Vancouver

From MaxTravelz

For other places with the same name, see Vancouver (disambiguation).Vancouver

Vancouver is the largest city in Western Canada, and third largest in Canada. Located at the southwestern corner of the coastal province of British Columbia. It is well known for its majestic natural beauty, as it is nestled between the coastal mountains and the Pacific ocean. It is frequently ranked as one of the "best cities to live in" and is certainly a beautiful destination to visit.

Contents 1 Districts 2 Understand 3 Climate 4 Get in 4.1 By plane 4.2 By car 4.3 By bus 4.4 By train 4.5 By boat 5 Get around 5.1 Translink 5.2 Driving 5.3 Parking 5.4 Bicycling 5.5 Water Taxi 6 See 6.1 Parks 6.2 Must See Attractions 6.3 Museums 6.4 Landmarks/Points of Interest 7 Do 7.1 2010 Olympics 8 Festivals 9 Learn 10 Buy 11 Eat 12 Drink 13 Sleep 13.1 Budget 13.2 Moderate 13.3 Luxury 14 Stay safe 14.1 Cannabis 15 Contact 16 Get out

Districts

For simplicity the Vancouver area is separated into a number of districts. Most of the attractions associated with Vancouver are in these districts.

These don't correspond to the legal divisions of the city, but instead a convenient way of sub-dividing Vancouver for travellers.

• City Centre -- The Downtown peninsula of Vancouver includes the West End, Yaletown, Gastown, Chinatown and Stanley Park.
• Kitsilano Area -- The "young urban professional" neighbourhood in Vancouver.
• Vancouver South -- A mostly residential area of Vancouver includes the neighbourhoods of Kerrisdale, Oakridge and Marpole.
• UBC -- University of British Columbia and the surrounding area.
• East Van -- A working class area of Vancouver. Commercial Drive is the bohemian part of town.

Some areas of Greater Vancouver are commonly included in a visit to Vancouver. These include:

• North Shore -- The area north of the Burrard Inlet includes the District of West Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver.
• Burnaby -- A separate municipality which is primarily a suburb of Vancouver. Has a number of parks, including three of the larger in the GVRD (Greater Vancouver Regional District) Parks system (Central, Burnaby Lake, and Deer Lake). Also contains Metrotown, the largest shopping mall in British Columbia.
• Richmond -- A separate municipality which is primarily a suburb of Vancouver featuring many restaurants and shopping opportunities. Primarily consists of the larger Lulu Island and Sea Island, home to Vancouver International Airport (YVR). It is home to a large Asian population (particularly Hong Kong Chinese).
• Surrey -- Surrey is Vancouver's largest suburb. It is easily reached on Translink by taking the Skytrain Expo line. It is home to a large South Indian population.

Understand

While Vancouver is a comparatively young city, at just over 100 years, its history begins long before. The natives (now called 'First Nations People') had lived in the area for some thousands of years, and Vancouver's namesake Captain George Vancouver sailed through the First Narrows in 1792. The first settlement on the downtown peninsula was Granville, located on the spot of today's Gastown. In the beginning it was not much more than a mill, and a few cabins to house the mill's workers. Three years after Canada's confederation a saloon was built on this site, and fueled by a goldrush in British Columbia's interior and a seemingly endless supply of high quality lumber (some of which was shipped to China to construct Beijing's Imperial Palace) the area's growth took off at a phenomenal pace.

Vancouver proper was signed into existence in 1886. The 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; eighteen 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 with well over 2,000,000 residents, roughly half of British Columbia's population as a whole. It is also the fastest growing part of Canada. Greater Vancouver is one of the most ethnically diverse metropolitan areas in the world and is home to the second largest Chinatown in the world.

The city truly arrived in 1986 when Vancouver "hosted the world" with the Expo 86 World Fair. Media attention from around the world was consistently positive, and many considered it the most successful World's Fair to date. Vancouver has been awarded the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and this event will no doubt cast Vancouver into the world spotlight once again. It will be the largest city ever to host the winter games, and interestingly, the only city at sea level to host them.

Vancouver is perhaps best known for its scenic beauty, and the opportunities afforded by its natural environment. Vancouver is one of those rare places where you can ski in the mountains, windsurf in the ocean, and play a round of golf all in the same day. Surrounded by water on three sides, and crowned by the North Shore mountains, Vancouver is a great destination in itself, as well a a great starting point for discovering the area's many outdoor activities.

Vancouver is a major sea port on the Pacific Ocean, and a base for many Alaska Cruise Ships in the summer.

Climate

With the exception of Victoria, Vancouver has the mildest climate of any major city in Canada, palm trees can even grow here. It can rain a lot in Vancouver especially during the winters, but the temperature rarely goes below freezing. Snowfalls are an unusual sight and often lead to major traffic congestion. The weather in Vancouver is similar to the southern UK and almost identical to that of Seattle's. In the early summer the days often start out cloudy, due to marine air but becomes clear by noon. Contrary to Vancouver's wet reputation it is actually the driest major Canadian city during the summer. Summer temperatures are not extreme, the typical day time high between June and August is around 25 °C.

There is one word to describe Vancouver's weather, unpredictable. The weather can be compleatly different depending on what part of the city you are in. It can be pouring rain on the North Shore and sunny in White Rock.

