Whistler Canada By DayA guide to Whistler Canada’s daytime delights.

Stand on top of British Columbia’s Whistler Mountain early on a clear winter’s morning and you’ll gaze at some of Canada’s most treasured sights: Rivers of white runs cascading down muscular mountainsides. A carpet of evergreens spread wide: luxurious, impenetrable, and thick. The serrated tips of BC’s noble Coast Mountains reaching up toward the sun. They are reminders, all, that the world really is a wondrous place.

North America’s grandest resort

Exploring Whistler by day, these sights are more than just a backdrop — they offer a keen sense of place. With 16 alpine bowls, three glaciers, more than 8,000 acres of ski terrain, 200 marked runs, and a vibrant pedestrian-friendly village, Whistler is North America’s grandest resort.

It is home to super pipes, snow cross tracks, bobsleigh runs, outdoor spas, and state-of-the-art lifts. It is known for luxe slope-side lodging, village dining, and legendary après-ski joints. And Whistler lays claim to endless backcountry terrain, accessible by helicopters, snowshoes, snowmobiles and skis.

Whistler

Whistler Fairmont

Start Your Whistler Day…

2016-11-11_1550Start your day with a wake-up at a world-class Whistler hotel. The Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa, First Tracks Lodge Whistler, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler — their dedication to personal service will see you safely to the slopes.

Slope-side locations, ski valets, easy equipment rentals, and helpful concierge advice lead to stress-free, early morning starts. In the evenings, smooth out the day’s adventure with a visit to hotel spa facilities and fireside après-ski drinks.

If you choose to ski, what better guide than an Olympian? Whistler was Host Mountain Resort of for the 2010 Winter Games, which led to the creation of Whistler Blackcomb’s Ski with an Olympian Program — one-on-one sessions with ski competitors such as Mike Janyk, Kristi Richards, and Rob Boyd, or snowboarders Crispin Lipscomb and Mercedes Nicoll.

Perhaps more low-key, private lessons booked through the Whistler Blackcomb Snow School offer a trio of advantages: guiding, priority lift lines, and technical tips.

360-Degree View of Whistler Canada

Among Whistler Blackcomb’s must-ski experiences: Horstman and Blackcomb Glaciers, Symphony and Harmony Bowls, Seventh Heaven, Spanky’s Ladder, the Peak Chair… the list goes on. Ride the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains — it’s a 360-degree view you won’t soon forget. Learn More

Photo: Mike Crane

Whistler's Signature Treats

For a special treat, beyond the ski area lies a vast tenure of heli-ski slopes — its size is 50 times greater than Whistler’s lift-served terrain. Heli-skiing tours include endless powder, expert guides, incredible views, and a high-alpine picnic lunch.

Whistler’s trail network for cross-country skiing was developed in the Callaghan Valley for the 2010 Winter Games; Olympic-level bobsleigh and skeleton experiences at the Whistler Sliding Centre are on track.

Also among Whistler’s signature treats:

  • Dogsledding
  • Snow Tubing
  • Winter Zip-Lining
  • Heli-Caving
  • Ice Skating
  • Snowmobile tours under the stars at night

New recently

Base boarding at Whistler Olympic Park — a hybrid of skeleton, bodyboarding, and tobagganing on snow; just let gravity do its thing.


Audain-Art-Museum

Cultural Experiences

Yet with all this outdoor fun, let’s not discount Whistler’s cultural experiences: film, food, music, and craft beer festivals bring people out onto Whistler’s pedestrian-friendly streets. First Nations art and culture are showcased in the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. With its Zen-like location and architecture, Whistler’s new Audain Art Museum is a temple of British Columbian art. There’s a plethora of galleries and studios in and around the village. New on Whistler’s art scene this season: the Cultural Connector — a scenic pathway that connects six of Whistler’s cultural institutions. Learn More

Start Your Whistler Night…

And finally, as full as your days in Whistler will be, there’s an endless stream of choices presented to you by night. Après-ski bars. West coast cuisine. Spas under the stars. Fondue by the light of the moon.

Stay tuned for our next feature: Whistler By Night.

In the meantime, let this vast BC treasure remind you that, indeed, the world is a wondrous place.


Discover Whistler

Just two hours north of Vancouver by road lies Whistler, where the natural beauty and unique mountain lifestyle offers an escape like nowhere else. Visit any season of the year and you’ll be welcomed like family, swept up by the unique energy in the Village and have opportunities to go on adventures that inspire and challenge you – or simply relax and soak up the stunning scenery.

However you decide to spend your time in Whistler, when you find yourself in the mountains, breathing in the wild air, you will realize there is as much to be discovered inside of you, as outside.

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Experience Whistler Luxury

Discover our unique mountain culture on an extraordinary luxury retreat. Relax in elegant accommodation and allow private guides to show you the best skiing and riding Whistler Blackcomb has to offer.

Browse exclusive shops and galleries and take advantage of exceptional exchange rates to indulge in world-class spas, dining and nightlife in Whistler Village.

Learn More