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Find The Best Cities in BC for Your Next Adventure

British Columbia is the star of Canada being an outdoor haven with lush forests, snowcapped mountains, and stunning coastal cities. If you’re planning a trip to Canada, BC should be at the top of your list! Bursting with natural beauty from the Pacific Ocean to the famous Rocky Mountains, this Canadian province really does have it all.

As is typical in Canada, BC has a large land mass with a relatively small population leaving tons of area for nature and wildlife to flourish – and flourish it does! Lakes, mountains, rivers, oceans, and forests combine to make the province an outdoor playground that is an absolute must see for any adventurous traveler. Exploring the best cities in BC is a great way to really get a feel for all Canada has to offer. Too many tourists restrict their exploration to simply Vancouver or Toronto when really Canada has so much more to offer.

British Columbia is a large province so when planning your trip, you may wonder where are the best places to visit. To help you plan your trip, we’ve listed all the best cities in BC and have given you a rundown of what to expect from each place.

Best cities in BC

1. Vancouver

We can’t make a list of the best cities in BC without including the biggest city in the province. Vancouver is one of a kind bustling city set on a picturesque mountain backdrop where urban metropolis meets an outdoor adventure paradise. Whether you are looking to do some great shopping, indulge in some tasty eats, get lost in the forest, or scuba dive in the ocean, Vancouver has it all.

The city’s lush green rainforest does come at a price though. Affectionately referred to as Raincouver by locals, Vancouver receives approximately 169 days of rain a year. It’s best to plan for rain and pack accordingly when visiting.

There are so many things to do in Vancouver, you will have no problem spending at least a week in the city. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, you can get lost in the city’s tall mountains and lush forests. The Seawall at Stanley Park, a 405 hectare waterfront park located right downtown, is one of the best areas to explore in Vancouver. That’s the size of 506 football fields!

Walk across one of the impressive suspension bridges or take a gondola ride up to the city’s beautiful Grouse Mountain to meet some bears and enjoy dinner with some impressive views. You can even take to the sea to enjoy Vancouver whale watching and get up close to orcas and humpback whales.

Historic neighborhoods such as Gastown and Chinatown offer a great look into Vancouver’s culture and history. Popular Vancouver attractions like Granville Island house an eclectic arts scene with beautiful ocean views and the freshest seafood you’ll ever eat. This is a great place for a cold beer in one of over 70 craft breweries in Vancouver. If you’re traveling with kids, a trip to Science World is a must!

Getting around downtown Vancouver is easy. Relatively flat and almost completely surrounded by the ocean, walking around Vancouver is not only easy but offers up some incredibly rewarding views. There is also a Skytrain that connects Vancouver to many of the surrounding suburbs. The Skytrain is a very popular way to get from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to downtown Vancouver.

2. Victoria

Situated off the coast of Vancouver on Vancouver Island, Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. The city is known for its historic charm, thriving arts scene, stunning oceanfront location, and funky eclectic vibes. Located on the southern end of the island, Victoria is known for its ideal climate boasting some of the most moderate weather conditions in the country.

There are so many fun things to do in Victoria, you will have no problem filling up a weekend in the city. The Fairmont Empress Hotel is one of the most iconic Victoria landmarks on the island with its impressive ivy covered building being where the British Royal Family stays when they visit.

Home to BC’s beautiful Parliament Buildings and the stunning Butchart Gardens all built around Victoria’s stunning harbor, you will have plenty to explore. If you’d rather have a more nature inspired experience, this is a great place to get lost in the many forest trails or take to the ocean for some excellent scuba diving and whale watching.

If you plan to do a road trip to other popular Vancouver Island destinations, I recommend allowing at least a week to explore the island. While there is public transportation on the island, I highly recommend having a private vehicle and doing a road trip.

More than 31,000 km² (12,400 m²), like the rest of BC, most of the island’s landmass is covered in forested, beach and mountainous landscapes. Other top Vancouver Island destinations include Nanaimo (home of the delicious Canadian dessert: Nanaimo bar), Sooke, and the laid back surfer town of Tofino.

3. Kelowna

Kelowna, our favourite city in the province, is BC’s slice of sunny paradise. Sometimes called Kelownafornia, this city is known for its long hot summers and short mild winters. A must visit for wine lovers and golf pros alike, Kelowna exudes a laid back lifestyle full of sunshine, beer, and good vibes.

Kelowna is situated in the middle of the Okanagan Valley in BC’s interior and is built around the stunning Okanagan Lake. The city is known as an outdoor paradise and is a prime spot for hiking, biking, and watersports. Kelowna is split into two areas: Kelowna and West Kelowna, which are separated by the huge Okanagan Lake.

The city of Kelowna is built for tourism attracting about 2 million annual visitors. It is packed full of fun things to do no matter what season you visit. In the summertime, the city comes to life with patios opening all around the city between May and October to welcome visitors to enjoy a nice glass of vino with stunning lake views. Downtown Kelowna is a hotspot for upscale restaurants, stunning beaches, boutique style shopping, and lots of events.

Kelowna is a city that likes to drink, with more than 40 wineries in the city, visiting some of the best wineries in Kelowna and taking one of the many Kelowna wine tours is a must do when visiting. As is typical with BC, Kelowna also has a budding craft brewery scene. Winter receives far less tourism with the nearby ski hill Big White being the main draw to the area.

The city of Kelowna is located about 390km (242 miles) northeast of Vancouver. You can expect a beautiful 4 hour drive through the BC mountains to get to this sunshine town. Downtown Kelowna is best explored on foot. If you are looking to get around the rest of Kelowna, you can do so on an electric bike or scooter, private car, or with public transit.

4. Whistler

If you’re looking for a stunning mountain getaway, look no further than Whistler, BC. Whistler is tucked away in the BC mountain coast about 2 hours north of Vancouver. Home to the 2010 Winter Olympics, Whistler has attracted global attention as being a world class skiing and snowboarding hotspot.

Consisting of two mountains, you will have the choice of exploring both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Together, the mountains offer 8,171 acres of terrain to explore including 3 glaciers. The side by side mountains are connected by a stunning Peak 2 Peak Gondola that is open year round. Whistler Village is a thriving little mountain town that allows access to this outdoor playground.

Whistler has 2 hot tourism seasons:

In the summer months, from June to August, Whistler Village comes to life with mountain bikers, hikers, and adventurers looking to take in the beautiful wilderness of the area.
The alpine village is set in its full glory during the winter, with a peak in tourism between December and January, when skiers and snowboarders from around the world flock to the area. The postcard worthy village turns into a snow covered winter wonderland that is truly one of a kind.

No matter what season you visit, Whistler offers so many great things to see and do for adventurers. Much like the rest of BC, Whistler has a small craft brewery scene in a hipster style neighborhood called Function Junction. Trust me, the only thing better than a cold craft beer is sipping one after a long day on the slopes. Last time we were in Whistler we visited the light show at Vallea Lumina which we can’t stop recommending to everyone we talk to.