If you are visting the city between May and September you will likely have excellent weather. If you are coming to the city for a ski holiday the best time to visit is February, the region has a great record for excellent ski conditions during this month.

For the local weather conditons and forcast click here.

Get in

By plane

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is located just South of the city. There are frequent flights between here and many major cities in Canada and the USA. There are also frequent direct flights to many cities in Asia and some cities in Europe.

Before 2005, a $15 Airport Improvement Fee was levied against all travellers using the Vancouver International Airport. The aim of the fee was to offset the costs of building the airport. Just recently, collection of the Airport Improvement Fee at check-in was discontinued which resulted in, thankfully, shorter lines through customs and security. However the fee is still collected, but hidden in the tax section of an airline ticket.

One little quirk about travel out of Canada into the USA is that you will clear customs before you board the plane, so give yourself some extra time to check-in when you leave Vancouver for U.S. destinations. Note that this also means that duty-free purchases are only available in one shop between the check-in counter and US Customs; and are not available at U.S. bound gate lounges or on the plane since technically you are already in the U.S. This also means that there are direct flights from Vancouver into cities that do not have customs clearance facilities (for example Kona in Hawaii).

The cheapest way from the airport to downtown is public bus. Take bus number 424 to Airport Station and change to the "98 B-Line" bus. The total trip to Burrard Station downtown takes about 40 minutes. The bus into downtown can be crouded, but it does run frequently (about every 8 minutes during peak hours). The fare to downtown is $3.25 from start of service to 6:30pm weekdays, or $2.25 after 6:30pm and on weekends. Drivers take exact exact Canadian coin fare only. Bills are not accepted, so get them changed first! Translink, the Greater Vancouver Transit Authority, services all the regions in Greater Vancouver, with bus and community shuttle services, an overhead electric automated train system (SkyTrain), ferry to the North Shore from Downtown (SeaBus) and the West Coast Express Commuter Train . They have a trip planning service to get you from point A to B at a minimal cost. or [tel: 604-953-3333].

If you don't mind spending the extra money, more convenient is the "YVR Airporter" (1-800-668-3141) which costs $12 one way or $18 return, and drops off at major hotels downtown. A taxi ride downtown will cost about $25. All taxis that serve the airport are required to accept credit cards. The taxi ride is under half an hour.

One word of warning for when you are leaving through the airport. If you are departing from the International Terminal to destinations other than the USA there are painfully few eating places on the other side of security. If you want something more substantial than coffee shops then eat before going through security.

Vancouver has daily scheduled non-stop, year-round air service to Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, Manila, Shanghai, Beijing, Honolulu, Maui, Anchorage, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, New York, Mexico City, London, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt. Dozens of other cities are served by charter flights on a seasonal basis - Europe in the summer, and Mexico and the Caribbean in the winter.

Air Canada and WestJet have the majority of domestic flights into YVR, but Harmony Airways and seasonally CanJet and charter airlines Skyservice and Air Transat also fly to Toronto. Air North also competes with Air Canada with a direct flight to Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory. A variety of smaller regional airlines including but not limited to Pacific Coastal, Central Mountain Air, Hawkair, Helijet, Craig Air, and Orca Airways, fly out of YVR's South Terminal facility. There is also a floatplane dock there, and several small airline have scheduled flights to destinations on Vancouver Island and up the Sunshine Coast as well.

There are also a floatplane facilities located both in the Coal Harbour area of downtown Vancouver (CXH) and at Vancouver International South Terminal (YVR). Floatplanes operated by Harbour Air, Baxter Aviation, Salt Spring Air and West Coast Air fly frequently from downtown Vancouver and/or YVR to Victoria's Inner Harbour and other destinations including the scenic Golf Islands. Some of these float plane operators will also do tours of the city and nearby attractions starting at about $80-100 per person... a great way to see the city. A quick search of Google will bring up websites for most of these float plane operators.

Finally, downtown Vancouver also has a heliport with quick and convenient connections to Victoria and Whistler.

Abbotsford International Airport (YXX), Vancouver's alternative airport which is located in the Eastern Lower Mainland about an hour out of the city. Most flights that come into this airport are domestic. The best way to reach Vancouver is by car, take the Trans-Canada Highway west. If you plan on using public transit it is recommended that you fly into YVR (Vancouver International Airport), the only way to reach downtown Vancouver on Translink is by taking the West Coast Express commuter train from Mission Station.

By car

Driving in Vancouver can be relatively confusing since no freeways run into downtown Vancouver. Two main highways run through Greater Vancouver. Highway #1 is the Trans Canada highway which enters the city from the east. Highway 99 runs from the USA/Canada border to Whistler, it is the Canadian extention of the USA's Interstate 5 which starts in San Diego. Highway 99 does not run as a freeway through the city of Vancouver, after the Oak Street bridge HWY99 runs North on Oak street then runs West on Park Drive and finally continues North on Granville street into downtown Vancouver. If you are driving into Vancouver for the first time it is recommended that you consult a map. Map of Greater Vancouver

By bus

Vancouver is well served by bus service. There are a number of different bus lines providing service to various cities near and far. Here are a couple of examples:

• Greyhound connects Vancouver with many cities, including Seattle, Calgary and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
• Quick Coach connects Vancouver with SeaTac (Seattle-Tacoma Airport in Washington).
• Pacific Coach Lines Connects Vancouver with Victoria. In the summer it runs hourly.

