7 Days in British Columbia

Fly into Vancouver International (YVR) and take the Canada Line SkyTrain directly to downtown (26 minutes, $10.25). No rental car needed until Day 4 — Vancouver's transit is excellent. Walk the Stanley Park seawall for orientation: the 9 km paved loop around the park's perimeter gives views of the North Shore mountains, the Lions Gate Bridge, and English Bay. The old-growth forest interior of the park is quieter and worth a detour.

Granville Island Public Market is the best food market in Vancouver — browse the vendors, pick up dinner supplies, or eat at one of the waterfront restaurants facing False Creek. The ferry microboats connecting Granville Island to downtown (Aquabus, $4) are worth taking at least once.

Take the SeaBus from Waterfront Station to the North Shore (12 minutes), then a bus to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The bridge spans 137 metres above the Capilano River canyon and sways noticeably underfoot. The Cliffwalk extension offers elevated views from narrow walkways bolted into the granite cliff face. The Treetops Adventure suspension bridges between old-growth Douglas-firs are excellent for families. Allow 2–3 hours total.

Lynn Canyon Park (15 minutes from Capilano by bus) is free, has its own suspension bridge, and is far less crowded — worth knowing as an alternative or addition. Return to the North Shore waterfront at Lonsdale Quay for lunch. The food market there is smaller than Granville Island but the views back toward Vancouver's skyline are the best in the city.

Gastown — Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood — is best in the evening when the tourists thin out and the restaurants fill up. The Steam Clock at Water and Cambie whistles every 15 minutes. Brixton restaurant on West Cordova is a reliable dinner choice.

Pick up your rental car this morning. Drive Highway 99 north through Squamish to Whistler (2 hours from downtown Vancouver). The Sea-to-Sky corridor is the route — Howe Sound on your left, granite peaks on your right, the Chief (North America's second-largest granite monolith) dominating the approach to Squamish. Stop at Shannon Falls Provincial Park (the third-highest waterfall in BC) and the Sea-to-Sky Gondola in Squamish for views over the sound.

Arrive Whistler Village and take the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola connecting Whistler and Blackcomb mountains — the longest unsupported gondola span in the world (3.024 km). In summer, the mountain biking and hiking trails on both peaks are world-class. Whistler Mountain Bike Park is the best lift-accessed trail network in Canada.

Whistler Village is pedestrianized and compact. Après-ski (or après-hike) culture is embedded in the village regardless of season. Araxi Restaurant on Village Square is the best formal dining in Whistler; Dusty's Bar on the Creekside base is the best informal option.

Drive south from Whistler to Hope (2 hours), then north on the Coquihalla Highway to Kelowna (2.5 hours). The Coquihalla is fast and dramatic — it climbs to 1,244 metres through the Cascade Mountains before descending into the dry Thompson Plateau. The landscape change from coastal rain forest to semi-arid canyon country happens within an hour of leaving Hope. Stop at the Othello Tunnels in Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park (just outside Hope) for a 45-minute walk through decommissioned railway tunnels and river gorge.

Arrive Kelowna and check in. The Okanagan Lake waterfront in Kelowna has an excellent city beach and the downtown Mission area has good restaurants. Bernard Avenue is the main street; the Saturday Farmers Market (in season) is excellent for local fruit, wine, and cheese.

The Naramata Bench south of Penticton (45 minutes from Kelowna) has 40+ wineries on a short stretch of road above Okanagan Lake — ideal for cycling between tastings. Quails' Gate, Mission Hill, and Summerhill are the most acclaimed estates. Mission Hill's outdoor amphitheatre with vineyard views is one of the more dramatic settings for a wine tasting in Canada.

Okanagan Lake has excellent beach swimming from Kelowna south through Penticton to Osoyoos. The water temperature in July and August reaches 24°C — warmer than most Canadian beaches. Knox Mountain Park above Kelowna gives broad views of the lake and orchard valley from a short but steep hiking trail.

Drive from Kelowna back to Vancouver via the Coquihalla and Highway 1 (3.5 hours). Book the BC Ferries Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay (Nanaimo) sailing in advance — the 1.5-hour crossing through the Gulf Islands is one of the most scenic ferry routes in the world. Orcas, sea lions, and eagles are regularly spotted from the deck.

From Nanaimo, drive south on Highway 1 to Victoria (90 minutes). The drive follows the eastern coast of Vancouver Island with views east to the Gulf Islands. Arrive Victoria by late afternoon and walk to the Inner Harbour — the BC Parliament Buildings face the water and the Empress Hotel anchors the north end of the causeway.

Butchart Gardens (20 minutes north of Victoria) is one of the most visited attractions in Canada — a 55-acre estate garden built in a worked-out limestone quarry. The Sunken Garden, Italian Garden, and Japanese Garden are the highlights. Saturday nights in summer feature fireworks over the gardens; the daytime visit is less crowded on weekday mornings before 11 a.m.

Return to Victoria's Inner Harbour for a final walk. The BC Museum is one of the best provincial museums in the country — the First Peoples gallery is exceptional and the natural history dioramas are world-class. Float planes to Vancouver depart every 30 minutes from the inner harbour; the 35-minute flight over the Gulf Islands provides a final aerial view of the landscape you've been driving through all week. Return car at Swartz Bay ferry terminal or Victoria airport.