British Columbia · best-of list
13 Top Things to Do in British Columbia
All 13 things to do our route editors picked in British Columbia, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect sights and experiences, with Whistler contributing the most (5).
Our curated picks
13 things to do in British Columbia, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Whistler 5 picks
Audain Art Museum
Whistler · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Forest-set gallery of British Columbia art, from Emily Carr to Northwest Coast masks.
Photo: Sam Saunders · CC BY-SA 2.0
Peak 2 Peak Gondola
Whistler · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Record-setting gondola spanning 4.4 km between Whistler and Blackcomb summits.
Tip: Ride a glass-floor cabin; the wait is a few minutes longer.
Photo: Clarisse Baudot · CC BY-SA 3.0
Scandinave Spa Whistler
Whistler · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Outdoor Nordic baths among the trees with hot pools, cold plunges and saunas.
Tip: Silence is the rule; book ahead on weekends.
Photo: Scandinave Spa Whistler · Google
Sea to Sky Gondola
Whistler · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Gondola above Squamish to suspension bridge, trails and views over Howe Sound.
Photo: Jiaxing Yu · CC BY-SA 4.0
Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
Whistler · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Centre sharing the culture of two First Nations, with a longhouse and carving.
Photo: Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre · Google
Vancouver 4 picks
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Vancouver · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
137-metre bridge over a canyon plus treetop walkways and a cliffside walk.
Tip: Lynn Canyon's bridge nearby is free but shorter.
Photo: Markus Säynevirta · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gastown
Vancouver · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Oldest neighbourhood of brick warehouses, the steam clock and restaurants on cobbled Water Street.
Photo: Lee Coursey from Decatur, GA · CC BY 2.0
Museum of Anthropology at UBC
Vancouver · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Arthur Erickson building holding Northwest Coast totem poles and Bill Reid carvings.
Photo: Louis Yang · Google
Stanley Park Seawall
Vancouver · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Ten-kilometre waterfront path around a forested park, with totem poles at Brockton Point.
Tip: Rent bikes on Denman St and ride counterclockwise as required.
Photo: Simon Blizzard · Google
Victoria 4 picks
Craigdarroch Castle
Victoria · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
1890 Victorian mansion of a coal baron, with stained glass and period rooms.
Photo: Julio Montes · Google
Fisherman's Wharf
Victoria · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Floating homes and seafood stands; harbour seals often surface for scraps.
Photo: Lady Lexyluxy · Google
Inner Harbour
Victoria · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Harbour framed by the Parliament Buildings and the Fairmont Empress, busy with floatplanes and buskers.
Tip: Return after dark when the Parliament is lit up.
Photo: ConifersOfGnarnia · CC BY 4.0
Royal BC Museum
Victoria · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Provincial museum of natural and human history, including First Peoples galleries.
Tip: Some galleries are being renewed; check what is open.
Photo: JP Anderson · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in British Columbia?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 13 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of British Columbia has the most things to do on this list?
Whistler has the most (5 of 13), followed by Vancouver (4) and Victoria (4).
Are any of these free?
3 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Inner Harbour, Stanley Park Seawall and Gastown. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for British Columbia
Top things to do nearby
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.