By train

Unlikely to be the cheapest option, but travelling from Edmonton or Jasper by rail makes for a good way to see the Canadian Rockies. VIA Rail has the Canadian which runs from Toronto to Vancouver with daily departures. Rocky Mountaineer Vacations also operates trains to Whistler, Banff, and Jasper from April to October.

Amtrak runs a service between Seattle and Vancouver. There are trains daily, leaving Seattle at 07:45 arrives into Vancouver at 11:40. The return trip leaves Vancouver at 18:00.

By boat

Greater Vancouver has two major ferry terminals, the largest is the Tsawwassen terminal which connects Vancouver with both Nanaimo and Victoria on Vancouver Island. Horseshoe bay a slightly smaller terminal services Nanaimo, Bowen Island and the Sunshine Coast.

BC Ferries is the main service provider that connects the Vancouver area with Nanaimo and Victoria on Vancouver Island, with the Southern Gulf Islands and with the Sunshine Coast.

Get around

Translink

By North American standards, Vancouver has quite a decent public transit system. It is run by a regional transportation authority called TransLink [tel: 604-953-3333] and connects the various municipalities in the greater Vancouver area.

Transportation is provided by buses, a passenger ferry service called Sea Bus and a rapid transit system called Skytrain, because it is mostly elevated. Adult fares cost between $2.25 to $4.25. A concession fare is available for Vancouver students and BC seniors and cost between $1.50 and $3.50, depending on the time of day and number of transit zones you cross. If you're a student or a senior you must be carrying a Translink GoCard or BC Gold CareCard to receive the reduced concession fare.

Buses only accept exact change, but at skytrain stations, tickets are sold at vending machines that give change. These machines also accept debit and credit cards. Books of 10 prepaid tickets are available at a discount from many convenience stores. A daypass, offering unlimited travel for a single day, costs $8.00.

Driving

There are two major freeways in Greater Vancouver (#1 and #99), neither of these lead directly into central Vancouver. Highway 99 starts at USA/Canada border and ends when the freeway turns into Oak Street, if you're heading into downtown Vancouver or to Whistler follow the street signs that say HWY99. The Trans-Canada highway also known as highway 1 enters Greater Vancouver from the East and ends at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal, the highway continues on Vancouver Island.

Vancouver is unique to North America by not having a highway leading directly into downtown, this was actualy planned to prevent urban sprawl. Like most major cities Vancouver can have heavy traffic especially on weekdays during the morning and afternoon rush hours, but in general traffic congestion on most routes is not a major problem. Visitors should be advised that a lot of construction is going on in Vancouver, for instance parts of Cambie Street (a major route into downtown) have been closed off for subway construction.

The Vancouver area has a number of municipalities or neighborhoods that use "West" as part of their names. The following is a summary:

• The "West Side" of Vancouver is the area of Vancouver west of Ontario Street. (The west side includes Kitsilano and Vancouver South, but excludes the downtown pennisula.),
• the West End, the western portion of the downtown peninsula,
• West Vancouver, a municipality on the North Shore of Burrard Inlet west of the Lion's Gate Bridge.

North Vancouver is not part of Vancouver city. North Vancouver is located to the north of Burrard Inlet and includes the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver.

Yes, even locals who have lived here for many years find the distinctions confusing. To make it even worse many of these areas use the same numbered streets/avenues:

• In the City of Vancouver the East-West streets are numbered Avenues. They always use East or West to designate whether it is on the East side or the West side (with Ontario Street as the dividing line). Some of the major streets use names rather than numbers (Broadway would be 9th Avenue, King Edward Avenue would be 25th Avenue).
• In West Vancouver some of the North-South streets are numbered streets.
• In North Vancouver some of the East-West streets are numbered streets.

Click here to see Google's street map of Greater Vancouver.

Parking

Parking in the city of Vancouver is best avoided by using public transit. Downtown Vancouver has the densest population in all of North America with the exception of Manhattan. As such, you may expect that although parking may not be impossible in the downtown core, it will not come cheap either. If you really must park in the downtown core, your best option is to find a parkade. To discourage on-street parking, city parking meter rates are intentionally set at a higher cost than rates in parking lots. "Easy Park" lots rank as the most affordable, but generally the cost of parking will not vary greatly among parkades within a certain area.

Downtown is very accessible by foot & trolley buses run continually (every few minutes) on Granville St. As such, if you take Skytrain to Granville St. station, practically anything downtown will be at farthest a 20 minute walk. Considering the traffic congestion, biking or walking will likely get you to your destination faster than would driving & parking your car.

Be careful parking overnight, as vehicle break-ins are not uncommon. Many parkades do not have video cameras or any security after midnight.

Parking meters are in effect 7 days a week from 9AM-8PM, but since many streets become no stopping zones between 3PM-6PM, be sure to read all signs and instructions on meters. The morning rush hour stopping restrictions may also apply on certain streets between 7AM-9:30AM.

Since you should expect city meter rates to be more expensive than lots, the following rate menu may provide as useful. Most meters are restricted to a 2 hour maximum stay. Meters accept Canadian & American change only, in the $0.10, $0.25, $1 and $2 coinage. American coins are accepted at par value. Since these are the maximum amounts you should expect to pay, you may find cheaper parking on side streets and lots.

