13 Tips for Visiting Whistler with Kids in the Summer

Tips on visiting Whistler with kids in the Summer – A couple of weeks ago Harry and I got on a plane for a ten-hour flight to Canada. Our destination was Whistler for my brother’s wedding. Although I have been fortunate enough to visit Toronto a couple of times. We had not been West side before. Appreciating that Whistler is predominately a ski and extreme sports destination I was a little sceptical about how suitable it would be for a three-year-old and young families. We had a very enjoyable trip, there is so much to do for the entire family during the summer months, especially for younger kids. If you are thinking about taking a trip yourself then here are some tips which I hope will make your vacation planning and travels easier to this great place.

We stayed in one of the hotels around the Market Square area. There are several different ones to choose from and all are pretty bulk standard. The centre of the town is full of restaurants and bars with the odd gift shop thrown in for good measure. When we visited we found several family-friendly restaurants offering a children’s menu and did not have any trouble finding places to eat with Harry, who is rather fussy. 

Tips on visiting Whistler with kids in the Summer

Vancouver Airport 

The time we visited and the previous times my parents have visited getting through security at the Airport is a long process. It took us two hours from when our flight landed. So take something to keep the younger children entertained. I think the main reason for the delays is because of needing to make online declarations on little terminals before actually going through passport control. This seemed to hold everything up longer than needed.

Tourist Office

I would head to the tourist office on your first day to pick up maps and everything you need for your stay. We booked our return coach ride to Vancouver and they were able to offer advice on prices and suitability. Unlike many other tourist offices, there is lots of information readily available and the staff are so friendly and helpful without the need to buy anything. They even gave me information on a baby and toddler service where you can hire everything from bottle warmers to cots, to toys. Perfect when travelling with young kids and the place to head if you are looking for information on babysitting Whistler. 

You can also get lots of information on the plenty of activities for those staying in Whistler with kids. There is lots to do for older children as well such as mountain biking, ski rentals and cross country skiing. For little legs, there is the Enchanted Tree Fort and The Magic Castle, both play areas are designed to give younger Whistler kids a break from ski school.

Kids free transfers – Whistler with kids

Getting to and from Vancouver can be expensive as it takes about 2.5 hours depending on the traffic. With private transfer prices over 380$ many people rely on buses and coaches. Be aware that some companies will offer free child places. Not all do so it’s worth doing your research. When we travelled Skylynx although slightly more expensive than some of the other options, they did offer kids places for free. 

Supermarkets & Drug Stores

There are two supermarkets in Whistler itself. With a larger one out of town. There is no getting away from the fact that groceries are expensive. They appear to be even more expensive in Whistler with food being cheaper in the surrounding areas. A cut loaf of wholemeal bread was around 4$, baby bells (6 pack) 6$, a whole cucumber 2$ and a punnet of strawberries 6$. If like us you don’t have access to a car then there is nothing that you can do about it, but make sure you budget this into your overall family vacation. There are plenty of picnic tables located around the centre. 

Bring your own 

The other thing I noticed is that there are certain things that you can’t get hold of easily. Decent cheddar is one thing! But even squash was an issue. I also struggled with snacks for Harry. However, if you are planning on bringing your own then make sure to check what you can and can’t bring into the country. Especially in hand luggage as their restrictions seemed very strict. 

The larger supermarket at the bottom of the square seemed to stock a lot of different varieties of the same type of food and gave the impression it was more orientated towards party supplies. The smaller one had more of a range of different foodstuffs and so may be a better option. Unlike the supermarkets at home they do not stock alcohol you will need to buy this separately from a liquor store. If travelling with kids then keep an eye out for the Great Glass Elevator Candy shop.

Opening times 

I found that the supermarkets do not open until 9 am, I am not sure if this is becuase of the Summer season. This caught us out especially the first morning with jet lag kicking in meaning we had been up since the very early hours. There is a baker in town called Bread which does open earlier at 8 am. Although there is normally a queue. Although everything is so good there it is worth waiting for.

