Winter Wonderland in the Pacific Northwest -

Our highlights of the trip:

Vancouver’s spectacular setting and amazing Japanese cuisine
The Canyon Lights Show in Capilano Park is not to be missed
Powder everywhere: the Kootenays are the home of off-piste in-bounds skiing
The hippie redneck culture mash-up in Nelson

Trip summary:

Vancouver’s spectacular setting on the Pacific coast ringed by snow-covered mountains is hard to beat. If you can brave the cold, head to the Seawall circling Stanley Park for the best views, then warm up in one of the city’s many cafes – coffee culture is huge. Historic Gastown offers exciting nightlife in a pretty colonial setting, whilst Vancouver’s huge Japanese population means great food is easy to find.

Once you’ve had your fill of modern urban Canada, grab your skis and get a short flight to the Kootenay Mountains, the home of Canadian powder! The charming lakefront ex-mining ski town of Nelson is now a hotspot filled with arty shops and cafes. It makes an ideal base for Whitewater, one of Canada’s finest small ski hills that gets over 12 meters of snow a year! The casual, local, friendly atmosphere is a wonderful clash to European mega-resorts and you’ll soon make new friends. Powder is serious business here with half the town closing on a bluebird morning. Off-piste but patrolled and in-bounds runs are the specialty here. If that’s not enough, the Kootenay Powder Highway takes you to other legendary hills like Fernie, Revelstoke, and Red Mountain.

Away from the slopes, the region’s numerous hot springs warm cold limbs whilst those who don’t enjoy downhill are kept entertained by beautiful Nordic Ski trails through the ancient forests. Nelson is the well-known cultural capital of the region. Historic Baker Street is lined with old buildings including the popular Hume Hotel with its après-ski bar and nightclub. Hillbilly pickup trucks alternate with camper vans in an amusing lifestyle clash. Immerse yourself in the small Canadian ski town charm and slow the pace!

Our insider tips:

Fly from Vancouver into Trail, not Castlegar in the Kootenays. It’s a little further but not nicknamed ‘Cancelgar’!
There are wonderful snowshoeing trails around Nelson and Whitewater which get you out into the peaceful snow-covered forest.
Whilst the Whitewater shuttle is probably the easiest way to get between the ski hill and the center of town, we loved hitchhiking with the locals and making new friends, and ski town culture at its best!

Hotel highlight:

Splash out on the Vancouver hotel, as the options in Nelson are limited and not expensive. The Fairmont Pacific Rim is situated in an amazing harbourfront position, within a short walk of Gastown for entertainment. The best rooms have sweeping views of the North Shore Mountains. Great on-site spa and dining options are surpassed only by the frankly huge Canada-sized rooms!

We can secure the following perks for clients: