See Park
Stanley Park
West End
About 1,000 acres of West Coast rainforest, ringed by the Seawall, with Canada's largest aquarium. Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., about 1.6 miles from the terminal.
Visit Stanley Park (opens a new tab)
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British Columbia · Canada
Vancouver
Rainforest park, city beaches and Gastown, all close to Canada Place.
Walk the Seawall into Stanley Park, sit on English Bay Beach, eat at Granville Island Public Market or wander Gastown's cobblestone streets.
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Four Ways to Spend a Day in Vancouver
Unwind Beach
English Bay Beach
West End
The busiest beach in downtown Vancouver. The Seawall passes it: a 17-mile waterfront path with separate lanes for walkers and cyclists.
See Vancouver Beaches (opens a new tab)
Taste Market
Granville Island Public Market
False Creek
An indoor market of food, produce stores and farmers stalls, open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Take the Aquabus, False Creek Ferries or the No. 50 bus from Gastown and downtown.
Plan Your Market Visit (opens a new tab)
Explore Old Town
Gastown
Downtown
Vancouver's first downtown core: 12 blocks of cobblestone streets with shops and galleries. It starts about 0.3 miles from the terminal.
Explore Gastown (opens a new tab)Skip the excursion desk
Tours & Tickets in Vancouver
Getting Around Vancouver
Every ship docks at Canada Place, on the downtown waterfront, so most of the city is a walk or one transit ride away.
Getting to Vancouver
YVR is about 7 miles in a straight line from Canada Place. Baggage drop starts between 10 and 10:30 a.m. Pacific time on sailing day.
Parking and Luggage
Indigo Park Canada runs the parkade at the terminal; the port page lists no daily rate. Stops of 15 minutes or less are free for drop-off and pick-up. Long-term height limits are 6 ft 6 in on P1 and 6 ft 9 in on P2. Big Bus Tours Westcoast Sightseeing stores luggage by the day for cruise passengers only; there is no overnight storage.
If you do one thing here
Sail the Inside Passage From Canada Place
The Port of Vancouver calls itself the only homeport with both one-way and round-trip itineraries through Canada's Inside Passage.
The port counts cruise ships as US jurisdiction, so US Customs and Border Protection checks you in the terminal, as the last step before you board.
Port of Vancouver Cruise (opens a new tab)Passenger Information (opens a new tab)
Safety and Weather
Canada Place is downtown, next to Waterfront station.
- CrimeIn 2025, police in the Vancouver area recorded about 5,670 crimes per 100,000 people, almost the same as the Canada average of about 5,590. Crime is a bit more serious than average there, with a severity score of 83.5 against 75.0 for the whole country.
- Walking to townYes. Waterfront station is about 0.2 miles from the terminal and Gastown about 0.3 miles. Stanley Park (1.6 miles) and Granville Island (1.5 miles) are long walks; the No. 50 bus runs from Gastown and downtown to Granville Island.
- The beachEnglish Bay Beach is the busiest downtown beach. City lifeguards are on duty from noon to 8 p.m. from Victoria Day in May, when the red and yellow flags are up; hours shorten in August.
- WeatherHighs average 64°F in May, 73°F in July and August, and 67°F in September. July is the driest month, with about 1.7 inches of rain, against 6.2 inches in October.
Crime: Statistics Canada, The Daily, 22 July 2026, Table 4 (2025), for the Vancouver census metropolitan area, not only the city; crimes reported to police. Distances: OpenStreetMap coordinates, straight line, our sums. Weather: Environment Canada 1991–2020 normals at Vancouver Harbour, converted to °F and inches by us.
Make it part of your voyage
Cruises From Vancouver
Holland America, Princess, Disney and Celebrity make the most calls at Canada Place.
Vancouver FAQ
Where do cruise ships dock in Vancouver?
At the Canada Place cruise terminal, run by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. It has four berths (East, North, West and Southeast) plus tendering, and the port assigns them ship by ship.
What is the Vancouver cruise ship schedule?
The port publishes a yearly Canada Place cruise ship calendar that lists each ship and its berth, and a searchable online table. Treat the 2027 calendar as subject to change.
How far is downtown Vancouver from the cruise port?
Downtown starts at the terminal. Waterfront station is about 0.2 miles away and Gastown about 0.3 miles.
How do I get from Vancouver airport to the cruise terminal?
Take the Canada Line to Waterfront station, next to the terminal; YVR says the ride takes under 30 minutes. A taxi is a $46 zone fare (YVR map, October 2024). Uber and Lyft can drop off on level P2 of the terminal parkade.
How do I get from the cruise port to Vancouver airport?
A taxi costs a flat $42 from Canada Place to YVR. You can also ride SkyTrain from Waterfront station; the Canada Line has no AddFare to the airport.
Can I take Uber or Lyft at the Vancouver cruise terminal?
Drop-off only. Ride-hail cars can drop off on level P2 of the parkade but cannot pick up at the terminal. Pick-up is at the City of Vancouver ride-hail zone at street level.
Is there parking at the Vancouver cruise terminal?
Yes, in the Indigo Park Canada parkade at Canada Place. The port page gives no daily rate. Drop-off and pick-up stops of 15 minutes or less are allowed.
Can I store luggage at the Vancouver cruise terminal?
Big Bus Tours Westcoast Sightseeing offers day storage for cruise passengers. No overnight storage is available.
Do I need a passport or visa to board in Vancouver?
International visitors need the right ETA (Canada) or ESTA (US) before they arrive at the terminal. US Customs and Border Protection checks every passenger in the terminal before boarding.
What happens when I get off the ship in Vancouver?
Collect your bags, fill in a declaration card (E311) and clear Canadian customs. You do not need your passport at disembarkation, but you must show the card.
What can I do in Vancouver for a day?
Walk Gastown, ride to Stanley Park and English Bay Beach, or take the ferry to Granville Island Public Market. Capilano Suspension Bridge Park runs a free shuttle from Canada Place.
When is the best time to visit Vancouver?
July and August are the warmest months, with highs averaging 73°F, and July is the driest. October is the wettest month of the cruise season.
Photos: Vancouver: Dietmar Rabich (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Stanley Park Seawall: Keely Hill (CC BY-SA 4.0) · English Bay Beach: Dietmar Rabich (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Granville Island Public Market: Ymblanter (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Gastown steam clock: dronepicr (CC BY 2.0) · Cruise ship under Lions Gate Bridge: PerryPlanet (public domain) · Cruise ship in port: tdlucas5000 (CC BY 2.0). Cropped for display.