Vancouver to Whistler: A Winter Invictus Games Itinerary
Banner Credit: Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane
Take an unforgettable coastal journey on the breathtaking Sea-to-Sky Highway, from bustling city and towering forest to soaring snow-capped mountains and picturesque valleys. Inspiration awaits in 2025, as Vancouver, Whistler and the Lílwat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations prepare to host the first ever Winter Invictus Games—and you can feel it too. Cheer on wheelchair curling, alpine snowboard or sitting volleyball, support rehabilitation and recovery, and celebrate the power of sports surrounded by unparalleled natural beauty.
Banner Credit: Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane
Take an unforgettable coastal journey on the breathtaking Sea-to-Sky Highway, from bustling city and towering forest to soaring snow-capped mountains and picturesque valleys. Inspiration awaits in 2025, as Vancouver, Whistler and the Lílwat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations prepare to host the first ever Winter Invictus Games—and you can feel it too. Cheer on wheelchair curling, alpine snowboard or sitting volleyball, support rehabilitation and recovery, and celebrate the power of sports surrounded by unparalleled natural beauty.
What does the journey look like?
- Start by immersing yourself in Vancouver's laid-back lifestyle for a day. Think a walk or roll around the seawall in the wintry sunshine or beer sampling at cosy craft breweries.
- Then hit the Sea-to-Sky section of Highway 99 for a 65-kilometre (40-mile) drive north along the Pacific Ocean to the outdoorsy town of Squamish.
- Drive another 59 kilometres (36 miles) north to reach the bustling alpine village of Whistler and its plethora of activities, attractions and all-you-can-want amenities.
What does the journey look like?
- Start by immersing yourself in Vancouver's laid-back lifestyle for a day. Think a walk or roll around the seawall in the wintry sunshine or beer sampling at cosy craft breweries.
- Then hit the Sea-to-Sky section of Highway 99 for a 65-kilometre (40-mile) drive north along the Pacific Ocean to the outdoorsy town of Squamish.
- Drive another 59 kilometres (36 miles) north to reach the bustling alpine village of Whistler and its plethora of activities, attractions and all-you-can-want amenities.
Day 1: Vancouver
If you’re coming to Canada for the Winter Invictus Games, you’re coming to Vancouver, with important locations spread across this relaxed coastal city.
In downtown, BC Place stadium will host the Opening Ceremonies on February 8, 2025. Meanwhile, waterfront Vancouver Convention Centre will host the Vancouver Invictus Village, plus wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, indoor rowing and sitting volleyball competitions. The Hillcrest Centre will host the wheelchair curling competitions and the University of British Columbia Aquatics Centre will host the swimming events.
Credit: Destination Vancouver/BC Place
Must-stops along the way
Whether indoor or outdoor, Vancouver's numerous attractions make for one giant holiday playground. Here are just a few to help kickstart a day in British Columbia's biggest city.
Walk or roll the seawall: Choose a section of this 27-kilometre (17-mile) waterfront path—the world's longest—or complete the entire thing. Either way, you'll get to see the best of the city at your own pace. Cruise underneath the Lions Gate Bridge on your journey around Stanley Park, then push past moored yachts in False Creek and sandy beaches in English Bay.
Granville Island: Graze on fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses and meats or pick up some souvenirs at a myriad of craft stalls at the Granville Island Public Market, before enjoying a hearty lunch in the market’s cosy food court or the Taproom at Granville Island Brewing.
Vancouver Brewery Tours: Continue your journey into Vancouver's flourishing craft beer scene on a three-hour tour of three breweries. Sample award-winning beers from Brassneck Brewery, Main Street Brewing and Strange Fellows Brewing.
Eat
From award-winning eateries to local favourites—and eclectic food trucks in between— Vancouver has your stomach covered.
St. Lawrence: Find out what all the fuss is about at this Michelin-starred homey Québécois bistro. Here, haute country cooking—fried pork rinds in maple syrup or 45-day dry-aged steak with sauce Charon and smoked tomato omelette—meets teal-blue walls, family photographs and softly glowing brass lamps.
