Enjoy Canada’s British Columbia by visiting the bars in Vancouver’s historic Gastown, learning about First Nations culture in the ‘Galápagos of the North’, and watching grizzly bears catch salmon in the Great Bear Rainforest.
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Take a guided hike through the Great Bear Rainforest from late August through to October, and you are very likely to get a good, long look at the majestic animals that give this vast temperate rainforest its name.
This is when the tenacious salmon swim back to their birthplace to spawn each year after a round-trip voyage of thousands of miles. For the grizzly bears dipping their paws into the fast-flowing waters, it’s like an animal kingdom version of an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet.
You can hop on and off these cute vintage-style trolley buses all day, as they explore Vancouver on two separate loops. Take in everything from Stanley Park with its soaring totem poles and sandy beaches, to the historic Chinatown district, Science World museum and Granville Island with its famously delicious Public Market.
Hop off in the hip Gastown ’hood to find cobbled streets with Canadian designer stores and First Nations galleries. You’re not driving, so enjoy a craft cocktail — maybe a Gastown Swizzle, made with locally distilled spirits in one of the many funky bars.
You’ll see why Haida Gwaii is called the “Galápagos of the North” when you travel to this far corner of British Columbia to learn of an ancient First Nations culture thriving in modern times. Experience the world as it once was as you explore the protected islands of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site.
Spot whales in the pristine water and bears on the sandy beaches searching for their lunch after the tide goes in. Take a tour to learn more of the stories behind the intricate totem poles.
Raise a glass to the hundred or more vineyards planted in the fertile soil along Lake Okanagan, just a few scenic hours drive through the mountains from Vancouver. Who knew that Canada had a wine industry with dozens of award-winning varietals to discover in beautiful tasting rooms with sweeping views across the lake?
Build your appetite for an afternoon sniffing, swirling and sipping by paddle boarding or kayaking the sun-warmed waters, or cycling a section of the Kettle Valley Railway trail. Then take time to discover your new favorite Canadian wine.
For more than 100 years, the lighthouse on Brockton Point in Stanley Park has shone its beam across the harbor, warning sailors of the hazards of the offshore reef and rocky shore.
Tucked away on the easternmost point of Stanley Park, it’s well worth the walk— or cycle— around the seawall to be rewarded with unspoiled views of the lighthouse’s cheery striped red and white walls set against those softly sloping North Shore mountains and the glittering lights of Lonsdale Quay.
Magic hour, when Vancouver’s gleaming glass high rises reflect the apricot sunset and the mountains glow pink. Stroll down to English Bay to join the social crowds watching and playing beach volleyball, or enjoying the sunset over a creamy gelato.
Find a log to sit on, wriggle your toes in the sand and watch nature set the sky on fire. As the sun sinks into the waves and the city lights begin to shine, hop on board to see those lights reflected in the waters.
April showers bring May flowers, but blooming Victoria still boasts the lowest annual rainfall on British Columbia’s coast and a pleasingly mild Mediterranean-like micro-climate. Combining a very British style of architecture with fascinating First Nations culture and including Canada’s oldest Chinatown, BC’s capital city is easily explored on foot.
It’s hard to believe that a glacial lake could be warm enough to swim in, but in Whistler you can happily laze in silky waters while admiring the snow dusting the distant mountains.Take a stand-up paddle-board lesson and explore the legendary River of Golden Dreams, past soaring old growth forests and river banks of lush Alpine flowers.