Burnaby travel guide
Lakes, mountain trails and Metrotown, on two SkyTrain lines
A park-heavy city next to Vancouver with two SkyTrain lines and the province's largest mall. Come May to September, when the trails are dry. One day covers it, or stay here and ride into Vancouver. Visa-exempt visitors arriving by air need a Canadian eTA.
Burnaby fills the middle of the Burrard Peninsula, directly east of Vancouver. About a quarter of its land is park. Towers, film studios and tech offices make it a working city rather than a sight in itself, yet two SkyTrain lines turn it into an easy base, and the green spaces give a reason to linger.
Birdwatchers head to Burnaby Lake Regional Park. From Piper Spit you can often see beavers and muskrats, and a loop trail circles the water. Deer Lake has boat rentals, the Burnaby Village Museum and Hart House restaurant on its shore. On Burnaby Mountain, Simon Fraser University sits above a web of hiking and mountain-bike trails.
Metropolis at Metrotown, the largest mall in British Columbia, draws the crowds. For food, Hastings Street in Burnaby Heights is better. Its delis and bakeries are neighbourhood favourites, Anton's serves heaped plates of pasta and Cockney Kings fries some of the best fish and chips in the province. In summer, locals swim at Barnet Marine Park on Burrard Inlet.
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Top things to do in Burnaby
Two lakes, a forested mountain and a giant mall, all on the SkyTrain.
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Best time to visit Burnaby
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
July and August see only about 65 mm of rain each at the SFU weather station, the window for lake loops, the Confederation Park miniature railway and swims at Barnet Marine Park.
November averages over 300 mm of rain and highs sit around 5C to 8C in midwinter; Metrotown and the Burnaby Village Museum become the fallback.
Burnaby Central Railway's miniature trains run only on weekends and statutory holidays, from Good Friday to Canadian Thanksgiving in October.
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Getting there
Canada Line to Waterfront, then the Expo Line out to Metrotown
From Vancouver International Airport (YVR), ride the Canada Line north to Waterfront, then the Expo Line back east to Patterson, Metrotown or Edmonds, since no SkyTrain line runs straight to Burnaby. Allow about an hour for the trip, or take a taxi across Vancouver. For Brentwood or Lougheed, stay on to Commercial-Broadway and switch to the Millennium Line. A taxi or ride-hail car from YVR is quicker, usually 30 to 45 minutes depending on the bridges and traffic. Long-distance trains and coaches use Pacific Central Station in Vancouver, beside Main Street-Science World, which is on the Expo Line and a direct ride to Metrotown. From the Fraser Valley, BC Transit route 66 runs from Chilliwack via Abbotsford and Langley to Lougheed Town Centre station.
- Canada Line + Expo Line
- YVR to Waterfront, then east to Metrotown, about an hour
- Pacific Central Station
- VIA Rail, Amtrak and intercity coaches; Expo Line from Main Street-Science World
- Fraser Valley Express (route 66)
- Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Langley to Lougheed Town Centre
- By car
- Highway 1, Kingsway, Hastings Street or the Lougheed Highway
- Tap the same contactless card or Compass card at the airport gates and on every transfer; leaving YVR by Canada Line carries a surcharge on the fare.
Where to stay
Metrotown towers, Brentwood or the Lougheed interchange
Book within a short walk of a SkyTrain station and Burnaby becomes a cheaper, quieter base for downtown Vancouver. Metrotown has towers beside the biggest mall and the Expo Line, Brentwood sits on the Millennium Line with newer hotels, and Lougheed is the interchange for both lines.
