Whistler, Canada

Written By Heather McCulloch

In March of 2018, we decided to try something totally different and explore the gorgeous Whistler Canada. We went through our travel agent Shane, and he set us up with a three night stay in Whistler with several incredible activities to keep us busy (just how we like it).

We flew into the Vancouver airport and took a private transfer to Whistler (about a 2-hour ride-84.3 miles). We spent our first day checking in to our hotel and exploring Whistler village, the second day attempting to ski, and our third day checking out the mountains via snowmobile before moving on to Vancouver. Read on to discover more about our hotel, the village, our excursions, the food, etc.

Our Hotel

Some of the lodges require a minimum number of nights for your stay so keep this in mind when you plan your trip. We ended up staying at Aava.

Much like the other lodges in the area, it is super convenient to all the restaurants and shops in Whistler village. It is a two-minute walk to Whistler Village and a five-minute walk to Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain Gondolas.

The hotel offers:

  • Complementary Wifi

  • Go Pro Demo Lab

  • Bike Friendly (Bike Valet)

  • Ski Rental and free ski lockers

  • Dog Friendly (up to two dogs any size for just one $25 fee)

  • Accessable Rooms

  • Dry Cleaning/Laundry Services

  • Underground Parking $22 per night

  • Meeting Rooms

  • Heated Pool

  • Hot Tub

  • Gym

  • Sauna

  • Concierge

  • Nespresso Cafe in Lobby

  • Fax, Photocopy, Printing Services

  • Daily Housekeeping

  • 100% Nonsmoking

  • Large Social Lobby with Contemporary Fireplace

  • Boot dryer (free)

Map image taken from www.whistler.com. The circle is where the hotel is located. As you can see, the Olympic Park is at the top of the map and the two gondolas are to the right.

We stayed in a Deluxe Queen+Queen Room (starting at $234)

From www.aavawhistlerhotel.com-Measuring 294 sqft, this room features two queen beds. Our Deluxe rooms at the back of our hotel offer views of Whistler Mountain and the driving range. Several Deluxe rooms at the front of our hotel provide partial views of Rainbow Mountain. Our room was at the front of the hotel and on the first floor. These rooms include:

  • Complimentary Wi-Fi

  • Keurig coffeemaker

  • Mini refrigerator

  • Pillowtop beds

  • Bathrobe upon request

  • Air conditioning

  • 32-inch flat-screen TV with cable

  • Malin & Goetz bath amenities

  • Safe

  • Two queen beds

  • Iron + ironing board

Image taken from www.aavawhistlerhotel.com

Whistler Village

Even if getting up on the mountains is not your thing, there are tons of things to do in Whistler. The Village is full of shops and restaurants (and fun photo ops). We spent our filler time strolling through the town and checking out the shops, totem poles, breathtaking views, and people watching. Keep reading to see a list of the shops and see separate segments about the restaurant and other activities available. Also keep in mind that not only does Whistler thrive during the Winter, but it is also a major destination during the summer!

Shopping Available:

Olympic Plaza

We were thrilled to stop by the Olympic Plaza to check out where for twenty-seven days during the 2010 Winter Games, they hosted medal ceremonies. The Olympic rings and Paralympic Agitos that graced the entrance to Medals Plaza during the Games are a favorite spot for photos and we took full advantage!

Just beyond the Olympic rings, eight aluminum panels commemorate every athlete who participated in the 2010 Winter Games. The original Olympic cauldron, lit to signify the opening of the XXI Winter Games, has also found a permanent home in the plaza.

Each winter Whistler Olympic Plaza is transformed to an outdoor skating rink (website link below). Right next to the outdoor rink, a Snow Zone is created, where families can play and slide (see video of just that below). 

The Snow

Guys I know this is so silly but one of my favorite things about our trip was looking at the snow. People probably thought I was on drugs because I just walked around marveling at the snowflakes as they fell on my gloves, but they looked like actual snow confetti!! They were perfect, beautiful little snowflakes. They average about 458 inches of annual snowfall, and I loved every beautiful flake that I got to experience.

The Food

Fire & Ice Show

After walking around and getting our bearings, we decided to check out the “famous” Fire and Ice show. Whistler's top skiers and riders (including Whistler Blackcomb ski school instructors) spin and twist through a burning hoop. There is also a firework display at the end!

  • It takes place every Sunday night during Winter (December-March)

  • The time varies each day so check with your concierge.

  • It is totally free to enjoy and is family friendly!

  • It takes place at the Skier's Plaza in Whistler Village (base of Whistler and Excalibur Gondolas)

Skiing

I am the only one of our little trio with any experience skiing, so naturally we needed to book Ski Lessons and get some rental equipment. We booked our lesson through whistler.com (link below) about two months in advance and received email confirmation immediately.

Skiing in Whistler offers 8,100 acres of skiable terrain on two mountains, a whopping 5,280 vertical drop, 12 high-speed quads, and 3 gondolas.

The 5-mile run down to Whistler is one of the longest in North America (but the longest on both mountains is 7 miles long).

  • We chose the Half Day PM Ski Lesson Level 1-3 Whistler Base at the Whistler Blackcomb Snow School.

  • The lesson was from 12:45-3:00pm.

  • The cost of the lesson was $190 per person

    • There was a $9.50 tax charge which made the total $199.50 per person

  • We met at the base of Whistler Mountain outside the Whistler Village Gondola building. We were required to sign a safety waiver in advance of our lesson to save time.

  • The school recommended the following items:

    • Warm hat and neck gaitor

    • Goggles and or sunglasses depending on the weather.

    • Sunscreen and lip balm applied.

    • Waterproof & Insulated gloves, jacket, & pants.

    • Long underwear & turtleneck.

    • Warm, dry socks.

    • Helmets (we rented ours along with our other gear).

    • We rented our ski equipment for about $35 plus delivery and our helmets from Black Tie Ski Rental (link below)

      Full transparency, not everyone was a huge fan of Skiing, so we decided after the school to give back our rentals (they were so great about it and even gave us a pro-rated refund since we were giving back early). They delivered right to our hotel and the hotel also stored it for us. They had almost a little shop downstairs from the lobby.

Snowmobiling

We decided to do an early morning snowmobile ride on the freshly fallen snow. None of us had ever operated snowmobiles before so we were slightly nervous, but the guide made it super easy and put us all at ease. He also took photos and videos for us (which we loved).

We went through The Adventure Group (link below) and chose the Fresh Tracks BC tour. It lasted two and a half hours and started at 8:30am. It was great because no other group had gone before us, so we were literally driving through the fresh powder. It cost $134.76 per person and included our helmet rental.

Some of the other winter activities that are offered are:

  • Hiking

  • Bungee Jumping

  • ATV Tours

  • Ziptreck/Treetreck (Ziplining)

  • Rafting

  • Fishing

  • Skiing/Snowboarding

  • Snowshoeing

  • Sleighrides

  • Tube Park

  • Sightseeing Tours

  • Ice Fishing

  • Olympic Tours

  • Eagle Viewing

  • Ice Skating

  • Ice Climbing

  • Dog Sledding

  • Snow Cat Tours

Product Recommendations

Summary

So, if you are looking for a lovely winter wonderland village, some fun outdoor activities, and some Olympic history, this is a great place to visit. Everything was in walking distance, the people were so friendly, and everywhere we looked, there was something to captivate our attention. It is also only 2 hours from Vancouver, so it is easy to incorporate a little of both into your trip (which is what we did) to get a really well-rounded Canadian experience.

Heather McCulloch
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