This is a "people place" best discovered by walking, biking, or riding a trolley through its diverse neighborhoods like Victorian Gastown, ex-hippie haunt Kitsilano, and the Chinatown marketplace. The city is surrounded by water on three sides, creating an exceptionally scenic walk along the banks of water that surround almost the whole of downtown. Snow-capped mountain peaks line the northern horizon, wide beaches border the Pacific bays, and inlets face lush green temperate rain forests. It's really no wonder that Vancouver is celebrated as one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in the world! In one day, you can exercise your outdoorsy nature by hiking, biking, sailing, golfing, and skiing. Then, change into your man- or woman-about-town clothes, have a meal fit for a king, and settle into a sophisticated evening of opera and art, or jump into an electrifying night of club dancing.

The Native American Salish tribes, the land's original settlers, held sacred this area where oceanic and atmospheric disturbances were attributed to epic battles between the Thunderbird and Killer Whale. The gods may have retreated, but the wonders haven't ceased!