Okay, so this is a “Province Guide” and not a “City Guide”. Suzanne has lived in British Columbia (BC) her whole life, so we feel like we can provide some must-dos while visiting our beautiful province. With beaches, mountains, lakes, and vineyards, BC is bound to have something for you.
Once thing to keep in mind is that Canada’s most western province of BC is big. People often underestimate how big Canadian provinces are. Additionally, many of the highways can be quite dangerous during the winter, so if you’re not an experienced winter driver (and sometimes even if you are), we do not recommend driving the highways in the winter. The stops on this list are not necessarily close together, so if you’re hoping to see all these spots on one trip, you can expect to drive, bus, or fly a lot.
Here’s what you can find in this guide:
- When to Visit
- How to Get Around
- Things to See and Do
- Additional Things to Do (that we haven’t done, or it’s been a while)
When’s the best time to visit British Columbia?
In general, May to September is the best time to visit if you want sunny weather and to avoid the rain and the snow.
Summer:
July and August are peak tourist season due to the summer off school. The Okanagan will be the hottest area of the province, with July being the hottest month, with temperatures of 35 C and up (85 F and up). The lakes will be busy with boats and families enjoying the break from school. Vancouver and Victoria won’t be quite as hot, but Vancouver can get humid making the heat feel hotter than it is.
Winter:
Vancouver, the lower mainland, and southern Vancouver Island will have rain consistently between October and April, with a chance of sprinklings of snow in December to February. If you want to ski, you can do that in Vancouver, the Okanagan, Revelstoke, or the Kootenays reliably between December and March.
Spring & Fall:
Vancouver, the lower mainland, Victoria, and the southern Vancouver Island areas will still experience rain. However, you will see many spring blossoms (cherry blossom season!) and beautiful fall colours. Other areas of the province will be less rainy with more sunny days. Early fall and late spring are great times to visit as you are more likely to have some sunny days, and it won’t be as busy with crowds as the summer.
How to get around BC?
Having a car is the best way to get around BC, especially if you want to venture out of the major tourist areas of Vancouver, Victoria, and Whistler. Rentals cars are available at the major airports (Vancouver, Kelowna, Victoria).
There is a bus system, but you can’t get to all the cities directly and may need a roundabout route. Flights are also an option, but there are few airports and flights are expensive.
If you wish to visit Vancouver Island, you have a few options to get there. The main mode of transportation is the ferry; it is the cheapest option (and the views are beautiful). You can take the ferry from the mainland to either Victoria or Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. You can take your car on the ferry or travel as a foot passenger. Another option is a float plane from coal harbour in Vancouver to Victoria, which is quick and less expensive than an airport flight but more expensive than the ferry. If you like either of these options, you can fly from Vancouver International Airport to Victoria Airport, but this will be time consuming and the most expensive option.
THINGS TO SEE & DO:
These are all things we have personally done in British Columbia and recommend. We also have a short list at the end of things we haven’t tried but are on many “what to do in BC” lists. We have included a map at the end as well to help plan your itinerary.
1. Vancouver
Most of the time, when people visit BC, they are coming to see Vancouver. One of Canada’s largest cities, Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympic games. There is so much to see and do in Vancouver, but if you plan on being outside make sure you’re prepared for rain any time of the year. There is an international airport you can fly in and out of. Here are some things to see and do in Vancouver:
- Stanley Park
- Vancouver Art Gallery
- Granville Island
- Gastown
- For more, see our Vancouver City Guide!
2. Victoria
Victoria is the capitol city of BC and is on Vancouver Island. It is a beautiful city with a slow pace and calm atmosphere. The best way to get here from the mainland is by ferry, but you can fly as well. Here are some things to see and do in Victoria:
- Inner Harbour & BC Parliament
- Chinatown (Canada’s oldest!)
- Butchart Gardens
- Fisherman’s Wharf
- For more, see our Victoria City Guide!
3. Whistler
Even though Whistler is best known for its skiing, you can enjoy Whistler any time of the year. In the summer, you can find trails and hiking, along with golf, kayaking, and beautiful nature and scenery. In the winter, you’re likely visiting Whistler to experience the skiing on one of the two mountains: Whistler or Blackcomb.
Okanagan is best known for being BC’s winery region, home to more than 200 wineries (think Canada’s version of the Napa Valley). You can drive to the Okanagan or fly into Kelowna International Airport. Most people stick around the Kelowna area, but don’t miss out on heading to Summerland, Penticton, Naramata, Oliver, and/or Osoyoos. In the summer, you can enjoy water sports on one of the 50 lakes. From late spring to early fall, you can enjoy fresh Okanagan fruit such as peaches, cherries, apples, and more. In the winter, you can go skiing at Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna or Silver Star in Vernon (and enjoy the festive small-town holiday vibes). For more details on the Okanagan, check out our Okanagan Guide!
There’s more to Vancouver Island than just Victoria. You can head to Parksville and Qualicum Beach, both quaint resort towns with sandy beaches, kayaking, hiking, and beautiful nature activities. Tofino has surfing most of the year, and storm watching in the off season. Saltspring Island is a short trip from Crofton (25-minute ferry ride) and is a calm oasis from city life with small restaurants, art galleries, and charming B&B’s. Courtenay and Comox are small towns with golfing, outdoor sports, and many rivers and lakes. Explore the outdoors on Vancouver Island!
6. BC Gardens
We have many gardens throughout BC, but there are two main ones we recommend visiting: Butchart Gardens just outside of Victoria and VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver. They are both breathtaking (but if you only pick one, pick Butchart). We also have Queen Elizabeth Park and Stanley Park’s Rhododendron Garden.
OTHER BC THINGS TO DO:
Here are some places to visit or things to do in BC that we haven’t personally done, or haven’t done in a long while, but are on many lists of “things to do in BC”:
- Visit the town of Nelson
- Skiing in Revelstoke
- Haida Gwaii islands (also known as Queen Charlotte Islands)
- Galiano Island
- House boating on Shuswap Lake (we have done this, but went with family friends, so no rental recommendations)
MAP of BC LOCATIONS:
HOW TO USE THE MAP: Click on the Wanderlog logo in the bottom right corner to open the full-size map up in a new tab. There, you can choose to just look at one location at a time or see all of the locations on the map at once (click the 3 squares in the top right to choose). You can also export the map to Google Maps, share the map with others, or save the map.