On my recent West Coast trip, we started in Canmore and Banff, Alberta, then flew into Victoria, British Columbia and took a bus and ferry to Vancouver. Whistler, British Columbia was our final stop and it was one of the favorite parts of our itinerary besides Canmore and Banff! It was a smaller town but it has some of the best hikes and most jaw-dropping views I’ve ever seen.
Not only does Whistler, British Columbia have a scenic drive from Vancouver through Squamish, but it has an even more picturesque landscape and laid-back feel of British Columbia and is completely surrounded by nature and pristinely kept.
If you’re a nature lover or want to visit a place that is calm and stress-free, you’ll want to add Whistler to your bucket list.
When To Visit Whistler, British Columbia
Like Vancouver, the best time to visit Whistler is similar between the months of May/June to early September. But for skiing and snowboarding lovers, December to March is perfect to enjoy the slopes. The largest ski resort in North America is Whistler Blackcomb which has been appointed as the best ski resort by multiple ski magazines.
When To Book Your Trip To Whistler, British Columbia
Since my Canadian West Coast trip had me visiting Canmore and Banff, Alberta, Victoria, Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, and finally Whistler, British Columbia, I booked my flights and hotels at the beginning of February to save on prices and traveled to Whistler from Vancouver in the first week of July.
I highly recommend booking a vehicle for your trip early as well to lock in good prices and to ensure you actually have a vehicle you’re able to rent!
To help you plan your trip more specifically to your preferences, use my free Pre-Trip Planner and Checklist as well as The Ultimate Guide To Planning Your Trip Abroad so you don’t forget anything and avoid a stressful vacation.
How To Get To Whistler, British Columbia
If you’re coming from outside of British Columbia, Alberta or neighboring States, you’ll need to fly into the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). You will then need . Here are the Best Ways To Save Money On Flights For Your Next Vacation and the Top Websites To Get The Best Flight Deals.
How To Get Around Whistler, British Columbia
To get to Whistler, the best way is to rent a car from Vancouver since that’s the city you’ll be flying into first. That way, you can visit the specific locations you want to at your own pace and not have to waste time having to wait for a car service or public transit. Another option is once you get to Whistler, biking is also a popular way to get around but it will definitely take longer. However, Whistler thankfully does it make it easy for you to get around with their public transit services if you don’t have your own vehicle.
From my West Coast trip experience, I found that I really enjoyed booking a car from Turo and it’s cheaper than booking with a major rental car company. You can also pay a little extra for them to bring the car to your location, or you can meet them at their specified location for free which makes things really convenient especially if you don’t have a lot of time on your trip to Whistler, British Columbia.
Where To Stay In Whistler, British Columbia
For our Whistler stay, we booked our accommodations through Airbnb and it was right by a small plaza which conveniently had food and was only 10 minutes away from the Whistler Village. I recommend staying close to Whistler Village because that’s where all the action and food are. It’ll be very convenient for you to get your meals and get to attractions and hiking trails on this trip. Outside of this area, there are mainly just a lot of roads that lead to different areas where you can get to trails, waterfalls, and lakes.
Most of the time, I prefer booking with Hotels.com since they have great prices (including secret prices if you’re a member) and the ability to redeem a free night’s stay after every 10 stays. I do advise always shopping around for the best prices and the type of accommodations with the amenities you prefer. Here are the Best Ways To Save Money On Hotels For Your Next Vacation.
Where To Eat In Whistler, British Columbia
As I mentioned above, you’ll probably find many great food choices in the Whistler Village area, but below are some of the most highly-rated restaurants you’ll want to visit when you’re in Whistler. Personally, I like sticking to the Japanese and Canadian cuisine when I’m in British Columbia just because it’s so fresh and it tastes so much better than even what I can get in Toronto for the most part, and a lot of dishes are unique to the area. Try to make a reservation for some of the restaurants just in case as they are very popular and do get booked up fast.
Red Door Bistro
Cuisine – French Fusion
Price Range – $$$-$$$$
Why They’re Good – Currently rated as the number one restaurant in Whistler on Trip Advisor, this bistro has an open kitchen behind the bar and offers a French cuisine combined with the West Coast flavor. They have a unique menu that has a variety of different dishes with high-quality meat and you’ll want to try every dish!
