Vancouver
Glass towers on a peninsula between the inlet and the Pacific, a thousand acres of rainforest at the end of downtown, mountains across the water, and a train from the runway in twenty-five minutes.
- Arrival
- Vancouver International · YVR
- To the city
- About 25 minutes to downtown on the Canada Line
- Private jets
- Three private terminals at YVR
- Best time
- June to September
The city
Between the inlet and the mountains.
Downtown Vancouver fills a narrow peninsula, with Burrard Inlet along its northern edge and the North Shore mountains rising beyond the water. At its tip, Stanley Park keeps more than a thousand acres of old rainforest, ringed by the seawall. The cooking leans towards the Pacific and Japan, and in 2026 AnnaLena became the first restaurant in the city to hold two MICHELIN stars.
Come between June and September, when the days reach 20 to 22 °C and the rain falls to some 50 mm a month. From October to March the Pacific weather rolls in, with more than 200 mm in November and December, and mild, grey days around 6 °C.
Arriving
One airport, two sides.
One airport serves the city for every kind of flight, airline and private alike. The Canada Line runs from the terminal to Waterfront station downtown in about 25 minutes.
- San Francisco 2 h 00
- Las Vegas 2 h 25
- Los Angeles 2 h 35
- Tokyo 10 h 05 long-range jet
- London 10 h 05 long-range jet
When to go
June to September.
A mild, wet Pacific climate. Summers are dry and clear, with days of 19 to 22 °C from June to September. From October the rain returns in earnest, peaking at more than 200 mm a month in November and December, though it is rarely cold.
- 6° J 191
- 8° F 155
- 11° M 135
- 13° A 97
- 17° M 73
- 20° J 56
- 22° J 48
- 22° A 50
- 19° S 80
- 14° O 152
- 9° N 207
- 6° D 228
What to see and do
Days in and around Vancouver.
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Landmark
The seawall
Ten kilometres of path round Stanley Park, walked or cycled one way, with the water always on one side.
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Landmark
Brockton Point
Totem poles, a lighthouse of 1914 and the Nine O'Clock Gun, still fired every evening.
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Landmark
Prospect Point
The Lions Gate Bridge of 1938 below, and the North Shore mountains across Burrard Inlet.
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Culture
Museum of Anthropology at UBC
Arthur Erickson's building of 1976 holds close to 50,000 ethnographic objects, among them Northwest Coast poles and Bill Reid's The Raven and the First Men.
Official site -
Nature
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Visitors cross a 137 metre bridge hung some 70 metres above the Capilano River, then walk the Cliffwalk and the Treetops Adventure among old Douglas firs.
Official site -
Snow
Grouse Mountain
Reached by the Skyride from North Vancouver, the 1,231 metre peak has 33 ski runs, 14 lit for night skiing, and the Grouse Grind trail in summer.
Official site -
Wildlife
Prince of Whales Vancouver
Catamarans leave Granville Island in search of humpback whales, orcas and sea lions in the Salish Sea.
Official site -
Food & wine
Granville Island Public Market
Opened in 1979 beneath the Granville Street Bridge, this covered market of about 50 regular vendors is reached across False Creek by Aquabus.
Official site -
Opera & music
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at the Orpheum
Built as a vaudeville house in 1927 and now a National Historic Site, the 2,672 seat theatre has been the orchestra's home since 1977.
Official site -
Nature
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Master craftsmen from Suzhou completed this Ming style scholar's garden in Chinatown in 1986, the first of its kind built outside China.
Official site
On the calendar
A date to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
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25–28 May 2027
Technology & AI
Web Summit Vancouver
Annual technology conference in Vancouver run by Web Summit.
Vancouver Convention Centre
In 7 months
Where to stay
Three Keys downtown.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Rosewood Hotel Georgia A building of 1927 across from the Vancouver Art Gallery, with 156 rooms and a rooftop terrace open all year.
- Loden Hotel Rooms looking over Burrard Inlet, deep soaking tubs, and a top suite wrapped in its own terrace.
- Wedgewood Hotel & Spa Family-owned, with 83 rooms and suites and a full spa beside the gardens of Robson Square.
Where to dine
Two stars at last.
From the MICHELIN Guide 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- AnnaLena Two Michelin stars Contemporary $$$$ 1809 W. 1st Ave., Kitsilano
- Masayoshi One Michelin star Japanese $$$$ 4376 Fraser St.
- Okeya Kyujiro One Michelin star Japanese $$$$ 1038 Mainland St.
- Sushi Masuda One Michelin star Japanese $$$$ 1066 W. Hastings St.
- iDen & QuanJuDe Beijing Duck House One Michelin star Chinese $$$$ 2808 Cambie St.
- Kissa Tanto One Michelin star Fusion $$$$ 263 E. Pender St.
- St. Lawrence One Michelin star French $$$$ 269 Powell St.
- Burdock & Co One Michelin star Contemporary $$$$ 2702 Main St.
- Published on Main One Michelin star Contemporary $$$ 3593 Main St.
Elsewhere in Canada
More reasons to come.
- Toronto The financial capital, on the shore of Lake Ontario.
- Whistler Whistler and Blackcomb, joined by the Peak 2 Peak gondola.
- Montreal French in spirit, with an old port and a summer of festivals.
- Quebec City The only fortified city north of Mexico, and the lanes of its Lower Town.
- Banff A mountain town inside the national park, among the Rockies.
Flying to Vancouver?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.