Why Now Is the Best Time to Visit Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada
Guest blogger Theresa Ladner of Adventures in Middle Aged Travel shares why now, before July—arguably the official start of the Pacific Northwest summer, is the best time to visit this beautiful, diverse North American city.
Vancouver is beautiful in any season, but spring through June is the best time for a visit. Yes, it certainly may be a tad damp, but grab an umbrella and a jacket with a hood and you’ll be good to go.
Temperatures rise through June and the flowers are in full blossom. People also come out of their winter shells to partake in the numerous outdoor activities and events.
Photo Credit: Theresa Ladner of Adventures in Middle Aged Travel
It’s often possible to golf year-round in Vancouver, but now is the best time before the crowds of summer. The public golf courses (Fraserview, McCleery, and Langara) are inexpensive, yet top-notch.
Whale watching season spans from April to October. Four to six-hour tours are available out of downtown Vancouver (princeofwhales.com/vancouver-tours/). It’s an opportunity to view several different whale species and other marine wildlife.
Vancouver is a foodie town. From spring on into summer, restaurant patios are open. Granville Island has some wonderful waterfront restaurants with countless sidewalk squares in Yaletown and downtown that are perfect for people watching.
Visit Stanley Park, take a walk or bike along the seawall. Stanley Park Ecology Society offers inexpensive, guided, “Discovery Walks” for learning about the park’s biodiversity. There are also programs for bird-watching and coyote-spotting.
Farmers’ markets start popping up with fresh produce, pickles, cheeses, and food trucks. There’s at least 10 around the city, mostly on weekends but a couple on weekdays.
Check out a Whitecaps soccer game at BC Place Stadium. The retractable roof lets in the sun (weather permitting).
The Dragon Boat Festival is June 23 through 25. Join the crowds to watch the races in False Creek and enjoy the entertainment and family fun zone.
Hurry to Vancouver now. Avoid the cruise ship crowds and school vacation families. You will not regret it.
Looking ahead to 2018
Photo Credit: Theresa Ladner of Adventures in Middle Aged Travel
Can't make it to Vancouver this year? Mark your calendar for next year so you don’t miss these exciting springtime events.
- Spring skiing. The local mountains often stay open until mid-April and if you want to make the two-hour trek to Whistler, Blackcomb Mountain stays open until mid-May.
- Spring Cherry Blossom Festival. Starting in March and ending in April is when the cherry blossoms start to bloom. There are 40,000 cherry trees (not the eating kind) that burst into pink and white petals with panache. Check out the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival in April (www.vcbf.ca).
- The Spot Prawn Festival and Boil. In May, there’s a spot prawn festival each year near Granville Island (spotprawnfestival.com). There’s a spot prawn boil, cooking demos, and you can buy prawns directly off the fishing boats.
- Vaisakhi (a historical and religious Hindu festival). Celebrate Vaisakhi with the South Asian community to mark the New Year and the anniversary of the establishment of the Khalsa, in Vancouver’s Little India. The parade is in April.
- Italian Day on Commercial Drive (early June). A huge 13 block street festival celebrates all that is Italian in Vancouver’s Little Italy.
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Theresa Ladner is mostly a stay-at-home mom who drags her husband off travelling as much as possible. When she’s not travelling, or being a mom, she likes to write, experiment with cookery, and write blurbs about herself in the third person. Find her at adventures-in-middle-aged-travel.com