Tofino (1 hours, summer), Victoria's Inner Harbour (35 minutes), Whistler (45 minutes, summer) the scenic Southern Gulf Islands and other local destinations. Some float plane operators also offer spectacular tours of the central city and nearby attractions starting at about $80-100 per person. A great way to see a panoramic view of downtown. A quick search of Google will bring up websites for most of these float plane operators. See Vancouver International Airport for seapl

Getting around

Vancouver is one of the few major cities in North America without a freeway leading directly into the downtown core (freeway proposals in the 1960s and 1970s were defeated by community opposition). As a result, development has taken a different course than in most other major North American cities resulting in a relatively high use of transit and cycling, a dense, walkable core and a development model that is studied and emulated elsewhere.

By public transit TransLink, ☏ +1-604-953-3333. The main public transit network in the Vancouver area, including: Bowen Island, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Lions Bay, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, West Vancouver, and White Rock. Its network includes buses, SkyTrain (rail rapid transit), SeaBus (ferries), West Coast Express (commuter rail), and HandyDART (door-to-door shared-ride service for those who cannot ride public transit without assistance). (updated Mar 2022) TransLink's website and customer information line both offer trip planning and information about fares, where to buy tickets and the refund policy. A regional transportation map is widely available at convenience stores and on TransLink’s website. TransLink does not have a mobile app, but Google Maps, Transit and Citymapper all have access to TransLink's GPS data to show current route information and estimated arrival times.

Fares and zones

TransLink breaks Metro Vancouver into three fare zones; your fare depends on the number of zones you travel in. The standard adult fare is $3.35 for all bus trips across Metro Vancouver and SkyTrain travel within the City of Vancouver (Zone 1). It also covers all travel system-wide at off-peak times: weekends, holidays, and weekday evenings after 6:30PM. Travel out of Vancouver on the SkyTrain or SeaBus crosses fare zone boundaries and costs $4.85 to $6.60 on weekdays before 6:30PM. After paying fare, you can transfer or re-board an unlimited number of times at no extra charge for 90 minutes. Compass Card and Compass Ticket users have no restrictions on transferring between modes of transit, but bus riders paying cash fare can only transfer to other buses. Contactless credit and debit cards can be used directly at ticket gates, eliminating the need to buy a separate ticket. Upon final tap-in within the 90-minute window, Compass Card and Compass Ticket users have an additional 120 minutes to tap out at their final destination. Tapping out after this time will result in another fare being charged.

Fares paid using Com

See

While Vancouver is still a young city, it has a variety of attractions and points of interest for the visitor.

Landmarks and historic buildings Many of the city's landmarks and historical buildings can be found in the central business district. Canada Place, with its distinctive sails, the nearby Olympic Cauldron, the intricate Art Deco styling of the Marine Building and the old luxury railway hotel of the Hotel Vancouver are in the central business district. Stanley Park (the city's most popular attraction), along with its neighbouring Coal Harbour walkway and the Vancouver Aquarium are in the West End. Gastown, the original town site of Vancouver, has a number of restored buildings and its steam clock is a popular spot to visit. Modern architecture worth visiting also includes Shangri-La, the tallest building in the city, and the Sheraton Wall Centre, both located in central business district. Another popular city landmark, the bustling markets and shops of Granville Island, is just to the south of downtown in an area called South Granville.

Museums and galleries If you're looking to learn about the people of the Northwest Coast and some of its history, one good spot is the impressive Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, which houses several thousand objects from BC's First Nations. The museum is also home to significant collections of archaeological objects and ethnographic materials from other parts of the world. The Vancouver Art Gallery in the central business district combines local with international through a variety of exhibitions and a permanent collection that focuses on renowned British Columbia artist, Emily Carr.

The Central Library location of the Vancouver Public Library, in the central business district at Homer and Robson Streets, is modelled after the Roman Colosseum, and houses the city's largest library. Another sight in the central business district is the small Contemporary Art Gallery on Nelson Street, which features modern art. Also nearby, on the east side of False Creek is the shiny geodesic dome of the Telus World of Science (commonly known as Science World), which has a number of exhibits, shows and galleries aimed at making science fun for kids. Another great spot to check out is the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum at Gate A of BC Place Stadium in Yaletown. The BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum preserves and honours BC's Sport heritage by recognizing extraordinary achievement in sport through using their collection and stories to inspire all people to pursue their dreams. There are also s

