Vancouver is the largest city in Western Canada with a metropolitan population of almost 3,000,000. Only Toronto and Montreal are larger in Canada.

The city is a great place to visit, but is also consistently rated as one of the most livable cities in the world.

The city has three main districts – Eastside, Westside and Downtown. Tourists should balance time spent in the middle of the city and time spent exploring the surrounding areas. The Seawall stretches from Downtown to Kitsilano and is great for walking and biking. Many of the city’s popular beaches are at the end of the Seawall, in Kitsilano.

If travelling to Vancouver during the Chinese New Year, make sure to visit Chinatown, as the celebrations are spectacular and extremely fun.

Vancouver International Airport (Airport code YVR) is 12 kilometres from the centre of the city. It is actually located on Sea Island in the city’s harbour. Vancouver International Airport is a major hub for Air Canada and Air Transat. It is one of the busiest airports in North America and second in Canada behind Toronto in both passenger traffic and arriving and departing flights.

43 airlines fly regularly scheduled routes to or from Vancouver International Airport with Air Canada, WestJet, United, Continental and Air New Zealand flying the most frequently. Air Canada and WestJet offer service to the most destinations. An additional 15 charter airlines fly into Vancouver including Condor, Air Transat and CanJet.