Winter is one of the best times to come to this snowy village when you can try your hand at skiing or snowboarding down any of the 200 marked runs on the mountains. If you’re not a skier, taking a snowmobile tour is a great way to explore the terrain.

If you’re visiting during the summer months, the slopes turn into epic mountain biking trails. There are many adrenaline inducing Whistler outdoor activities available including rock climbing with Whistler’s Via Ferra experience or swinging through the trees on a zipline adventure.

With a good mix of top tier luxury mountain resorts and affordable motels, Whistler attracts every type of traveler. Located 120 km (75 miles) north of Vancouver through the stunning BC mountains, getting to Whistler is easy. Whistler Village itself is a very walkable area with most of the shops and restaurants having pedestrian access only. Getting around the rest of Whistler, to the slopes, surrounding lakes, and wilderness trails, is accessible on foot, with private car or public transit.

5. Kamloops

If you’re looking for a slower paced city that will introduce you to all BC’s interior has to offer, Kamloops is a great option. This sleepy town, known as the Tournament Capital of Canada, acts as a great central place to explore some of the best areas in the Thompson region. Kamloops is known for its dry semi arid climate that is surrounded by many great lakes and forests to explore.

The beautiful Thompson River separates the north and south end of the town and flows into nearby Kamloops Lake. Known as the friendliest city in Canada, Kamloops is one of the best places to visit in British Columbia where you can enjoy the welcoming small town vibes.

Kamloops offers lots to see and do being a hotspot for outdoor adventure such as fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and off roading. With a very unique landscape, Kamloops natural beauty feautres dry rolling hills and picturesque canyons. Kamloops is rich in Indigenous culture and history from the Tk’emlúps peoples.

The city has an up and coming brewery scene with a few wineries opening up around town. Downtown Kamloops is lined with restaurants and boutique style shops that can be a lot of fun to explore. Nearby Sun Peaks Mountain is a must visit for epic skiing and snowboarding in winter.

When doing some Kamloops sightseeing, I recommend exploring outside of the city limits as well. There are a lot of great areas to visit within a short drive of Kamloops. The city of Salmon Arm is a popular destination just over an hour east of Kamloops where you will find the stunning Shuswap Lake.

One of our favorite lakes in the area is Johnson Lake, a stunning crystal clear paradise just over an hour north of Kamloops. Wells Gray Provincial Park is another favorite of ours located 90 minutes north of Kamloops and home to 41 waterfalls, lakes, and amazing forest trails. This park is packed full of wildlife. We’ve visited Well Gray 5 times and every single time have seen bears.

Do you need a car to explore BC?

You don’t need one, but it sure is nice! The best places to visit in British Columbia are not necessarily in big cities. One of our best British Columbia travel tips is to have a private car to explore the best cities in BC. It’s a big province, almost 4 times the size of Great Britain. Traveling between the different cities in the country can take hours and while there are some buses you can take, BC is really best explored with a big road trip.

Thanks for stopping by!

British Columbia is Canada’s outdoor playground with almost 64% of the province (95 million hectares) being forest and more than 20,000 lakes. No matter which city you choose to explore, you are guaranteed to get beautiful natural landscapes with plenty of outdoor activities offered. From the urban streets of Vancouver to the wine soaked paradise of Kelowna, BC promises an unforgettable vacation. Now that you know the best cities in BC, all that’s left is to book your trip!

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In British Columbia

Kelowna Brewery Tour: The Best Craft Beer In Kelowna

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Kelowna is known for stunning wineries, constant sunshine and delicious apple cider. In recent years, the Kelowna brewery scene has boomed making it a huge beer town. Bouncing between the different Kelowna brew pubs makes for one of the best ways to spend a day in the Okanagan. The Kelowna brewery district has many different options of micro breweries to choose from. Brewery restaurants offer delicious food combined perfectly with small-batched beer. In our opinion, Kelowna beer is some of the best beer in Canada.

Keeping with that Okanagan lifestyle of beer and wine, what better way to spend a summer day than on a Kelowna brewery tour? We’ve made a list of all the best downtown Kelowna breweries you have to visit. Not only that, we’ve carefully considered the order of breweries to make it so you spend less time commuting and more time sipping some ice cold Kelowna craft beer.

Should I book a brewery tour?

Yes! When you’re out drinking beer, the last thing you want to do is concern yourself with a designated driver. If learning all about the craft beer making process and having someone doing the designated driving sounds good to you, booking a brewery tour is a great option! Here are some of our favourite tours.

Kelowna Brewery Tour: This 3 hour brewery tour will have you visiting 3 of the best breweries in Kelowna: BNA Brewing, Tree Brewing, and Kettle River Brewing. The tour includes a flight of beer at each brewery and transportation between the three for $110 CAD ($82.04 USD).

Kelowna food and Beer Tour: If you’re anything like us, you love food just as much as you love beer! This walking brewery tour starts you off snacking at a few local cheese and bread shops before taking you to Kettle Valley Brewing for a delicious lunch and beer combo. You will then head to Rustic Reel Brewing and BNA Brewing for more beer and more snacks! This tour includes all your food and drinks for $145 CAD ($108.14 USD).

How do you get around to different breweries in Kelowna?

We created this Kelowna brewery tour in a specifically designed order to maximize drinking time and minimize your commute. Between breweries, you will be walking as close as in the same parking lot and as long as a few blocks. This is a great way to see the different areas in Kelowna.

The breweries are all located in high-traffic areas meaning there will be electric scooters and electric bikes on the streets in a ride-share program you can use to hop between breweries. We love turning this into a Kelowna brewery bike tour.

Check out our complete guide to getting around Kelowna like a local.

What are the best Kelowna breweries if I don’t have time to visit them all?

If you don’t have time to visit all of the downtown breweries on our list, we do have a few favourites that are a must-visit. Red Bird Brewery has one of the best patios on the list with a great, social atmosphere. Bad Tattoo Brewery has some great vibes and their food is delicious. BNA Brewery is a whole scene, especially if you visit their restaurant as well. Jackknife Brewery perfectly combines delicious food and great beer!

Are there any Kelowna dog friendly breweries?

Kelowna is a dog friendly city and most of the breweries in town happily welcome your furry friend to join on their patio. While the city doesn’t allow animals inside establishments that serve food (or beer), your pups won’t be allowed to enter any of the breweries but most are happy to provide water, and shade and some even have comfy beds for your dog to cozy up on.

The only brewery on our list that doesn’t allow dogs is Vice & Virtue as they do not have an outdoor patio to host your pup. Bad Tattoo and The Office do not allow dogs on their patio but they do allow dogs to be tied up to the outside of the fence right beside your table.

Kelowna Brewery Tour Map

Kelowna Brewery Tour Itinerary

1. Kelowna Beer Institute (KBI)

Address: 1346 Water St.

