Book Cheap Flights to Vancouver
Vancouver is a typical Pacific Northwest city: liberal, diverse, cultivated and surrounded by stunning natural beauty. Its many public parks, mountains and waterways in and around the city make it an ideal playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Meanwhile, the forward-looking hotels, bars, and galleries have turned this Northwest boomtown into a chic outdoor capital.
From the glass buildings of downtown to the North Shore Mountains, Vancouver is one of the most enchanting cities in the world. It's a futuristic world of orcas, totem poles, and hockey-loving hipsters. Facing the Pacific Ocean and burgeoning with enormous cedar and spruce trees, the major city of more than 1,040 square miles promises countless adventures.
Major Tourist Attraction
Museum of Anthropology: It's simple to be mesmerized by Vancouver's geographical splendor, but to get involved with this city properly; you have to start from the beginning, from the very beginning. Vancouver and what is defined as the Lower Mainland were populated around 10,000 years ago. Overlooking the Burrard Inlet, on campus at the University of British Columbia, the Museum of Anthropology provides a mosaic of Native works, both ancient and modern, many of which combine a narrative that is scarcely revealed to visitors to this great region. If you'd like to learn about the roots of the city and its interaction with the global world, this is one of the most interesting things to do in Vancouver.
Grouse Grind Hiking: There's really no smart choice to become an honorary Vancouverite (yep, that's what they're called) than to win your stripes on the Grouse Grind. Originally named "Mother Nature's Stairs," this is not a Sunday walk. Situated on the North Shore of Vancouver, at the foot of the Grouse Range, the Grind, as it is affectionately called, brings hikers 850 m up the Alpine. As soon as you hit the summit, a panoramic chalet greets you with ice cold drinks and expansive views of the city. And once you've recovered, spare those wobbly legs from more torment and take a scenic trip down the Grouse Gondola Mountain.
Cycle around Stanley Park: Where else in the world you can bike through an old developing woodland, explore ancient Tribal settlement sites, steal a tan at the beach, relax in a rose garden, or get up and down with sea lions and Pacific dolphins. There is a handful of cycling rental spots at the base of Denman Lane, and it's the easiest way to get around the park.
Window-shop in Gastown: Vancouver itself started in the centre of what is now a hip neighborhood called Gastown, named for a historic character known as "Gassy Jack." Once Canada's third largest city, Gastown, was the site of numerous lumber mills in 1867, Gastown is now home to chic loft studios, European food stores, cocktail lounges and flamboyant boutiques. There are a few notice galleries along Water Lane, and a number of places to buy Canadiana.
Best Season to Visit Vancouver
While it's an outstanding year-round destination (and from November to April, you can tack on a day of skiing or surfing on the nearby ski hills), Vancouver shines best from April to October, with flowers in bloom, sunsets long and late, and patio bars spilling over. Summer festivals are too many to be counted; however, the delightful January city-wide Dine Out Festival and the prestigious International Wine Festival take place in February.
Temperatures are moderate with summer temperatures in the mid-20s, and winters barely dip below freezing. But rain is normal all year round, with most rainy days coming from October to April. Think of the layers and still get a fog.
Facts
Area: 115 km²
Population: 6.75 lakhs (2017) United Nations
Province: British Columbia
