Vancouver
Canada'S Pacific Gateway, On A Peninsula Between Burrard Inlet And The Fraser Delta Beneath The Coast Mountains, With A Continuous Seawall Path Of About 28 Kilometres · Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver is Canada's Pacific gateway, a city of glass towers on a peninsula between Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River delta, with the Coast Mountains rising straight out of the water across the harbour. That setting is the attraction: ocean on two sides, ski slopes visible from downtown streets, and a seawall path of about 28 km that links Stanley Park, English Bay, Kitsilano and False Creek. The city is young and burned in 1886, so old fabric is thin and sits mostly in Gastown, where the steam clock draws a crowd. Chinatown, Canada Place, the SkyTrain, Science World and the venues of the 2010 Winter Olympics fill out a visit. This row covers the city as a whole; Stanley Park, Granville Island, Capilano, Grouse Mountain and the Aquarium are separate places. It suits walkers, cyclists and food lovers. Be honest: it rains hard from October to March, housing is costly, and the Downtown Eastside has visible poverty. Allow two to four days.
Canada Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3T4, Canada
The city has no opening hours: the seawall, beaches, parks and streets are public and open around the clock, though parks have posted closing hours after dark. What runs on a schedule is the rest. SkyTrain, buses and the SeaBus run from early morning to late night, with reduced frequency late. Viewpoints such as the Harbour Centre tower, Grouse Mountain and Cypress Mountain keep their own seasonal hours and often close or reduce service in the shoulder seasons, so confirm before you go. Museums, Science World and markets mostly open mid-morning and close by early evening. Small ferries across False Creek run in daylight. Cruise ships fill Canada Place and the waterfront from spring to early autumn.