Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada, built on a narrow strip between the ocean and the North Shore mountains. Geography shapes daily life here: it is possible to ski in the morning and walk on a beach the same afternoon. The city was founded in 1886 and burned almost entirely in a fire two months later. It has the mildest climate of any large Canadian city, with January averages above freezing, though it is very wet from November to March. A large share of the population is of Asian origin, and the city holds one of the biggest Chinatowns in North America.
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See flights to Vancouver →When to visit Vancouver
June to September is the easiest stretch, with daytime temperatures between 20C and 24C and the driest weather of the year. July and August are the busiest and most expensive months. November to March is mild but very wet, and that is exactly the ski season at nearby Whistler and on Grouse Mountain. May to late September is the best balance of price and weather.
Things to do in Vancouver
Stanley Park
The four hundred hectare peninsula next to downtown was declared a park in 1888 and much of it was left as uncut coastal forest. The Seawall path for walking and cycling runs about nine kilometres around its edge. The totem poles standing at Brockton Point are among the most visited groupings of Indigenous art in Canada.
The Capilano Suspension Bridge
The bridge in North Vancouver was first strung in 1889 from rope and cedar planks, and the present structure is 140 metres long and 70 metres above the riverbed. The same grounds hold walkways suspended among the treetops and a glass floored path anchored to the cliff. The sway of the bridge as you walk is part of the design.
Granville Island Public Market
The old industrial island under the Granville Bridge reopened in 1979 as a market and workshop quarter. The covered public market sells the seafood, fruit and cheese of British Columbia, and the warehouses around it now hold theatres, a glass studio and a boat dock. A small ferry crosses from downtown in five minutes.
Grouse Mountain
The Skyride cable car climbs the 1,231 metre peak in the North Shore mountains in eight minutes, and the summit looks out over the whole city and the Strait of Georgia. Summer brings a lumberjack show, a treetop walk and two grizzly bears in the refuge; winter brings ski runs and an ice rink. Those who prefer to walk take the steep path known as the Grouse Grind.
The Gastown Steam Clock
Gastown is the original core of the city, founded in 1867, and its cobbled streets have been preserved. The steam clock at the corner of Water Street was built in 1977 by Raymond Saunders and is fed from the central steam system of the city: every quarter hour it plays a tune on its whistles and releases steam from the top. It is the most photographed corner in town.
UBC Museum of Anthropology
The museum on the University of British Columbia campus was designed by Arthur Erickson and opened in 1976, its hall of glass and concrete echoing the post and beam houses of the coastal peoples. At the centre of the collection stand totem poles and carvings of the Haida, the Kwakwaka'wakw and other Northwest Coast nations. Bill Reid's Raven and the First Men, carved in yellow cedar, is shown here.
Flights from Turkey to Vancouver
Direct flights to Vancouver from Turkey leave from Istanbul Airport, operated by Turkish Airlines four days a week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The flight takes about 12 hours 5 minutes, departing in the afternoon and landing the same evening, while the return arrives the following day because of the time difference. Vancouver International Airport is in Richmond, about 12 kilometres south of downtown, and the Canada Line rail link reaches the centre in 26 minutes.
Vancouver FAQ
How many days do you need in Vancouver?
Two days cover downtown, Stanley Park and Granville Island. A third suits Capilano and Grouse Mountain, and a fourth the Museum of Anthropology and the beaches. Adding Whistler or Victoria stretches the trip to six or seven days.
How far is the airport from the city centre?
Vancouver International Airport is about 12 kilometres from downtown. The Canada Line rail service from the terminal reaches the city centre in 26 minutes and runs every seven and a half minutes, while a taxi takes 25 to 40 minutes depending on traffic.
Do you need a visa for Canada?
A Turkish passport needs a Canadian visitor visa. The application is made online and a biometrics appointment is required, and processing can take weeks depending on the season, so it is worth starting two or three months before travel. A valid United States visa can help the application but is not sufficient on its own.
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