Hours: 11:30 am – 10 pm Monday – Thursday, 11 am – 11pm Friday & Saturday, 11 am – 9 pm Sunday

Located right downtown this Kelowna brewery has a large patio next to the Kelowna Yacht Club. Kelowna Beer Institute recently rebranded from its former name Tree Brewing. If you’re hungry, be sure to try their delicious pizza! They even have vegan cheese for those with dietary restrictions.

The central location and fun board games make this one of the best Kelowna brewery – you’ll likely want to stay here for a while. Playing a game of cribbage on a hot summer day while drinking beer… does life get better?

2. BNA Brewing Co.

Address: 1250 Ellis St, Kelowna

Hours: 11 am – 12 am daily

BNA is split into two areas, the tasting room and the eatery. The tasting room opens at 11 am while the eatery opens at 5 pm. The tasting room features a large indoor area and a great patio with large fire rings for you to enjoy your cold beer and wine. They have a food truck-inspired rotating food menu so you can try a new dish and craft beer with every visit.

More interested in sipping some delicious Kelowna wine? Check out our self-guided Kelowna wine tour.

If you’re heading to the restaurant, you will be pleasantly surprised by how much there is to do. Walk in to find a huge open area with a second floor that’s built with fun in mind. The bar is served out of an old Airstream trailer and there are couches to sit everywhere. There’s even a bowling alley and skeeball upstairs making this one of the most fun Kelowna brewery on our list.

3. The Office Brewery

Address: 890 Clement Ave #301, Kelowna

Hours: 12 pm – 9 pm Sunday & Monday, 12 pm – 10 pm Tuesday – Thursday, 12 pm – 11 pm Friday & Saturday

This place will make you love having mid-day meetings at the office. This Kelowna brewery features two stories that have a ton to offer beyond just their delicious beer. All their beer has funny office-themed names such as their “9-5”, “off the clock” and “liquid assets” beer.

One of our favourite things here is their cocktail flights. Choose any 4 of their cocktails worth a try. Where else can you get drunk at 2 pm and get off by saying you just spent a day at “the Office”?

Check out the 10 reasons you need to visit Kelowna now!

4. Unleashed Brewing

Address: 880 Clement Ave #207, Kelowna

Hours: 3 pm – 9 pm Monday – Thursday, 1 pm – 10 pm Friday & Saturday, 1 pm – 8 pm Sunday

If you love dogs, this is the place to be. The whole theme of this Kelowna brewery is dogs which instantly makes it one of our favourites in the area. Beer is the focus of this brewery with only a few pre-packaged food items available. There are often food trucks located outside for those looking for a bite to eat.

Unleashed is a new Kelowna brewery that is making great tasting craft beer.

Dogs aren’t just on their mind, they’re all over the brewery. Beer flights are served in dog bowls to add to the brewery’s charm. All beer names are K9 inspired, everything from the Berry Good Boy to their Fuggley Dog. The outdoor patio welcomes you and your dog and even provides cozy dog beds to keep your pup happy.

5. Rustic Reel Brewery

Address: 760 Vaughan Ave, Kelowna

Hours: 10 am – 7 pm Monday, 12 pm – 9 pm Tuesday – Thursday, 12 pm – 11 pm Friday, 11 am – 11 pm Saturday

This female owned Kelowna brewery embodies the Okanagan lifestyle with fishing, beer and chill vibes. You will feel like family at this laidback brewery with all the staff being incredibly friendly. It is not uncommon to see the owner Susi there making sure everyone feels happy and at home which gives a really special touch to this brewery.

At Rustic Reel, you will find a good selection of craft beer, wine, ciders, and cocktails. Their nachos are amazing and pair beautifully with their raspberry sour beer.

Their dog friendly patio is a great place to hang out. Large garage doors open giving the pub a smooth indoor/outdoor feel. If you love the beer and want to take some home, you can build your own 6 packs with different kinds of beer to try them all.

In the back of this Kelowna brewery you will find the delicious Tackle Box Coffee Bar open in the mornings. A cool store selling merch is also in the back of the store.

6. Jackknife Brewing

Address: 727 Baillie Ave, Kelowna

Hours: 12 pm – 10 pm Tuesday – Saturday, 12 pm – 9 pm Sunday, Closed Monday

This Kelowna brewery gives unique alternative style vibes we can’t get enough of. Their motto is “weird beer, classic pizza” and we have to say this fits perfectly. This is the best brewery with food on our list. Their pizza is a must try, arguably the best in the city! Vegan cheese and meat alternatives make this the best brewery for vegetarians/vegans to eat.

Don’t forget to check out the most romantic things to do in Kelowna!

Their rotating taps make it so you can order something new everytime you come in. Be sure to check out their dog friendly back patio for picnic table style lunch served with quirky and delicious beer. Jackknife Brewing frequently has live music happening.

7. Vice & Virtue

Address: 1033 Richter St, Kelowna

Hours: 4 pm – 10 pm Wednesday & Thursday, 2 pm – 10 pm Friday, 12 pm – 10 pm Saturday, 12 pm – 8 pm Sunday, Closed Monday & Tuesday

Starting as a group of guys in their garage, this cute little Kelowna brewery started where they all should: with a love of beer! A small menu of gourmet-style can be found here including their in-house smoked meats. The big draw is the beer and the family vibes. It is not uncommon to see kids in highchairs and families everywhere enjoying this brewery. Their Love Potion sour is enough to get you coming back for more.

8. Red Bird Brewing

Address: 1080 Richter St, Kelowna

Hours: 12 pm – 10 pm Monday – Wednesday, 12 pm – 12 am Thursday – Sunday

We’re not saying we left the best for last, but if you said Red Bird was the best brewery in Kelowna we wouldn’t disagree. This brewery has an area to order beer and food inside. You can choose to sit inside or outside.

Outside you will find a large patio area with fire tables, and turf grass that’s very inviting for kids and dogs. Somehow, this place has perfectly blended a very social upbeat and family-friendly environment. And, yes, this Kelowna brewery is dog friendly.

Recent renovations added a large patio area with an outdoor stage. This brewery often turns into a large outdoor club with live music and even multi-day music festivals. We suggest getting a beer tasting with beer flights so you can try their Radler beer, sour beer, and BC IPA beer.

What do you think about our Kelowna brewery tour itinerary? Let us know your favourite breweries in Kelowna BC in the comments below.

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In Travel Tips

How To Get Around Kelowna Without A Car Like A Local UPDATED Summer 2023

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Kelowna is one of the best summer vacation spots in BC and Canada. This city sees around 1.8 million tourists visit every year (according to Kelowna Tourism) meaning it can be frustrating trying to navigate the busy streets. This means knowing how to get around Kelowna without a car is so important during your visit. Kelowna is built in a valley and is a very bike friendly city. Luckily, you have many good options to get around Kelowna without a car.

Interested in Kelowna? Check out why you should visit now!

Companies in Kelowna have taken advantage of the ride-sharing trend that has skyrocketed around the world and the high gasoline prices. There are two main companies that offer electric scooters and e-bikes for you to rent. They are relatively inexpensive and incredibly convenient – if you can find one around you that is.

