by – Jordan Allen, Tour Manager, North America

Welcome to Vancouver! This is the 3rd largest city in Canada and the largest on its west coast. Put on your fleece jacket and grab a coffee as you head for downtown, the mountains, or the beaches!

Located in the province of British Columbia, Vancouver’s population is a modest 580,000, but the Vancouver Metro area has 2.2 million people. With the development of unique, individual urban areas, Vancouver is known as a city of neighborhoods. Yaletown, Gastown, Davie Village, Granville Island, Chinatown, Kitsilano, Punjabi Market, North Vancouver, and Stanley Park all add something exciting to the fabric of the city.

When looking for things to do in Vancouver, one is faced with two distinct possibilities: outdoor adventure or urban culture. Head over to North Vancouver for access to Grouse Mountain which is a ski area in the winter and top hiking destination in the summer.

Adventurers also rave about the Capilano Suspension Bridge, the city’s oldest attraction. If you are looking to stick to the city, there are several interesting sites including the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Gardens, IMAX theatre, Science World, historical Gastown with its Steam Clock, or Stanley Park.

Stanley Park

Stanley Park is an amazing urban park populated with trees of a temperate rainforest. It mixes scenic hiking and biking trails with attractions like the Vancouver Aquarium and First Nations Totem Poles.

Food and Drink

While an ethnically diverse city like Vancouver has alot to offer by way of Chinese or Indian, you can’t go wrong with the local staple of salmon, which is a major contributor the economy of British Columbia.

• Vancouver Airport