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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Burnaby
Base in Burnaby only if you want cheaper beds and SkyTrain access to Vancouver: 20 min to downtown, 1–2 nights, not a sightseeing destination.
Burnaby is a Vancouver suburb of 223,000 people, not a standalone stop. Its value is practical: Metrotown and Brentwood give cheaper hotel rooms on the Expo and Millennium SkyTrain lines, 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver, plus two lakes, a heritage village and a mountain park if you want a slow half-day. Most travellers sleep here to cut costs and ride in.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep; May and Sep are quieter and cheaper
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (rain, short days)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–230 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$3–6 |
| Noodle or rice bowl | C$14–20 |
| Beer: draught in a pub / can at a liquor store | C$8–10 / C$3–5 |
| SkyTrain or bus fare, one zone | C$3.20–4.65 (check) |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | C$18–25 |
| Burnaby Village Museum entry | C$6–12, carousel C$2 per ride (check) |
| Burnaby Central Railway train ride | C$3.50 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YVR · Vancouver International
- Canada Line to downtown, then SkyTrain; about 45–60 min to Metrotown by transit, 25–35 min by car (check)
Typical fares
- SkyTrain Metrotown → downtown Vancouver
- about C$3.20–4.65 one zone, 20 min (check)
- YVR → Metrotown by transit
- about C$10, 45–60 min (check)
- Taxi Metrotown → downtown Vancouver
- C$35–50, 25–35 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
TransLink runs the SkyTrain (Expo and Millennium lines loop through Burnaby), buses and the West Coast Express. Tap a contactless credit card or mobile wallet, or buy a Compass Card ($6 refundable deposit); transfers last 90 minutes. Zone fares apply on SkyTrain and SeaBus on weekdays before 6:30 pm; buses are one zone at all times. Children 12 and under ride free. From downtown Vancouver to Metrotown is about 20 min on SkyTrain.TransLink runs the SkyTrain (Expo and Millennium lines loop through Burnaby), buses and the West Coast Express. Tap a contactless credit card or mobile wallet, or buy a Compass Card ($6 refundable deposit); transfers last 90 minutes. Zone fares apply on SkyTrain and SeaBus on weekdays before 6:30 AM pm; buses are one zone at all times. Children 12 and under ride free. From downtown Vancouver to Metrotown is about 20 min on SkyTrain.
See and do
Known for
- Metropolis at Metrotown and Crystal Mall
- Deer Lake Park and Burnaby Village Museum
- Burnaby Lake Regional Park
- Burnaby Mountain and SFU
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | SkyTrain Expo Line from Metrotown to downtown | About 20–25 min |
| New Westminster | SkyTrain Expo Line | About 15 min |
| Coquitlam | SkyTrain Millennium Line to Lafarge Lake–Douglas | About 30–40 min |
| Port Moody | SkyTrain Millennium Line to Moody Centre | About 25 min |
| Port Coquitlam | SkyTrain to Coquitlam Centre, then bus | About 50–60 min |
Sleep
- Metrotown
- Expo Line, biggest mall in the area, most hotel rooms; 20 min to downtown Vancouver.
- Brentwood
- Millennium Line, newer towers and mall; good for Coquitlam and Port Moody side.
- Lougheed Town Centre
- Expo and Millennium lines meet; cheapest beds, 30 min to downtown.
- Burnaby Heights (Hastings St)
- Low-rise, cafés and delis, buses to downtown; few hotels.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Sorry / Excuse me | Sorry |
| Two tickets, please | Two tickets, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the SkyTrain station? | Where is the SkyTrain station? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Zone fares on SkyTrain rise on weekday daytimes: tap the same card in and out or you pay the maximum.
- Cash on buses gives no change and no transfer.
- Deer Lake and Burnaby Lake paths flood or turn muddy after heavy rain.
- Burnaby Village Museum is seasonal: closed most of the year outside May–early Sep and late Nov–Dec.
- Ride-hailing (Uber, Lyft, Kabu) works but is thin late at night; taxis are the fallback.
Burnaby is a normal, safe suburb by Canadian standards; the real issues are rain, dark unlit park trails after dusk and petty theft around Metrotown. Use 911 for emergencies.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Burnaby yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Metropolis at Metrotown and Crystal Mall
- Deer Lake Park and Burnaby Village Museum
- Burnaby Lake Regional Park
- Burnaby Mountain and SFU
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Burnaby: www.burnaby.ca/
- TransLink: www.translink.ca/
- Burnaby Village Museum: www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca/
- Metro Vancouver regional parks: metrovancouver.org/services/regional-parks/park/burnaby-lake-regional-park
- Wikivoyage: Burnaby, revision 5104642 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5104642
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Burnaby
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Most embassies and consulates for Canada are in Ottawa or Vancouver; check your country's list before you travel.
Tipping is expected in Canada: 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/burnaby). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.