What are the options for getting around Kelowna without a car?

Kelowna has a few different options to get around the city without paying the high gas price. The most interesting and fun option is the electric scooters and bikes that are scattered around Kelowna. Sure you can take the bus ($2.50 will get you pretty much anywhere you want to go), or walk, but you’ll be missing out on the exhilarating experience of riding a scooter or ebike in the summer. There are a few companies that have different ways of getting around Kelowna.

Lime’s website states that “Lime is the world’s largest shared electric vehicle company.”. This company has found a home in “more than 200 cities in nearly 30 countries on five continents.”.

Their four main core principals include: safety, sustainability, community, and innovation. Lime’s website makes it clear that this company is focused on their customers and our planet making your decision to ride with them a good one.

You won’t be able to miss this scooter and bike rental place in Kelowna. Lime has electric scooters and e-bikes all over Kelowna that are ready for you to jump on and ride. These scooters are bright white and green in colour.

Unfortunately, Spin is no longer available in Kelowna.

This company has been around since 2017 and its headquarters is in San Francisco. According to its website, Spin is in more than 70 “cities and campuses around the globe” with the majority of its locations in the United States. Their blog has 33 pages of articles ranging from calling out jaywalking laws to the company’s stance on the Row vs. Wade ruling in the United States of America.

The Spin website has many videos in different languages to help you throughout your time scootering and cycling. There is even a quiz you can take for a promo code (if you score 100%). You’ll also find information about what you should “know before you go”, “your first ride” and how you can keep yourself and others safe. There is also a “Help Center” where you can find information ranging from “Scooter FAQ’s” to “Parking Rules”.

How To Get Started?

If you’re feeling generous please use our referral code, thanks in advance!

Lime: RQTBV6V (we both receive $3 when you start riding)

It’s so easy to scoot and ride in Kelowna. Honestly, starting your scooter and ebike riding journey is as easy as taking a picture with a smartphone. Each scooter and e-bike has a unique barcode that, when scanned, takes you directly to their company’s app.

Once the app is downloaded and you’ve created an account you are ready to start your journey. Simply walk up to an e-bike or scooter and scan the QR code on the handlebars. This will give you information about the electric vehicle including its range, price and availability. When you’re ready to ride simply click on the reserve or ride button.

Looking for some road trip through BC ideas? Check out our top 8 stops in BC!

How much does it cost to rent a scooter or e-bike in Kelowna?

Renting a scooter in Kelowna is less expensive than you may have thought. Even though buying an electric scooter is expensive, renting one is not. Either company has a similar payment structure. There will be a startup fee and then a charge per minute of use.

Scooter price: $3.50 for first 7 minutes, then $0.35/min + tax

e-bike price: $1 to start, then $0.35/min + tax

Scooter price: $1 to start, $0.35/min + tax and fees

e-bike price: $1 to start, $0.35/min + taxes and fees

How safe are electric scooters and e-bikes?

These scooters for adults are not like the Razor scooters of our childhood. Even though their top speed is limited they are still very fast and agile.

Safety for riders and the public is one of the biggest issues surrounding e-ebikes and e-scooters. If you ask the hospital you’ll quickly find out that injuries are common with the electric ride sharing trend. Every electric scooter and bike comes with a helmet that we recommend wearing for your protection.

If you follow the rules and don’t ride aggressively, or aren’t intoxicated, this is a safe way of getting around Kelowna without a car. Each escooter and ebike is speed regulated in some areas of Kelowna, like downtown and along the waterfront, where there is usually lots of people.

Where can I park the escooter and ebikes in Kelowna?

You can park your scooter rental or bike rental wherever you want, as long as you follow some basic rules.

Lime’s app has these recommendations for parking:

“Help keep sidewalks accessible to all by parking responsibly”
“Parkin a secure, upright position in line with benches, trees, poles, or bike racks.”
“Never block pedestrian travel, entrances, driveways, bus stops, accessibility zones or service ramps.”

The map in Spin’s smartphone application has recommendations on where to park and will even credit your account a small amount if you park in one of their hotspots. These zones are places that have high traffic and will save the company money from relocating their bikes and scooters.

Where can I ride a scooter and ebike in Kelowna?

You are able to ride these fun forms of transportation on streets, bike lanes and some sidewalks. There are areas where the ebikes and escooters will be speed limited and they will let you know of this by making a loud obnoxious noise. You’re also not allowed to ride on the sidewalks and can face a $10 fine if you do. The scooter will beep loudly if it detects that you’re on the sidewalk as well.

The cool thing about the rideshare applications is that they will tell you how much range the scooter or bike has remaining. This allows you to plan your trip without range anxiety.

Where are the best Kelowna scooter and cycling trails?

Kelowna is one of the most beautiful places in the world, in our humble opinion. There are many mind blowing cycling trails that will keep you entertained for hours.

We love the waterfront in downtown Kelowna. It’s usually quite busy in the summer but is definitely worth a ride or scoot.
Abbott Street has a dedicated, tree lined bike and walkway path. You’ll pass many “secret” beach access points that only the locals know exist.
The Mission is one of the hidden gems of Kelowna. It has many amazing places to eat, beaches and parks.
Mission Creek Greenway connects the Mission to West Kelowna. This is one of the most beautiful places in Kelowna. The gravel pathway follows Mission Creek northwest all the way to Orchard Park Mall.

No matter where you decide to ride you will be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to get around Kelowna without a car or truck.

Have you tried the electric scooters or e-bikes in Kelowna? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!

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In British Columbia

Top 10 Romantic Ideas For Date Night In Kelowna

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The Okanagan is a top romantic destination in Canada, especially in the summertime. Picturesque Kelowna beaches, stunning views, budding nightlife and a whole bunch of beautiful vineyards give this area a young and sexy vibe – there are so many romantic things to do in Kelowna all year round that make for the perfect day dates.

While there’s no shortage of romance in the city, you may still be racking your brain trying to come up with solid ideas for date nights in Kelowna. Call us your date night saviour because we’ve got you covered.!

Kelowna is a top vacation destination in British Columbia. Couples come from all over the world to this romantic city known as the California of Canada. Kelowna is a great romantic getaway and with the help of this guide, you will be able to plan all your ideas for date nights in Kelowna.

It’s sometimes difficult to come up with the best ideas for date night. We find having a list of a couple of day date activities to choose from helps when you can’t decide on what to do. Prioritizing dating and having fun is part of a healthy relationship so it is important to carve out some dedicated alone time.

Bringing a polaroid camera along on your date nights can be a great way to capture memories along the way. Having a scrapbook and glue stick is all you need to make a memory book of all your adventures together. You can even make this project a secret and give it to your partner as the perfect anniversary present.

Need a few more reasons to visit Kelowna? We’ve got 10 for you!

Our “Perfect Date” Tips

1. Keep it simple. Planning a date night should be fun and easy and something you want to do more often. Spending too much time coming up with ideas for date night and getting stuck in the planning/idea stage can turn this from an exciting idea to a stressful event. Having too clear of ideas for date night can also leave you with a vivid picture in your head of how things should go (see rule #2). Instead, try keeping your plans broad, leaving room for flexibility.

