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Region

Vancouver eastern suburbs

Sleep in Vancouver or Burnaby; ride SkyTrain out for parks, breweries and one lake day.

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Key facts · Canada

Best months
Apr–Sep
Visa
Depends on your passport
Currency
Canadian dollar (CAD, $)
Language
English and French
Plugs
A · B · 120 V
Time zone
Six zones: UTC−3:30 to UTC−8
Month by month hereIn detail ↓
Rules in force · 6Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Canada ↗Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through Canada usually need an eTA; check your passport on the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and apply only there.
  • Canada ↗A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop in national parks such as Banff and Jasper; some spots (for example Moraine Lake) are reached only by shuttle or tour, so book ahead.
  • Canada ↗Keep well away from bears, elk and moose; carry bear spray on Rockies trails and follow trail closures.

The eastern suburbs are Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and the villages of Belcarra and Anmore, all north of the Fraser River and west of the Pitt River. They are not a sightseeing region in their own right: they are where Vancouver's SkyTrain goes for a lake swim, a brewery row and forest trails. Base yourself in Vancouver or Burnaby and treat the rest as half-day or day trips.

Where to sleep

5 places in this region

Sleep base

  • BurnabyCity guide

    SkyTrain Expo and Millennium lines, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby Mountain.

    Best May–Sep

    Open Burnaby →

Day trip

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

1 nights
Burnaby base: Deer Lake Park morning, Port Moody breweries and Rocky Point in the afternoon
2 nights
Add a Buntzen Lake or Belcarra day, plus New Westminster boardwalk on the way back
  • Buntzen Lake and Belcarra are the region's biggest summer draw and its biggest parking problem; a car without an early start can mean turning around.
  • Pinecone-Burke Provincial Park is real backcountry: trails are unmarked in places and there is no cell coverage throughout.

Day-trips door to door

ToFromDoor-to-door p50Last returnNote
BurnabyVancouver30 mincheckSkyTrain Expo Line to Metrotown or Production Way; Deer Lake is a bus or 20-minute walk from the station.
Port MoodyVancouver45 mincheckMillennium Line to Moody Centre; Rocky Point Park and the breweries are a short walk from the platform.
New WestminsterVancouver35 mincheckExpo Line to New Westminster station; boardwalk and waterfront are downhill from there.
CoquitlamVancouver55 mincheckMillennium Line to Lafarge Lake-Douglas; Mundy Park needs a bus or a car.
Buntzen Lake (Anmore)Vancouver90 mincheckNo direct rail; bus plus a walk, or drive. Parking is the constraint on summer weekends.

Bags between cities

Luggage storage at hotels in Burnaby and New Westminster is the usual fix; there is no regional forwarding service between the suburbs and downtown Vancouver.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
CountryJFMAMJJASOND
Burnaby
New Westminster
Coquitlam
Port Moody
Port Coquitlam
Canada (country-wide)
Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month
ZoneJFMAMJJASOND
Vancouver eastern suburbsFraser River lowland, Burrard Inlet shore and the Coquitlam foothillswetwetokbestbestbestbestbestbestokwetwet
best: dry, mildok: workablewet: daily rain
Vancouver eastern suburbs
Rain is heaviest November to February; July and August are the driest and warmest months and the only reliable window for lake swimming. Foothill trails hold snow into spring.

The suburbs share Vancouver's climate: mild, wet winters and dry summers. Summer weekends are the crowd peak at every lake and beach.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate
FromToHowp50Note
Vancouver (downtown)Burnaby / New Westminster / CoquitlamSkyTrain Expo and Millennium lines20–55 minTransLink fares are zone-based; tap in and out with a Compass Card or contactless card.
Vancouver International Airport (YVR)Burnaby / New WestminsterSkyTrain Canada Line to Waterfront, then Expo Line~60 min to New WestminsterOne transfer downtown; the airport is on the Canada Line, not the Expo Line.
United States (Seattle, Portland)VancouverAmtrak Cascades train or I-5 by car~4 h by train from SeattleThe train ends in Vancouver; continue east on SkyTrain. Check the current Cascades timetable before booking.

Regional passes

Verdict first

TransLink Compass Card

buy

Load stored value and tap on SkyTrain, SeaBus and buses; the day pass pays off only on a multi-zone day.

TransLink Day Pass

check

Worth it if you cross zones more than twice in a day; run your own legs against the fare table.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works
DishWhereTiming / trap
Brewery-row beer and food trucksPort Moody: Murray St at Rocky Point ParkFour breweries along Murray St, three facing Burrard Inlet; food trucks park nearby. SkyTrain to Moody Centre.
Asian food courts and bakeriesBurnaby: Metrotown and Crystal Mall areaCheap, fast and open through the afternoon; the mall food courts are the value play.
Riverfront pub foodNew Westminster: Columbia St and the quayPatios face the Fraser; the boardwalk is a short walk from the station.

Go next

Lower Mainland

SkyTrain or car from any suburb

The parent region: Vancouver, the North Shore and the Fraser Valley.

North Shore

SkyTrain to downtown, then SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay

Grouse Mountain and Lynn Canyon; a separate day.

Fraser Valley

Car or bus east via Highway 1

Farmland, wineries and the Fraser Canyon approach.

Sea to Sky

Car or bus north via Highway 99

Squamish and Whistler; needs its own day or two.

Sunshine Coast

Ferry from Horseshoe Bay

Book the ferry in summer; foot passengers walk on.

Vancouver southern suburbs

SkyTrain Canada Line or car south

Richmond, Surrey and Delta, south of the Fraser.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep
1 base
Day trips
5, 30 min to 1 h 30
Nights suggested
1–2 nights
Ways in
3 listed
Best months
Apr–Sep

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

Ask about Vancouver eastern suburbs

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