• Robson Street & Periphery, Yaletown $1=20minutes or 1hr=$3
• Lower Robson Steet, Denman, Davie $1=40minutes or 1hr=$1.50
• Hornby, Howe (around Provincial Courts), Canada Place, Georgia Street, West Hastings $1=15min or 1hr=$4.00
• Gastown & Periphery, N Cambie, W Pender, Homer, VCC, Queen E $1=30min or 1hr=$2.00
• East Hastings & Periphery, Chinatown, N Main Street $1=60min or 1hr=$1.00
• Lower Granville, W Broadway around Granville St, Fir, Hemlock up to Oak $1=30min or 1hr=$2.00
• W Broadway around Cambie, Heather, VGH $1=24min or 1hr=$2.50
• W Broaday around Macdonald, Stephens $1=60min or 1hr=$1.00
• E Broadway, lower Main, Ontario, Yukon, Quebec Sts. $1=60min or 1hr=$1.00
• 4th Avenue $1=60min or 1hr=$1.00

Overall, most uptown meters are around $1/hr and can go up to $2.50/hr around 500-800 blocks of W. Broadway around VGH. The downtown meters are the most expensive along Hornby and Howe Streets from Georgia north to the water, mid-upper range around Robson & adjacent streets like Alberni, mid-lower range in the Westend and the least expensive on the Downtown east side. Coincidentally, the street walkers are also least expensive in the Downtown east side.

City meters and parking regulations are enforced regularly and violations are considered municipal offenses prosecuted in the provincial courts under the Offense Act. Violations in private lots are generally unenforceable, but you should be careful since you may get your car towed if you fail to make payment.

If your vehicle is towed on a city street, you can recover it at the city impound lot at 1410 Granville Street (under the Granville St. bridge).

Bicycling

The city of Vancouver is a very bicycle friendly city. In addition to the extremely popular seawall bicycle routes along Stanley Park, False Creek and Kitsilano, there are a whole network of bicycle routes that connect the whole city. The City of Vancouver provides a map of the bicycle routes that is available at most bike shops or online .

Bicycles are available to rent by the hour, day or week. Many places also rent tandem bikes. Some bicycle rental locations:

• Bayshore Bike Rentals, 745 Denman St, .
• Spokes Bicycle Rentals, 1789 West Georgia St, .
• Reckless Bike Stores,1810 Fir Street @ 2nd Avenue & 110 Davie Street @ Pacific
• JV Bike 1387 Richards St, also rents electric assist bicycles to make the hills a little easier.

Water Taxi

A quick trip across on a water taxi can be a fun and convenient way to get between various points on False Creek, including Granville Island, Science World, the Maritime Museum, downtown, and others. Service is offered by Granville Island Ferries and Aquabus .

See

Most Vancouver attractions are listed in separate sections of this site since they are geographically located in City Center or the North Shore regions. Make sure you read those District Articles for more information. Some of the highlights include:

Parks

• Stanley Park in City Center is one of the big draws in Vancouver includes the
• Van Dusen Botanical Gardens 5251 Oak St. Open 10am to around sunset (varies from 4pm to 9pm depending on time of year). Van Dusen has a very large collection of plants in the outdoor gardens. Adults $7.50, Seniors, and Youth less.
• Queen Elizabeth Park includes the highest point in the City of Vancouver with a view of the entire city. There are a number of gardens within the park as well as the domed Bloedel Floral Observatory with tropical plants and birds.

Must See Attractions

• Vancouver Aquarium. The world class Vancouver aquarium is famous for its marine life research and rehabilitation.
• Vancouver Lookout! Harbour Centre Tower has a fantastic 360-degree view of cosmopolitan and Greater Vancouver, the majestic North Shore Mountains.
• The Capilano Suspension Bridge The 136 metres long bridge crosses the Capilano river 70 metres above the river. In addition to the bridge there is also a large park, rainforest ecotours, North America's largest private collection of First Nations story poles and the Treetops Adventure which is a series of bridges that link between trees as high as 30 metres above the forest floor.
• Grouse Mountain - Take the skyride to the peak of Vancouver. Both the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain are on the The North Shore.

Museums

• The Museum of Anthropology - One of Vancouver's most impressive museums houses the worlds largest collection of West Coast Native artifacts.
• Storyeum brings BC’s history to life with an intriguing cast of characters, amazing sets and an unforgettable experience. Storyeum is a 65 minute live theatrical adventure under the streets of historic Gastown that takes you on an entertaining journey through British Columbia's dramatic past. Audiences descend in one of the world's largest passenger lifts and take a guided tour through a series of unique underground sets while stories from BC's past come alive around them. Listen to First Nations' legends in the Longhouse, witness the arrival of the Hudson's Bay Company trading ship, The Endurance, get swept away with the Gold Rush, and watch Canada become united, east to west.
• Vancouver Art Gallery in the City Centre. The gallery is pay by donation on Tuesdays. The recommended donation is $5, but the amount that people actually donate varies widely.
• Telus Science World is located in the landmark geodesic dome building at the end of False Creek.
• H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Features includes exhibits dealing with space artifacts, the feeling of being in space, astronomy, space explorations, and a space-flight simulator.
• The Vancouver Museum This museum focuses on Vancouver's history. It is located in the same building as the Space Centre.
• Vancouver Maritime Museum is one of the major maritime museums on the West Coast of North America.

