Should I Visit Vancouver in April?
There are certain times of the year that I don’t recommend visiting Vancouver, but April is not one of them!
When I think of April in Vancouver, I think of sunny days and blue skies with the occasional rainy day, cherry blossoms and tulip festivals. I’ve also noticed that everyone seems happier in April compared with March because it tends to bring the first signs of a sunny Summer to Vancouver.
Dave and I have lived in Vancouver since late 2021, so we’ve enjoyed quite a few Aprils here and now have quite the collection of things to do.
This guide has everything you need to know about visiting Vancouver in April, including:
- Whether or not I recommend visiting Vancouver in April
- What the weather is like in Vancouver in April
- Best things to do in Vancouver in April
- Reasons not to visit Vancouver in April
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Quick Tips for Visiting Vancouver
Are you visiting Vancouver soon? Here are some quick links and tips to help you plan your trip!
Where to Stay:
Budget
Moderate – We stayed here on our very first night in Vancouver and it was so lovely! I love that it’s not overly expensive but the hotel is still beautiful and clean.
Luxury
Do I need a car for Vancouver: You can get away without a car in Vancouver unless you are planning on travelling to places further away like Squamish or Whistler. In that case, I recommend Rentalcars.com to find the best prices.
Other things to do in Vancouver in Spring:
– Chase some waterfalls
– Hike & Bike around Vancouver
– Do a Seaplane tour to see the North Shore Mountains from the sky!
– Visit a Tulip Festival
Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Vancouver in April
👍 Things that make Vancouver special in April
- Abundance of Cherry Blossoms
- Tulip Festivals
- More sunny days and gorgeous sunsets
- Weather starts getting warmer
- Forests are fluorescent green after all of the rain
👎 Reasons to not visit Vancouver in April
- Mountain trails get a little sloppy and muddy with the melting snow
- Mosquitoes start to appear
- Rainy days can be very unpredictable
- It’s hayfever season
📆 Is April a good time to visit Vancouver?
April is a beautiful time to visit Vancouver. Everything starts blooming and coming alive in April, after what always feels like a long and very grey Winter.
You can still go hiking in Vancouver in April, although the trails at higher elevation in the mountains do become pretty muddy and slushy with the melting snow. You can even go skiing and snowboarding in the local Vancouver mountains. In April, there is plenty to do such as enjoying the breweries, visiting a tulip festival and walking or bike riding around Stanley Park to soak up the sun.
🌸 When is the best time to see the Cherry Blossoms and Tulips in Vancouver?
The best time to see Cherry Blossoms in Vancouver is 100% the very end of March – beginning of April! This can vary from year to year, depending on weather but usually, there will be lots that bloom in the first and second weeks of April. The blossoms then stick around for about 2 weeks if the weather is kind to them.
The Tulip Festivals in and around Vancouver usually begin in mid-April and end in the first or second week of May.
📷 Vancouver in April photos
☂ What is the weather like in Vancouver in April?
Once April hits, the sun tends to come out a lot more in Vancouver. I actually love the April weather because it’s not too hot or too cold and the feeling of finally getting some good old sun is the best!
The temperatures usually range from around 7-14 degrees Celsius but can sometimes be a little hotter, especially with global warming heating everything up sooner in the year.
⬇ Read the below 2 questions for a more in detail answer about snow and rain in Vancouver in April. ⬇
⛄ Is there snow in Vancouver in April?
It does not snow in the city in April, however there is a small chance that the local mountains could have what is called an April storm and get some fresh snow right at the end of the season.
You can usually still ski and snowboard on the local mountains until about mid-April but the snow does tend to get quite slushy. It is really lovely being able to Spring ski in Vancouver though!
🌧 Does it rain in Vancouver in April?
Vancouver usually sees around 12 days of rain on average in April which is a lot less than during the Winter. If you have spent Winter in Vancouver, April will seriously feel like such a sunny month in comparison. I was actually surprised just now to see on google that there are on average 12 rainy days in Vancouver in April because it definitely does not feel like it!
Even if it does rain while you are in Vancouver, you can still get out and about. There are lots of good rainy day hikes to do in Vancouver and pubs and breweries to visit.
👉 Are you visiting Vancouver soon? Read this 1 day Vancouver Itinerary next!
🌅 Sunrise and sunset times in Vancouver in April
In April, the days are starting to get longer, with sunrise at around 6:50am and sunset at around 7:45pm at the beginning of April.
🎿 Can you ski or snowboard in Vancouver in April?
One of the most amazing things about Vancouver in April, is that you can usually still ski and snowboard up in the local mountains and then go paddle boarding at one of the gorgeous lakes down in Vancouver on the same day.
The amount of snow on the local Vancouver mountains purely depends on the year. If you are wanting to try to ski and also see the Cherry Blossoms, I recommend visiting Vancouver in the first week of April. For example, I’m currently writing this on the 4th April 2025 and the Cherry Blossoms are really blooming AND Dave and I went skiing on Cypress Mountain last weekend!
🐻 Are there bears on the trails in Vancouver in April
Technically, bears can be around all-year-round these days, as not all bears are going into hibernation due to the warmer Winters. Any bears that were hibernating, do tend to start making a reappearance on the trails in April so you’ll need to make sure you are bear aware and are carrying bear spray with you on any hiking trails.
😎 Should you visit Vancouver in Spring or in Summer
Personally, I would visit Vancouver in the Summer or Fall but when to visit will depend on what you want to do there. For example, if you want to do lots of mountain hiking, such as Saint Mark’s Summit and famous Panorama Ridge, I would recommend visiting Vancouver during the Summer months to avoid the snow.