Do

Culture and festivals Vancouver isn't all about the outdoors. It offers a variety of theatre, concerts and other cultural events. There are symphony and opera venues in the central business district and much of the city's live theatre can be found in South Granville, particularly on Granville Island with its thriving arts scene. The city's Chinese heritage comes alive during Chinese New Year. Chinatown, in the east side of downtown, is awash in colour and has many festivities, including a parade. June sees the annual Dragon Boat Festival on False Creek. There is no shortage of festivals around the city, with many local ones particular to a neighbourhood. The festival that draws the largest crowds is the Honda Celebration of Light, a three-night extravaganza of fireworks over English Bay in late July. Countries compete with 20-30 min displays choreographed to music. The fireworks start at 10PM and are best viewed from Sunset Beach in the West End or Kits Beach/Vanier Park in Kitsilano. It is strongly recommended to take public transit and to get there a few hours early as the crowds are huge. Roads in the vicinity of English Bay are typically closed from 6PM onwards. EAT! Vancouver - The Everything Food + Cooking Festival takes place every year. The festival takes place in early November. Celebrity chefs, popular local restaurants, wineries, food & beverage manufacturers, cookbook authors, retailers, artisans, & many others from the culinary world come together for a 6-day event. Other notable festivals include the Vancouver International Film Festival that runs in Sept-Oct; the Fringe Festival that presents live theatre in a variety of styles and venues; Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival that runs May - September at Vanier Park in Kitsilano; and the three day Folk Fest on the beach in Kitsilano that features a large selection of current and upcoming folk, roots and world music acts. Another notable event is Vancouver's annual Vancouver Pride Parade, in early August, which attractsover 600,000 spectators.

Laugh Vancouver is also home to an enormous stand-up comedy scene. With 3 dedicated clubs, and more than two dozen venues hosting regular events, the Lower Mainland plays host to nearly 10,000 improv, stand-up, and open mic shows a year, such as by the Improv Centre on Granville Island. Catch touring comics, well-seasoned locals, or up and coming newbies at shows from theaters to pizza joints and experience some of the local, underground culture.

Live music Vancouver has lots and lots of live music venues ranging from BC Place (over 60,

Buy

This is only a sample of things you can look for in Vancouver. Visit the separate district pages for other info. Tip - There are two local taxes that are charged on the vast majority of goods, the 7% PST (Provincial Sales Tax) and the 5% GST (Goods and Services Tax). The PST does not apply to restaurants, motor fuel, food (including non-alcoholic drinks), vitamins, books, newspaper, magazines, bicycles, and children's clothing.

Robson Street. In the City Centre is home to many touristy shops. The neighbouring Alberni intersection is also home to a variety of high-end shops such as Louis Vuitton and Hermès. (updated Aug 2022) Pacific Centre. Located in the City Centre. Has more than 150 shops, restaurants and services if you want to walk in an underground shopping centre. The shopping centre begins at its north end at Robson Street, and stretches all the way to Pender Street. There are many floors in the mall depending on where you are, and notable merchants include Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen, Gap, H&M and Apple Store; the mall is connected to the Hudson's Bay (at Georgia and Granville streets), and Vancouver Centre (a small mall mainly consisting of a lotto centre, London Drugs, and a food court underneath Scotiabank). (updated Mar 2023)

Gastown. Is the oldest neighbourhood in Vancouver but is being reborn as a fashion and modern urban design district. Historic buildings house hip restaurants, galleries, and interior design and high-fashion shops. This area also is notable having the most tourist souvenir shops in the region. (updated Aug 2022) Yaletown. Is also popular for its non-mainstream fashion boutiques and high-end salons. A few Popular Yaletown Shopping Streets are: Mainland St., Hamilton St., and Pacific Blvd. (updated Oct 2023) Granville Island. Is an interesting place to go if you fancy the arts. The area boasts a public market, an art school (Emily Carr University of Art + Design), shops, a world music instrument store, restaurants, theatres, galleries, a hotel, boat docks and more. (updated Aug 2022) Kerrisdale (Area centred on 41st, between Maple St and Blenheim St,). Located in South Vancouver. Consisting of roughly a hundred or so boutique-like shops, restaurants, and stores (chain or otherwise) in an affluent neighbourhood. (updated Aug 2022) Commercial Drive. Especially the stretch between 3rd Avenue and Venables St. in East Van, is great for people-watching, produce (Santa Barbara Market), cheese (La Grotta del Formaggio), sausage (JN&Z Deli), etc. (updated Aug 2022) Main Street (South Main). Located in Mt Pleasant. South of