Landmarks/Points of Interest

• Canada Place Venture over to the cruise boats ready to depart and you can converse with the lucky passengers about to embark on 'inside passage' tours through Alaska. CP has an IMAX theatre as well. CP is located adjacent to the Pan Pacific Hotel.
• The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is the first full-sized classical Chinese garden outside China. It is located in China town on the edge of downtown Vancouver.
• International Buddhist Temple is the most authentic example of traditional palatial Chinese architecture in North America. It is an edifice straight out of the Chinese past, as it resembles any authentic temple that can be found along the banks of the Yangtze River, where one of the world’s oldest civilizations originated. Come explore traditional Chinese art, culture, and the Buddhist philosophy inside this magnificent place. Free admission.
• University of British Columbia This Campus has streets lined with trees and stretching over an area encompassing a small city, the UBC campus offers much to see and much to do. You can attend free lectures, relax at clothes-optional Wreck Beach , or see a show at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts . The UBC Libraries form the second largest library collection in all of Canada (second only to University of Toronto). A must for cash-strapped visitors: UBC often hosts free events, such as seminars, theatrical performances or student concerts.
• Granville Island is Vancouver's famous public market. Along with the large market there are also numorus local art galleries, restaurants and even a brewery.
• Gastown is Vancouver's historic district, there are many tourist shops, restaurants and pubs in this area. This is also where Storyeum is located. City Centre

Do

• The Grouse Grind - Hike to 2.9km to the peak of Vancouver on this famous trail. If you're not up for the hike you can also catch the Skyride tram to the top. Once you're at the top there is lots to see and do. Year round you can enjoy panoramic views of Greater Vancouver, dine at the Peak Chalet and see Grizzly Bears and other wildlife at the Refuge for Endangered Wildlife. In the winter the mountain is open for skiing and snowboarding, snowshoeing and ice skating on a frozen pond. During the summer the mountain has many hiking trails, paragliding, mountain biking, lumberjack demonstrations and bird shows. Admission is free if you do decide to hike up, but be advised it is a very difficult hike.
• See Vancouver & Beyond Smartvisit™ Card - Vancouver's all-inclusive attractions pass offers free entry to a variety of leading attractions in Vancouver & the surrounding regions for a single all-inclusive price. Discover Vancouver Aquarium, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver Harbour Cruises, Vancouver Lookout!, sightseeing tours, gardens, outdoor adventures, galleries, museums and so much more. Visitors can start to save money after visiting as few as two Vancouver attractions per day.
• Seawall. Whether you like to ride a bicycle, rollerblade or just walk there are miles and miles of seawall. Starting with Canada Place downtown, to Stanley Park, around Stanley Park, along False Creek, to Science World, then to Granville Island, Vanier Park and Kits Beach in Kitsilano.
• Beaches. Much of the coastline here is rocky; the beaches do not rank amongst the most spectacular in the world. However because the waters in the Vancouver area are sheltered by Vancouver Island the water temperatures are relatively warm, infact the water here is slightly warmer then it is in Los Angeles. The downside to being a sheltered coastline is that the waves are smaller, so traditional surfing is not possible here. The most famous beach is the clothing optional Wreck Beach in the UBC Area, it is possibly the most famous nude beach in North America. Kits Beach in Kitsilano and Sun Set Beach in downtown are very popular, these are also the best places to watch the annual Fire Works Competion in July. White Rock Beach is the largest destination beach in Greater Vancouver, it is a large sandy beach with many trendy restraunts over looking it. There are also beaches on the North Shore.
• Skiing and Snowboarding the Vancouver area is world-famous for its ski hills, and Whistler Mountain is ranked amongst best ski resorts in the world. There are also three local ski hills; Cypress Mountain , Grouse Mountain, and Mount Seymour on the North Shore.
• Vancouver Trolley Company is a nice way to explore Vancouver. As any Vancouverite will tell you, parking in Vancouver can be a nightmare, so exploring the city on a narrated tour bus ride is a worthy alternative. This is a "hop-on, hop-off" type of tour with stops in numerous places around town and the drivers narrate the history and peculiarities of the city along the way. You are limited to one time around the loop. The City attraction tour is $30 for adults, $15 for children.
• Vancouver Talks Audio Tour is a neat way to hear about the city while seeing it. The audio tour covers four downtown neighbourhoods and incorporates documentary interviews and historical quotations. It can be rented from Tourism Vancouver (200 Burrard) or bought (CD/map format) from most local book retailers. It costs about $15 to rent or buy the product and can keep you busy for a few hours or a few days depending on how much of the city you want to cover.

2010 Olympics

Vancouver will be the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The events will be held in various locations throughout the region and in Whistler.