Rimrock Café
Cuisine –Seafood
Price Range –$$$$
Why They’re Good – This upscale seafood restaurant started in 1987 and has been rated as one of Canada’s top restaurants many times. With quality food and service, this local café is best known for the fish and game dishes and their large wine list.
Araxi Restaurant & Oyster Bar
Cuisine –Seafood, Steakhouse
Price Range –$$$$
Why They’re Good – Known for their locally-sourced Pacific Northwest dishes, Araxi is home to one of Canada’s leading chefs, James Walt. He is also Whistler’s only chef to cook at the James Beard House in New York City. He has also been voted as the best chef of Whistler. With James working closely with nearby farmers and personally selecting the finest ingredients to use, you’re bound to have one of the best restaurant experiences ever.
Caramba Restaurant
Cuisine – Mediterranean
Price Range –$$
Why They’re Good – For a more casual experience but still with spectacular food, this European-inspired restaurant has multiple Mediterranean dishes to choose from including wood-fired pizzas and seafood with locally-sourced ingredients.
Elements Urban Tapas Parlour
Cuisine – Tapas
Price Range –$$
Why They’re Good – This urban tapas and wine bar provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner with its open kitchen and intimate dining setting. They have been voted as the best breakfast and tapas in Whistler since they have been opened.
21 Steps Kitchen + Bar
Cuisine – Tapas
Price Range –$$
Why They’re Good – This locally owned and operated restaurant has a lounge upstairs called The Attic and offers the same menu but has a more casual atmosphere with views of the Village and the mountains. They are voted as one of the best restaurants for appetizers and value.
3 Day Itinerary To Visit The Best Places In Whistler, British Columbia
Since we are going from Vancouver straight to Whistler, British Columbia, we will be passing through a city called Squamish. You can actually spend a couple of days here just to enjoy exploring the mountains and other outdoor activities – after all, they’re called the “Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada”. However, this trip is all about Whistler so the itinerary below will only include locations and attractions that are actually in Whistler and a small town 25 minutes north of Whistler called Pemberton. I will have another blog post for just Squamish alone since there is so much to do there!
Depending on how much you plan to enjoy the outdoors in Whistler, you can even shorten the trip to 2 full days if you’d like. If you’re an avid nature lover and don’t mind 8+ hours of hikes, you’ll definitely want 3 or 4 days. But as I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, I love hiking and outdoor activities for the final reward at the end – whether it’s a view or a beautiful lake. So I don’t want to be spending more than 5 or 6 hours on a hike for the most part, but of course, there are exceptions depending on where I am. For the locations below, the maximum hours you’ll spend on one trail will be a maximum of 8 hours.
I like to start my day bright and early to make the most out of my vacation time so if you also like to take advantage of the daylight, you’ll be able to visit all the locations I’ve listed per day.
First Day In Whistler, British Columbia
Time Spent –Depending on which trail you choose, it could be between 4 – 8 hours.
Interesting Facts – Garibaldi Provincial Park is known for its beautiful waters, snow-capped mountain tops, abundant wildlife, and many hiking opportunities. Some of the most popular and scenic trails are Garibaldi Lake Trail (6.5 hours), Wedgemount Lake (7 hours), Cheakamus Lake Trail (4 hours), Barrier Lake (5 hours), Black Tusk (5 hours), or Panorama Ridge (5 hours).
2 – Brandywine Falls Provincial Park
Time Spent – 30 minutes to 1.5 hours
Interesting Facts – To easily get to the Brandywine Falls Viewpoint to see the waterfalls without a hike, it is only about a 15-minute walk from the parking lot. You can also hike the Brandywine Falls Trail for about one and a half hours if you like and get to the bottom of the falls.
3 – Trainwreck Trail
Time Spent – 1.5 hours
Interesting Facts – This trail is very unique and interesting as it is basically a trainwreck cemetery where you can get great views of Cheakamus Lake, hike over a suspension bridge, and into a forest of colorful graffiti-ed trains. The trainwreck actually happened in 1958 when they went 20 miles per hour over the speed limit (which was only 15 mph at the time) and caused a crash. The trains were then removed from the nearby railroad and placed in this forest.
4 – Whistler Village Centre
Time Spent – 3 hours at a time (but you’ll likely be visiting this area almost every day if you plan to eat here)
Interesting Facts – Construction of the Whistler Village began in 1978 and is now one of the largest ski towns in North America. As the Winter Olympics was held in Whistler in 2010, and the winter activities started getting more and more popular, local businesses, restaurants, bars, and clubs are thriving in this area – and you can do some shopping here as well.
