Ski Whistler Blackcomb from late November into May, or ride the bike park and swim the lakes from June to September. In either season, cross the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola between the two mountains, give a wet afternoon to the Audain Art Museum and the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, and end the day at the Scandinave Spa. Three days covers it; skiers stay a week.
Whistler is a resort town built on purpose. The municipality was created in 1975, the car-free village was laid out on a former dump from 1978, and two mountains with 8,171 acres of ski terrain rise straight from its edge. Winter is the headline; summer is now just as busy.
Two mountains, 8,171 acres and more than 200 marked runs, with over 1,500 m of vertical on each side. This is why most people come. Buy lift tickets or an Epic Pass online well ahead, because the ticket window is the most expensive way in.
A 4.4 km ride between the Whistler and Blackcomb lodges, hanging 436 m above Fitzsimmons Creek at its highest. In summer, pair it with the Cloudraker Skybridge, a 130 m suspension bridge at Whistler Peak.
Lift-served downhill riding since 1999, across four zones from the Fitzsimmons beginner lines to the Top of the World descent off the peak. Rent a full-suspension bike in the village and book a lesson for a first day.
Patkau Architects' dark, raised building in the forest holds British Columbia art from Northwest Coast masks to Emily Carr's forests. Give it two hours on a wet day, and start with James Hart's carved The Dance Screen.
The shared house of the Squamish and Lil'wat Nations, on whose territory the resort stands, opened in 2008 with carvings, weaving and guided tours. Eat bannock at the Thunderbird Café downstairs before you leave.
Outdoor hot pools, cold plunges and saunas in the forest beside Lost Lake Park, worked as a cycle of heat, cold and rest in enforced silence. Book ahead for weekends and pack a bathing suit, which is required.
The car-free spine of the resort, laid out from 1978 by Eldon Beck as a wandering lane with the parking hidden away, running north to Olympic Plaza and its rings. Walk it at dusk, when the patios fill after the lifts close.
A forest lake a short walk from the village, with a beach and trails from spring to autumn and a groomed cross-country network in winter, when a Nordic ticket is required. The entrance PassivHaus was Austria's house at the 2010 Games.
Boxcars from a 1956 derailment lie in the forest above the Cheakamus River, painted over by artists and reached by a suspension bridge added in 2016. It is an easy 5 km round trip from the Jane Lakes Road trailhead.
A 70 m waterfall dropping off a lava cliff into a basalt bowl, named for a surveyors' bet settled with a bottle of brandy. The viewing platform is a short, flat walk from the car park, so it fits on the drive up from Vancouver.
A week of group ski days, parties and village events in late January, run by Whistler Pride.
Pro ski and snowboard contests, photo showdowns and free outdoor concerts that close the winter in April.
Theatre, music and craft workshops over the Victoria Day long weekend, centred on the Maury Young Arts Centre.
Ten days of downhill, slopestyle and dual slalom in the bike park from late July, where the Crankworx tour began.
About five thousand cyclists ride the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to a finish in the village.
British Columbia breweries pour at Olympic Plaza in mid-September; the main tasting is 19 and over.
Eleven days of winemaker dinners, tastings and chef events, the resort's food and drink festival since 1997.
Five days of Canadian and international premieres in early December, with industry talks across the village.
About 140 km south on Highway 99, the Sea to Sky Highway, which is the only road in. Allow 2 to 2.5 hours, more on winter weekends and in snow.
YVR Skylynx runs coaches from the airport timed to arrivals, and Epic Rides runs an express from downtown Vancouver. Both stop in the village.
BC Transit runs the local routes. Municipal shuttles to the Upper Village are free all year, and to Lost Lake in summer; other routes charge a fare.
Indigenous fry bread, served as venison chili tacos at the cultural centre's Thunderbird Café.
British Columbia's signature fish; order it cedar-planked, or as the café's salmon chowder.
Sweet local prawns with a short season from May. Order them whenever a menu lists them.
Fries, cheese curds and gravy, the default plate on every apres patio in the village.
Canada's Clamato and vodka cocktail, invented in Calgary in 1969 and the classic apres order.
A no-bake British Columbia square of crumb base, custard icing and chocolate.
Stretched, fried dough with cinnamon sugar, from the Canadian chain's shop on Mountain Square.
Sushi Village was the resort's first Japanese restaurant; order its sake margarita.
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