Places to Visit and Explore
In Vancouver

Welcome to Vancouver, B.C., a parkful metropolis surrounded by water and mountains, rated as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and the world's most desirable city to live in. May we suggest that you allow a few extra days either before or after the Conference to explore this exciting city and perhaps visit some special places throughout British Columbia as well.

With the population of 2.1 million, Greater Vancouver is Canada's third largest metropolitan area. Vancouver is the city with most park land per person in all of Canada, and you may hear that it is a city of natural beauty unparalleled by any other. Well, the unique combination of the Pacific Ocean, the Coast Mountains, rainforest, grasslands and beaches truly make it a city unlike any other.

Visitor Information

Vancouver is known as a people-friendly place, welcoming over seven million visitors every year. You will appreciate feeling safe in its streets, and you will enjoy its clean environment. Vancouver is home to people from all around the world, creating a rich cultural climate which, above all, means an abundance of ethnic specialties throughout the city.

Sunday Vancouver Excursion: A Sightseeing Tour is available on Sunday (July 14) morning commencing at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m. The tour includes four stops: Stanley Park (2 stops), Queen Elizabeth Park (stop), Gastown, Chinatown and Granville Island (stop). The cost is $45.00 for adults, $42.00 for seniors, and $28.00 for children. If you are interested in going on this tour of Vancouver, please contact registration@housing.ubc.ca or marla.arvay@ubc.ca right away. The tour needs to be booked early, so bookings are "first come first serve!"

Places to Visit and Explore

Both UBC campus and Vancouver's downtown core are surrounded by water and beaches, and feature great views of the Coast Mountains. Vancouver is an ideal place for walkers, and most places of interest can easily be reached using Vancouver's comprehensive transit system (voted the best transit system in North America in 1996).

Within easy reach by transit or walking:

• Start your city walk in Vancouver's downtown. Walk the historic Gastown with cobblestoned streets, take a picture by the old steam-powered clock, check out street arts and crafts, and browse lots of inexpensive Canadiana souvenir shops.
• On a clear day, take the glass Skylift elevator up The Lookout! (555 W. Hastings St.; 604.689.0421). The 167 metre (553 feet) tall Harbour Centre Tower offers a magnificent 360-degree view of downtown Vancouver, the English Bay and North Shore Mountains. Admission: $9; students $6 (includes a second visit the same evening).
• Canada Place, Vancouver's convention and exhibition complex and cruise ship gateway to Alaska, is popular for its spectacular views of Harbour, Burrard Inlet and Coastal Mountains. Inside the complex, CN IMAX Theatre (201-999 Canada Place; 604.682.4629) features three-dimensional movies on a screen five stories tall. Admission: $10.50.
• Continue your city walk on Robson Street, a vibrant shopping and dining district in downtown Vancouver.
• Nature enthusiasts will appreciate a visit to Stanley Park, one of the finest natural parks on the continent. Walk, inline skate, or bike the 10-km long Seawall, hike the magnificent 1,000-acre park's forest trails, relax at sandy beaches, play tennis, examine totem poles, or go on a scenic drive. Stanley Park is also home to Vancouver Aquarium (604.659.3400), featuring over 8,000 aquatic animals representing 600 species. Admission: $13.85, students $11.70. Park admission and shuttle service free.
• Another area that deserves a visit is Vancouver's Chinatown, the second largest in North America -- after San Francisco. Once there, make sure to visit Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (578 Carrall St.; 604.662.3207): A peaceful Ming Dynasty-style garden and the first authentic classical Chinese garden built outside of China. The garden is a symbolism paradise -- bring your camera. Admission: $7.50.
• Historical and contemporary art by regional, national, and international artists is on display at Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St.; 604.662.4719), "a place where people meet to experience inspiration, meaning and pleasure through visual art." Admission: $10, students $6.
• Equally interesting is Vancouver Museum (1100 Chestnut St.;
604.736.4431), Canada's largest civic museum, displaying Vancouver's history and culture. Admission: $8.

Under an hour driving (all accessible by transit):

• Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park (3735 Capilano Rd., North Vancouver; 604.985.7474) features a swinging 137-metre-long (450-ft.) footbridge spanning a spectacular 70-metre-deep (230-ft.) gorge, as well as a First Nations art display. Admission: $10.75, students $6.75.
• Granville Island is one of Vancouver's liveliest places. This man-made island near Vancouver's downtown is famous for its great fresh fruit, vegetable and seafood market. An eclectic mix of boatyards, bookstores, studios and galleries with good restaurants and small cafés create just the right atmosphere for an easy weekend afternoon.
• Looking for a place with the best view of Vancouver? Definitely Grouse Mountain (6400 Nancy Greene Way, North Vancouver; 604.984.0661), dubbed "The Peak of Vancouver", where the famous Gondola Skyride takes you up 1,100 metres (3,700 feet) above sea level for a fabulous view of Vancouver, hiking, and fine dining.
• If you like driving, take the scenic Marine Drive via West Vancouver and check out the quiet ocean harbour community of Horseshoe Bay surrounded by forest and featuring spectacular views of nearby islands.
• Queen Elizabeth Park (off Cambie St. & W. 33rd Ave.; 604.257.8596), situated at Little Mountain, Vancouver's highest point, is a must for any visitor. Walk the park's gardens and enjoy magnificent views of Vancouver, the Harbour and North Shore Mountains. Free. On top of Queen Elizabeth Park, experience the fascinating sights and sounds of the jungle in Vancouver's only tropical garden -- the Bloedel Floral Conservatory. Enjoy year round floral displays, free-flying exotic birds and colourful Koi fish.
• Science World (1455 Quebec St.; 604.443.7443), built for the 1986 EXPO, offers fun ways for kids to get hands-on experience with physics, chemistry, biology and zoology. Admission: $11.75, students $7.75. Once there, visit the Alcan OMNIMAX Theatre, featuring one of the world's largest dome screens. The theatre offers breathtaking 360° science and nature films and three-dimensional laser shows.

Under two hours driving (but well worth it):

• Burnaby Mountain offers a thrilling night view of Vancouver both from the park and the great Horizons Restaurant.
• A nice piece of history can be found at Fort Langley, a wooden fort dating back to the Gold Rush.
• Steveston Village, an historic fishing village, is a nice place to go for a stroll and have a great salmon and inexpensive fish & chips.
• Two of the best beaches around and more great salmon and fish & chips can be found in White Rock.

Full day (or more):

• Harrison Hot Springs attract visitors from around the world. Come to relax and soak in the springs at a lakeshore resort or one of the luxury hotels. The Harrison Lake area offers excellent opportunities for windsurfing, boating, parasailing, hiking, and golfing. Under two hours driving from downtown Vancouver.
• Visit the town of Kelowna in the centre of B.C.'s wine country, where our unique ice wines are produced. Free wine tasting throughout the Okanagan region. Allow two days.
• MacMillan Provincial Park on Vancouver Island features a 600-year-old rainforest. Free. Take a ferry from the Horseshoe Bay terminal to Nanaimo. Allow a full day.
• Our provincial capital Victoria is a must for any visitor. Consider a 30-minute scenic flight from downtown Vancouver.
• Explore Whistler-Blackcomb, the number one ski resort in North America. Try the coach/train trip.