Whistler
Travel Guide > North America > Canada > British Columbia > Whistler
In this Article
- Introduction
- Sights
- Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Getting There
- Getting Around
- Eat
- Drink
- Sleep
- Keep Connected
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Introduction
The town of Whistler is preparing to welcome the world as one of the co-hosts of the 2010 Olympics. Of course, they already are pretty good with visitors, with the dual mountain resort of Whistler-Blackcomb consistently being rated as one of the top 10 ski resorts in the world by Ski Magazine.
Sights
Garibaldi Provincial Park
Garibaldi Provincial Park is a wilderness park located to the east of the Sea to Sky Highway between Squamish and Whistler and covers an area of over 1,950 square kilometres. There are five park access and entrance points located along the Sea to Sky Highway. Each entrance provides access to hiking trails with backcountry camping opportunities, with a backcountry camping fee of $5.00 per person / night. The park is home to the 2,678 metre peak Mount Garibaldi.
A good resource for more information is the BC Parks Garibaldi website.
Activities
Ski or Board Whistler-Blackcomb
The main attraction in Whistler is the ski resort. Offering 8,171 acres of terrain and a vertical drop of 1564 m, Whistler-Blackcomb is the largest ski resort in North America. There are 24 major lifts, including 2 Gondolas that service the two mountains (one of Whistler peak, one for Blackcomb peak). Traversing from one mountain to the other is currently possible only at the bottom, via the gondolas.
A good resource is the Whistler-Blackcomb Resort webpage, which includes the following Trail maps.
Mountain Bike Whistler-Blackcomb
Whistler Mountain also features a mountain bike park that uses the Fitzsimmons and Garbanzo quad chairlifts, as well as the Village Gondola to shuttle bikers to around midstation, at 1,200 m (4,000 ft). The park has 36 trails for all skill levels totaling 200 km (125 mi) of trails.
Apres-Ski and Nightlife
Just steps from the base of the Gondola is the Whistler Village, which contains some beautiful mountain views and lots of patio space. The Whistler-Blackcomb site offers a number of suggestions for both Apres-ski and hotspots at night.
Other Activites
- Golf - Whistler boasts four golf courses: The Whistler Golf Club, the Fairmount Whistler Golf Club, the Big Sky Golf Club and Nickalus North Golf Club.
- Hiking - In the summer, there are over 45 km of hiking trails on Whistler Mountain. They are open from July to September depending on snowpack levels. The trails are not open in the winter, but back-country hiking or snow-shoeing can be arranged with a guide.
Events and Festivals
TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival
Schedule for April 11 - 20 in 2008, the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival is probably Whistler's best known party. Throngs of skiers and boards gather to celebrate the end of the season in grand style with 10 days and 10 nights of mind blowing music, arts, and sports.
Other Events
- Crankworx from July 21 - 29, 2007 is Whistler's annual Freeride Mountain Bike Festival.
- Whistler Film Festival from November 29 - December 2, 2007 is a four-day, action-packed celebration of film featuring 90+ films, special guests and big prizes, as well as innovative opportunities for filmmakers and cool events including a free outdoor screening.
More festivals can be found at the Tourism Whistler site.
For schedules of bands and other events going on in the Whistler area, check out the Pique Newsmagazine entertainment section or the Tourism Whistler website Entertainment listings.
Getting There
By Plane
The nearest airport is in Vancouver. From there, travellers can drive, take the train or take a shuttle bus to Whistler.
By Train
Whistler Mountaineer offers a three-hour, train trip from Vancouver to Whistler, BC. The train hugs the oceanfront, winds through canyons and climbs the steep grades of the BC Coast Mountains. Choose from two service classes, Coast Classic or Glacier Dome. Coast Classic service offers single level coach seating with large picture windows with a light beverage and snack service. Glacier Dome service is a single level car with wrap-over view windows. A traditional tea service is served.
Reservations are only available by phone Call Toll Free 1.888.403.4727. Prices for an adult are $105 one-way or $189 return in classic or $175 one-way and $299 return in the Glacier dome serivce.[1]
The trip takes approximately 3 hours.
By Car
Whistler is located on Highway 99 (the appropriately named "Sea-to-Sky highway") approximately 44 km north of Squamish, or 115 km (approximately 2 hours) north of Vancouver.
Speed limits is 80 kilometres per hour along the Sea to Sky highway. Seat belts are mandatory and drivers should use headlights even in daylight and remember that roads can be slippery even in the summer months.
Note that during the run up to the 2010 Olympics, there is a series of upgrades costing over $600 million. The construction is scheduled for completion in 2009. Drivers are asked to use caution through all work sites. Construction related traffic delays projected to add 30 minutes extra travel time between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish, 30 minutes extra travel time between Squamish and Whistler or 45 minutes extra travel time between Horseshoe Bay and Whistler.
By Bus
Greyhound Canada offers nine round trips a day, including a non-stop seasonal Ski Express schedule, between Vancouver and Whistler Village. Prices are $19.93 one-way or $39.86 return for regular fares, with discounts for seniors and students. Schedules can be found at the Greyhound website.
Other companies offer airport transfers from Vancouver to Whistler. See this page at the WhistlerBlackcomb site for more details.
Getting Around
By Car
At the resort, there are five complimentary parking lots located off Blackcomb Way for access to both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. More information on parking alternatives can be found at The Whistler Blackcomb resort website.
By Public Transport
Whistler WAVE buses provide local service in Whistler, and have racks for ski gear and run regularily from 5:30 am to 3:00 am all year. WAVE has 12 different routes servicing the area. Fares are $1.50 per ride, with discounts for purchasing multiple tickest or multiple day passes.
Visit the WAVE website for more information on schedules.
By Foot
By Bike
Eat
There are numerous dining options from the expensive and fancy restaurants in the village to less expensive joints where the locals and throngs of resort workers chow down. Check out the Tourism Whistler website for dining options.
Drink
Just steps from the base of the Gondola is the Whistler Village, which contains some beautiful mountain views and lots of patio space. The Whistler-Blackcomb site offers a number of suggestions for both Apres-ski and hotspots at night.
Sleep
Accomodations can be expensive in Whistler. Check out the accomodations listing in the Tourism Whistler website for some options on hotels or short-term condo rentals.
Budget
HI Whistler Hostel - $26.00 (Jan-Mar, Jul-Aug, Dec) or $20.00 (Apr-Jun, Sept-Nov) for members, or $30.00 (Jan-Mar, Jul-Aug, Dec) or $24.00 (Apr-Jun, Sept-Nov) for non-members for shared accomodations.
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Neige Suites: Whistler | 8597 Drifter Way | Guesthouse | 90 |
| Golden Dreams B & B | 6412 Easy Street | Guesthouse | 95 |
| Inn at Clifftop Lane | 2828 Clifftop Lane | Guesthouse | 88 |
| Southside Lodge | 2102 Lake Placid Rd BC | Hostel | 81 |
Mid-Range
Upscale
This is version 6. Last edited at 13:18 on May 20, 09 by Utrecht (+452). 3 articles link to this page.
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