Whistler, Canada: Skiing, Hiking & Year-Round Adventure

The only better way to see the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains than from the Peak 2 Peak Gondola is to fly like a bird. The three-cable gondola connects the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain with the Rendezvous Restaurant on Blackcomb Mountain. At 1.88 miles, it is the world’s longest span between the two ropeway towers. It is also the highest gondola that operates above ground at 1,430 feet.

The gondola services skiers going to the mountain during the winter, as well as tourists who are excited to see the mountains from a completely new angle. Peak to Peak Gondola tours include a visit to the machine room of the gondola, a special presentation on the gondola and the sights it offers, and other activities on either mountain. It is the first gondola in the world to connect two mountains standing next to each other.

4010 Whistler Way, Whistler, Canada, Phone: 800-944-7853

While watching bobsleigh or luge competitions on TV, did you ever wonder how it feels to zip down the narrow ice tube at the speed of a racecar? Now you can experience it for yourself at the Whistler Sliding Centre, the world’s fastest ice track. When athletes are not using the Centre to prepare for various international competitions, visitors are invited to check out this amazing facility or even experience the high-speed action first-hand.

Jump into a four-person bobsleigh guided by a bobsleigh pilot for an adrenaline-loaded ride at speeds of more than 125 kilometers per hour. If that is not enough adventure for you, throw yourself headfirst on a skeleton from the starting point at Maple Leaf and fly through six corners at speeds of up to 100 km per hour.

4910 Glacier Lane, Whistler, Canada, Phone: 604-964-0040

Founded in 1986 by Florence Petersen to preserve the history of Whistler, the Whistler Museum and Archives preserves and presents the history and stories of Whistler Valley. Located on Main Street behind the Whistler Public Library, the museum offers activities and programs for children such as interactive exhibits, activity books, a “tickle trunk,” and much more.

Education programs can be conducted in classrooms, and the museum often serves as a destination for field trips. For adults, the museum has programs and special events like the Peterson Film Collection, the Valley of Dreams Walking Tour, Crafts in the Park, and Feeding the Spirit. The museum is open every day.

4333 Main Street, Whistler, Canada, Phone: 604-932-2019

Whistler is all about breathtaking vistas and heart-pounding experiences, and Ziptrek Ecotours offer the best possible combination of both: flying 50 miles per hour over the treetops, crossing deep gorges 180 feet above ground, and dropping down hundreds of feet – Ziptrek tours are the ultimate in ziplining experience.

The tours cover more than 33 acres of ancient rain forest, steep cliff faces, and lush, soft forest floor between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, crossing the Fitzsimmons Creek. They have a range of tours available, and you are guaranteed to find one to suit your adrenaline craving. One of the most popular is Bear Tour, a three-hour, five ziplines, and four treetop bridges tour suitable for all experience levels and ages. This is an adventure to bring your kids on. Phone: 604-935-0001

No Whistler adventure would be complete without checking out the Whistler Brewing Company. Established in 1989, they spearheaded the craft brewing movement in British Columbia with the firm belief that there is more to beer than what the big companies were offering. Take a tour of their brewery in Function Junction to see how it all works or join the crowds at their popular taproom to taste their latest, or most popular, beers.

Tours are organized twice a day and include tasting of their products. The Tap Room has live music once a week. They believe that each of their bottles has a bit of Whistler in it, and the names of their beers are inspired by the wilderness around the village; Lost Lake Unfiltered IPA, Powder Mountain Lager, and Whiskey Jack Ale are just a few of the varieties you will find.

1045 Millar Creek Rd, Whistler, Canada, Phone: 604-962-8889

Adrenaline junkies do not have to wait for white powder to cover the slopes in the wintertime to get their blood flowing. Whistler Mountain Bike Park has 70 fabulous trails that travel throughout three different mountain zones. It offers more terrain than any other North American bike park. Bikers can load their bikes onto the Creekside Gondola to access the Garbanzo Zone trails.

Whistler Bike Park is a gravity-fed downhill biking trail that offers the ultimate experience for intermediate and advanced bikers, and it draws bikers from all over the world. The park also organizes a mountain bike school with instructions on advanced biking, trails, and safety. Besides the three mountain zones, the park also has a few green trails, several technical double blacks, jump trails, and even indoor biking.

4545 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, Canada, Phone: 800-766-0449

If you do not mind swimming in cold water, you can take a short hike from the Whistler Village down Valley Trail and find yourself on the coast of beautiful, blue, and tranquil Lost Lake where you can take a refreshing plunge. The lake has a nice sandy beach that actually used to be a nude beach before the hotel development changed the clothing policy. The nature trail around the lake is an easy one-hour loop offering a pleasant hike.

The park around the lake has picnic and barbecue facilities, a restroom, and a rental facility for bikes, skis, or snowshoes. During the summer, the park’s 25 kilometers of trails are especially popular among bikers while the cross-country skiers take over in the winter. The trail is also suitable for snowshoeing.

The Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation have lived in the Whistler area as friendly neighbors for millennia. Their rich cultures are based on ancient traditions that continue to evolve in today’s contemporary world, and they have built the Centre to preserve their cultures and art and to share them with visitors. The Centre’s building is located on the edge of the forest and is designed to incorporate the Squamish longhouses,

Lil’wat traditional Istken (earthen pit house), and modern architecture. The Centre contains a number of permanent and temporary exhibitions, an outdoor Longhouse, a craft area, and a theatre, and it also offers a guided forest walk. The facility also has an archival museum, contemporary art gallery, a shop, and a restaurant.

Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, 4584 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, Canada, Phone: 866-441-7522

Located on Northlands Boulevard, Whistler Eco Tours has been offering guided tours in the Whistler area since 2011. Experienced interpretive guides lead visitors on bike, canoe, hiking, and kayak tours and share information about the local geology, history, and wildlife. Some of the wildlife you might see includes black bears, eagles, otters, and more.

Whistler Eco Tours offers a tour called the River of Golden Dreams, which starts at Alta Lake and continues across the Whistler Wetlands to a glacier river and finally to Green Lake. The three-hour tour can be done by canoe or by kayak, and it can be self-guided, staff-guided for groups, or privately self-guided.

4315 Northlands Boulevard, Whistler, Canada, Phone: 604-935-4900