Whistler is in the province of British Columbia in Canada. Whistler is a popular winter snow-skiing destination near Vancouver. The official name for the Municipality is The Resort Municipality of Whistler. Whistler will host most of the ski events for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Get in

Getting to Whistler generally involves coming from Vancouver.
 •  Greyhound Canada offers coach service from the Vancouver Bus Depot for less than $20 each way. Perimeter Bus  offers Coach service direct from the airport for $65 each way. Greyhound allows bicycles unboxed on this route. They charge $10 for a bicycle.
 •  If a number of people are traveling together it is possible to go by Limo for $350-400 with room for between 6 and 10 people.
 •  Helijet  offers helicopter service from the airport for around $200 per person each way.
 •  Another good option for travelers is to rent a car and drive up to Whistler using the Sea to Sky highway. Along the route, you may want to stop off at Squamish or one of the parks or waterfalls along the route. Renting a car also allows you to explore the wider Whistler region, including Pemberton as well as giving you access to a number of outdoor activities. It should be noted, however, that the Sea to Sky highway is quite windy and may be dangerous to drive, especially in Winter conditions.

Activities

 •  Skiing Whistler Blackcomb  operates the Alpine ski hills, which have lift service right out of town up both Blackcomb mountain and Whistler Mountain. Whistler is consistently ranked as one of the top 3 ski destinations in North America.
 • Hiking There are a number of hiking trail in and around Whistler. For the casual walker looking for a pleasant walk through an ancient grove of cedar trees, Cougar Mountain provides an easy hour loop. More aggressive day hikers might head to Brandywine Meadows, a six hour trip up much steeper terrain. And multi-day backpackers also have a variety of options including the Helm Creek trail to Garibaldi Creek and the Black Tusk. Of course, the ski lifts and gondolas of Whistler Blackcomb operate in the summer to offer hikers a relaxing short cut into back country.
 • Biking/Downhill During the summer time the skiing paradise turns into a biker's paradise. Single trails and fast race tracks with spectacular jumps can be reached comfortably by the chair lift carrying both biker and bike. Some Northshore elements have also been built and the number of tracks is enough to keep even the advanced riders busy.
 • Rock Climbing Whistler also offers some excellent sport and trad/gear climbing. Within the city limits there are several small, single pitch crags collectively known as Nordic Rock. The area offers 23 vertical routes, most of them sport, up to 20m long ranging in difficulty from 5.8 - 5.13a (French: 5 - 7c+). For more information on the routes in Whistler and area, there is no shortage of quality guide books describing the climbing in the Vancouver/Squamish/Whistler/Pemberton corridor.
 • Outdoor Adventures There are a number of companies that specialize in outdoor adventure travel such as whitewater rafting and ATV (all terrain vehicle) tours (to name a few examples). Depending on your particular tastes, some or all of these can be extremely entertaining and are generally professionally run.

Dining

Whistler village has a number of restaurants ranging from very cheap fast food to expensive, and very good meals. One of the true joys of Whistler Eating is to go to one of the many bars after a long day of skiing or outdoor activities. The bars are where many of the visitors gather and the atmosphere is laid back and easygoing. Regardless of what type of food you're looking for, the best way to find good food in Whistler is to take a walk around the village.

Drink

You'll find almost any type of drink at the many bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs in Whistler. If you like beer, try a local "micro-brewery" beer at one of the pubs in the village.

Get out

Most visitors to Whistler don't stop on the trip from Vancouver to Whistler, and many never even spend any time in Vancouver. It is worth it to try and make time for a visit to Squamish either when coming or going.

Get around

Whistler is a very pedestrian friendly city. The main village is all pedestrian walkways. Cars only have very limited access into this area. However, if you have to leave the main village there are free shuttle buses connecting some parts of the Resort. Whistler also has a very good public transit system for a city of its size. In the winter all of the buses have ski racks.

Attractions

The Whistler Gondola runs all year round. The views from the top are quite spectacular. If you take a car to Whistler from Vancouver, don't forget to pull over at one of the many viewpoints along the route.

Shopping

As is common to tourist-centric villages and towns, Whistler village has a number of shops awaiting you. In general, the shopping is better and you'll find more variety in nearby Vancouver, so if you're on a budget, your money is likely to go farther in Vancouver. On the other hand, many of the stores in Whistler village are a pleasure to visit and the outdoor setting makes browsing (or shopping) more enjoyable than the large malls found in Vancouver.

Links

 • The Official Whistler Blackcomb Site
 • Tourist Information Site 
 • Resort Municipality of Whistler