Second Day In Whistler, British Columbia
1 – Wedge Rafting
Time Spent – 2 hours
Interesting Facts – Not necessarily for everyone, but it is a really fun local activity if you’re up for getting wet and are looking for some real adventure. You’ll be provided with a wetsuit and a guide with this Class 2 and 3 rapids encounter on Green River. They also recommend not wearing any jewelry to ensure you’ll still have it by the end of your experience and to only bring a waterproof camera.
2 – Peak 2 Peak Gondola
Time Spent – 2 hours
Interesting Facts – This gondola lift connects Blackcomb Mountain and Whistler Mountain and you’ll reach elevations of over 7,000 feet. It is about an 11-minute ride and you’ll be seeing Whistler Village from a bird’s-eye view.
3 – Lost Lake Park
Time Spent – 2 hours
Interesting Facts – It takes about 45 minutes to walk this loop trail, but it also has a beach and is safe to swim in! Albeit probably a little cold, it’s a great place to relax and wind down. You can also bike or hike here, have picnics, and even have barbecues. There are also food trucks throughout the year (except maybe late July to early August because of the Western Toad migration).
4 – Scandinave Spa
Time Spent – 3 hours
Interesting Facts – What better way to really relax your sore muscles after days of hiking than to indulge and recharge at the Scandinave Spa with their eucalyptus steam baths, wood-burning sauna, Finnish sauna, Nordic waterfalls and showers, and cold plunge baths. I had an amazing first time at the Mont Tremblant, Quebec Scandinave Spa and what’s even better with the one in Whistler are the mountain views!
Third Day In Whistler, British Columbia
On your last day in Whistler, British Columbia, I didn’t want to add too much to the itinerary as you’ll probably need to be heading back to Vancouver, or wherever your next stop may be. This gives you some time to still enjoy the vast nature that Whistler has to offer, get in one last delicious meal in the area, and get ready for a drive back.
1 – Nairn Falls Provincial Park
Time Spent – 1 hour
Interesting Facts – In the Pemberton area, the Nairn Falls Trail takes under 1 hour to complete and lets you walk down to the river banks. You’ll see a gorgeous and strong waterfall and a fast-rushing river. You’ll see a second waterfall if you follow the unmarked fence below the upper deck of the falls.
2 – Joffre Lakes Provincial Park
Time Spent – 4 to 5 hours
Interesting Facts – This has been my favorite hike I’ve ever done so far, with 3 glacier-fed turquoise lakes. As you keep climbing higher and higher on the mountain, each lake literally gets better and better. And you get a rushing waterfall right before you get to the most beautiful lake at the top. It also has the least amount of people when I went so it was great to have it almost all to myself. This ended our Whistler, British Columbia trip beautifully and we left very happily.
Tips For Hiking The Whistler, British Columbia Area
1 – Watch out for animals, especially bears. Be prepared to bring bear spray if you can and ensure you know how to respect and react to certain animal encounters. Locals have also told us that they’ve seen bikers being chased by bears! There are bear tours if you are so inclined and have money to waste, but we did the tour on our last day and we didn’t think it was worth the money or the time. You’ll likely see a lot of animals and occasionally bears on your drive to Whistler and/or your other hikes anyway. A tour guide drove us around in a Jeep in the Olympic Park with another couple and 50% of our tour was spent looking for bears and the other 50% was only watching 2 bears about to mate.
2 – Download an offline map before visiting. Half the time you’ll lose reception on your phone and you don’t want to get lost driving.
3 – Download the All Trails app if you plan to go hiking as that is even more accurate than Google Maps since it takes into account unmarked roads and paths.
4 – Check the locations you want to visit ahead of time as there could be sudden unexpected closures.
5 – Stay to the right if you are unfamiliar with driving on mountainous roads.
6 – Here are 13 Things You Absolutely Need To Bring On A Hike.
7 – Here are 22 Vital Lessons Learned On My Summer Road Trips.
If you want to connect your Whistler, British Columbia to a bigger West Coast Canada trip like I did, you can start from Canmore and Banff, Alberta to Victoria, British Columbia, to Vancouver, British Columbia, and finally to Whistler.
For more travel itineraries, visit Destinations.