A boutique, compact city, visitors will find Vancouver a breeze to explore. Recognized as Canada’s “Most Walkable City”, most visitors find they don’t need to rent a car – sightseeing companies, public transit, taxis, ferries and your own two feet offer a variety of ways to get around Vancouver.
Many of the sights Vancouver visitors want to see are close to downtown, making it easy to get around on foot or with the help of the city’s great public transit system. Most hotels are right in the heart of the excitement, meaning that shopping, dining and entertainment are just blocks away. For those attractions further away, sightseeing companies and public transportation offer an easy way to explore all Vancouver has to offer.
No visitor likes to feel like they’re in the “touristy” area, which is maybe why Vancouver is so easy to love. With vibrant residential neighbourhoods both in the downtown core and close by, it doesn’t matter where your clients go – they’ll be wandering, dining and shopping among the locals.
Vancouver’s Primary Neighborhoods:
Robson Street
Steps from most downtown hotels, Robson Street is the first stop for most serious shoppers with its big name stores, funky independent boutiques and lively ambiance. Robson Street is Vancouver’s leading shopping and strolling destination, in part because of the great variety of restaurants and stores, but also because it’s so central. Most major North American labels can be found along Robson, but you’ll also find a number of smaller, locally-owned boutiques offering unique clothing, accessories and footwear.
Yaletown
On the south side of the downtown peninsula, Yaletown offers a glamorous urban vibe with numerous sidewalk cafes, trendy restaurants, designer boutiques and a thriving nightlife scene. Walk through Yaletown and you’ll immediately understand that this is where Vancouver’s beautiful people live. Originally a warehouse district at the end of the cross-Canada railway line, the old red-brick buildings are now home to chic boutiques with sought-after loft apartments above them. Luckily for us, those wide loading docks, once used for stacking train-bound freight, now make fantastic restaurant patios.
Gastown
No longer just home to souvenir stores, Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood, Gastown now boasts some of the city’s coolest restaurants and shopping. Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood still has a heritage feel, but these days, the talk in Gastown is all about what’s new. While the area still has some rough edges, the last five years has seen many of the city’s hippest entrepreneurs choose Gastown as home for their new restaurant, boutique, gallery or store. The vibe is both relaxed and very cool: think creative types, hipsters and musicians.
Chinatown
Unique food items, one-of-a-kind souvenirs made from jade and jewel-toned silk, and Asian antiques await shoppers, but most visitors will be just as excited to go home with photos of the colourful neighbourhood. In recent years, Chinatown has become home to a number of cool boutiques, cafes, restaurants and cocktails bars, run by a whole new generation of young entrepreneurs.
Granville Island
A favourite among all ages, Vancouver’s island-in-the-city offers the perfect way to spend a day, with artisan studios, market-fresh fare, crafty buys and even a little exercise. Transformed from desolate industrial land to an arts and culture haven in the late 1970s, Granville Island is a great place for visitors to get a real idea of what makes Vancouver tick. For many, the big draw is the fantastic Public Market and its food court for a bargain lunch. But the artisan studios shouldn’t be missed either: glassblowers, potters, jewellers and textile artists can all be found.
West End
Primarily a residential area, this is one of the most densely populated areas in all of Canada, with 47,000 people living in high-rise condominiums and apartments. Coffee shops, fine-dining restaurants and plenty of shopping will keep you entertained in this area, with several beautiful parks and beaches perfect for taking a leisurely stroll after an evening meal.
Other Notable Neighbourhoods
Perhaps you have a bit more time to explore Vancouver. Or maybe it’s your second or third trip to the city. The following neighbourhoods are great choices for those looking to delve deeper into the Vancouver experience.
South Granville
Just the other side of the Granville Bridge from downtown, visitors will find a shopping corridor perfect for strolling and browsing. Granville Street, between 6th and 16th avenues, is filled with private art galleries, designer boutiques and high-end gift shops. After dinner at one of Vancouver’s best restaurants, visitors can catch a production on the Arts Club Theatre Company’s Stanley Alliance Industrial Stage.
Mount Pleasant
A rapidly developing neighbourhood, Mount Pleasant (also sometimes called “Main Street” after its major thoroughfare) received a boost when the athlete’s village for the 2010 Winter Games was built at its foot. Since then, the area has become ground zero for the city’s craft brewing scene and coffee roasteries. With a hipster vibe, Mount Pleasant is also the place to find indie restaurants, vintage clothing and local designers. Most of the action can be found along Main Street from about 6th to 26th Avenue, as well as the blocks around Broadway (9th Ave).