Eat

Where to begin? There is something for everyone in this cosmopolitan city, and the variety of cuisines and price points have been described as a foodie's delight. In particular, you will find many different kinds of Asian food available. If you fancy sushi many places offer "all you can eat" lunches for $12, which offers food of a wildly varying quality. In general, the city is up there with some of the best cities in North America when it comes to food. If you can do without alcohol, you can usually have a pretty reasonable meal for under $12, and at one of the more expensive restaurants in the city, $70 will get you a four course feast with exquisite service. While you are in Vancouver, look out for stands selling the Japadog, a contraction of "Japanese style hot dog", which uses Japanese ingredients such as nori seaweed or Japanese mayonnaise to garnish the sausage. Contrary to the name, it is not from Japan and was invented locally in Vancouver. Another local speciality is the B.C. roll, an uramaki sushi roll containing barbecued salmon and cucumber, which is widely available at sushi restaurants in the city. The highest density of restaurants is in Kitsilano or the West End. The central business area has many of the high end restaurants either along Robson Street or associated with the many hotels in the downtown area. East Van tends to have many authentic ethnic restaurants. Vancouver is also famous for its Cantonese restaurants, in particular because it received a huge number of top chefs from Hong Kong fleeing the impending handover back to China in the 1980s and 1990s. Because of this large diaspora from Hong Kong, the price and quality of dim sum, siu mei and other Cantonese dishes here is among the best in the world, with many even claiming that Vancouver's Cantonese food is better than that of Hong Kong and Guangdong. However, Vancouver's Chinatown is now a shadow of its former self, with most of the remaining restaurants being tourist traps serving mediocre food. These days, the best Chinese food can be found in the suburb of Richmond, with a majority of its inhabitants being ethnically Chinese. Restaurants are all over the place on No. 3 Rd, Westminster Hwy, Alexandra Rd, and on the many side streets just east of Richmond Centre. Vancouver has become a lot more vegetarian and vegan friendly. For exclusively veg-fare, there is Indigo Age downtown, the Naam in Kits, the Acorn on Main St, MeeT (Gastown, Main St, and Yaletown), Kokomo in Chinatown, Roots + Fruits in Strathcona, Eternal Abundance on the Drive, and Chomp in Hastings-Sunrise- to n

Drink & nightlife

Most of the nightclubs are in the central business district, especially along the Granville Street strip, south of Robson and along Water Street in Gastown. There are a number of good local pubs in the various quieter neighbourhoods of the city, such as along Main Street or Broadway. Closing times for most of these pub-like establishments begin at 1AM; nightclubs close between 2AM-3AM with a very small number operating after-hours. Nightclubs with music, a DJ and a dance floor usually charge an entrance fee. Be aware that many nightclubs often have long lineup queues on weekends, which are usually self-imposed regardless of whether or not the establishment is near capacity to attract business. Flexibility and willingness to go early is key should nightlife become part of your travel plans. Liquor stores by 11PM at the latest close, while many are closed by 9PM, and there will exist no other legal options apart from drinking at an establishment beyond this time.

Coffee On Robson and Thurlow, there used to be two Starbucks kitty-corner to one another, hardly surprising as Starbucks is the most dominant of the three coffee shop chains found in Vancouver and it is claimed there are more Starbucks per capita in Vancouver than anywhere else. The other chains, Caffe Artigiano and Blenz, are found throughout downtown. JJ Bean is favoured among the locals and it's a great place to spend a few minutes to a few hours nursing a coffee and one of their ginormous muffins; there are ten locations scattered throughout the city. Bean Around the World is a popular coffee house chain with ten locations. Waves Coffee is popular with students for its 24-hour operations, and free Wi-Fi internet. For independent chains try Mario's on Dunsmuir and Howe; they have a unique feel and a slower pace than other coffee shops. Make sure not to miss Trees' cheesecakes and its roasted on-site organic coffees. Vancouver has seen a rise of new independent coffee shops in the past three years, most of which focus on single-origin beans and a simpler approach to delicious coffee devoid of syrups and flavourings. Examples include: Matchstick, Kafka's, Revolver, 49th Parallel.

