CA · British Columbia · 49.26°N 123.11°W

vancouver

A seawall under tall trees, mountain-backed beaches and a very good Asian food scene.

Best time
May–September are the sunniest months, with July–August driest. November–March are mild but wet and grey, with skiing on the local mountains; late-summer wildfire smoke can occasionally haze the views.
How long
3–4 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop, usually via Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul or Tokyo, about 17–20 hours all in. The Canada Line takes about 25 minutes from the airport to downtown. BC stopped changing its clocks in 2026, so it's now 15 hours behind KL all year. Malaysians need a Canadian visitor visa, or just an eTA if flying in with a valid US visa or a Canadian visa held in the last 10 years.
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CA · British Columbiavancouver49.26°N 123.11°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,A seawall under tall trees, mountain-backed beaches and a very good Asian food scene.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingVancouverCA, British Columbia
KLvancouver
≈ 12,775 km from KL, as the crow flies
Aerial view of downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Canada and has the 4th highest population density in North America.

Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Vancouver puts forest, sea and mountains right beside a walkable downtown. It's an easy first stop after the long flight, with familiar Asian food and the seawall to walk off the jet lag.

Makan

  1. Dim sumVancouver and Richmond have some of the best Cantonese food outside Asia.Map ↗
  2. Wild salmonPacific salmon grilled, smoked or as sashimi.Map ↗
  3. Spot prawnsSweet local prawns, in season for a few weeks from May.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Stanley Park seawallA 9 km path around a forested peninsula, past beaches, totem poles and harbour views. Best on a hire bike.Map ↗
  2. Granville IslandA public market, food stalls and artists' studios under a bridge, reached by little ferries.Map ↗
  3. KitsilanoA city beach with mountain views, and relaxed streets of cafés behind it.Map ↗
  4. North ShoreAcross the harbour, the Capilano suspension bridge, Lynn Canyon and Grouse Mountain put you in the rainforest within half an hour.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Halal is easy: Persian grills along Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver, plus Pakistani, Afghan and Middle Eastern places across the suburbs. In Chinese restaurants, ask about pork in the stock.
  • On the Stanley Park seawall, bikes have their own lane and ride one way, anticlockwise.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.