Commercial Drive
There’s nothing contrived about eclectic Commercial Drive, where decades of European immigrants, and more recently those from South America, have created a United Nations of restaurants, coffee bars and exotic delis. This is the best spot in town to watch international soccer games among the city’s most passionate fans, the city’s peace-loving hippie community playing the bongos in Grandview Park, and a parade of espresso-sipping patio dwellers on languid summer afternoons. Access from downtown is a quick and easy 10 minutes on the SkyTrain.
Kitsilano
Kitsilano (or “Kits” to locals) began as a summer retreat for Vancouver’s turn-of-the-century elite. Today, students at the nearby University of B.C. are drawn to Kitsilano’s ambling beaches and bustling streets. Along with independent restaurants and ample shopping, Kits is home to the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver Maritime Museum and Museum of Vancouver – all great attractions for families. Along West 4th Avenue and West Broadway are several blocks of laid-back independent clothing shops, bookstores, coffee shops and organic grocery stores in an atmosphere reminiscent of the neighbourhood’s hippie roots.
Kerrisdale
Known to many as the “village,” Kerrisdale is only 15 minutes from Vancouver’s downtown. More than 200 diverse shops and services along its quiet, tree-lined streets make this area the perfect place for visitors to take a leisurely stroll. The business district is concentrated along West 41st Avenue between Maple and Larch streets, but visitors interested in architecture will happily discover many Vancouver Heritage-listed properties on side streets.
Steveston
Just south of Vancouver International Airport in Richmond is the neighbourhood of Steveston, once one of the largest fishing ports in the world. The canneries and shipyards have become museums and historic sites where visitors can explore the depth of fishing’s influence on the area. Your clients will still find plenty of fishing boats in the marinas: fresh fish and chips on the dock is a must-do.
Shopping Destinations
The first designer outlet mall to open in the Vancouver area, McArthurGlen Designer Outlet out by the airport is not a neighbourhood, but definitely a destination for visitors that love to shop. Visitors will find an open-air, pedestrian-friendly village with sought-after European and North American luxury, designer and lifestyle brands offering big discount just two rapid transit stops away from Vancouver International Airport, and even offers flight arrival and departure times on screens by the main entrance for those making the most of their layover. Further south, Tsawwassen Mills shopping centre offers a huge number of options, with a mix of well-known brands and factory outlet stores. Over on the North Shore in West Vancouver, Park Royal is one of the city’s premier shopping centres, with a mix of indoor and outdoor environments offering the best in high-end retailers.
North Vancouver
Across the water from downtown Vancouver is North Vancouver – an incredibly green and lush suburb at the foot of the Coast Mountains. Visitors can take the picturesque SeaBus, part of the public transit system, across the water to Lonsdale Quay, using it as a springboard to exploring the area. Top attractions in North Vancouver include Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, but visitors will also enjoy visiting Lonsdale Quay Market and shopping precinct.
Six reasons you’ll love Vancouver:
1. Spectacular By Nature
Not only is Vancouver the gateway to the amazing natural beauty of British Columbia and Canada, but located at the foot of the dazzling Coast Mountains and surrounded by glimmering waterways, Vancouver is one of the world’s most fortunate cities when it comes to setting. Your clients get the best of both worlds: a cosmopolitan city right on the edge of nature’s playground. Tranquil kayaking by day; cutting-edge cocktails by night. A morning spent shopping followed by an evening night-skiing. Vancouver may be easy to get to, but it’s hard to leave! Your clients will need at least four days to really get to the heart of what Vancouver has to offer. Vancouver has a “wow” factor that captivates visitors from the moment they arrive.
2. Choose Your Own Adventure
The sheer range of adventure activities available from Vancouver is hard to match! Being so close to water and mountains doesn’t just produce a city that’s easy on the eyes – it also means your clients can combine wildlife watching, skiing, golfing, sailing, float plane flight seeing, mountain biking and zip-lining in one vacation, while only unpacking their suitcase once! Whether your clients’ idea of adventure is a guided rainforest walk or a solo kayaking trip up a rainforest-enveloped fjord, Vancouver has adventure options for everyone.
3. It’s Easy Being Green
Who said that an environmentally-responsible vacation had to be a rustic, off-the-grid affair? Ever since Greenpeace was started in the city in the 1970s, Vancouver’s citizens have been known for their sensitivity to environmental issues. And this is still true – your clients will find a city that’s easy to see on foot or by public transit, as well as eco-friendly sightseeing such as a tour exploring the rainforest using a vehicle fuelled by recycled vegetable oil. Hotel brands such as Fairmont and Marriott, and independent boutique properties such as the Listel, have been recognized for their sustainability practices, while the City of Vancouver itself has set the goal of being the greenest city in the world by 2020.
