Ultimate Whistler Day Trip from Vancouver
Nestled in the mountains, Whistler is home to a world-class ski resort, wonderful hiking trails, museums, and a bustling village with shops and restaurants.
While many travelers do visit Whistler in the winter season for skiing, Whistler has the most visitors in the summer season. With lovely weather, cool lakes, beautiful hikes, and a vibrant village, Whistler makes for a wonderful place to visit in the summer.
With its close proximity to Vancouver, solo travelers can easily see Whistler in one day, whether it’s a day trip, or an overnight trip. Keep reading below to see the activities and itinerary for a solo day trip to Whistler.
PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola
Connecting between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, this gondola ride is a popular sightseeing attraction, especially in the summer season. The 2.7 mile ride takes you between the mountains, revealing spectacular views along the way.
At the peak, you’ll find restaurants, hiking trails, and more breathtaking viewpoints to capture the view. Look down at the 360 degree view including lakes, mountain peaks and forest.
If you’re interested in a bird’s eye view of the trees and forest below, try riding the special gondola with a glass-bottom floor.
In the winter season, it’s perfect for alpine sightseeing with all the snow-covered trees. The PEAK 2 PEAK gondola is also popular with skiers looking to seamlessly transfer between the mountains.
Lost Lake Trail
Lost Lake is a tranquil lake with a nature park just outside Whistler Village. From the Whistler Village, it is about a 25-minute leisurely walk on a serene trail.
Once you reach the lake, enjoy a dip in the refreshing water, walk on the trail that encircles the lake, or just relax and admire the view. During the summer season, there’s also complimentary shuttle busses that bring visitors from Whistler Village to Lost Lake.
A stop at the lake offers solo travelers a quieter change of pace and scenery from the bustling Whistler Village. With plenty of shade, the trail offers respite from the hot sun.
Whistler Village
Whistler Village is very walking-friendly. The pedestrian pathways lead to shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, and galleries. You’ll find athletic brands, fine-dining restaurants, as well as casual eateries and bakeries. The village is beautifully designed, so you’ll find Adirondack chairs to sit on, along with little trails and benches.
Whistler Village is a fun place for solo travelers to just wander, take in the lively vibe, and see the sights. It’s also where you’ll most likely be getting a bite to eat.
An awesome eatery to stop by is Peaked Pies which serve Australian-style pies. These are personal size pies, with savory flavors. For a sweet treat, a favorite is Cow’s Ice Cream, which will greet you with the scent of fresh waffle cones as you step inside.
While strolling through the Upper Village, I was pleasantly surprised to come across a little area with outdoor stalls. This turned out to be the Whistler Farmer’s Market which is open on Sundays from May to October.
Olympic Rings
Pop by the Olympic Rings located at Olympic Plaza. During your solo trip to Whistler, you won’t be able to miss these five giant silver rings.
Whistler was the host of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, with the medals being awarded right here at the Olympic Plaza. This is a popular landmark and photo spot that you most likely will come across during your walk through Whistler Village, as it’s essentially in the heart of the village.
Whistler Museum
This little museum situated in central Whistler Village showcases a variety of elements from Whistler’s history, including its transition from wild and rugged forest to the world-class ski resort that it is today.
The interactive discovery center is focused on showcasing Whistler’s natural environment. Learn about the history of ski racing and see the displays related to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. You’ll also come across relevant historical photos, interesting stories, and the original gondola cabin.
Whistler Train Wreck Hike
The Train Wreck refers to the 1956 derailment of a freight train. Surrounded by forest, the seven derailed train cars have sat there since then, and have been covered in colorful graffiti design.
In addition to seeing the fun train cars, the surrounding scenery, suspension bridge and view of the Cheakamus River make this a wonderful spot to check out.
The trail is considered to be relatively easy, featuring a 1.5 meter-wide gravel surface to walk on. The distance of the out-and-back trail is 2.6 KM. There is a parking lot at the start of the trail head, otherwise you can also reach the trail by taking the #20 Cheakamus or Cheakamus Express bus on Whistler’s ROAM public bus system.
The train wreck trailhead is about 9KM south of Whistler Village, requiring either a drive or the local bus to get there.
Getting From Vancouver to Whistler as a Solo Traveler
There are a few ways to get from Vancouver to Whistler when traveling by yourself. Regardless of what transportation method you choose, it will take you along the spectacular Sea-to-Sky highway. This highway travels along the Pacific Ocean and the mountains. Considered to be one of the most scenic highways out there, a drive along this amazing highway is part of the fun in heading up to Whistler.
Driving
It’s about a 2-hour drive from Vancouver to Whistler, which makes it feasible to do a solo day trip if you wish. There’s the option to drive yourself up there, where you can make pit stops wherever you choose. However, if you are traveling by yourself, driving a car up there may not be the most economical option.
Coach Bus
The next method of transportation are coach bus services that transport travelers from Vancouver Airport or downtown Vancouver up to Whistler Village. These are a great option for solo travelers who want to get dropped off in central Whistler and explore on their own. These are also an economical option. While there are several companies to choose from, Skylynx is one of the preferred options with many time slots per day, a comfortable large bus, and efficient service.
Group Tour
If you’re traveling alone and would like a fully-organized tour, there are a multitude of day tours that take you from Vancouver to Whistler while showing you around some top sights and activities. This is also a great option for solo travelers that would like a group experience and having the activities planned for them. It’s also a good choice for getting to nature-based activities that are not centrally located in Whistler Village.
Popular Reads