We tend to focus more on what we want from the day date and work backwards. Are we looking for more of an adventure, a thrill, romance and uninterrupted alone time, some ice cold beer at a brewery, or a social celebration? Once we narrow this down, we start building our day date from there with broad ideas.

2. No expectations. When planning your ideas for date night, the only goal should be to spend quality time with your partner and build memories. Don’t overcomplicate the situation by having an expectation or an idea in your head of how the date day should go. Instead of spending your night trying to match a picture in your head, let go of the reins and put the experience into perspective – you’re spending quality time with your partner.

We bring gratitude into every aspect of our lives with a specific focus on all our day dates. Grow your bond with your partner by using this time to actively focus on the positive and all the many things you have to be thankful for. The outside world has its time, protect these sacred date nights with all the love and gratitude you can.

If you need info about the best way to get around Kelowna click here!

3. Don’t overspend. Again, you want your day date to be an enjoyable time, not a stressful one. This should be something you can easily do often without having to break the budget. We’re not saying don’t have a glass of wine with dinner (or, you know, a bottle) but instead be mindful of whether this is stretching you out of your budget.

Like wine? Check out our self-guided West Kelowna wine tour. Not wanting to cross the bridge? We’ve got a self-guided East Kelowna wine tour too.

4. Check the vibe. Level up your ideas for date nights by focusing on the mood. I’m big on creating a vibe, especially at home. Never underestimate the power of good music and some string lights. This is a great way to personalize a date night by incorporating some high-vibe items that are personalized to your relationship.

Think: foods that bring back funny memories, favourite songs, blankets you bought on vacation together, first date clothes, etc.

Ideas For Date Nights Or Day Dates In Kelowna

1. Enjoy A Fire With A View Of Okanagan Lake

Be Fire Smart It's your responsibility to check the fire restrictions before you have a fire. The Okanagan is prone to yearly summer fires so it's best to check the British Columbia fire centre bans and restrictions.

Summertime in the Okanagan = backwoods bonfires. In the Okanagan, there are a million places to have a fire in the woods which is one of the best outdoorsy things to do in Kelowna. It can also be one of the most romantic ideas for date nights in Kelowna.

While you will have to travel outside city limits in order to get your fire going, the drive can be part of the experience. Luckily, no matter which way you turn you will be in nature in about 20 minutes.

The Okanagan Valley is surrounded by Forest Service Roads (FSRs) and crown land nearly everywhere you look. Finding the best spot for a campfire is easy. As much of the Okanagan is surrounded by hills, you can often find a great fire spot with a rewarding view.

If you are wanting to stay close to a city, head to Penticton and enjoy a campfire right on the beach – talk about the perfect date night! In the summertime, the city of Penticton puts fire rings out on many of their beaches that work as a first come first serve for public use. All you need is a bit of wood, a blanket and a bottle of wine to make this the perfect cheap date night idea.

Before you get too far in your planning your ideas for date night campfires, it’s important to recognize that the Okanagan has a real problem with wildfires. Be sure to check to see if there are any fire restrictions in the area early in your date night planning to make sure you are safe.

How to level up the date: Pack a picnic or, better yet, bring roasting sticks and bond over yummy campfire food like hot dogs and smores.

Do a wine tasting at one of the best Kelowna wineries and grab a bottle to bring along with you (you are in the Okanagan after all) and you’re ready for the perfect night. Be sure to pack a few blankets, pillows and even a hammock to really make this a cozy date night adventure. If it’s a clear night download some stargazing apps before you go for an extra adventure.

2. Go To The Drive In Movie Theatre

If you’ve never been to the Starlight Drive-In Theatre in Enderby let this be your sign to go! If you are looking for great laid-back ideas for date night, this is it. Going to the drive-in theatre is one of our favourite romantic things to do on a summer date night.

You don’t need a truck to go, tons of people bring air mattresses, sit in the front seat of their car, bring lawn chairs or make a bed in their trunk. I’ve even seen someone bring a plastic kiddie pool and layered blankets and pillows in it.

However you decide to watch it is sure to be a great time! We are always looking for ideas for date nights that allow us to bring our dogs along. This is one of the best pet-friendly date ideas in Kelowna.

Don’t want to drive to Enderby? You can still create a romantic outdoor movie date in Kelowna with a little extra creativity. Netflix now has a download button which means you can download shows to watch them offline. Download a movie to your computer and make sure you have a full charge. If you’re worried about your computer’s battery life you can buy a car inverter to easily charge it with your vehicle.

You can make a bed in your vehicle, grab a hammock or just simply a blanket and some pillows and cozy up on the ground on a hot summer night under the stars. You can even combine this with tip #1 for a night to remember.

How to level up the date: Have a projector? Grab a sheet, a projector and some solar panel string lights and get set up for a night you two will never forget. Having a portable power station will allow you to have all the power you need for hours of date night fun.

3. Have Dinner On One Of Kelowna’s Beaches

The perfect day date doesn’t exi…. wait dinner on a Kelowna beach? This is one of the most ‘Okanagan lifestyle’ ideas for date night. There is little that matches the Okanagan lifestyle like beaches, good food and free-flowing alcohol.

Who doesn’t love a romantic dinner on the beach in Kelowna? With the massive lakes in the Okanagan, you have many beach access points in the area. No matter where in the Okanagan Valley you are, this is one of the best ideas for date nights you can have.

You will have no problem finding some great restaurants in Kelowna lining the beaches serving up delicious eats, great Kelowna craft beer and gorgeous summer night lake views. Having dinner on the beach is one of the best things to do in Kelowna in the summer and makes for a great day date.

Check out the best way to get around Kelowna without a car?

Not feeling a restaurant? Transition to a perfect day date in Kelowna by filling a cooler bag with some fresh veggies, cheeses, bread and local Kelowna wine (note: you’re not technically allowed to drink in public in BC so use your own discretion) and enjoy a romantic picnic on the beach. Bring a volleyball, bocce, or cribbage board, or simply enjoy the beach vibes.

If you are looking for ideas for date nights that you can bring your dog along, a beach picnic is a perfect plan. Head to Cedar Creek Dog Park or Gellatly Dog Beach in West Kelowna.

If you want to take dinner on the beach one step further, why not move your picnic to the lake? Pack a cooler and hop aboard a private sailing cruise on Okanagan Lake for a date you will never forget. The cruise costs $160 CAD ($119.33 USD) per person if you’re looking for a private tour for just the two of you. If you turn this into a double date and invite along another couple, the price drops to $140 CAD ($108.14 USD) per person.

How to level up the date: Rev up your ideas for date night by looing up what time the sun sets. Find a west-facing Kelowna beach and allow your perfect day date to transition into a colourful night show that is sure to set the mood. Boyce-Gyro beach in Kelowna is a great option!