Spring is a great time to visit Vancouver if you are primarily wanting to stay in the city and perhaps do some lower elevation hikes such as Quarry Rock or Lynn Canyon Loop.
🎒 What to pack for a trip to Vancouver in April
If you are visiting Vancouver in April, you should be prepared for a mix of weather conditions.
- Fleece
- Puffer Jacket
- Raincoat
- Backpack Raincover
- Bear spray
- Beanie
- Leggings
- Sweater / light jacket
- An umbrella
Micro spikes (if you want to hike in the mountains)
- Headlamp – in case you want to hike for sunrise or sunset to beat the crowds.
- Trekking Poles
- Hiking Boots
- Hiking Socks
- Your Camera!
- A sun hat
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Walking shoes
🛌 Where to stay in Vancouver in April
I recommend staying in Downtown Vancouver or, (if you are like us and love nature and the mountains) North Vancouver.
North Vancouver
North Vancouver is where you want to be if you want easy access to the mountains.
It is close to the 3 local Vancouver mountains, Grouse Mountain, Mount Seymour and Cypress Mountain. This area is located a Seabus ride across the water from Downtown Vancouver, but has its own restaurants, pubs and breweries located on the water at Lower Lonsdale Quay.
We personally both prefer it over in North Vancouver, than in Downtown Vancouver. Some hotels that I recommend looking at in North Van are:
Budget: The Lonsdale Quay Hotel – The Lonsdale Quay Hotel is in a super convenient location right at the waters edge in Lower Lonsdale, making it easy to get Downtown or to walk to restaurants in North Vancouver.
Moderate: Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier – Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier is a harbour-front North Vancouver hotel with a 25m swimming pool and gourmet restaurant on-site! This is the hotel I would choose, if I were to stay in North Vancouver because it’s located right on the harbour and it’s close to the Seabus to get across to Downtown Vancouver.
Luxury: Seaside Hotel North Vancouver – This hotel is has beautiful rooms and is only a 2 minute walk from Lonsdale Quay.
Downtown Vancouver
If you are a fan of the city and being around the hustle and bustle then Downtown Vancouver is for you!
Budget: Grand Park Hotel & Suites Downtown Vancouver, Ascend Hotel Collection – This is a great place to stay if you want to be central but are looking for more affordable accommodation. We stayed here for about 2.5 weeks while we were looking for an apartment and it had everything we needed and was very clean.
Moderate: The Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver – We stayed at the Sutton Place Hotel on our very first night in Vancouver when we landed. It is a gorgeous hotel with great views outside of the city and located very centrally near some great shops like Lululemon.
Luxury: Fairmont Waterfront – Roof top pool with water and mountain views! Need I say more? Also not all that much more expensive than The Sutton Place Hotel!
Things to do in Vancouver in April
🚲 Hike or bike around Stanley Park
Stanley Park is a beautiful place to visit in Vancouver and is located right on the water with views of the North Shore Mountains. In Stanley Park, you will find gorgeous gardens full of flowers and Cherry Blossom trees, as well as the Vancouver Aquarium and a beautiful walking trail that takes you around the entire park.
You can choose to walk or bike ride around the Stanley Park 9km loop. If you want to bike ride around the loop, which is the best way to see Stanley Park, you can hire a bike from Stokes or join a Stanley Park Bike Tour.
🌞 Visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is one of my favourite things to do in Vancouver, especially during December when the festive season is in full swing. It is still a fun thing to do in Vancouver in April, even though the magical Canyon Lights event is not running.
The park has a giant suspension bridge which makes for some great photos and some lovely forest trails where you can explore the forest from both on and above the ground in the tree tops walk.
👉 Book your tickets to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park here!
🌸 See the Cherry Blossoms
April is the best time of the year to see the Cherry Blossoms in Vancouver and they are everywhere! They are usually at their peak at around the last week of March or first week of April.
🌸 Read my Cherry Blossom guide to find the best Cherry Blossom photo spots in Vancouver!
🌷 Visit a Tulip Festival
The Tulip Festivals in and around Vancouver usually open in mid-April but this will depend on the weather conditions that year. A tulip festival is literally a field of tulips, usually on some sort of a farm, which you can purchase tickets to and take photos in the fields, get food and drinks and purchase a bouquet of tulips. It’s a lot of fun and makes for a great half day out!
✈ Do a seaplane tour
One of the best things to do in Vancouver in April, and something that we did when we first moved to Vancouver, was a Seaplane Tour from Waterfront in Downtown Vancouver. The flight takes you over the harbour and up the Howe Sound so that you can see the enormous North Shore Mountains and look back towards Vancouver from the air.
I especially loved seeing Stanley Park from the air! Imagine seeing the Cherry blossoms in Vancouver from the air! I’m sure that would be absolutely stunning!
👉 Book your Seaplane Tour well ahead of time to make sure you don’t miss out!
🌲 Chase some waterfalls
The best time for chasing waterfalls in Vancouver is during Spring while the snow is melting and after all of the rain. Here is a list of the most beautiful waterfalls in and around Vancouver to go see.
🥾 Vancouver hikes in April
There are loads of great hikes to do in Vancouver in April including:
🍻 Have a patio beer
I really do love having an ice cold beer outside in the sun on a patio in Vancouver or North Vancouver. Some of our favourite places to go are:
- Tap and Barrel
- Beere Brewing
- Windfall Cider and Co
💭 Our Thoughts
In my opinion, I think April is one of the best times to visit Vancouver, outside of Summer and Fall. Vancouver in the Fall is also really lovely because you have the festive vibes with the Fall colours and all of the pumpkins and fun Halloween celebrations.
Visiting Vancouver soon? Check out these guides:
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