Why go
- City in British Columbia, Canada.
- 1 curated must-see attraction on record, including Spanish Banks Beach.
- 2 recommended spots to eat and drink.
- Served by Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
- Home to roughly 921,000 people.
History
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Metro Vancouver area had a population of 2.6 million in 2021, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada. Greater Vancouver, along with the Fraser Valley, comprises the Lower Mainland with a regional population of over 3 million. Vancouver has the highest population density in Canada, with over 5,700 inhabitants per square kilometre (15,000/sq mi), and the fourth highest in North America.
Must-see attractions
Eat & drink
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 30 airlines, 75 direct destinations
- Air Canada AC (Dash 8-300, A319, A320, 767-300, Embraer 190, 777-300ER…) · 49 routes: Auckland, Beijing, Calgary, Campbell River, Castlegar*, Chicago*, Cranbrook*, Denver*, Edmonton, Fort Mcmurray*, Fort Saint John*, Frankfurt*, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Kahului, Kamloops*, Kelowna*, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Montreal, Munich*, Nanaimo*, Newark, Ottawa, Penticton*, Portland*, Prince George*, Prince Pupert*, Puerto Vallarta, Quesnel, Regina*, San Francisco, Sandspit*, Saskatoon*, Seattle*, Seoul, Shanghai, Smithers* … +9 more
- WestJet WS (737-700, 737-800, Dash 8-400, 736, 737-800) · 26 routes: Calgary, Cancun, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth*, Edmonton, Fort Saint John, Honolulu, Kahului, Kelowna, Kona, Las Vegas, Lihue, Los Angeles, Montreal, Palm Springs, Prince George, Puerto Vallarta, Regina, San Francisco, San Jose Del Cabo, Santa Ana, Saskatoon, Terrace, Toronto, Victoria, Winnipeg
- Pacific Coastal Airline 8P (BE1, Saab 340) · 10 routes: Bella Coola, Campbell River, Comox, Cranbrook, Masset, Port Hardy, Powell River, Trail, Victoria, Williams Lake
- American Airlines AA (737, Dash 8-400, A319, A321, 737-800, 747-400…) · 9 routes: Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, London*, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland*, Seattle*, Tokyo
- Delta Air Lines DL (737-700, 737-800, A330-300, Embraer 175, CRJ-900, CRJ-700…) · 8 routes: Amsterdam*, Chicago*, Honolulu*, Las Vegas*, Minneapolis*, Salt Lake City*, Santa Ana*, Seattle*
- United Airlines UA (A319, A320, 737-900, 737-700, 737-800, Dash 8-300…) · 8 routes: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles*, Newark*, Portland*, San Francisco, Seattle*
- Air Transat TS (330) · 5 routes: Calgary, Cancun, London, Manchester, Puerto Vallarta
- Alaska Airlines AS (Dash 8-400, 734, 737-900, 73J) · 3 routes: Los Angeles, Portland*, Seattle*
- All Nippon Airways NH (767-300, A319) · 3 routes: Newark, Tokyo, Tokyo*
- Hawkair BH (Dash 8-100) · 3 routes: Prince Pupert, Smithers, Terrace
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (A330-300, 747-400, 777-300ER) · 3 routes: Frankfurt, London*, Munich
- Air China CA (330, 767-300) · 2 routes: Beijing, Shanghai*
- Air North Charter - Canada 4N (737) · 2 routes: Kelowna, Whitehorse
- Cathay Pacific CX (777-300ER) · 2 routes: Hong Kong, New York
- Japan Airlines Domestic JL (787-8, 737-700) · 2 routes: Edmonton*, Tokyo
- Philippine Airlines PR (777-300) · 2 routes: Manila, Toronto
- US Airways US (A319, A321, 737-800) · 2 routes: Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix
- Air New Zealand NZ (777-200) · 1 route: Auckland
- Asiana Airlines OZ (767-300) · 1 route: Seoul*
- British Airways BA (747-400) · 1 route: London
- China Airlines CI (A340-300) · 1 route: Taipei
- China Eastern Airlines MU (A330-200) · 1 route: Shanghai
- China Southern Airlines CZ (787) · 1 route: Guangzhou
- Condor Flugdienst DE (767) · 1 route: Frankfurt
- EVA Air BR (747-400) · 1 route: Taipei
- Finnair AY (747-400) · 1 route: London*
- Iberia Airlines IB (747-400) · 1 route: London*
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (330) · 1 route: Amsterdam
- Korean Air KE (777-200) · 1 route: Seoul
- Sichuan Airlines 3U (330) · 1 route: Shenyang
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Regional airports
Further out, but often the cheapest way in — the airports the low-cost carriers use. Each links to its own town's guide for getting from there into the city.
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 5 airlines, 8 direct destinations
- WestJet WS (737-700, 737-800, Dash 8-400, 736) · 6 routes: Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Las Vegas, Toronto, Vancouver
- Air Canada AC (Dash 8-400, A320, CRJ, Dash 8-300) · 4 routes: Calgary*, San Francisco*, Toronto, Vancouver*
- Alaska Airlines AS (Dash 8-400) · 1 route: Seattle*
- Pacific Coastal Airline 8P (BE1) · 1 route: Vancouver
- United Airlines UA (CRJ) · 1 route: San Francisco*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 2 airlines, 9 direct destinations
- Allegiant Air G4 (MD-80, 757) · 6 routes: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Mesa, Oakland, Palm Springs, San Diego
- Alaska Airlines AS (737-800, Dash 8-400) · 4 routes: Honolulu, Las Vegas, Portland*, Seattle*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Getting there by ferry
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.
Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.
Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: YVR has direct flights to 75 destinations on 30 airlines (incl. London, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas…). By water: 6 ferry terminals within 20 km (nearest: Hornby Terminal (Aquabus), 0.1 km); routes include Granville Island - Hornby, Granville Island - Aquatic Centre, 1 Aquatic Centre.
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Vancouver, BC. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Local transit
Trains & rail
Coaches & shuttles
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.