A First-Timer's Guide to British Columbia

In August 2024, I traveled to Canada for the first time in eight years and visited the city of Whistler for the first time. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in Toronto due to living in Michigan, so visiting British Columbia was a new feeling for me, having only visited Vancouver and Vancouver Island once. In addition, this was not a volunteer trip or a family trip, I just took a vacation with a close friend because we were both in need of some fun. We definitely got it! 

My friend showed me all around Whistler and the surrounding areas, which included a day trip to Vancouver. While the cities all have a different vibe and population, they all share one commonality: plenty of outdoor activities. Here is a list of all the areas we visited as well as descriptions and photos! 

Whistler

Starting with where we stayed and the reason for the trip: Whistler is a town with one of the largest ski resorts in North America but has lots of summer activities as well. While winters include the stereotypical sports like skiing, snowboarding, sledding, etc… Summers include a lot of mountain biking and hiking trails, the Peak 2 Peak gondola at Blackcomb, Olympic Park, a shopping mall at Whistler Village, the Whistler Museum, Trainwreck Trail, Audain Art Museum, several parks with lakes, and Alexander and Brandywine Falls. Brandywine Falls also has a hike to a bungee jumping bridge with Whistler Bungee! This company is actually one of the most popular and trusted bungee jumping companies in the world. It was a last minute decision, but I definitely took the opportunity! 

Whistler Olympic Park! The 2010 Winter Olympic Games were held in Vancouver and Whistler hosted all the Nordic events!

The Whistler Museum is dedicated to Olympic exhibits! 

Alexander Falls. Item of note: There is no hiking trail DOWN to the falls so the view at the top is all you get. Still lovely though! 

Brandywine Falls! This one actually comes with hiking trails! 

When I went last-minute bungee jumping! The bridge is about a 2 mile hike from the falls!

Lakeside Park. You can also rent paddleboards and kayaks here, but it was too cold for swimming. The forest hike and view of the lake is a must, though!

Trainwreck Trail and Suspension Bridge! This is an all in one location: Hike, clear water river, suspension bridge, and graffiti painted abandoned trains. This is a fairly easy trail both uphill and downhill, and immediately after the bridge is the Trainwreck Museum! 

Squamish

About 40 minutes south of Whistler, this town is known for being on the side of the Sea to Sky Highway and its mountains. The vibe is a small town one but at least there are lots of adventure opportunities! While here, my friend and I met a guy at McDonalds who lives in his truck and travels around Canada and has made lots of friends with strangers on the road. We also ran into him again at Stawamus Chief hiking trail. I guess talking to strangers isn’t always a bad thing! 

Squamish also has a Sea to Sky Gondola which is a bit different from Whistler’s Peak 2 Peak, but this is much cheaper and the view is still great! That is the ocean and cloudfall, and do you see how clean the ocean is?! 

Shannon Falls!

The beginning of the Stawamus Chief Trail. It is a challenging uphill climb that we did not complete, but I heard at the top, the views are amazing!

Vancouver 

About an hour and a half south of Whistler, lies the largest city in British Columbia. Since this was only a day trip, my friend and I scheduled a lot of stuff but only ended up doing half of it-which was still a lot! I had been here before back in high school and also visited Vancouver Island then as well. This time around, there was no time for Vancouver Island but if you’re ever staying in Vancouver for more than just a day, check it out! Also, traffic in Vancouver is about as bad as Los Angeles, so be prepared if you’re gonna be driving there! Other than the rage-inducing traffic, this was my favorite part of the trip! Photos will cover the half of the list we ended up doing. 

Stanley Park-This is a great way to see the ocean, and it has both a biker’s and a walker’s path-since both are common ways to get around the park. The scenery isn’t all there is, though! This park includes a beach, a lighthouse in view of the seawall, an aquarium, a garden, totem poles, etc… 

Wanted to include this in here because it’s important! At the Stanley Park beach, they take this very seriously because Canadians care deeply about their environment. That’s why the ocean and air is so clean! Before going, please be aware of this law because it’s just too much money if you come unprepared. 

Lion’s Gate Bridge-my friend’s favorite sight in Vancouver. His last name is Lyon, lol! But, this is also a view you can see at Stanley Park, especially from Prospect point at the top! We also drove on this bridge on the way to the park and it’s a Vancouver icon. 

And… for all you elephant lovers, there is a statue in Vancouver! It is located on a residential street in the South Granville neighborhood but is evolving into a tourist attraction. Of course this was a must for me while in Vancouver.

Queen Elizabeth Park-Very beautiful park with gardens located on top of a little mountain. This is a very fancy park which includes quarry gardens once used for providing road materials in the city, an indoor arboretum, a love lock statue, tennis courts, golf, a restaurant, and is pet friendly as well! My friend and I got lost on the way here and got taken to the park’s baseball stadium instead, so if you wanna go to the gardens, route your GPS to the Bloedel Conservatory instead! 

Science World-A fun attraction for little kids and adults of course. This crystal ball sized building has many interactive games and exhibits including puzzle stations, exercise machines, and science shows! Not as big and expansive as the one in Toronto, but with the creative technology, natural history, and the BodyWorks anatomy exhibitions, it is comparable!

Capilano Suspension Bridge-A popular attraction in North Vancouver, we got here an hour before it closed! And yes, this bridge is as wobbly as it looks, but does not mean it is going to break. This bridge is always going through safety tests and the wobbliness is just part of the plan! Although the bridge is the key spot in the park, other attractions include totem poles, a cliffside walk, gift shops, restaurants, guided forest tours, etc… Definitely stop by! 

Pemberton 

A town about 30 minutes northwest of Whistler, this is a small but scenic area, and a place my friend said he would like to live. This town is full of hiking trails including the Nairn Falls hike and Joffre Lakes. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize that we needed a pass to visit Joffre Lakes at the time, so we had to miss out on it. Bummer! But if you ever would like to visit yourself, do what I didn’t do and get that pass ahead of time! In addition, the weather here is usually warmer than Whistler, so dress accordingly! 

Nairn Falls-Easy hike with amazing views of the fall and the clear water below. Very clean as well, much like the rest of Whistler’s surrounding towns. 

One Mile Lake-Beautiful lake with a beach, docks, and a walking path so visitors can walk all around the lake. You can also rent paddleboards and kayaks here! 

Have more questions about visiting British Columbia? Feel free to contact me and/or check out my social media pages!