By air
Vancouver (YVR), ~2 h by road
North America · Canada
Whistler, Canada
A ski village between two peaks
Getting there
Best time to visit
December to April for skiing; July to September for hiking
Don't miss
Whistler Village
The Peak 2 Peak Gondola
Alta Lake
The Sea-to-Sky Highway
Things to do
Skiing Whistler Blackcomb
The Peak 2 Peak Gondola
Mountain biking
Where to eat
What to pack
Ski gear or hiking gear
A quieter corner
The Train Wreck trail's graffitied boxcars
Questions travellers ask
When is the ski season in Whistler?
December to April. Come July to September for hiking — and bring ski gear or hiking gear to match.
How far is Whistler from Vancouver?
About 2 h by road from Vancouver (YVR), the airport to fly into.
What is there to do in Whistler?
Ski Whistler Blackcomb, ride the Peak 2 Peak Gondola and go mountain biking. Whistler Village, Alta Lake and the Sea-to-Sky Highway round out the list.
What's an unusual sight in Whistler?
The Train Wreck trail's graffitied boxcars. Afterwards, join the après-ski in the village.
About Whistler
- Mountains
- Forest
Where it is
Whistler is a resort town in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, about 125 km north of Vancouver along the Sea-to-Sky Highway, with Whistler and Blackcomb mountains rising on either side of its village.
History
The Lil'wat and Squamish nations both used this valley long before settlers arrived in the early 20th century; in 1914 Alex and Myrtle Philip opened the Rainbow Lodge, a fishing resort on Alta Lake. The ski resort grew after Whistler Mountain opened in 1966, and Whistler was the host mountain resort of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
People
Whistler's year-round residents are joined each winter and summer by seasonal workers from across Canada and around the world, many of them on working holidays. The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre shares the languages, carving and weaving of the two nations whose lands meet here.
Known for
- Skiing at Whistler Blackcomb
- The Peak 2 Peak Gondola
- Downhill mountain biking
- Lakes and forest trails in the valley
- The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
Did you know?
The Peak 2 Peak Gondola, opened in 2008, links the tops of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and held the world record for the longest span between ropeway towers, about 3 km, until 2017.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.