4. The World’s City
With an incredibly multicultural population, Vancouver truly is the world’s city. Your clients will discover a destination rich with diversity, reflected in the city’s neighbourhoods, restaurants and festivals, but also in the astounding creative outpourings in the city’s art galleries, museums and performing arts groups. From famous artists like Emily Carr to a host of fringe theatre groups, the city’s entertainment scene is infused with original art, theatre, music and dance. Vancouver’s acclaimed festivals, such as the Celebration of Light fireworks competition, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and the Vancouver International Film Festival, span the year, and can make a great centrepiece to your clients’ visit to the city.
5. Culinary Quests and After-Dark Escapades
The fish is fresh, the preparation is international and the style is West Coast. Combine those factors with an eye toward local ingredients, and the menus travellers can choose from are some of the tastiest in the world. Vancouver is home to both the popular Ocean Wise program promoting sustainably-sourced seafood, and the 100 Mile Diet encouraging use of hyper-local ingredients, making it easy to dine both deliciously and eco-consciously. In fact, Food + Wine magazine has gone as far as naming Vancouver one of the 10 best restaurant cities in the world. For visitors looking to keep the party going after dinner, the city’s nightlife has much to offer. From a burgeoning cocktail scene to classic “beer commercial” nightclubs, through to stylish live music venues, Vancouver keeps the rhythm of the night.
6. Experience Vancouver Like a “Local”
No one likes feeling like they’re in a “touristy” area when they’re on vacation. Travellers want to feel like they’re getting an authentic experience in a destination, and not one manufactured for visitors. Vancouver stands apart from many cities in that lots of locals live downtown, in fact, in the same areas as many of the city’s hotels. Add to that the compact, walkable nature of Vancouver and the vibrant neighbourhoods, and your clients won’t be able to get out of the door of their hotel without mingling with the city’s residents. Vancouverites are a friendly bunch, always ready to offer an opinion on where to find the best coffee, park bench or lunch spot. Your clients will come back from their Vancouver trip feeling like “insiders”, having got a real taste of where the locals go.
Vancouver Travel Information
Geographic Location
Located almost exactly half way between Europe and Asia, Metro Vancouver is located on the west coast of mainland Canada in the province of British Columbia, about 38 kms (24 miles) north of the US-Canadian border. The city sits at the foot of the Coast Mountain range and the waves of the Pacific Ocean roll in on our western beaches. Downtown Vancouver is a peninsula with the waters of False Creek to the south and Burrard Inlet to the west and north.
Population
Metro Vancouver has a population of 2.4 million people, with 631,000 living in the City of Vancouver specifically. Our population is extremely multicultural, with almost 40% having immigrated to the area from around the world, but especially from Asian countries. While Vancouver is British Columbia’s biggest city, it’s not the capital – that’s Victoria, located over on Vancouver Island.
Climate
Warmed by Pacific Ocean currents and protected by a range of mountains Vancouver enjoys a mild climate all year round, perfect for sightseeing and getting around the city. Summer days are not too hot, usually averaging around 23°C (74°F), while during winter, temperatures peak at around 6°C (43°F) during the day. It rarely snows in the city, although the local mountains receive a good covering. Instead, Vancouver’s winters are wet – that’s how we keep our parks so beautifully green!
Time Zone
Vancouver is in the Pacific Time Zone (GMT -8:00). Daylight Saving Time is in effect from 2am on the second Sunday in March until 2am on the first Sunday in November.
Languages
English and French are Canada’s two official languages, and federal government departments will provide service in both languages. However, in British Columbia, English is the predominant language. The City of Vancouver has a very multicultural population; there are plenty of “unofficial” languages spoken. After English, Chinese languages are the most common mother tongue dialects spoken, but you’ll also hear Punjabi, German, Italian, French, Tagalog (Filipino) and Spanish. More than half of Vancouver’s school-age children have been raised speaking a language other than English.
Currency and Taxes
The Canadian dollar (CAD) is the official currency, with notes in denominations of $100, $50, $20, $10 and $5. Coins are in denominations of $2 (known as a “toonie”), $1 (“loonie”), 25¢ (“quarter”), 10¢ (“dime”) and 5¢ (“nickel”). In British Columbia, mostly all purchases are subject to a 5% Goods & Services Tax (GST) as well as a 7% Provincial Sales Tax (PST).
Tipping
When it comes to tipping in Canada, yes, it is expected; and no, it is usually not included in the bill. Tipping 15-20% of the bill (before tax) is standard at restaurants, bars and pubs, along with hair salons and spas. Taxi drivers are usually tipped around 10%, while porters usually receive $1 – $2 CAD per piece of luggage.