Pepino's Spaghetti House: Located in East Vancouver's colourful Commercial Drive neighbourhood, Pepino's serves up Italian comfort food like spaghetti and meatballs, rigatoni alla Bolognese and enough “Big” pizzas to feed a wheelchair curling team.
Vancouver Food Trucks: Feel like gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches? Fully-loaded Japanese-style hot dogs? Or spicy Bombay street food? More than 100 licensed vendors on wheels now roam the streets of Vancouver, offering a culturally diverse mix of choices.
Credit: Destination Vancouver/Rob Gilbert Photography
End your day
Hunker down somewhere cosy for the night. You'll want to rest up for the high road tomorrow.
Parq Vancouver: Choose from two luxury hotels at this casino resort downtown. Bask in ocean, mountain and city views from your soft-hued room at the waterfront JW Marriott or connect with Vancouver’s forestry roots from your wood-panelled perch in The Douglas overlooking Parq's 2,800-square-metre (30,000-square-foot) sixth-floor rooftop garden.
Skwachàys Lodge: Gaping at gorgeous works of art could keep you up all night at Canada's first Indigenous arts hotel, on the edge of Chinatown. After perusing the gallery lobby, settle into one of 18 themed suites like the Hummingbird, Forest Spirits, or Longhouse.
Granville Island Hotel: Tuck into quiet ambience at one of Vancouver's best-kept secrets. Enjoy three private balconies with False Creek views in a Boardwalk suite or floor-to-ceiling windows in a Penthouse.
Day 2: Squamish
Leave the city behind by heading north along the Sea-to-Sky corridor (Highway 99) to Squamish, an outdoorsy town overlooked by the Stawamus Chief, one of the largest granite monoliths in the world, towering over the townsite at 700 metres (2,300 feet) tall. Known as the Adventure Capital of Canada for its hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing, Squamish and its surroundings also promise pursuits of the more leisurely kind.
Must-stops along the way
Britannia Mine Museum: Make like a miner in 1914 and embark on an underground train ride through an early haulage tunnel. This National Historic Site is also home to a gold panning pavilion and several heritage buildings showcasing what life was like here a century ago—take a peek inside cavernous Mill 3, where ore was once processed.
Shannon Falls Provincial Park: A short, easy walk or roll through a forest of hemlock, fir and red cedar takes you to the viewing platform of British Columbia’s third highest falls, at 335 metres (1,099 feet) tall.
Sea to Sky Gondola: Amp up those Howe Sound vistas on a 10-minute gondola ride to Summit Lodge, spectacular lookouts, a suspension bridge, interpretive trail loops and hiking trailheads.
Credit: Destination Vancouver/Sea to Sky Gondola/Paul Bride
Eat
Once just a pitstop for petrol and fast food, Squamish now stops everyone in their tracks with its expanding culinary offerings.
Backcountry Brewing: This award-winning craft brewery has scored pints of accolades for its enormous range of beers, like Widowmaker IPA, Trailbreaker Pale Ale and Ridgerunner Pilsner. Pair their brews with delicious pizza in their unique tasting room, styled as a 1970s’ ski cabin, complete with lanterns and trail map tabletops.
The Salted Vine: This country-farmhouse-themed room serves up Pacific Northwest-inspired fare like fresh oysters, prime tenderloin and seafood tagliatelle.
Locavore Bar & Grill: Mix, match and share locally-sourced meat and veggie plates inside an upcycled glass-roofed greenhouse with wooden bar.
Copper Coil Still and Grill: This quirky restaurant in downtown Squamish is locally-operated and family-owned, combining the character of New Orleans with the cuisine of the Pacific Northwest to offer Canadian comforts like poutine, smoked meats, po’ boys, mac and cheese, and burgers.
End your day
Fall asleep dreaming about mountain life in a warm and comfy inn, bed and breakfast, or cabin.
Howe Sound Inn: After settling into your room with mountain views, head down to the onsite brewery for house-made ale and cheddar soup or a Brewpub burger—washed down with a smooth Rail Ale Nut Brown or tropical Hazy Daze North East IPA.