Festivals

• HSBC Celebration of Light . The largest fireworks competition in the world. 4 nights of fireworks in late July, early August. Over one million people attend this event every year. Warning: you should commute to this event on public transportation. This is best viewed from either English Bay or the Kits Beach area in Kitsilano.
• Fringe Festival - Every year, close to 100 theatre groups and performers from across Canada and around the the world perform for 11 days in diverse venues, from theatres to garages to a moving Aquabus.
• The Pacific National Exhibition Western Canada's largest fair and exhibition takes place at the end of each summer on the fair grounds next to Play Land.
• Lantern Festival. In July at Trout Lake Park - bring your homemade lantern.
• Chinese New Year. Because there is such a strong Chinese population in the city, the Lunar New Year period is often one of the most exciting and colourful in the city. There is usually a parade in Chinatown and many of the public schools usually have a day off on Chinese New Year. You can also catch celebrations at Tinseltown mall (1 minute from Stadium Skytrain station), and in Richmond at the International Buddhist Temple. There, visitors can experience Chinese New Year festivities with traditional snacks and foods, auspicious flower arrangements, Chinese calligraphy, exciting raffles, and much, much more.
• Jazz Festival. This usually occurs at the end of June and is growing in both size and reputation.
• Dragon Boat Festival. This usually occurs in the month of June on False Creek.
• Vancouver Film Festival happens every year in late September and early October. Good selection of films, but often hard to get tickets.
• Parade of Lost Souls takes place around Halloween in the Commercial Drive area. It is free to go, and features live music, fire dancers, lots of costumed revellers. Underadvertised, but one of the biggest yearly festivals in Vancouver.
• Gay Pride Parade and Festival happens on the Sunday before the first Monday in August. The parade happens on Denman Street, turning onto Beach Avenue with the festival happening at Sunset Beach. This is the largest celebration of its kind in Western Canada, attracting festival-goers from all over western North America.
• 4:20. On April 20th People congregate at the Vancouver Art Gallery to smoke marijuana and celebrate this unofficial holiday.

Learn

There are two large publicly funded universities in Vancouver's metropolitan area: The University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University (in Burnaby). UBC is ranked one of the the world's 50 best universities and is the largest university in western Canada. More than 50 000 full time and part time students in numerous disciplines are enrolled at the Point Grey Campus. UBC also has a downtown campus in Vancouver, located at Robson Square. The downtown location is geared more towards adult learning, business people and foreign students. As of 2005, UBC opened their Okanagan campus, in the interior city of Kelowna. The Kelowna campus currently enrolls 7500 students in various disciplines. SFU's main campus is located in north Burnaby (adjacent to Vancouver). The Burnaby campus is on Burnaby mountain, which offers a beautiful vista of Vancouver. SFU was constructed in the 1960s and is often criticized as being a concrete jungle. SFU opened their Surrey campus in 2002 in response to a surge of college-aged students in the Fraser Valley Region.

There are also a number of colleges and university colleges in Vancouver or within reasonable commuting distance. PASBC maintains a list of all the major public post-secondary institutions in the province. There is a private, Christian university in the district of Langley, called Trinity Western University. Also in the Fraser Valley is the University College of the Fraser Valley (UCFV). UCFV maintains several satellite campuses, including Abbottsford, Chilliwack, and Hope.

Many young visitors come to Vancouver to improve their English. The Vancouver Public Library maintains a list of ESL schools in Vancouver.

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 PST (provincial sales tax) and the GST (goods and services tax). As a tourist you can get a GST tax refund by either visiting one of the tax refund centers (one is located in Pacific Center) or going directly to Canada Customs at the airport prior to check-in on the day you leave. There are lots of private firms (especially those envelops and forms you see in hotels) that will process GST refunds for you but keep in mind that they all charge a fee (usually 15-20% of your refund amount). The only "no charge" alternative is to use the government form which can be found on the government GST Refund website: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/visitors/

If you are planning to do the GST refund, it is a very good idea to check out this website BEFORE your trip to Canada because there are certain restrictions on what you can claim GST back on. You can claim back GST on most items that you are exporting with receipts subtotaling $50 or more and all hotel accomodations. You CANNOT claim GST back on any services (e.g. Skiing, Dining, Admissions).

• Robson Street in the City Centre is home to many high-end shops.

• Pacific Centre offers more than 150 shops, restaurants and services if you want to walk in an underground shopping centre. The shopping centre begins at Sears on the south 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, Sport Chek, Old Navy, and is connected to the 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 Scotia Bank).

• Gastown where late 1800s buildings feature tourist shops and art galleries.

• Yaletown is also popular for its non-mainstream fashion boutiques and high-end salons.

• Commercial Drive Shopping is an adventure on Commercial Drive, especially the stretch between 3rd Avenue and Venables St. in East Van. It's great for people-watching, produce (Santa Barbara Market), magazines (Magpie, http://www.thedrive.net/magpie/), cheese (La Grotta del Formaggio), sausage (JN&Z Deli), etc.

There are some unique shopping areas in Kitsilano and East Van. Gore-tex^© jackets are ubiquitous in Vancouver and the best place to buy them is at Mountain Equipment Co-op or one of the other outdoorsy stores clustered together on the east-west main drag called Broadway (equivalent to 9th Avenue, running between 8th and 10th) between Cambie St. and Main St., just east of the Kitsilano area.

Eat

Where to begin? There is something for everyone in this cosmopolitan city. In particular, you will find many different kinds of Asian food available. If you fancy Sushi (or have not tried it yet) many places offer "all you can eat" lunches for $9.99 (the quality may not be the best though). In general, you are likely to dine better and for cheaper than most other places in North America. If you can do without alcohol, you can usually have a pretty reasonable meal for under $10.00, and at one of the more expensive restaurants in the city, $70.00 will get you a 4 course feast with exquisite service.