Eating out when in Whistler with kids

Book your tables in peak season especially when visiting Whistler with kids and wanting to eat earlier in the day. Everywhere we went we had to wait unless we had pre-booked. Even if there were empty tables in the restaurant, which I found hugely frustrating. But it does seem to be their policy and could be because it is the largest ski resort close to Vancouver. We also found that restaurants will not let kids in the bar even to wait to be seated in the restaurant. 

There are plenty of fast food places to grab food on the go. Which can leave you craving vegetables by the end of your stay. Considering the sporting nature of the resort I was surprised by how difficult it was to come by vegetables in restaurants. We only managed to find a side of broccoli once in the Spaghetti Factory. 

Gondolas

Or cable cars to me and you are probably one of the peak attractions in Whistler itself. With the Whistler peak-to-peak gondola being the most well-known. We were lucky enough to be gifted some tickets by my brother and his wife and had a lovely day exploring. If you decide to do it then don’t bother waiting for the glass bottom gondola across the peak to peak. 

They only have two operating and with queues of up to forty-five minutes you don’t really gain anything. That you can see just by looking down the edge of one of the standard ones. At the top of Whistler Mountain, there is a lovely bar. We decided to stop for a drink although be warned wine is pricey at 22-26$ a glass of wine. A picnic may be a better option! Although there are still some Winter activities at the top. There are plenty of family-friendly activities, although one of the best things we did was seeing the Olympic Rings at the top of the Whistler Blackcomb Mountains.

Photos

If you are after a picture of the Winter Olympics Rings located in the Whistler Olympic Plaza (different from the ones at the top of the mountain), then get up early. If you don’t you will have to queue and since it is very popular it can take a while. Yet at eight in the morning, they are empty. There are some amazing photo opportunities around the Lost Lake Park and Valley Trail, so if photography is your thing then you really shouldn’t be disappointed. 

Weather

Whistler is at the base of a mountain. Several really and because it is in a bowl when the weather comes in, the weather comes in. I had not expected this in the middle of the Summer. We experienced several days of rain on our trip and found that there is very little if anything to do in the rain. This was not helped by the fact that, we did not pack our full wet weather gear and so could not take part in outdoor activities regardless of the weather. Knowing what I know now I would do this for our next trip.  

If you do find yourself stuck then you may want to consider visiting the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, there is also the Audain Art Museum or Whistler’s Escape Room. You may also want to consider a trip to the Whistler public library.

Car seats

We hired a car for one day to get to and from the wedding venue. If you are thinking of travelling with car seats be aware that they must have a top tether to be legal in Canada. Many car seats manufactured in the UK do not have this yet as it is not a requirement. Hiring a car seat with a car is both simple and compared to the price of the car relatively cheap. This is a good option instead of bringing a small travel one with you.

Fairmont Friday’s 

My parents have stayed in the Fairmont Chateau Whistler several times and so knew about Fairmont Fridays. Between the hours of 5-7 pm (you do not need to be staying) you can enjoy happy hour prices on certain alcoholic drinks in the Mallard Lounge including a featured cocktail for 8$ which is very well priced in comparison to other locations. When we visited they also shared appetisers, although checking online I think you may need to pay for these now! However, if you want to enjoy a slice of sophistication then this is the ideal place with views across the base of Blackcomb Mountain.

Transport

There are several bike hire companies and we even saw some electric bikes available. Most will offer a 10% discount coupon from the tourist board. It is possible to hire everything you need including bikes for kids of all ages and even trailers for children. Something for the whole family. Harry not being a fan we decided to walk around a couple of the lakes when we visited. Which was still a pleasant experience although I think bikes would probably have been easier. 

There is also a car hire place in the centre of the village as well. Using a car is the best way to visit many of the natural beauty spots. Including several waterfalls as the public transport isn’t really sufficient to allow you to do this. 

Although we really enjoyed our time in Whistler especially the wedding and catching up with family. I think there is little in Whistler itself for young children. If they are older and into extreme sports. Like to hike or ride around the various trails then it is a great stop as part of a wider fly-drive style trip. Although we will be back to visit family. I do think you really need to hire a car to get the best out of the area. Since it is so vast and of course in the Winter you have the ski season. 

Have you been on any family adventures in Canada? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below. 

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