Vancouver travel guide
Canada
Mountains behind, ocean in front and forest inside the city limits. Vancouver is a place to spend the day outdoors and the evening eating your way through its many Asian kitchens.
Essentials
- Language
- English; Cantonese, Mandarin and Punjabi also widely spoken
- Currency
- Canadian dollar (CAD)
- Plugs
- Type A and B, 120 V
- Emergency number
- 911
- Tipping
- Around 15-20% is usual at restaurants and bars, and taxes are added at the till rather than shown on the menu.
Rough daily budget
Approximate spend per person per day, in US dollars:
- Backpacker: $70-110, with a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport.
- Mid-range: $180-300, with a private room and restaurant meals.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Where to stay in Vancouver
- Kitsilano: beaches, yoga studios and a relaxed, residential feel.
- Mount Pleasant: breweries, cafés and independent shops along Main Street.
- Gastown: the oldest part of downtown, with brick buildings, restaurants and bars.
Getting around Vancouver
A Compass Card covers SkyTrain, buses and the SeaBus to North Vancouver. Cycling is easy on the city's network of separated bike lanes.
Best time to visit Vancouver
June to September, with July and August the driest months; expect frequent rain from November to March.
Top things to do in Vancouver
- Browse the food stalls and studios of Granville Island Public Market, reached by the small Aquabus ferries
- Cross the free Lynn Canyon suspension bridge in North Vancouver and walk the forest trails to the river pools below
- See the totem poles and Northwest Coast art at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC
- Walk through Chinatown to the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
- Eat your way around the Richmond Night Market on a summer weekend evening
What to eat in Vancouver
- Pacific salmon: wild sockeye or chinook, often smoked or cooked on a cedar plank
- Spot prawns: sweet local prawns sold fresh off the boats for a few weeks from around May
- Nanaimo bar: a no-bake slice of crumb base, custard buttercream and chocolate
- Japadog: a hot dog with Japanese toppings such as seaweed and teriyaki, from a local street-cart chain
Day trips from Vancouver
- Whistler: mountain village for skiing in winter and hiking or biking in summer, about two hours up the Sea-to-Sky Highway
- Squamish: climbing, hiking and the Sea to Sky Gondola, roughly an hour's drive north
- Victoria: the harbour capital of British Columbia on Vancouver Island, a long day by ferry with a crossing of about 90 minutes
Local etiquette
People queue patiently for buses and often thank the driver as they get off, even from the back door. Many events open by acknowledging the First Nations whose land the city stands on.
Staying connected
Prepaid SIMs and eSIMs from Canadian carriers are easy to find, though mobile data costs more than in Europe, and free Wi-Fi is common in cafés and on transit hubs.
Staying safe
Car break-ins are common, so leave nothing in view, and expect open drug use and street homelessness around East Hastings in the Downtown Eastside. On the North Shore mountains the weather turns quickly, so carry layers, water and a light on any hike.
A local tip
Walk or cycle the Stanley Park seawall, and go early on summer weekends.
Visas:rules depend on your nationality and change often – check your own government's official travel advice before you go.
Meet people in Vancouver on Waypacker
Waypacker is a free travel community: stay with ID-verified local hosts, join meetups and city groups, and ask people who live in Vancouver for advice. We are new here, so if you live in Vancouver, you could be one of the first hosts.
Questions about Vancouver
- What currency is used in Vancouver?
- Vancouver uses the Canadian dollar (CAD).
- What is the emergency number in Vancouver?
- In Vancouver, call 911.
- When is the best time to visit Vancouver?
- June to September, with July and August the driest months; expect frequent rain from November to March.
- How much does a day in Vancouver cost?
- Roughly $70-110 a day in US dollars on a backpacker budget (a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport), and $180-300 mid-range (a private room and restaurants). These are broad estimates, last reviewed October 2026.
- Is Waypacker free to use in Vancouver?
- Yes. Joining is free and stays with hosts carry no nightly rate or booking fee.
- Are Waypacker hosts ID-verified?
- Every host's ID and selfie are checked by hand by a real person before they can host. Nothing is sent to an AI service.
- Can I meet locals in Vancouver without staying with anyone?
- Yes. You can join meetups and city groups, or ask locals for tips, without booking a stay.
- Will anyone see my exact location?
- No. Hosts and meetups appear as a neighbourhood-sized area about a kilometre wide, and exact addresses are never stored.