The highest density of restaurants is in Kitsilano or the West End. The City Center 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 dim sum restaurants. Because of the big Chinese population, the price and quality of dim sum here is among the best in the world. One of the best quality dim sum restaurants is Sun Sui Wah, at 3888 Main Street. Also, check out Floata in Chinatown on Keefer Street, Top Cantonese Cuisine in East Vancouver on Kingsway and Earles. There are many restaurants on Victoria around 41st avenue which offer cheap dim sum ($2/plate), albiet with less class and more oil. In Burnaby, try Fortune House in Metropolis Shopping Complex. The city of Richmond, with a majority of its inhabitants being of Chinese descent, will have a plethora to choose from. Restaurants are all over the place on No. 3 Road, Westminster Highway, Alexandra Road, and on the many side streets just east of Richmond Centre.

For budget travellers, pick up a Georgia Straight (a free local paper available all over the place), and clip two for one coupons from the food section.

Some favourites of the locals include:

Samurai Sushi, located in downtown on Davie Street, and also at 43rd and Cambie is well known for having huge portions for small prices. It also has fresher sushi than some more expensive places. The downtown location on Davie Street is open until midnight. The Cambie Street location is only open until 9:00pm, but is slightly cheaper and much easier to park at. During meal times, it can be very difficult to get a seat. In the summer, it can be nice to get take out and walk down to a park area (English Bay for the downtown location, ~20min walk westward, downhill; local park 1 block east of Cambie location ~5min). Be sure to try their toro (fatty tuna), and salmon sushi/sashimi. Stay away from their tuna sushi/sashimi because it tends to be too frozen.

Baille, a vietnamese sandwich shop located at Kingsway and Fraser is rather out of the way for most tourists but it regularly wins local awards for sandwiches and boasts delicious vietnamese subs (including a vegetarian one) for less than $3. In fact, in this area you'll find lots of small Chinese/Vietnamese restaurants where a good lunch will cost you less than $6 in the area (Kingsway between Fraser Street & Knight Street).

Fritz Frie House, a french frie shop on Davie near Granville in downtown, boasts what is arguably the best poutine in town. The curds are imported from Quebec. The garlic lover's mayo is fantastic too. Cleverly located next to the local Fitness World. $5 for a medium. Open until the wee hours in the morning, frequented by night clubbers. Regularly wins local awards for fries.

Kam's Singaporean Cuisine on Davie Street just west of Burrard. This is a favourite and often there is a line-up. If you go, try to say hi to the manager - he's quite a character. Cut out a 2 for 1 coupon in every weekly edition of the West Ender or the Georgia Straight.

Hon's on Robson is a favourite for quick, cheap, Chinese eats. There tends to be long line ups, and the food is a little on the greasy side, but you definitely get your money's worth. Also located in Chinatown (near Keefer and Main), and Richmond.

For coffee, there are probably more Starbucks per capita in Vancouver than anywhere else. If you look on Robson street, you will be able to find two starbucks kitty-corner to one another. Starbucks is slowly replacing the independent cafes in Vancouver. Instead, try places like Caffè Artigiano, or some smaller independents like Joe's on Commercial Drive, Delany's on Denman, Melriches on Davie Street, or anywhere in Yaletown. Caffè Artigiano is quite well known locally for their high quality coffees.

And for the best ever ice-cream experience, visit La Casa Gelato . It's a little off the beaten path, but the over 200 flavours will reward you! 1033 Venables. Follow the Viaduct east out of downtown, and keep going straight. You will pass some old style homes on your left, and a park on your right. The place is located near the train tracks. Plenty of street parking, but take care where you park at night.

Drink

Most of the night clubs are located in the City Centre, especially along Granville Street, south of Robson, downtown.

Local Info The best rundown on local info is available through the freely available widely distributed weekly, the Georgia Straight. The Vancouver Courier, Westender, Terminal City and Xtra West (gay and lesbian bi-weekly newspaper) are other free weeklies.

Sleep

In general, accommodations in Vancouver are on the expensive side. This is true even for the locals, many of whom spend an important portion of their income on rent. Vancouver has the most expensive real estate in Canada. Most hotel rooms begin at $250-300/night, and most motel rooms cost somewhere between $90-150/night. If you are lucky to find hostel accommodation, the cheapest of these will cost around $20/night, more reasonably between $35-50. Most of the high end hotels and backpackers hostels are in the City Center. There are a number of budget hotels/motels along Kingsway in the East Van, and Burnaby. Richmond has a number of 'airport' hotels. If you really want to stay at a camp ground there are RV parks on the North Shore and in Coquitlam. The closest Provincial Parks with campgrounds are near Chilliwack and Squamish.

Budget

There are 'hostelling international' youth hostels in three different locations Vancouver:

• HI-Vancouver Central, 1025 Granville St., (604) 685-5335, . Hostel.
• HI-Vancouver Downtown, 1114 Burnaby St., (604) 684-4565, . Hostel.
• HI-Vancouver Jericho Beach, 1515 Discovery St., (604) 224-3208, . Open May 1st to September 30th. Hostel. Jericho Beach is the location of the view photographed above.

