Transit-friendly locations to see cherry blossom in Metro Vancouver
Transit-friendly locations to see cherry blossom in Metro Vancouver
Spring’s here and it means that our streets and parks (as well as social media feeds) will be soon graced by the full bloom of cherry blossoms.
There are over 4,000 cherry trees in Vancouver with different tree types blossoming at various times in March and April. If you are as excited as we are to catch the sight of the pink beauties locally, here is a list of transit-friendly spots in Metro Vancouver that you can check out.
While doing so, don’t forget to stay safe, keep the social distance and wear you masks whenever you’re on the transit system. To plan your trip, check out TransLink’s Trip Planner tool here.
Central Park, Burnaby
Enjoy a dazzling view of the cherry blossoms right by the water at Central Park. The park is located at the Vancouver–Burnaby border, and offers beautiful views and numerous walking trails all year round.
Suggested routes: Expo Line SkyTrain, 49 Metrotown Stn, 19 Metrotown Stn
Art Phillips Park, Downtown Vancouver
You don’t need to walk too far from the Burrard station to catch the sight of cherry blossoms. Every year, the canopies of pink bloom at the Art Phillips Park, a verdant sanctuary tucked into the heart of the city and cleverly integrated with the Burrard SkyTrain station.
Suggested routes: Burrard Station, 002 Downtown
Graveley Street, East Vancouver
Graveley Street city location offers you one block of blooming cheer right in East Vancouver. On Graveley Street, cherry blossom trees line the street from the both sides, forming a beautiful canopy that is impossible to miss. If you will be nearby, don’t forget to get that bloom-worthy shot!
Suggested routes: 16 Arbutus, Millenium Line Skytrain
Garry Point Park, Richmond
Located on the mouth of the Fraser River, Garry Point Park is a large waterfront park and is the home to 255 beautiful Akebono trees. The park provides spectacular vistas across the Salish Sea and beyond to Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands and is considered to be one of the best places to view sunsets in Richmond.
Suggested routes: 401 Steveston, 406 One Road, 407 Gilbert
Nitobe Memorial Garden at UBC, Vancouver
For a truly peaceful experience, make sure to visit the Nitobe Memorial Garden at UBC, where you’ll find colourful cherry trees in a traditional Japanese garden setting.
Suggested routes: 99 UBC B-Line, R4 UBC, 84 UBC
Akali Singh Sikh Temple, Vancouver
Follow the two consecutive city blocks of East 3rd Avenue from Rupert Street to Skeena Street to enjoy the splendid bloom. If you look east from Rupert Street, you’ll get a view of the cherry blossoms perfectly framing Akali Singh Sikh Temple.
Route: Millenium Line Skytrain, 009 Boundary
To explore more hidden gems, head over to Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival website. There you’ll find more information about the virtual events that are offered this year, as well as an interactive map with over 2500 locations for different varieties of cherry blossom tress and their blooming times across Metro Vancouver.
This is such a great thing for us.