Sakura in Vancouver
Closest to Japan in terms of both distance and climate, Vancouver and its surrounding area boast several locations to enjoy hanami the likes of which you could expect to see in Japan! Browse the list below for a small sampling, and check Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (vcbf.ca) for specific events, sakura maps, and bloom forecasts!
Stanley Park
Throughout Stanley Park, there are not only many different locations to enjoy hanami, but several different types of trees as well. The earliest trees here were donated in the 1930s by the government of Japan, as a tribute to the Japanese-Canadian soldiers who fought in the first world war. Visitors be advised that sakura here are most concentrated between the bus loop and the Japanese Canadian War Memorial.
Queen Elizabeth Park
Home to several different varieties of sakura, this mountaintop park full of sprawling grass is one of the choice spots in Vancouver to enjoy a picnic beneath the trees. The cherry blossom trees are densest toward the west entrance off of 33rd avenue, and the south entrance off of 37th.
Nitobe Memorial Garden Sakura/ University of British Columbia
This traditional Japanese garden, located amid the University of British Columbia’s campus, is revered as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan – so naturally, it is home to sakura! Though the sight of the garden’s sakura being reflected by the pond is beautiful, at a modest one hectare, the amount of sakura the garden can hold is limited. Thankfully, this campus is home to plenty of other sakura trees – whether at the Asian Centre, botanical garden, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, or the lower mall, UBC’s boasts several choice spots to enjoy the blossoms.
Check out UBC’s guide for more info:
5 Places to See Cherry Blossoms at UBC in Vancouver | Visit UBC Vancouver campus attractions
Burrard Street Station
Nearly mistakeable for the scenery of a Japanese city, this dense pathway of sakura trees is located next to Vancouver’s Burrard Skytrain Station in the downtown’s west end. Beneath the trees are several benches, where visitors can take a load off and bask amid the blossoms.