4. Go Kayaking/Paddleboarding On A Lake In The Okanagan

Kelowna is the ultimate beach vacation destination in Canada. The Okanagan is home to over 50 lakes with the most notable being Okanagan Lake. Okanagan Lake is long and skinny spanning an impressive 120km long from Vernon to Penticton. The warm lake water makes for one of the best ideas for date nights in Kelowna.

Kelowna is an active city with watersports being one of the top things to do in Kelowna. Okanagan Lake has a 27 km water trail that is perfect for kayaking and paddleboarding. It starts north of Knox Mountain Park in Kelowna at McKinley Landing and stretches all the way south to Bertram Creek Regional Park. You don’t have to do the entire route but it’s fun to do little pieces of it.

Heading to Vancouver? Read about the best places to kayak in the top things to do in Vancouver.

There is something so peaceful about being out on the water. This lake day date will give you two plenty of alone time and even allow you to potentially find some new secret Kelowna beaches.

If you are looking for ideas for date nights that are more secluded, head to any one of the other 49 lakes in the Okanagan. One of the best kayaking spots is in the lake chains of Dee Lake, Island Lake, Deer Lake and Crooked Lake. While these lakes are about an hour from downtown Kelowna, the remote BC wilderness makes for one of the best ideas for date night in the Okanagan.

If you don’t have your own gear or want to try it out before you buy some, there are tons of places to rent them.

In Vernon, there is a rental place right on Kalamalka Beach.
If you’re in Kelowna, Boyce Gyro beach, Tugboat beach and Gellatly beach offer watersports rentals as well.
Penticton has some rentals on Okanagan Lake Beach.

If you’re looking to buy a kayak or paddleboard, keep your eyes peeled on the Facebook marketplace or Castanet. Watersports are a great thing to buy second-hand to save money.

How to level up the date: Pack a small cooler and bring it along with you on the water. Check on when sunset is and plan a romantic “cheers” opportunity with some Kelowna craft beer when the sky turns pink with just the two of you on the water. Bring a selfie stick along to keep this magical moment alive forever.

5. Bike Ride Together

Bike rides make for awesome ideas for date nights in Kelowna. This can be revved up to be as active or relaxed as fits your couple. As an active city, Kelowna is the perfect place for a romantic bike ride with your partner. Being a relatively flat city, a romantic bike ride makes for a great day date.

Going on a bike ride is one of the best first date ideas because you can typically hold a conversation easily. They allow you to see Kelowna nightlife without spending tons of money on taxis.

If you don’t have a bicycle check out how to use Kelowna’s electric bikes and electric scooters!

Our favourite spot for biking in the Okanagan is

Myra Canyon along the Kettle Valley Railway. This is one of the best adventurous ideas for date nights in Kelowna. Biking through the Myra Canyon area in Kelowna will have you taking in stunning city views as you cross 18 large trestled bridges and weave through two tunnels carved through the rock. If the terrain doesn’t leave you in awe, the stunning panoramic views sure will.

This Kettle Valley Railway tour from Myra Canyon to Penticton is a great option for fit couples. You will need to make it a double date as the tour requires 4 people per booking and will start you with transportation from Kelowna up to Myra Canyon. You will spend a full day biking all the way to Penticton crossing trestle bridges and going through tunnels throughout. The tour includes bike rentals and transportation back up to Kelowna for $225 CAD ($167.81 USD) per person.

If you’re looking for more of a city bike ride we suggest the route along Abbott St. It takes you along the water and is a casual ride that can start or end in downtown Kelowna. Heading south will take you down the artsy Mission area where you can find many Kelowna restaurants with lake views.

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In lots of areas in the Okanagan, if you go into the cities you may find electric bikes (and scooters) that you can rent. These are ideal as they are used in a hop-on and off fashion which gives you complete flexibility. We love using these as our mode of transportation when going brewery hopping in Kelowna.

How to level up the date: Biking through the hills in Naramata and visiting wineries is a great summer night activity in the Okanagan. The views you will be rewarded with are sure to be a show stopper. There are a ton of parks and fields in the area you can stop for a view of the orchards with the lake in the background.

Be sure to get a basket for your bike to store any fresh fruit or delicious Okanagan wine you pick up along the way.

6. Play A Round Of Golf In The Okanagan

The Okanagan is home to some of the best golfing in North America, if not the world. While some of the Kelowna golf courses are at a champion level you don’t need to be Tiger Woods in order to play here. Mission Creek Golf Club is a great beginner golf course in Kelowna.

For a more chill experience, skip the golf course and head to a driving range to practice your swing.

Looking for ideas for date night on a rainy day? Head to the driving range and see who can hit the targets. Make it interesting and bet a kiss every time you do.

Looking for more relaxed ideas for date night? There are a ton of mini-golfing places in the Okanagan, our favourite is Scandia. This is one of the best things to do in Kelowna for couples. Worth the drive no matter where you are in the Okanagan, Scandia is like a trip back in time to your childhood birthday parties. Home to both outdoor and indoor mini golf courses, an arcade, batting cages, a shooting gallery and even go-karts you two will have a nostalgic date night together.

If you’re wanting to try something new and looking for unique ideas for date night, grab some frisbees and try your hand at disc golf. There has been a lot of buzz about this sport recently with courses being set up at many parks around BC. In typical Okanagan fashion, some of these courses feature some appealing lake views. This is also one of the best family things to do in Kelowna.

There is a course at the base of Knox Mountain in Kelowna and another one in Penticton at the Marina View Disc Golf course.

Know what else is in that area? Kelowna’s downtown brewery district.

How to level up the date: Bring a lunch and have a picnic on the water. Some golf courses are even within biking distance if you want to rent an ebike in Kelowna to get you there.

7. Go Camping In The Okanagan

There is something about spending a night in the great outdoors that is so romantic. Cuddling by a campfire, stargazing, swinging in hammocks, being out in nature… all recipes for a great date night! With so many great places to camp around Kelowna, this is one of the best ideas for date night to give you some much needed alone time.

Check out how to find the best free campsite.

The Okanagan is an outdoor paradise with tons of places to camp in every direction. If you are looking for free campsites, we always recommend heading down a Forest Service Road and you’ll usually come across a great spot pretty quickly.

For those that like more amenities, you can always check out a nearby recreation site. These are great because you don’t have to book your campsite in advance as they are operated on a first come first serve basis. This is great if you are looking for ideas for date night last minute (such as a forgotten anniversary).

Recreation sites are minimally maintained and typically feature a campfire ring, outhouses and a picnic table. They typically cost around $15 a night and are in more remote locations than other campgrounds.

If you like to camp with even more amenities there are many great private and provincial campgrounds in the area but as the Okanagan is a hub for tourism, these typically book up really quickly (sometimes they’re even booked years at a time).

Hot springs make for the perfect romantic getaway and are ideal for cold weather camping as well. The closest hot springs (with attached resorts) are Nakusp Hot Springs and Halcyon Hot Springs.

