Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia.
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Greater Vancouver area had a population of 2.6 million in 2021, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada after Toronto and Montreal. The region, together with the Fraser Valley, makes up the Lower Mainland, which has a total population of over 3 million. Vancouver has the highest population density in Canada, with over 5,700 inhabitants per square kilometre (15,000/sq mi), and the fourth highest in North America.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Vancouver
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01BC Place
BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Located at the north side of False Creek, it is owned and operated by the BC Pavilion Corporation, a Crown corporation of the province.
1.8 km · stadium at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada · Wikipedia - 02Rogers Arena
Rogers Arena is a multi-purpose arena at 800 Griffiths Way in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, the arena was known as General Motors Place from its opening until July 6, 2010, when General Motors Canada ended its naming rights sponsorship and a new agreement for those rights was reached with Rogers Communications.
1.9 km · sports arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada · Wikipedia - 03Stanley Park
Stanley Park is a 405-hectare public park in British Columbia, Canada, that makes up the northwestern half of Vancouver's Downtown peninsula, surrounded by waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay The park borders the neighbourhoods of West End and Coal Harbour to its southeast, and is connected to the North Shore via the Lions Gate Bridge. The historic lighthouse on Brockton Point marks the park's easternmost point.
4.7 km · park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada · Wikipedia - 04Pacific Coliseum
Pacific Coliseum, locally known as The Coliseum or the Rink on Renfrew, is an indoor arena located at Hastings Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Its main use has been for ice hockey and the arena has been the home for several ice hockey teams.
5.9 km · indoor arena in Vancouver, Canada, mainly used for ice hockey · Wikipedia - 05Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
The Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre is a LEED Silver certified indoor arena in Greater Vancouver, on the campus of the University of British Columbia. Located on the Point Grey campus lands, it is just outside the city limits of Vancouver, British Columbia.
9.4 km · indoor sports arena at the University of British Columbia · Wikipedia - 06Richmond Olympic Oval
The Richmond Olympic Oval is an indoor multi-sports arena in the Canadian city of Richmond, British Columbia. The oval was built for the 2010 Winter Olympics and was originally configured with a speed skating rink.
10 km · sports arena in British Columbia, Canada · Wikipedia - 07Vancouver Art Gallery
The Vancouver Art Gallery is an art museum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The museum occupies a 15,300-square-metre-building adjacent to Robson Square in downtown Vancouver, making it the largest art museum in Western Canada by building size.
2.5 km · art museum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada · Wikipedia - 08Lions Gate Bridge
The Lions Gate Bridge, opened in 1938 and officially known as the First Narrows Bridge, is a suspension bridge that crosses the first narrows of Burrard Inlet and connects the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to the North Shore municipalities of the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. The term "Lions Gate" refers to the Lions, a pair of mountain peaks north of Vancouver.
6.3 km · suspension bridge in Vancouver, Canada · Wikipedia - 09Vancouver Public Library
Vancouver Public Library is the public library system for the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2023, VPL had more than 4.6 million visits with patrons borrowing nearly 10.4 million items including: books, ebooks, CDs, DVDs, video games, newspapers and magazines.
2.1 km · public library system in British Columbia · Wikipedia - 10Capilano Suspension Bridge
The Capilano Suspension Bridge is a simple suspension bridge crossing the Capilano River in Upper Capilano, British Columbia, Canada, in the District of North Vancouver. The current bridge is 140 metres long and 70 metres above the river.
9.1 km · suspension bridge in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
While Vancouver is still a young city, it has a variety of attractions and points of interest for the visitor. Many of the city's landmarks and historical buildings can be found in the central business district.
From Wikivoyage: Vancouver, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
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.
From Wikivoyage: Vancouver, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to 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.
From Wikivoyage: Vancouver, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Vancouver
- Airports
- Vancouver (YVR), 9 km · Victoria (YYJ), 72 km · Seattle–Tacoma (SEA), 210 km
- Stations
- Vancouver International Airport, 8.9 km · Pacific Central Station, 1.8 km
- Victoria → Vancouver92 km · quickest by road, 4h 58m · C$19–26
- Kelowna → Vancouver271 km · quickest by air, 4h 14m · C$120–190
- Calgary → Vancouver674 km · quickest by air, 4h 31m · C$160–250
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Vancouver
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Vancouver. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get in{{go | name | url customercallcentre@yvr.ca | address 49.194993 | long Sea Island in Richmond | phone | hours | wikipedia Q321224 | content=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.
- Get inSee Vancouver International Airport for seaplane flights that land at that airport.
- Get inSeaplane airlines operating to downtown Vancouver: There are heliport facilities at YVR's South Terminal, though most flights operate to: {{go | name | url | address 49.022837 | long Abbotsford | phone | hours | wikipedia Q969671 | content=Around about east of Vancouver in Abbotsford is Vancouver's alternate airport.
- Get inTo reach the Vancouver area from other coastal communities, travellers need to reach either of the following ferry terminals: , in West Vancouver.
- Get inFerries travel between this terminal, and Bowen Island (Snug Cove) in 20 minutes, Nanaimo (Departure Bay) in 1 hour 40 minutes, and the Sunshine Coast (Langdale) in 40 minutes.
From Wikivoyage: Vancouver, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 0132 km
- 0257 km
- 0361 km
- 04120 km
- 05130 km
If you know how people move in Vancouver – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Vancouver
Vancouver is 27 km from Surrey, the nearest large city, whose note carries the wider picture.
- Metro Vancouver Regional Districtregional district of British Columbia, Canada9.8 km
- North Vancouvercity in British Columbia, Canada7.1 km
- Gastownneighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia2.7 km
- West Endneighborhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada3.1 km
- Kitsilanohuman settlement in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada3.9 km
- Downtown Vancouverneighbourhood of Vancouver, Canada2.6 km