Vancouver Vacation Day Trips

The staff at 123 Vancouver have put together three great day-trip itineraries for those looking to explore the outskirts of this beautiful natural, Canadian, wonderland.  Take a look at the great inside tips and, for your convenience you can print this itinerary for your vancouver vacation use.

 

Day One Itinerary I Day Two Itinerary I Day Three Itinerary

 

 

Day trip one

 

Whistler (also a favorite side trip)

Ranked the number one ski resort in North America, and patronized by movie stars, royalty and ‘the beautiful people’, Whistler is only a two hour drive from Vancouver along one of the prettiest drives you’ll encounter between with Howe Sounds waters and rugged mountains. But Whistler is as popular in summer as in winter with Pro-Am golf courses, fabulous hiking, cycling, canoeing and other outdoor activities. Whistler itself is more akin to an alpine village in Austria but way more designer-conscious with plenty of chalets, boutique hotels and plush bed and breakfasts to choose from. Canadian Pacific’s Chateau Whistler is the hot favorite, for its comfort, golf course and world-class spa making it a destination unto itself.

En route, be sure to stop by the BC Museum of Mining at Britannia Beach. A national historic site and BC landmark, this disused copper mine allows visitors to experience the sights and sounds of a hard rock mine. Ride on a underground train, with live demonstrations of real mining equipment, take a Britannia Village tour, participate in gold recovery, or see a lively historical video on Britannia and displays of mining memorabilia and photos. A huge ‘super truck’ is the center piece of the complex. Open daily, May - early October. Pre arranged tours available all year (604) 896-2233.

Note: However warm it might be outside, it’s cool and dark inside the mine so take along a light jacket or cardigan.

And if you’re traveling with younger folk, make time for the West Coast Railway Museum, in Squamish just south of Whistler. Here’s where to find Canada’s largest collection of heritage railway cars and locomotives - some beautifully restored, and others still in need of help. Snack services, picnic areas, souvenir shop and miniature railway ride make this a great family attraction.

Hours: Open daily May - October, 10 am - 5 pm

Admissions & Information: www.wcra.org

 

 

Day Trip Two

 

Fraser Canyon

From Vancouver, it’s a 90-minute drive to the Canyon with breath-taking scenery en route. Be prepared to rise early and return late to pack these three attractions into your day.

Created amidst 27-acres of woodland at the foot of Mount Cheam, Minter Gardens features eleven theme gardens from colonial floral, rose and fern gardens, to a Chinese garden with Penjing rock bonsai, a fragrance garden for the blind and much more. An evergreen maze, aviaries, and giant, topiary animals add to the garden’s charm. There are two restaurants, as well as extensive gift and plant shops, including Minter’s Country Wines where you’ll find over 300 of BC’s very best wines from 37 different wineries. It’s the next best thing to touring the Okanagan wineries themselves. Wine tastings are held at the gardens every Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm.

Hours: Daily, 9 am - 5 pm (later in summer), April - October

Admissions: CDN $11 adults; $10 seniors; $6 youths 6-18; children 5 & under, free. Family rate: $30

From Vancouver, the trip to Minter Gardens takes about 90 minutes by car along Hwy. 1.

52892 Bunker Rd, near Hwy. 9

Located at Hope, the ‘entrance’ to the canyon, lie the Othello-Quintette Tunnels - built for the famous Kettle Valley Railway and representing one of the world’s greatest engineering feats. (It might be familiar countryside since the first Rambo movie, First Blood, was filmed here along with several other Hollywood films.)

Started in 1910, BC’s mountainous terrain made construction a constant challenge, the greatest of which you’ll see here, where the Coquihalla River cuts a 300 foot channel in solid granite. Hanging over the gorge in a wicker basket, chief engineer Andrew McCulloch surveyed the canyon and decided to build right through it, tunneling through five different rock faces in a series of short tunnels. He named tunnels and stations after his daughters and characters from Shakespeare’s plays.

Note: Although the line was officially closed in 1961, devotees have recently refurbished many of the track beds into spectacular biking and hiking trails.

Driving up the canyon to Hells Gate, you follow the Fraser River that, like you, is sandwiched between sky-high canyon walls. Then you come to Hells Gate, an extremely fast and narrow passage through which the river is forced to flow. Catch the airway tram for one of the most three exhilarating minutes you’ll have, descending 500 feet, and swinging across the river to the Hells Gate Fishways. There you’ll find a suspension walking bridge, gardens, a restaurant and more.

Hours: Daily, 9 am - 5 pm, April - October

Information: 604-867-9277

Note: River rafting is big business in this part of the world, either through the churning waters near Hells Gate or tamer waters nearby. Ask at Hope Information Center. Most trips are half day or full day excursions.

 

 

Day Trip Three

 

Fort Langley National Historic Park

A 40 minute drive from Vancouver, Fort Langley was the first European base in the Fraser Valley and originally part of a network of trading posts established by the Hudson’s Bay Company in the 1820’s and 30’s as a supplier for inland forts and a deterrent to pushy Americans trading along the coast. Through its gates passed the adventurers who opened up the mountainous interior, traders in search of furs for "the Company", and later, nearly 30,000 prospectors heading for the gold fields of the upper Fraser River. The fort depended on the regions Sto:lo people who provided furs, fresh produce and salmon. At its peak in the 1850s the Fort contained approximately 20 buildings and distributed cranberries and some 2,000 barrels of salmon annually to distant company outposts as well as to San Francisco, Hawaii and Australia.

In 1858, it was in the Fort’s "Big House" that BC was declared a Crown colony and although operations ceased in 1886, the fort has always been recognized for its historical significance. Careful restoration work has been done on the palisades, buildings and furnishings to create a glimpse of Canada’ pioneering past. Costumed staff demonstrate black-smithing, barrel making and pioneer cooking; as well as teepee living! Take good walking shoes.

Hours: Daily, 10 am - 5 pm, March - October

Admissions & Information: (604) 513-4777

Note: This is the turning point of an all -day paddle-wheeler trip from Inn on the Quay, New Westminster. The stop over is two hours - time only for a VERY fast tour of the Fort which for most visitors, isn’t long enough.

Best suggestion for families:

Drive, and include a side trip to the Greater Vancouver Zoological Centre nearby. More than 126 species of wildlife roam freely through their 120 acre open-air home. Explore the center aboard the park train and look for elephants, lions, tigers, and leopards; exotic birds such as ostrich, emu and Caribbean pink flamingos. And don’t miss the camels, giraffes or Harvey the Hippo. A picnic area and petting farm make it an ideal family attraction.

Hours: Daily, 9 am - dusk

Admissions & Information: (604) 856-6825