The best hot spring in the area is half an hour north of Nakusp called Halfway Hot Springs. These are natural hot springs right on the river.

The 11km road to Halfway Hot Springs is not paved and is only recommended for 4×4 vehicles. The road is not maintained which means you can only get to the hot springs when the snow has melted, between May and late September.

Lots of people leave their car at the bottom of the road and hike into the Halfway Hot Springs, or in the winter snowshoe. There isn’t a parking lot so beware of leaving your car near the road. There are a few campsites here that are $15 a night and booked on a first come first serve basis so it’s best to go early.

How to level up the date: Turn your camping into glamping by bringing some romantic creature comforts from home. Lighting sets the mood so having some nice solar powered lantern lights can be a fun alternative for the tent.

Bringing dessert can help set the mood at night: think strawberries, whipped cream and a nice bottle of Kelowna wine. If you’re camping somewhere secluded try ditching your clothes, even just for a little while.

8. Head To An Okanagan Winery, Cidery, or Brewery

Vineyards always seem to have a sexy vibe about them that breathes romance. BC wines are growing a name for themselves being some of the best wineries in the world. If you’re looking for ideas for date night that don’t break the bank, going wine tasting is a great option and let’s face it, WAY more fun than stopping by a liquor store. If you are wanting to take your wine knowledge to the next level, many great vineyards offer wine tours.

Kelowna is known for its stunning vineyards offering a romantic setting and delicious Kelowna wine. With so many wineries to choose from, you can easily spend your day hopping between Kelowna wineries.

If you want to make a day of it, booking a Kelowna or West Kelowna wine tour is a great way for you both to relax and enjoy the vineyards. You will visit 4 different wineries and get the luxury of sitting back and having the whole day planned for you.

West Kelowna, just across the bridge, has developed a stunning reputation for delivering some of the best Okanagan wines while delivering unbeatable Okanagan Lake views. Taking our West Kelowna wine tour route is one of the best ideas for date night you can have.

The Okanagan is a place that loves to drink! Kelowna’s downtown core has developed a brewery district with a bunch of micro breweries opening their doors. As they are all close together, you can easily do a self-guided walking brewery tour in Kelowna.

If beer is more your style, booking a Kelowna brewery tour is a great way to spend the day visiting 3 of the best breweries in the city: BNA brewing, Tree Brewing, and Kettle River Brewing. The tour includes transportation and flights of beer from each of your stops for $110 CAD ($82.04 USD).

If you’re into beer but want to add food to your experience, this downtown Kelowna food and beer tour is a better option! You will walk the city visiting a few coffee and food shops before heading to 3 craft breweries and enjoying lunch or snacks at them all. This tour costs $145 CAD ($108.14 USD) and includes all food and drinks.

How to level up the date: Plan a dinner at one of the vineyards on your route. Most of the wineries in the area have stunning views which provide the ultimate romance to your date night.

If you are looking to stay budget conscious, try having dinner before you head out and going for dessert instead. Some Vineyards do not have a kitchen and allow you to pack a picnic to have on site. Our favourite spot to do this is on the patio at Ancient Hill Winery.

9. SPA Day Together

Organizing a spa day together can be one of the most relaxing and rewarding ideas for date night on our list. We are big advocates for self-care, no matter how busy your schedule is. Enjoying some self care together with your partner is a great way to bond in a calming environment. The beauty of this kind of day date is that the whole goal is to feel good and recharge. When you’re thinking of ideas for date night, remember it doesn’t have to be expensive. This is a great cheap couple date idea that can be done from home.

The best way to do this at home is with the help of a romantic bubble bath full of essential oils, nice string lights, candles and a bottle of delicious Kelowna wine. Trade off some massages, order in some healthy sushi, and bask in a spa-like evening together.

Before any at-home spa night I recommend devoting 15 minutes to set the mood for the spa experience. Open up some windows to freshen the air, lighting some incense or candles, putting on some light music and dimming the lights will do wonders in setting a relaxation mood.

How to level-up the date: If you are looking for a bit fancier of a spa date, head to an Okanagan spa for a couples massage. Or, if you’re really feeling fancy, opt for a full romantic getaway. Book a night or two at Sparkling Hill resort in Vernon for an ultimate relaxing spa getaway you will not forget!

10. Try Something New Together

It is so important for couples to grow together and what better way to do that than by learning together. When looking for ideas for date night, why not grow your bond and try something new together? This can be a useful skill like taking a cooking class or more of a hobby like a new sport.

We love creating day dates by trying new sports like heading to the batting cages or grabbing a volleyball and going to the beach. Learn some “couples yoga” poses and head to a quiet outdoor area with a nice view to practice. You can also try going to the park and try slacklining.

How to level up the date: Each of you writes down an activity you have always wanted to try and put in a hat. When you run out of fun ideas for date night simply reach into a hat and pull out one of the activities.

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We hope you enjoyed reading about the top romantic things to do in Kelowna! Let us know your favourite date idea in the Okanagan in the comment section below!

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In Travel Gear

Best Smartphone For Travel (2019)

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It is no secret nowadays that cell phones have turned into our lifelines. You will rarely find anyone, let alone a millennial, without their cell phone with them at all times. Most people, us included, even sleep with our cell phones just inches from our bed so that we are always within reach.

But this is especially true when you’re traveling. More than likely, you’re only going to travel to a place once in your life. This makes the decision of the device you choose extremely important. Nobody wants to look at their pictures after their trip only to find out they look like potatoes.

While it’s a romantic idea to be away from your phone and be so caught up in your travels you don’t even know where your mobile phone is, it isn’t really reality for most people. The truth is our phones have even more of a role to play when we travel. From a mere a way to check our social media when you’re home, when traveling smart phones turn into video recorders, cameras, travel agents, GPS guides and even in-case-of-emergency lifeline. This means travelers require the best smartphone you can get.

The best travel smartphone is one that is rugged enough to handle your travels (Samara is known to be hard on her technology), is reliable and perhaps most important of all Not only does it need to be reliable but also fast enough to respond to your every demand (trust us on this, you will not believe how many photo opportunities have been missed due to slow technology).

What do you look for in the best travel phone? Is it a camera quality, battery life, screen size, worldwide bands? If you are anything like us your answer is ALL OF THE ABOVE. After careful consideration and a ton of research we opted for the Huawei Mate 20 pro.

Storage

One of the biggest issues people have with aging phones is the limited storage space. Just a few years ago 32 GB’s of storage came standard on most phones. Nowadays though, that is simply not enough.

Smartphone applications are constantly increasing. Instagram, for example, is 116 megabytes. This means an older phone with smaller storage won’t be able to have access to as many crucial applications.

In a given day we use: google maps (saving maps for offline use), Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Messenger, WhatsApp, Spotify, Snapchat, GMail, Google Photos, Trello, One Drive, Planoly, Lightroom and LensDistortion.

This list then increases with banking apps, travel apps, loyalty apps and Netflix. Needless to say, we require a lot of storage. Most travelers will agree that having enough storage space to not have to worry about snapping too many photos is so important. We have been in situations where we weren’t able to capture a special moment because of a lack of space on our phone.

