Vancouver City Guide

When to visit Vancouver

The best time to visit is from early June to early October, when there's less rain, temperatures are warm, daylight hours are long and the transportation routes are open. May to September are good times for whale-watching. The winter ski season peaks in January and February, but at resorts like Whistler the slopes are open year-round.

Weather

Weather in Vancouver

Vancouver has one of the mildest climates in the country. It rarely snows in the city, and when it does, for maybe a week or two over winter, it tends to melt quickly or get washed away by the rain. Conversely, it seldom gets oppressively hot. What Vancouver is guaranteed to get - by the bucket load - is wet. The surrounding mountains, which on a clear day look close enough to touch, disappear completely when the clouds settle in and the rain pours down, which can be for days on end.

Events in Vancouver

Just about any month you visit Vancouver there will be a festival of some sort taking place. The city kicks off the year with an icy dip in English Bay called the Polar Bear Swim, a New Year's Day event since 1920. The city's thriving Chinatown is the centre of February's Chinese New Year celebrations, which feature dancing dragons, parades and the constant crackle of firecrackers. June heats up with the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. July starts with Canada Day Celebrations on the 1st and mid-July's Vancouver Folk Music Festival is three days of concerts and workshops with some of North America's best musicians. There's also Dancing on the Edge, Theatre Under the Stars, Vancouver International Comedy Festival and the highly regarded Vancouver Chamber Music Festival.

From mid-August through Labor Day, the Pacific National Exhibition offers a little bit of everything - parades, livestock shows, concerts, sporting events and carnival rides. Gay Pride Day happens the first Sunday in August. The Vancouver International Fringe Festival, held from early to mid-September, is a mix of drama, musicals, comedy and dance from around the world. Vancouver International Film Festival gets it all happening for the celluloid community. October hosts the Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival, and the uniquely Vancouver tradition of the Christmas Carolship Parade brings Christmas cheer on boats.