- Metrotown
- Expo Line, Metropolis mall and the Kingsway food courts; busy and built-up, but the most convenient
- Brentwood
- New towers and The Amazing Brentwood mall on the Millennium Line, close to Burnaby Heights
- Lougheed
- Both SkyTrain lines meet here, handy for Burnaby Mountain and buses east, though it feels like a suburb
- Kingsway and Still Creek
- Older motor hotels such as the Accent Inn and Best Western Kings Inn, fine with a car
Getting around
Expo and Millennium trains, the R5 up to SFU and Compass taps
Use TransLink's SkyTrain and buses in Burnaby: the Expo Line serves Metrotown and Edmonds, the Millennium Line serves Brentwood and Lougheed, and the R5 rapid bus climbs to Simon Fraser University. Tap a Compass card, contactless bank card or phone wallet at the gates and tap out when leaving SkyTrain. Tap a Compass card, a contactless Visa, Mastercard or Amex, or a phone wallet at the gates and on buses, and tap out again when you leave SkyTrain, because weekday fares go up as you cross zones. The Expo Line crosses the south of the city through Metrotown; the Millennium Line serves the north through Brentwood, Sperling-Burnaby Lake and Production Way-University. Burnaby Mountain is the one place where a bus beats the train: the R5 Hastings RapidBus climbs from downtown Vancouver along Hastings Street to Simon Fraser University, and route 145 runs up from Production Way-University station in about 10 minutes. The Central Valley Greenway and BC Parkway cycle paths follow the SkyTrain lines if you prefer to ride.
- Expo Line
- Waterfront to Patterson, Metrotown, Royal Oak and Edmonds
- Millennium Line
- Brentwood, Sperling-Burnaby Lake, Production Way-University and Lougheed
- Buses to SFU
- R5 along Hastings Street, or the 145 from Production Way-University station
- Cycling
- BC Parkway under the Expo Line, Central Valley Greenway past Burnaby Lake
- Evenings and weekends are a single fare zone on SkyTrain, which makes trips into Vancouver cheaper then.
Know before you go
What makes Burnaby worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- Piper Spit at Burnaby Lake, where waterbirds and the odd beaver come close to the boardwalk.
- The miniature railway in Confederation Park, through forest, over trestles and into tunnels on summer weekends.
- Burnaby Heights on Hastings Street, for delis, bakeries and Cockney Kings fish and chips.
Good to know
- The western end of Barnet Marine Park is off-leash, so set up a picnic further east unless you want to share it with dogs.
- Rain sets in from October; pack a waterproof for any trail day.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Burnaby, month by month
Wet, mild winters and dry summers, as across Metro Vancouver.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Burnaby (Environment Canada, via Wikipedia).
Piper Spit, Deer Lake and Burnaby Mountain from dawn to dusk
Burnaby is best seen park by park. Walk Piper Spit in Burnaby Lake Regional Park early, from the end of Piper Avenue, to see herons, ducks and sometimes beavers from the boardwalk, spend midday around Deer Lake, and end at sunset on Burnaby Mountain, above Simon Fraser University, for views over Burrard Inlet.
Get to Burnaby Lake Regional Park early, through the entrance at the end of Piper Avenue, and walk out along Piper Spit while the water is still. Herons, ducks and the odd beaver or muskrat show up close to the boardwalk before the crowds. The full loop trail around the lake takes most of a morning; if time is short, do the north side and come back.
Drive or take a short bus ride to Deer Lake Park for the middle of the day. The Burnaby Village Museum recreates a 1920s town, with an old carousel that children still ride; an hour is enough for most visitors. Eat at Hart House, the Tudor-style mansion turned restaurant on Deer Lake Avenue, or picnic on the lawn and rent a canoe at the lake's seasonal boat rental.
Save the late afternoon for Burnaby Mountain. Simon Fraser University's concrete campus is worth a walk through, then head to Burnaby Mountain Park on the western shoulder, where carved Ainu poles stand on the lawn above the view of Burrard Inlet, the North Shore mountains and downtown Vancouver. Mountain bikers and hikers have trails on every side. Come down to Hastings Street for dinner. With young children on a summer weekend, swap the mountain for the miniature trains of Burnaby Central Railway in Confederation Park.
Italian delis on Hastings and noodles off Kingsway
Burnaby eats in two directions. Along Hastings Street in Burnaby Heights, between Willingdon and Gilmore, the old Italian community left delis, bakeries and espresso bars, Anton's serves vast bowls of pasta, and Cockney Kings fries fish and chips. Around Metrotown and along Kingsway, Asian noodle shops serve quick everyday lunches.
