Top Tips for visiting Whistler, BC

Whistler has got to be one of the most popular destinations in Canada, especially for Australians. Seriously, with all the Aussie accents I heard while I was there, I felt like I was back home! It’s unsurprising that it is such a popular place, as it’s incredibly beautiful and there’s loads to do! I would absolutely love to visit in Winter and go skiing, because I hear it is excellent. However, I did manage to visit in Summer as part of my Moose Bus tour and had a great time! Below, I will be sharing my top tips for visiting Whistler, as well as some amazing places to stop along the way if you’re driving from Vancouver.

Whistler Guide

Whistler is such a cute little town! It has the most beautiful buildings and, like most other cities in British Columbia, the city is full of colourful flower baskets in the summer. I highly recommend taking some time to wander around the town to just take it all in. There’s lots of nice cafes where you can grab a coffee (or hot chocolate) or buy a cute post card to send home. I also highly recommend a visit to the markets if they’re on – I bought a punnet of the world’s freshest raspberries for the bus ride back to Vancouver.

Where to stay: HI Whistler

If you’re visiting Whistler, no doubt you’d like some tips on where to stay! If you’re looking for cheap accommodation, you can’t go past the HI. This is one of my favourite hostels I’ve ever stayed in. Seriously. When I stayed there in 2016, it was still very new and everything was in excellent condition. The hostel was originally part of the athlete’s village for the 2010 winter Olympics, which makes for a pretty cool place to stay if you ask me! The shared rooms were fantastic, with only four beds per room and one bathroom shared between eight people, almost like an ensuite. The only downside to this accommodation is that it is not in the middle of town. However, it’s only a short drive away and there’s a bus stop right outside the hostel.

For the thrill-seekers: Whistler Bungee

Bungee jumping is one of those things I’d never do in a million years. I’m a huge scaredy-cat! However, on our first day in Whistler, I found myself on the bus heading to the Whistler Bungee Bridge.

The way I’ve written this makes it seem like I did end up jumping. I didn’t. I was just the camera-woman. It was scary enough just watching, thank you!!!

If you are one of those crazy people who would like to go bungee jumping, Whistler is a beautiful place to do it. Honestly, being the camera-woman on the trip was worth it for the view. The bridge stretches over a river of the brightest blue and is surrounded on all sides by green conifers. It’s honestly mind-blowing. Click here to visit the Whistler Bungee site for more info.

For the nature-lovers: hikes on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains

I highly recommend heading up Whistler and Blackcomb mountains to go for a hike and explore. If you only take on one of my tips for visiting Whistler, I hope it’ll be this one! There are plenty of trails to choose from, varying from the easy to the difficult. You can find the trail map for both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains by clicking here.

It’s been almost four years now since I visited Whistler (time flies, hey!) so I don’t remember exactly which trails I hiked. On Blackcomb, I believe we followed the Alpine Loop trail a short way to try spot some wildlife. We didn’t have time to explore any further and were unsuccessful, unfortunately, however if you have more time I would recommend doing the whole Alpine Loop. On Whistler, we spent a bit more time and took the Spearhead Loop and possibly continued onto the Harmony Loop. On these loops, we admired beautiful wildflowers and lakes, and even spotted a chipmunk. We did these walks early in the morning and were surrounded with mist, which created an unreal atmosphere.

Getting up and around the mountains

I highly recommend getting a gondola pass for Whistler and Blackcomb. It was super easy to catch the gondola up to the Roundhouse Lodge and Umbrella Bar near Whistler’s peak and then take the Peak 2 Peak between the two mountains. The gondola pass also provides access to other chairs on the mountain, including the Peak Express Chair to the top of Whistler Mountain. On the Peak 2 Peak, some gondolas have glass bottoms to provide a different view of the mountains. It’s not worth queuing up for one of these gondolas, though, because all you can see below is trees.

If you’re short on money or feeling extremely energetic, it is possible to hike to the top of Blackcomb Mountain. It’s classed as difficult (black), though, so I wouldn’t recommend it to any but the fittest visitors. You can find this trail on the map I linked above.

For the view-seekers: Top of the World Summit

For the ultimate view, head up the Peak Express Chair to the Top of the World Summit. Whether it’s a clear day or you’re above the clouds, you’re sure to get a stunning view. It was pretty cold going up on the chair so be prepared for that. However, the view we got at the top was totally worth it. Despite it being cloudy further down the mountain, we got a fantastic view at the top, given that we were above the clouds and could see other snow-covered mountain peaks sticking out. I don’t think my description is doing it justice so I’ll just let you check out the cover photo for this post! Make sure you get that classic Canadian shot with the Inukshuk while you’re there!

Where to stop along the way

I couldn’t share tips for visiting Whistler without covering some of the beautiful places to stop along the way! The drive from Vancouver to Whistler is absolutely stunning. They don’t call it the Sea to Sky Highway for nothing! Below, I’ve written about just a few of the places you could stop to stretch your legs, explore and admire some seriously beautiful views! If you want some more ideas on where to stop, check out this post by Tourism Vancouver.

Shannon Falls

58 km north of Vancouver just off the Sea to Sky Highway, you’ll find Shannon Falls. This waterfall is the 3rd tallest in British Columbia at 335 m tall and is quite beautiful. Whilst it’s not possible to see the whole falls from the viewpoint (at least the one we visited on my tour), it is quite impressive seeing it disappear into the clouds above.

Brandywine Falls

If I told you to imagine a classic waterfall, Brandywine Falls is probably what you’d think of. The waterfall is 70m tall, so not huge, but the water cascades so beautifully and the surrounding area is stunning too. Also, if the light hits it right, you might get to see a rainbow! If you have more time, there seems to be some interesting hikes in the area, which could be really nice to check out. The walk to the falls lookout is only around 10 minutes one way from the car park.

Alice Lake Provincial Park

Alice Lake Provincial Park is a great place to stop for lunch. With a huge grassy area to sit on, it’s an excellent spot for a picnic. It’s very popular, though, so be prepared to share your patch of grass with lots of other families! Most of my tour-mates will also testify that it’s a great place to go for a swim. I mentioned in my last post that I’m way too much of a wimp to swim and here was no exception. Canada just isn’t hot enough for me, even in summer!

I hope you’ve found my tips for visiting Whistler helpful and that it’s inspired you to visit yourself! If you’re planning a trip to Canada in summer, make sure you check out my other summer guides:

• Vancouver
• Vancouver Island
• Road trip: Vancouver to Banff
• Banff
• Jasper (summer and winter)

This is my final summer guide to Canada. However, I still have plenty of Canada content to come! Coming next week: your winter guide to Canmore and Banff, Alberta.

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