Cost per day · Canada
Vancouver on $65, $170 or $500 a day
How much does Vancouver cost per day? Budget travellers get by on about $65 a day, mid-range trips run around $170, and luxury starts near $500 — accommodation, food, transport and activities included.
That makes Vancouver the 16th most expensive of 100 cities for a mid-range trip — see all 100 ranked.
Few cities sit this close to wilderness: glass towers on a peninsula, the thousand-acre rainforest of Stanley Park at its tip, beaches on three sides and ski runs twenty minutes from downtown. The food, shaped by the Pacific and by Asia, is among the best in North America.
Rooms are expensive, but Vancouver's best things are free: the Seawall, Stanley Park, the beaches and the forest trails. Lynn Canyon's suspension bridge costs nothing, and a day pass covers the SkyTrain and the SeaBus.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
A 140-metre bridge over the canyon, the Treetops walkways and the Cliffwalk
Get tickets on Tiqets →The old town's cobbles, the steam clock and tastings along the way
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Hostelling International in the West End, near English Bay
Lively Granville Street hostel with a bar and private rooms
A 1950s motor inn reimagined with a garden courtyard, downtown
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Round Stanley Park ~$50
Day 2: Markets and Gastown ~$55
Day 3: North Shore free ~$45
Lynn Canyon is the free alternative to Capilano. Granville Island's market is the cheapest good lunch. Grouse Mountain's Grind trail lets you hike up and pay only to ride down.
Mid-range buys a downtown or Coal Harbour hotel, Capilano and Grouse Mountain, whale watching in the Salish Sea and dinners of sushi and Pacific salmon.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
A 140-metre bridge over the canyon, the Treetops walkways and the Cliffwalk
Get tickets on Tiqets →The old town's cobbles, the steam clock and tastings along the way
Get tickets on Tiqets →Skyride to the top for the view, the grizzly refuge and, in winter, skiing
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Ivy-covered 1912 landmark facing English Bay beach
Yaletown boutique hotel with bold rooms and a busy bar
Above the cruise terminal with views of the North Shore mountains
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Bridges and mountains ~$240
Day 2: Whales ~$260
Day 3: Neighbourhoods ~$180
Capilano's Cliffwalk is the better half of the ticket. Whale-watching season peaks May to October. Richmond, by SkyTrain, has the best Chinese food outside Asia.
Luxury Vancouver is a harbour-view suite at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, a seaplane over the coast mountains, a helicopter to a glacier and omakase at Masayoshi.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
A flight over the Coast Mountains with a landing high on a peak
Get tickets on Tiqets →A floatplane from Coal Harbour over the city, mountains and islands
Get tickets on Tiqets →Across to Vancouver Island for the capital and its famous gardens
Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Restored 1927 hotel downtown with Hawksworth, one of the city's best restaurants
The tallest tower downtown, with a spa and Asian-inspired service
Coal Harbour tower with a rooftop pool facing the mountains and seaplanes
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Coast from the air ~$1100
Day 2: Mountains ~$1500
Day 3: Sea to Sky ~$1100
The Fairmont Pacific Rim and the Rosewood Hotel Georgia are the two addresses. A floatplane from Coal Harbour to Victoria for lunch is the classic splurge. Book a heli-landing on a mountain in summer.
About Vancouver
Mild oceanic: warm dry summers (21–23°C), cool very wet winters (6–8°C) with little snow at sea level. November to March is the rainy season.
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The SkyTrain's automated lines reach the airport in 25 minutes; the SeaBus crosses to North Vancouver. Downtown is walkable and the Seawall is made for bikes. Ferries go to Vancouver Island.
A travel eSIM gets you online the moment you land in Canada — data plans start at $7 — no roaming bill, no queue for a local SIM, and nothing to swap in and out of your phone. Install it before you fly.
The core of glass towers on the harbour, with the grand hotels, the convention centre and the seaplane terminal. Stanley Park is a walk away.
Best for luxuryLeafy streets of apartment blocks between Stanley Park and English Bay, with the Davie Village and the beach. The best base for walkers.
Best for midrangeThe city's oldest streets around the steam clock: brick warehouses, cocktail bars and restaurants. Edges onto the Downtown Eastside.
Best for midrangeConverted warehouses on False Creek with patios, condos and the seawall running past.
Best for midrangeAcross the bridge from downtown: Kits Beach, the outdoor saltwater pool and West 4th's cafés. Relaxed, with good-value rooms.
Best for budgetCraft breweries, record shops and the best independent restaurants, a bus ride south of downtown.
Best for budget- ✓Tip 15–20% in restaurants
- ✓Bring a rain jacket from October to April
- ✓Keep to the right lane on the Seawall: bikes and walkers are separated
- ✓Acknowledge the Coast Salish nations whose land the city stands on
- ✓Tap a contactless card on the SkyTrain and buses
- ✓Book whale watching from May to October
- ✗Feed or approach bears, coyotes or raccoons
- ✗Walk on the Seawall bike lane
- ✗Hike the North Shore without water, layers and a map
- ✗Expect late nights; the city winds down early
- ✗Leave valuables visible in a parked car
- ✗Call it part of the US
Travel Insurance for Vancouver
Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any trip to Vancouver. Safety is rated Downtown, the West End, Kitsilano and Gastown's main streets are safe. The Downtown Eastside, a few blocks around Hastings and Main, has visible drug use and homelessness; it is rarely dangerous to visitors but is better passed through by day. — even in safe destinations, unexpected medical emergencies or trip cancellations can be costly. Make sure your policy covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.
Visa note: Most European, UK and Australian visitors need an eTA before flying; US citizens need only a passport. Others need a visitor visa.. Some countries require proof of travel insurance as part of the visa application.
Get travel insurance for Vancouver →FAQ: Vancouver Travel Questions
Is Vancouver safe to visit? ▾
Downtown, the West End, Kitsilano and Gastown's main streets are safe. The Downtown Eastside, a few blocks around Hastings and Main, has visible drug use and homelessness; it is rarely dangerous to visitors but is better passed through by day.
When is the best time to visit Vancouver? ▾
June–September for dry, warm days on the water and the mountains. December–March for skiing on the North Shore and at Whistler. Mild oceanic: warm dry summers (21–23°C), cool very wet winters (6–8°C) with little snow at sea level. November to March is the rainy season.
How much does a trip to Vancouver cost per day? ▾
- budget: $65–$110/day
- midrange: $170–$300/day
- luxury: $500–$1100/day
Do I need a visa to visit Canada? ▾
Most European, UK and Australian visitors need an eTA before flying; US citizens need only a passport. Others need a visitor visa.
How do I get around Vancouver? ▾
The SkyTrain's automated lines reach the airport in 25 minutes; the SeaBus crosses to North Vancouver. Downtown is walkable and the Seawall is made for bikes. Ferries go to Vancouver Island. Vancouver has a metro system. Taxi base fare ~$4. Day pass ~$8.
Is tipping expected in Vancouver? ▾
Tip 15–20% in restaurants, $1–2 a drink at bars and about 15% for taxis. Card terminals will prompt for it.
What currency is used in Canada? ▾
The local currency is CAD, and the official language is English.