Vancouver travel guide
Vancouver Tourism | Vancouver Guide
You're Going to Love Vancouver
With a population of 600.000, Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia, Canada by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Vancouver deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Vancouver
Where to Eat in Vancouver
Downtown is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Vancouver. These include popular favourites such as Sushi Okeya Kyujiro (1038 Mainland St), Miku Restaurant - Vancouver (#70 - 200 Granville St) and Gotham Steakhouse and Bar (615 Seymour St.). If you’re looking for affordable options, Blue Water Cafe (1095 Hamilton Street) and Black & Blue Steakhouse (1032 Alberni Street) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Vij's (3106 Cambie St) and Moltaqa Moroccan Restaurant (51 West Hastings Street) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Vancouver.
When to visit Vancouver
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Vancouver in July, when the average temperature is 18 °C, and the highest can go up to 22 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 1 °C, with an average temperature of 4 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in November, when precipitation is around 189 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Vancouver, with an average rainfall of 36 mm.
How to Get to Vancouver
Plane
Vancouver is served by 2 airports: Vancouver Coal Harbour (CXH) and Vancouver Airport (YVR). The closest to downtown Vancouver is Vancouver Coal Harbour, which is located 1 km from the city centre. Further away is Vancouver Airport, 11 km from the centre of Vancouver.
Train
Amtrak is the most popular train carrier serving Vancouver, followed by VIA Rail Canada. The train journey from Vancouver to Seattle takes 4h 00m and costs around C$ 46 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Vancouver, expect to pay about C$ 68 for a 7h 32m trip. Located 1.7 km from the city centre, Vancouver Pacific Central Station is the busiest station in Vancouver. Another popular train station is Vancouver Burrard Skytrain Station, located 0.5 km from the centre.
Car
Another option to get to Vancouver is to pick up a car rental from Victoria, which is about 97 km from Vancouver. You’ll find branches of Budget and Hertz, among others, in Victoria.
Bus
The most popular bus station is Vancouver Cambie and 59th Bus Stop, located 7 km from downtown Vancouver. Vancouver Holiday Inn on Howe is also a commonly used station, and is 1.1 km from the city centre.
Airlines serving Vancouver
Where to stay in Vancouver
From 5-star hotels such as the Rosewood Hotel Georgia to great affordable options like the West Coast Suites At Ubc, Vancouver offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around C$ 280 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 486 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Times Square Suites Hotel and Vancouver West Cozy Retreat by Host Launch. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Vancouver, with prices from C$ 27 to C$ 5,557 per night. Downtown is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Vancouver are about 28% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
West End - La Grande Residence Vancouver at The Sutton Place Hotel, Rosellen Suites At Stanley Park and West End Guest House have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in West End will cost you about C$ 189 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Vancouver
Most booked hotels in Vancouver
Renting a car in Vancouver
Renting a car in Vancouver costs C$ 55 per day, on average, or C$ 110 if you want to rent it for 2 days. Sixt, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Avis are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Vancouver is the Thrifty branch at 3880 Grant Mcconachie Way, which is 11 km from the downtown.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 7% cheaper than airport locations in Vancouver.
Expect to pay C$ 2.11 per litre in Vancouver (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 25.25 and C$ 33.66. The most frequently booked car type in Vancouver is Full-size (Jeep Compass or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Kia Rio or similar) are, on average, 41% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.
Best car rental deals in Vancouver
Economy
2 adults, 2 Bags
C$ 31/day
Intermediate
5 adults, 3 Bags
C$ 31/day