Sunwolf Riverside Resort: Check into cosy cabins with vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors and toasty fireplaces at this riverside resort just under 15 kilometres (nine miles) north of Squamish in the community of Brackendale. Relax riverside at Fergie's Café and enjoy fabulous views while feasting on fresh, locally sourced and lovingly prepared food.
Day 3: Whistler
Total drive time: 45 minutes
Welcome to the world-famous Whistler, a compact pedestrian-friendly village at the base of the mammoth Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. As the largest ski resort in North America and co-host of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Whistler Blackcomb is the perfect place for the high adrenaline sporting rivalry of the Winter Invictus Games.
Credit: Tourism Whistler/Justa Jeskova
Whistler Mountain will host alpine skiing and snowboarding competitions, and Blackcomb Mountain will host the skeleton competitions at the Whistler Sliding Centre. Meanwhile, Whistler Olympic Park, in the nearby Callaghan Valley, will host the Nordic skiing and biathlon competitions, while Whistler Invictus Village will pop up in five locations around Whistler Village.
Must-stops along the way
Whistler Blackcomb: Reach this resort's 200-plus runs and 3,306 hectares (8,171 acres) of terrain via the world's longest continuous lift system, linking the 10-person Blackcomb Gondola to the Peak2Peak and Village gondolas to form a nearly 13.5-kilometre (eight-mile) loop. Which means less time waiting and more time on the slopes.
Ziptrek Ecotours: Appreciate the slopeside scenery on the Winter Après Tour as you soar between Whistler and Blackcomb, over old growth forest and rushing river. Featuring four ziplines and four treetop bridges, this tour is full of heart-pounding adventure and spectacular panoramic views, as you admire the pristine tranquillity of an alpenglow or fresh snowfall.
Scandinave Spa: Take a soak in this silent thermal spa surrounded by rainforest and mountain views. Featuring cold plunges, Nordic waterfalls, hot pools, a dry sauna and fireside relaxation areas, your stress will melt away—even while you’re surrounded by a snowy winter wonderland.
Eat
You don't have to go far in the village area to find a spot to nosh or après-ski. Proven winners include Araxi for farm-to-table fare, the Garibaldi Lift Co. for elevated pub grub, and Hunter Gather for craft beer and house-smoked goodness. But don't miss these other one-of-a-kind players at the table too.
Umbrella Bar at the Roundhouse Lodge: Located at the top of Whistler Mountain, the Umbrella Bar gives you 360-degree mountain views in a round, wood-lined space, serving cold brews and hot chocolate under a retractable roof.
Credit: Tourism Whistler/Vince Emond
Spo7ez Winter Feast: Bite into baked bannock, alder smoked and slow roasted bison brisket, cedar roasted salmon, and other Indigenous-inspired dishes at these First Nations winter celebrations, including cultural performances, at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre.
The Blue Room: If you’re feeling flush, for a mere $20,000 CAD, you and your loved one could be whisked by helicopter to a cathedral-like ice cave for a private five-course luncheon, prepared by an executive sous chef. The experience also includes a private interpretive tour of the natural ice sculptures and ice flows by a wilderness expert. What a way to celebrate!
End your day
Rest your weary head in a luxury hotel, town home, chalet or condo. Looking for something a little different? Whistler has those too.
Nita Lake Lodge: Take a break from the bustling village and retreat to Whistler's only lakeside hotel. Relax in welcoming rooms with heated floors and basalt-rock fireplaces, then savour a rotating menu of seasonal dishes made with local farm-to-table products at The Den.
Pangea Pod Hotel: Not your typical Japanese pod hotel, this hip and surprisingly comfortable accommodation boasts memory-foam mattresses, wood-lined walls and storage spaces in its private sleeping spaces. Savour snacks and cocktails in the communal living room while people-watching from the ample windows.
Back to Vancouver?
We wouldn’t blame you for wanting to stay in Whistler forever, but if you want to complete your Winter Invictus Games journey, you’ll want to head back to Vancouver, where the downtown Rogers Arena will be hosting the Closing Ceremonies on February 16, 2025.
Plan your Sea-to-Sky journey today. Visit Destination BC.
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