British Columbia. Where the journey is as epic as the destination, if you’re planning an itinerary to the province of British Columbia, you’re going to have one of the best experiences of your life.

The best way to explore British Columbia is to go on a RoadTrip.

A road trip will let you explore British Columbia thoroughly.

British Columbia is home to amazing mountain ranges, forests, wineries, breweries, glaciers, beaches, and ski resorts.

For Mountain lovers, British Columbia is a dream.

The scenic views and plenty of other things to do here will make you automatically say “This is life!”

In short, British Columbia is heaven on earth.

So pack your bags, make sure your car is all set, and get those roof boxes. This is the only guide you need for a British Columbia Road Trip.

Places to Explore on your BC road trip

Start with Vancouver and Metro Vancouver area

The best way to start your British Columbia road trip is to start with Vancouver. Fly to Vancouver and rent a car. There are a lot of places where you can rent a car from.

After renting a car. Take a stop, treat yourself to a drink or snack and list down all the places to explore in Vancouver.

When in Vancouver, always start your road trip by renting some bikes and cover Stanley Park. Stanley Park is the highlight of Vancouver city. Stanley Park is a huge forest-like natural retreat that has beautiful bike trails, oceanic views, and trees all around that offer nothing but a soothing experience that calms your mind and soul.

From there you can start exploring other highlights of the city like exploring Gastown, eating some great food in Chinatown, Paddleboarding or kayaking in Deep Cove, hiking at Lynn Canyon, and enjoying some shopping in Granville Island.

Vancouver is a gem. This city is literally a stone’s throw from nature. At one end it has got Northshore mountains and on the other end, it shores the Pacific Ocean.

It’ll take up to 2 days to completely explore the whole of Vancouver.

• Your Next stop, Vancouver Island
  Vancouver Island is an island on the western side of Metro Vancouver that shores the Pacific waters. To get to the island you will need to take a ferry from Tsawassen to Swartz Bay. There are many things to do on this island.
• Please note that, if you’re traveling in summer then you may need to book your spot on the ferry in advance because It gets busy.

Vancouver Island is the home to the city of Victoria which is the capital of British Columbia. Now there is still a lot to explore the whole of Vancouver Island, we’d recommend that you grab some lunch here and then explore Beacon Hill park and Butchart Gardens.

Once you explore Victoria, you move up the coast and you can do the following activities in the respective areas.

• Whale watching in Tofino, Telegraph Cove, or Port McNeill
• Hiking to Ammonite Falls
• Salmon fishing in Campbell River
• Shopping at the Old Country Market
• Exploring Elk Falls Provincial Park
• Hiking Cathedral Grove,
• Surfing in Tofino

That pretty much sums up Vancouver Island.

• Your next stop, Kelowna/Okanagan Valley

When you take highways 1, 3, and 97, respectively, after a 4-hour drive you will reach the city of Kelowna which sits amidst the Okanagan Valley.

Okanagan Valley is a place that is surrounded by forests, lakes, mountains, and vineyards.

If you are a wine person then you are going to love this city as there are a lot of wineries around here in the city of Kelowna and you can go on a wine tasting tour with your partner here.

If wine is not your thing then there are also a lot of breweries around here in the city that produce some great local beer.

However, Kelowna is not just for the Alcohol-heads.

You can also try the Farm-to-Table food tour and even rent some bikes to cycle around the Kettle Valley Railway. Okanagan Lake Provincial Park is another great place to enjoy nature. If you want to hike then Myra Canyon Trestles is the place.

• Next is, Revelstoke

One of the most scenic hubs of British Columbia, Revelstoke is a must-visit place that is just a 2-hour drive from the Okanagan Valley.

Just like Whistler and Fernie, the town is best known for the skiing slopes that it boasts. There are a good number of Mountain Resorts that provide you with the best skiing experience in town.

But this town is not just about skiing. There are plenty of other thrilling activities that you can do in Revelstoke.

You can drive the mountains on the Sky Parkway.

Enjoy and relax in the Hot Springs at Canyon, Halcyon, or Halfway River).

You can do Hiking. There are plenty of Hiking trails in Revelstoke.

You can also ride the gondola which is always a soothing experience.

If you want to do some extreme adventure then you can also try paragliding and riding the infamous Pipe Mountain Roller Coaster.

Revelstoke will be a little bit pricey but the experience makes it worth the bucks.

The next place to explore is Yoho National Park.

After you’re done exploring Revelstoke, you should head towards the Yoho National Park which is another 2-hour drive from Revelstoke. Yoho National Park is a place that makes you fall in love with itself.

Places to visit in Yoho National Park

- Lake O’Hara (one of the most iconic spots in Yoho
- Emerald Lake
- Wapta Falls
- Burgess Shale Fossil Fuels
- Kicking Horse National Historic Sites
- Takakkaw Falls

• And the last spot, Kootenay National Park / Hot Springs

Now that you’ve covered all of British Columbia, it is time for you to relax. Take another half-hour drive from Yoho and come to Kootenay National Park.

Hot springs are the highlight of this area as they will help you relax from all the travel that you will be doing for 4-5 days. Some of the famous Hot springs in the area include:

• Radium
• Ainsworth
• Canyon
• Fairmont
• Halcyon
• Lussier
• Nakusp

You can also explore the town's other highlights and which include:

• Numa Falls
• Egypt Lake
• The paint pots
• Sinclair Canyon

Road Trip Tips

Now if you’re going on a road trip and especially if it is your first time in British Columbia then here are some Road Trip Tips you need to follow.

1. Renting a Car

There are plenty of car rentals available in the above-mentioned destinations. So when you are renting a car make sure that you go through plenty of online reviews and filter out options that offer great prices.

If you have a big family then you might want to rent an RV. And just like Cars, there are a lot of options available to rent RVs as well.

2. When are you driving

Summer is a great time to go on a road trip in BC. The weather is great here, and you will easily cruise through the whole trip.

Winters have their scenic views of delighting snow but it can be a little difficult for a road trip. The roads are slick and touched with ice.

So if you’re taking a trip in winter then be sure to rent a car with winter tires and also have chains in your car because you never know when you could need them.

There is also an added risk of avalanches in the Rockies so be ready for whatever could come your way.

But despite all of that, winters are the best time to take a road trip since there are plenty of snow activities like snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing, etc.

3. Don’t forget your roof boxWhen we talk about road trips we need to be fully equipped and there’s only so much boot space in your car, right? So you can either buy/ get a roof box for rent from us at adventure-outdoors.ca

That’s all. Do explore all these places on your journey. Have a safe trip!