Burnaby eats in two directions. Along Hastings Street in Burnaby Heights, roughly between Willingdon and Gilmore, the old Italian community left delis, bakeries and espresso bars that still pull in people from across the city. Anton's is the place for vast bowls of pasta, so come hungry or share. Further east, Cockney Kings has been frying fish and chips on East Hastings for years and regularly turns up in local best-of lists.
South of the Lougheed Highway, the city tilts towards Asia. The food courts around Metrotown, especially Crystal Mall at Kingsway and Willingdon, are packed with counters for hand-pulled noodles, Taiwanese snacks, dumplings and bubble tea, and Kingsway itself is lined with Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants. This is everyday eating, and it is where locals go for a quick lunch.
For something slower, Hart House at Deer Lake serves lunch and dinner in an early-1900s mansion with lawns running to the water. In summer, the patio at Hop and Vine on Burnwood Drive, near Burnaby Lake, is a sunny spot for a beer and a burger after a walk round the lake.
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How we research our Burnaby travel guide
We follow the City of Burnaby, Destination Canada and the eTA rules for this page, and TransLink for fares and SkyTrain changes.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Burnaby.
Getting there
Canada Line to Waterfront, then the Expo Line east for Metrotown, or change at Commercial-Broadway onto the Millennium Line for Brentwood. Allow about an hour.
Take the R5 RapidBus along Hastings Street, or ride the Millennium Line to Production Way-University and catch route 145 up the hill.
Stay & facilities
Yes. Metrotown has direct Expo Line trains to Waterfront. From Brentwood, ride the Millennium Line to Commercial-Broadway and change there to the Expo Line for downtown.
Dozens of small counters for noodles, dumplings, Taiwanese snacks and bubble tea, with more Korean and Chinese restaurants along Kingsway.
General
From Piper Spit, reached from the end of Piper Avenue. Early morning gives the best chance of beavers and muskrats near the boardwalk.
Yes, it is Burnaby's summer beach on the inlet. Set up away from the western end, which is an off-leash dog area.
July and August, with about 65 mm of rain each. May, June and September are also reasonable; November is the wettest month.
A reconstructed 1920s village with shops, homes and a working carousel, next to Deer Lake Park and Hart House.
Yes, the western lookout shows Burrard Inlet, the North Shore peaks and downtown Vancouver, framed by carved Ainu poles.
Use TransLink's SkyTrain and buses in Burnaby: the Expo Line serves Metrotown and Edmonds, the Millennium Line serves Brentwood and Lougheed, and the R5 rapid bus climbs to Simon Fraser University. Tap a Compass card, contactless bank card or phone wallet at the gates and tap out when leaving SkyTrain. Tap a Compass card, a contactless Visa, Mastercard or Amex, or a phone wallet at the gates and on buses, and tap out again when you leave SkyTrain, because weekday fares go up as you cross zones.
Timing & weather
Weekends and statutory holidays from Good Friday to Canadian Thanksgiving, 11 am to 5 pm, in Confederation Park off Penzance Drive.
The best time to visit Burnaby is May to Sep. The driest months for Burnaby Mountain trails, Deer Lake and the beach at Barnet Marine Park.
- Best overall: May - September (July and August see only about 65 mm of rain each at the SFU weather station, the window for lake loops, the Confederation Park miniature railway and swims at Barnet Marine Park)
- Wet season: October - April (November averages over 300 mm of rain and highs sit around 5C to 8C in midwinter; Metrotown and the Burnaby Village Museum become the fallback)
July is the warmest month in Burnaby, with average highs of 21°C, and January the coolest, with lows of 1°C. November is the wettest month, at about 312 mm of rain; July is the driest. Wet, mild winters and dry summers, as across Metro Vancouver.
Visa & documents
Visa-exempt travelers, including citizens of the UK, the EU and Australia, need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or through Canada. US citizens need only a passport. Other nationalities need a visitor visa.
Health & safety
Canada's main risks are natural: wildlife, summer wildfires and extreme winter cold. Store food properly in bear country, check wildfire and road conditions before summer drives, and carry winter gear when driving in snow. Call 911 for police, fire or ambulance anywhere in the country.