Moderate

• Burrard Inn Vancouver downtown hotel, 1100 Burrard Street, (604) 681-2331, . Burrard Inn Vancouver downtown hotel is your best choice for accommodation in Vancouver downtown with newly renovated, affordable rooms and downtown location.
• Braemar Manor Bed & Breakfast, 699 East Braemar, (604) 980-4354, . North Shore Bed and Breakfast 2 Queens and 1 Suite
• Buchan Hotel Haro Street (45 CAD off season)
• Kingston Hotel, 757 Richards Street
• The Sylvia Hotel, English Bay Beach (West End close to Stanley Park)

Luxury

• 'The Victorian Hotel - Vancouver Boutique Hotel, 514 Homer Street, (604) 681-6369, . Located in the centre of downtown, The Victorian Hotel is one of Vancouver's oldest boutique hotels. This unique hotel offers European boutique style with warm and friendly service..
• Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel, 300-999 Canada Place, (604) 662-8111, . Harbor front location, great service and friendly Canadian hospitality. AAA/CAA Five Diamond Hotel with 504 luxury rooms.
• Sutton Place Hotel, 845 Burrard Street, (604) 682-5511, . Elegance in the heart of downtown. 397 renovated guest rooms, meeting facilities, restaurant and Vida Wellness Spa.
• The Westin Bayshore Resort & Marina Vancouver, 1601 Bayshore Drive, (604) 682 3377, . Luxury downtown resort next to world-famous Stanley Park with 510 rooms and stunning views of Coal Harbour and mountains.
• Opus Hotel, 322 Davie Street, (604) 642-6787, . Exlusive & stylish in Yaletown. Elixir Bar & Restaurant is connected

Stay safe

Vancouver is a very safe city and consistently ranks in the top three of the worlds most livable cities. Like any major metropolitan area travel within certain parts of the city at night should be conducted with caution, in particular the infamous Downtown Eastside and the Whalley area of Surrey. Parked cars with foreign or out of province license plates are especially likely to be targeted for theft in these parts of town.

Visitors to Vancouver should be aware that the some parts of the city have high rates of property crime. Theft from vehicles is especially problematic; drug addicts have been known to break in to cars to steal coins from the ashtray, and valuables in plain view will prove to be too great a temptation. Robberies and muggings are extremely rare, but your belongings can disappear if you leave them in your car overnight.

Homelessness in Vancouver is a problem due in part to the cities mild climate. Homeless people from other parts of Canada move to Vancouver to avoid the freezing temperatures that the rest of the country endures during the winter months. Panhandling is a common nuisance in some parts of downtown, but aggressive panhandling is rare and illegal; should you find yourself subject to such treatment anywhere in BC during your stay, dial 9-1-1 for police assistance.

The Granville Mall area is Vancouver’s bar and nightclub district and is an extremely popular place. The sheer volume of people on weekends combined with alcohol consumption make Friday & Saturday nights on this strip potentially volatile. Disorderly conduct is frequent and rowdy behavior like shouting, public urination in the alleyways or on the street corner and disobeying traffic lights are all common. Tourists interested in experiencing Vancouver's nightlife along Granville Street should understand that there is always a strong police presence and in general it is a very safe place even at night.

Vancouver is overall ranked 18th safest city in the whole world. As such, visitors should not feel limited in any way to explore the city; you should however, exercise caution in the above-mentioned areas and keep an eye on your possessions.

Cannabis

A common belief is that marijuana is legal in British Columbia, that is a myth. Although Vancouver's police and the justice system tend to turn a blind eye to marijuana use, tourists should be advised that possessing any amount of marijuana is illegal in all of Canada. However if you are caught with a small amount of cannabis in Vancouver it is extreamly unlikly that you will be charged, in the vast majority of cases the police will simply confiscate it.

Contact

If you need information during your stay, contact Tourism Vancouver. In case of an Emergency, dial 9-1-1 from any public phone for free.

The area codes for phone calls in Vancouver and the surrounding area (known locally as the Lower Mainland) are 604 and 778 these area codes overlap. Vancouver has ten digit calling, when making a local call you must include the area code.

Local calls at pay phones costs 25 cents per call. They are not metered, so you can talk as long as you want.

Internet cafes are widely available and generally quite reasonably priced ($2-3/hour). There is an extensive listing of cafes with free wireless internet access (if you have a wifi-enabled laptop) at http://vancouver.wifimug.org/

Get out

A good spot to move on to from Vancouver is British Columbia's capital Victoria, on Vancouver Island. Vancouver is also quite close to Seattle and a bit further off are the excellent destinations of Jasper and Banff in the famed Jasper National Park and Banff National Park on the BC-Alberta border.

For those who enjoy outdoor activities, a trek up the Sea to Sky corridor is essential. Squamish has branded itself the "Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada" and with an incredible amount of quality rock climbing, mountain biking, white water rafting, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, fishing, golf, walking trails and more, it certainly deserves the title. Squamish is about half way between Vancouver and Whistler. Whistler (2 hours drive from Vancouver) is mandatory. In the winter, enjoy some of the best Skiing in North America, and in the summer try some authentic mountain biking.

This is a guide article. It has a variety of good, quality information including hotels, restaurants, attractions, arrival and departure info. Plunge forward and help us make it a star!