Vancouver Holidays
Vancouver
Holidays
Mountains behind you, ocean in front, Stanley Park's old-growth forest in the middle, the world's best Asian food and Whistler 2 hours up the road — Vancouver is the city that has everything
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Flight Time
9–10h direct from London Heathrow with Air Canada or British Airways
Best Time
June–September for summer; December–March for skiing at Whistler; May and October for shoulder season
Country
Canada
Suppliers
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Vancouver Holiday Guide
Vancouver is consistently rated one of the most beautiful cities in the world — a modern, cosmopolitan city of 2.5 million people on the Pacific coast of British Columbia, surrounded by mountains and ocean, with a mild climate, extraordinary natural beauty and a quality of life that makes it one of the most desirable cities on earth.
The city sits between the Coast Mountains (with ski resorts visible from downtown) and the Pacific Ocean (with the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island visible from the waterfront), creating a setting of extraordinary natural beauty. Stanley Park — a 405-hectare peninsula of old-growth forest, seawall and beaches in the heart of the city — is one of the finest urban parks in the world. The 8.8km seawall around the park (and extending along the waterfront to False Creek) is one of the most beautiful urban walks in the world.
Vancouver's food scene is world-class — the city has the finest Asian food outside Asia (the Chinese food in Richmond, the Japanese food in the West End, the Korean food in Koreatown are all extraordinary), an excellent farm-to-table restaurant scene and a thriving craft beer culture. Granville Island (a former industrial island converted into a public market, arts hub and restaurant district) is the heart of Vancouver's food culture.
Whistler Blackcomb (North America's largest ski resort) is 120km north of Vancouver — a 2-hour drive on the Sea-to-Sky Highway (one of the most scenic drives in Canada). Vancouver is also the gateway to Vancouver Island (Victoria, Tofino), the Gulf Islands and the Okanagan wine region.
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Average Temperatures
Jan
4°C
Feb
6°C
Mar
8°C
Apr
11°C
May
15°C
Jun
18°C
Jul
22°C
Aug
22°C
Sep
17°C
Oct
12°C
Nov
7°C
Dec
4°C
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Call 01282 960 460Top 8 Things To Do in Vancouver
The parks, markets, food, ski slopes and ocean adventures that make Vancouver one of the world's most extraordinary cities.
Stanley Park — One of the World's Greatest Urban Parks
Stanley Park is the heart of Vancouver — a 405-hectare peninsula of old-growth Douglas fir, western red cedar and Sitka spruce forest, jutting into Burrard Inlet just minutes from downtown. The 8.8km seawall around the park (and extending along the waterfront to False Creek and beyond) is one of the most beautiful urban walks in the world — with views of the mountains, the ocean, the Lions Gate Bridge and the downtown skyline at every turn. Within the park: Beaver Lake, the Vancouver Aquarium (the largest in Canada), Prospect Point (the best viewpoint in the city), Siwash Rock and the famous totem poles at Brockton Point.
Granville Island — The Finest Public Market in North America
Granville Island is Vancouver's most beloved neighbourhood — a former industrial island under the Granville Bridge, converted in the 1970s into a public market, arts hub, restaurant district and creative community. The Granville Island Public Market is the finest in North America — a covered market of fresh produce, seafood, charcuterie, cheese, baked goods, flowers and prepared foods, with a lively atmosphere and extraordinary quality. The island also has artist studios, galleries, theatres, breweries (Granville Island Brewing — one of the first craft breweries in Canada), restaurants and the Emily Carr University of Art and Design.
Gastown — Vancouver's Historic Heart
Gastown is Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood — a Victorian-era district of cobblestone streets, red-brick warehouses and cast-iron architecture, named after 'Gassy Jack' Deighton (a saloon keeper who established the first settlement in 1867). The Steam Clock (a working steam-powered clock on Water Street, built in 1977) is Vancouver's most photographed landmark. The neighbourhood has been transformed into one of the most fashionable districts in the city — excellent restaurants, craft cocktail bars, independent boutiques and galleries. The Gastown neighbourhood is the best place in Vancouver for an evening out.
Asian Food — The Best Outside Asia
Vancouver has the finest Asian food outside Asia — a reflection of the city's extraordinary cultural diversity (over 30% of Vancouver's population is of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino or South Asian descent). Richmond (a suburb south of Vancouver, accessible by SkyTrain) is the best place in North America for Chinese food — the Golden Village area has hundreds of authentic Cantonese, Shanghainese, Sichuan and Hong Kong-style restaurants. The West End has excellent Japanese food; Koreatown (on North Road in Burnaby) has outstanding Korean BBQ. The Richmond Night Market (May–October) is the largest night market in North America.
Whistler — North America's Greatest Ski Resort
Whistler Blackcomb is 120km north of Vancouver on the Sea-to-Sky Highway (Highway 99) — a 2-hour drive through some of the most spectacular scenery in British Columbia, past Squamish (the outdoor adventure capital of Canada) and alongside Howe Sound. The resort (8,171 acres, two mountains, 200+ runs, 16 alpine bowls, three glaciers) is the largest in North America and hosted the alpine skiing events of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Peak 2 Peak Gondola (the longest unsupported lift span in the world) connects the two mountains. Whistler village is one of the best ski resort villages in the world.
Whale Watching — Orcas and Humpbacks in the Salish Sea
Vancouver is one of the best places in the world for whale watching — the Salish Sea (the network of waterways between Vancouver, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands) is home to three pods of resident orcas (Southern Resident Killer Whales — a critically endangered population of approximately 75 individuals), transient orcas (Bigg's killer whales), humpback whales, minke whales, Dall's porpoises and Pacific white-sided dolphins. Whale watching tours depart from Vancouver Harbour and from Victoria (on Vancouver Island). The best time for orca sightings is May–October; humpbacks are present year-round.
Vancouver Island — Victoria, Tofino and the Pacific Rim
Vancouver Island is a 90-minute ferry ride from Vancouver (BC Ferries from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay) — a large island of 32,000 square kilometres with extraordinary diversity. Victoria (the provincial capital of British Columbia) is a charming city of Victorian architecture, the famous Butchart Gardens (a 55-acre garden in a former limestone quarry) and afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. Tofino (on the west coast of the island) is the surf capital of Canada — a small town with world-class surfing, whale watching, old-growth rainforest and the extraordinary Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
Vancouver Food Scene — Farm to Table and Craft Beer
Vancouver's food scene is one of the finest in North America — a combination of extraordinary Asian food, excellent farm-to-table restaurants (the proximity to the Fraser Valley farmland and the Pacific Ocean ensures outstanding fresh produce and seafood) and a thriving craft beer culture. The classics: wild Pacific salmon (grilled, smoked or in sushi — the finest salmon in the world), Dungeness crab (the Pacific coast's finest crustacean), spot prawns (a Vancouver Island delicacy, available fresh in May and June), poutine (the national dish of Canada, available everywhere) and craft beer (BC has over 200 craft breweries — the highest concentration in Canada).
Explore Vancouver on the Map
Key areas, beaches and attractions across the island.
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