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Vancouver is the biggest metropolitan city of Western Canada and British Colombia, and the chosen host of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Nestled between the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver offers beautiful architecture (a mix of Edwardian and Modernist), popular beaches–including the famed optional clothing/nude Wreck Beach–spectacular parks, aquariums, and museums. Check out student travel deals to Canada so you can enjoy its scenic beauty, mountain skiing, ocean windsurfing, or a round of golf, if that’s your thing. With water on three sides and the North Shore Mountain on the fourth, Vancouver is a great destination for college student trips, with its milder Canadian climate. You’ll enjoy dry summers with temperatures around 25 C or 77 F from June to August, with rainy winters and temperatures a few degrees above freezing. You’ll find excellent weather from July to October, but if you enjoy a good ski holiday, look for cheap travel deals in February for excellent skiing conditions.

Vancouver Pictures

Things to do in Vancouver

There are plenty of parks and attractions in Vancouver that you might want to visit while you’re there. One place you should definitely check out is Stanley Park, with the Vancouver Aquarium featuring marine life research, miles of walking trails, pitch and putt course, gardens and beaches. Want to get a view of the whole city? Try Queen Elizabeth Park and see a bunch of tropical plants and birds. You can also hang out on Wreck Beach or White Rock beach, and if you love fireworks, try to grab a seat at Kits or Sunset Beach for the annual Fire Works Competition in July. Vancouver is also a great place to go during the winter holidays, when you can ski or snowboard the world-famous Whistler Mountain, or take a trip to Alaska.

Nightlife in Vancouver

Nightlife in Vancouver is not as intense or central to the area as other vacation destinations, and is mostly concentrated in the City Center along Granville Street. If you love beer, the Pacific Club is one place you can hang out with friends. There are also pubs in historic Gastown. If you’ve made local friends, then you’d find they’re into drinking Bubble or Boba tea in tea houses such as the Dragon Ball Tea House. Tuesday evenings you can view the West Coast native artifacts in the Museum of Anthropology or see a show in the Can Centre for Performing Arts in the University of British Colombia.

Dining in Vancouver

You’ll find Vancouver is a great place for satisfying your taste for ethnic foods, be it sushi, or Chinese dim sum, especially in the Sun Sui Wah. You might want to check out Richmond Night market where various ethnic foods can be made to order. Ethnic restaurants are predominantly in East Van, but most other restaurants can be found in Kitsilano and the City Center. You can certainly get good grub on a student budget.

Shopping in Vancouver

Vancouver has several great shopping areas. However, there are two local taxes charged on most goods. Robson Street in the City Centre is a great place to go where you can check out touristy shops. Dig underground shopping? Pacific Centre is just the place with 150 shops and restaurants. Get a load of historic buildings and hip shops in Gastown or go adventure shopping and people watching along Commercial Drive. Another thing to keep in mind: some of the best hidden delights are in East Hastings and Chinatown.

Vancouver travel tips

• For traveling convenience, Vancouver is subdivided into districts, with the city center holding most attractions, restaurants, and hotels.
• Vancouver is a great destination for outdoor recreation because it’s close to oceans, mountains, rivers and lakes.
• Vancouver is renowned for its ski hills; it boasts of Whistler Mountain, one of the best ski resorts in the world.