Guide Note

Vancouver is a city in British Columbia, Canada. The city has been ranked, more than once, as one of the best places to live in the world and will be home to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Fast Facts

1. Country: Canada
2. Provence: British Columbia
3. Mayor: Sam Sullivan
4. Language spoken: English
5. Population: 611,869 (2007)
6. Currency: Canadian dollar
7. Area code: 604, 778
8. Time zone: Pacific
9. Current time and weather
10. Current exchange rate

There are many attractions located throughout the city, some that just can not be missed! The Vancouver Aquarium is Canada's largest aquarium and offers activities such as trainer tours, sleepovers and a kid's camp. For a fantastic view of the city, take a ride to the top of the Vancouver Lookout. Once there you will have a 360 degree view of the city and you can spot the North Shore Mountains in the distance. For a bit of nature, Stanley Park is perfect. There is over 1000 acres of wildlife, wilderness and gardens. Surrounding the park is over five miles of paved path that can be used for activities like walking and rollerblading.

Vancouver is a perfect area for winter activities, especially skiing and snowboarding. They have one of the top-rated ski resorts in the world, Whistler Blackcomb. The resort will host some of the events of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Other mountains great for winter sports are Cypress, Grouse and Mount Seymour. In the summer there are a few beaches that are worth visiting. For a clothing-optional beach, try Wreck Beach and for one of the more popular water fronts, try White Rock Beach in Greater Vancouver.

Vancouver is a large city and offers a variety of dining options, but because of the large Chinese population dim sum restaurants are some of the most popular. It has been said that the city has some of the best quality dim sum in the world. A great, authentic Canadian side dish is poutine. It consists of homemade fries, gravy and cheese curds; Fritz Frie House claims to have the best in town. Zagat Survey, a widely used rating site, has over 140 restaurants for Vancouver listed, many being well-rated.

While planning your trip, please see the pages on Vancouver Hotels, Vancouver Restaurants and Vancouver Tours.