Tea A distinctive local drink in Vancouver is called the London fog, which is similar to a latte except that it uses a shot of earl grey tea instead of espresso coffee. It is available at virtually every coffee shop in Vancouver. Bubble tea (or boba tea) is also a popular drink among the Vancouver youth. There are countless tea houses throughout Vancouver, the most notable being Dragon Ball Tea House on West King

Sleep

In general, accommodations in Vancouver are on the expensive side. Most upscale hotel rooms begin at $200-250/night, although you can find reasonably priced ones in the $100-180 range quite often. Most motel rooms cost somewhere between $80-150/night. If you are lucky to find hostel accommodation, the cheapest of these will cost around $30/night, more reasonably between $35-50. The City Centre is centrally for attractions and has the bulk of Vancouver's accommodation, including most of the high-end hotels and backpackers hostels. If you don't mind getting away from the chain hotels, there are a number of smaller boutique hotels outside of the central business district but still close to the action that are cheaper than the four and five star options downtown. Backpacker hostels are another cheap option with beds starting at $25 if you don't mind sharing a room. Staying outside the City Centre area may give you a wider choice of affordable accommodations. There are a few budget hotels/motels along Kingsway in East Van and Broadway in South Granville. A number of B&Bs and AirBnB rentals are also scattered throughout the city in each district. If you want/need to stay close to the airport, Richmond has a number of hotels with varying degrees of luxury and price. Finally, if you don't mind driving or commuting in to see Vancouver, the suburbs also have some cheaper options. North Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster all have easy access to Vancouver via the public transit system. The closest Provincial Parks with campgrounds are near Maple Ridge (Golden Ears Provincial Park), Chilliwack, and Squamish. Camping in city parks is prohibited under Vancouver’s by-laws. Travellers may hear a claim that it is legal to camp overnight in city parks in Victoria and Abbotsford; (due to court cases that permit the homeless to do); but whether this would also apply to Vancouver or extend to travellers looking to free camp is unknown. That said, a small number of mostly homeless people do camp in city parks and it seems the bylaw is not always enforced. If you decide to do this, avoid the Downtown Eastside (Gastown-Chinatown and points directly east), don’t be disruptive, don’t light fires and be aware of the risks of free camping/sleeping rough.

Go next

Nearby municipalities There are a number of things to see and do just outside of Vancouver's borders. Some of the most popular are listed below. All of these places are accessible by public transit, or if you have a car, within an hour's drive.

North Vancouver - Take in the views from Grouse Mountain (The Peak of Vancouver), go for a walk on a suspension bridge or enjoy one of the many outdoor recreation opportunities -- hiking, mountain biking, skiing/snowboarding, kayaking -- on offer. The most popular summer activity in the area is hiking the 'Grouse Grind', a 2.9-km, 853-m elevation gain hike up the side of Grouse mountain. West Vancouver - A municipality north of the Lion's gate bridge, en route to Whistler. Home to many beaches, coves, parks and expensive real estate, where breathtaking views of Vancouver can be scoped by driving its higher altitudes. Burnaby - Shop till you drop at Metropolis at Metrotown, the largest shopping mall in British Columbia, or relax at one of the large regional parks. Also home to Simon Fraser University's main campus (notable for its brutalist architecture), on top of Burnaby mountain. Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Port Moody (the Tri City area) - Half hour drive down Hastings street to the Barnet Highway will bring you to Port Moody, locally known as the City of the Arts. Richmond - City with a large Asian influence with many options for Chinese, Japanese and Korean dining and shopping, one of the largest Buddhist temples in North America and the historic seaside Steveston towards the south offers a quieter, small-town type atmosphere. Surrey/White Rock - A 45 minute drive away from Vancouver, famous for its moderate climate and sandy beaches. Surrey is also the place to go for South Asian shopping and watching Bollywood movies. Fort Langley - Village with unique shops, restaurants and the site of one of the first forts built in British Columbia. New Westminster - Small city on the banks of the Fraser River that was once the capital of British Columbia. Delta - Made up of three communities separated by farmland; North Delta, Ladner, and Tsawwassen. Ladner has a quaint village-like atmosphere which has attracted several movies to be shot there and is the home of the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Tsawwassen has Boundary Bay Regional Park with its walking trails and bird watching opportunities.

Day trips Bowen Island is a popular day trip or weekend excursion offering kayaking, hiking, shops, restaurants, and more. This authentic community is in Howe Sound just off Vancouver, and is accessed by ferry