Things to do — Whistler

Whistler is explored by season. Typical winter itinerary on 2 days:

Day 1 — Whistler Mountain skiing: Whistler Mountain (morning, access via Whistler Village Gondola or Whistler Creekside Gondola, 4,320 m skiable drop, 100 runs, terrain for all levels from beginner to expert), lunch break Roundhouse Lodge (at summit at 1,850 m, panoramic view over Black Tusk and Coast Mountains), afternoon black diamond runs of Symphony Bowl and Harmony Bowl. Evening: Scandinave Spa Whistler (5 min from village, outdoor saltwater and wood-fire pools, Finnish sauna, eucalyptus steam room, Nordic hydrotherapy circuit 3-4h, CAD 95-145 depending on season — iconic après-ski experience). Dinner Bearfoot Bistro (gastronomic, 20,000-bottle champagne cellar, sabreage ritual, CAD 80-150/person) or Araxi (Pacific Northwest, CAD 60-120).

Day 2 — Blackcomb and PEAK 2 PEAK: PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola (morning, 3.03 km between Whistler and Blackcomb at 436 m height, world record, 11 min — one of the resort's most iconic experiences), Blackcomb Mountain (4,396 m skiable drop, 100 runs, typically more expert terrain than Whistler, Blackcomb Glacier at summit open all season), Glacier Bowl and 7th Heaven Bowl for black diamond runs, lunch break Christine's at Rendezvous (gastronomic at top of Blackcomb at 1,860 m, 4-course tasting CAD 80, spectacular view). Afternoon Whistler Tube Park (at Blackcomb Base 2, CAD 35/2h, sliding for families) or Coca-Cola Tube Park. Evening Garibaldi Lift Co. or FireRock Lounge for lively après-ski (cocktails CAD 15-22), dinner Caramba! (family Italian CAD 35-55/person) or Hy's Steakhouse (CAD 60-100).

Typical summer itinerary on 2 days:

Day 1 — Whistler Mountain Bike Park: Whistler Mountain Bike Park (morning and afternoon, access via Fitzsimmons Express and Garbanzo Express, 200 km of descents, all levels from beginner to expert, full-suspension downhill bike rental CAD 100-180/day at Whistler Sports, pass CAD 75/day bike transport in gondola included). Recommended runs for beginners: Easy Does It, Heart of Darkness. Intermediates: Crank It Up, B-Line. Advanced: A-Line (the iconic run), Garbanzo Zone. Experts: Crabapple Hits, In Deep. Lunch break Roundhouse Lodge. Evening: Scandinave Spa, dinner Bearfoot Bistro or Araxi.

Day 2 — Alpine hike and PEAK 2 PEAK: Whistler Peak (morning, Peak Express cable car from Whistler Mountain Summit, 2,182 m altitude, accessible non-bikers via Whistler Sightseeing Pass CAD 78), High Note Trail (loop hike 9.5 km, 200 m elevation, 3-4h, spectacular view of Black Tusk, turquoise Cheakamus Lake, accessible 14h after cable car departure) or Half Note Trail (7 km, shorter). PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola to Blackcomb (3.03 km, 11 min). Blackcomb: Blackcomb Ascent Trail (5 km loop at summit of Blackcomb at 2,284 m), descent by Excelerator Chairlift. Afternoon Brandywine Falls (30 min by car, 70 m waterfall on Sea-to-Sky Highway), Squamish and Stawamus Chief (700 m granite dome, climbing for experienced, First Peak 6 km return hike, spectacular Howe Sound view), Sea to Sky Gondola at Squamish (CAD 62, 885 m altitude, Sky Pilot suspension bridge). Evening Crankworx Festival (mid-August only), otherwise dinner Bearfoot Bistro.

Other activities: Superfly Zipline (zipline, CAD 199, one of North America's longest, in Coast Mountains canopy), Ziptrek Ecotours (5 more accessible family ziplines, CAD 130-180), Whistler Olympic Park (at Callaghan Valley, 2010 Olympic legacy, cross-country skiing in winter, biathlon, ski jump, hiking in summer), golf (4 signature courses: Chateau Whistler Robert Trent Jones Jr., Whistler Golf Club Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus North, Big Sky), heli-skiing (Whistler Heli-Skiing, CAD 1,200-2,500/day, helicopter transfers to untouched terrain), snowmobiling (CAD 250-400/day), dog sledding (CAD 180-260).