Vancouver

Introducing Vancouver

Lonely Planet author and Vancouverite John Lee is blogging the 2010 Games for us. Check back soon for his first post, and be sure to follow him on Twitter (@johnleewriter) to get all his updates.

Kayakers bobble past, waving at friends on the beach. A floatplane shimmies over the park, diving to its watery landing strip. A chattery hubbub bounces off the gleaming glass towers that forest the city like latter-day totems.

When the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games roll into town in 2010, there'll be no shortage of jaw-dropping visuals, instantly inspiring people around the world to check out Canada's immigration procedures. Vancouver is, after all, one of the cities that routinely tops those lists of the world's greatest places to live. But beyond the breathtaking snowcapped crags, city-hugging beaches and dense waterfront forests lies a comparatively young metropolis that's still trying to discover its true identity - less than 150 years after a 'gassy' Englishman rowed in and kicked it all off with a makeshift pub.

Covering the city's main outdoor, museum and gallery attractions will certainly keep you busy for a few days. After that it's highly advisable to start digging beneath the surface to find out what really makes this laid-back lotusland tick. You'll discover that the 'real Vancouver' is in the clamorous Commercial Dr coffee shops, the hipster hangouts of SoMa, the gay-friendly streets of the West End, the kaleidoscopic thoroughfares of Chinatown and the historic, re-invigorated old streets of Gastown, where that original pub once stood.

Of course, the rest of the world will know all about this in 2010. Why not beat them to it by dropping by for your own urban adventure - coupled with a giant doorstep of outdoor attractions.

Make it happen

Ready to go? Our recommended tours make it easy:

• explore Vancouver on a hop-on hop-off trolley tour
• take a day tour from Vancouver to Victoria
• explore western Canada's best national parks on foot from Vancouver to Calgary
• travel through Western Canada

Want more? Try camping in the Rockies

Last updated: Feb 8, 2010