The Mate 20 pro comes with 128 GB’s standard. This allows us to not only have as many apps as we want but also take thousands of photos and back all those photos up. We don’t always have the time to transfer the files off our phone to our computers or we are off traveling abroad without our computers with us.

32 gb = 6,250 photographs
64 gb = 12,500 photographs
128 gb = 25,000 photographs
256 gb = 50,000 photographs

Having the ability to download full length movies or 12 episodes of our favourite showa makes long flights or extended buss hauls so much easier. Trust us, you’ll love being able to store your top 2000 Spotify songs directly to your device.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Just like a laptop computer, smartphones have RAM. This is similar to the actual storage of the device but allows you to have multiple applications open at one time without them closing. RAM also plays a massive role in the speed of your device. The Mate20 pro comes with 6 GB’s of RAM which is excellent by today’s standards.

Our previous smartphone only had 4 GB’s which means it is more susceptible to slowing down over time. A higher amount will ensure the device is future-proofed (ie, won’t be considered old technology in a matter of months). This will give you the longevity you need out of a $1000+ device.

Camera

This should really be at the top of our list as it has proved to be one of the most important things to us. Camera quality is one of those things that you don’t know what you’re missing until you have the best and then think to yourself “how did I ever go any other way”. If you read our 2018 Smartphone review you know we were impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus cameras quality. Well, upon trying out the Mate 20 pro camera we quickly realized it doesn’t even compare.

Nowadays, the need for bringing along your big bulky DSLR camera is diminishing as smartphone cameras are becoming real rivals in delivering photo quality.

Rear Camera

Especially when it comes to traveling, you have one shot to take that great photo. You don’t know when, if ever, you will be zooming down a backroad of Thailand on a scooter so it is important that get your perfect shot the first time.

This phone has a set of 3 rear facing lenses that work together to take the perfect photo. All of these work together to make some of the best photos we have ever seen from a phone. We aren’t kidding when we say the quality of this phone is unlike anything we have experienced. There’s also data to back this up!

There is an 8 megapixel (MP) telephoto (zoom), a 20 MP ultra wide angle, and a 40 MP main lens. Yes, that is a higher count than our Nikon d5200 DSLR shooter.

Best Smartphone For Travel (2019) 81 — 5x zoom

Best Smartphone For Travel (2019) 82 — 5x zoom

What we like the most is that the smartphone seamlessly switches between the lenses. If you are in the camera app and slide the zoom the camera will transition between the lenses without issue. This is a stark difference from a DSLR setup which requires you to manually remove each lens. Not only is it a pain to switch the lenses, it means you have to carry each one individually – not ideal for travelers.

We love having a built in wide angle lens. This gives us the freedom of being able to take shots without having to backup too far.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

This is one of the most powerful cameras when it comes to scene detection. Huawei touts the camera is able to detect more than 1500 scenarios and 25 categories. What this means for you is when you’re in a snowy environment it’ll automatically switch scenes, and thus all the settings, to optimize the photo. The camera auto-detects faces and automatically switches to portrait mode.

At first we didn’t give this feature as much thought as we should have. We knew it was cool but didn’t recognize how much it would transform our photo quality. Our blue skies are enhanced, photos of our dogs are crisper, the snow is whiter… it is honestly one of the main reasons we are such advocates of this phone.

Front Camera

We know that it can be hard to take photos of yourself on your trip. This is why the front camera of a smartphone is so important. Yes, we know it can be embarrassing using a selfie stick but trust us, you’ll be thankful you did 6 months down the road.

The front facing camera on the Huawei Mate20 pro is 23 MP. It takes stunning photos but we definitely recommend turning off, or at least down, the phones beauty mode.

Battery life

All of this doesn’t matter if the smartphone dies halfway into your day. This is why we picked a phone that has one of the best batteries on the market. It is rated at 4200 maH which is high for such a small device.

This is so nice as we often have really long days traveling without access to a plug in. We rented a car in Bali and drove around the island and by the end of the 12 hour day both of our phones were completely dead with the amount of photos we had taken.

Huawei has coupled the battery with software that learns your usage patterns and tailors your experience accordingly. For example, if you use Instagram, maps, and WhatsApp regularly the phone will keep those apps open in the background. This makes it easy to switch between apps without having to wait for them to reload. It also means that the device uses less power (and thus less battery) throughout the day.

Fast charging

If you are a super heavy user and find yourself with a low battery you’ll be happy to know that you have a device that has built in fast charging. This has to do with the charging cable and brick setup you use. In fact, this is one of the fastest charging phones on the market. A 30 minute charge will give you 70% battery. We always travel with a portable battery bank which gives us nearly 5x our battery life.

Reverse wireless charging

One of the coolest features about this phone is that it was the first phone to have reverse wireless charging. This means you’ll be able to charge another phone (with Qi capabilities) with this phone wirelessly. This may seem silly, but it can really help out in a pinch. It’s not the world’s fastest charging (less than 5W), but it will give you enough for a couple hours while you eat dinner.

High resolution screen

The screen on this smartphone is pretty special. It can be bumped up to 3120 x 1440 for when you’re editing photos or watching movies. But out of the box it comes set to 2340 x 1080 and the Smart Resolution feature is turned on. This increases or decreases the screen resolution based on what you’re doing. So, if you’re watching a movie it’ll increase to 3120 x 1440 but if you’re just browsing the web it’ll decrease it. You should care about this because the screen is one of the biggest factors in determining battery life; The higher the resolution, the worse the battery life.

It is also made with OLED technology. This is usually found in high end televisions and smartphones. What’s great about this type of screen is that the blacks are actually the pixels of the screen being turned off. This makes it have true blacks instead of the panel trying to imitate black. None of this you will notice a difference on but will contribute to a longer battery life.

Curved glass

Not only can it be a super high resolution, it also features a curved display. While some people don’t like it we are not part of this group. It seems to fit in your hand more comfortably. Overall, it makes the devices feel much more premium than its competition. It seems like all of the best rated cell phones have this type of screen.

Small Bezels

It seems like there’s a race to a bezel-less phone, including this one. Yes, there is a notch but it houses some important features (more on this later). The curved edges give the feeling that there is no bezel along the sides. There is a slight chin at the bottom of the screen but that’s the only wasted space you’ll find. It actually makes it easier to hold in landscape (aka watching movies).

Security

There are many ways this device keeps your information safe. It has an in screen fingerprint sensor that works surprisingly well. This one is an optical sensor meaning it takes a photo of your fingerprint. The only drawback of this is that it has to shine a bright light onto your finger. You’ll only truly notice this at night or in dark environments. The cool thing about this feature is that you can set the home screen to be different based on a different fingerprint. So if you use certain apps more frequently than your wife, you can simply set it up to show a different home screen when it detects her fingerprint.

The notch is where the high tech 3D Face Unlock is located. Unlike other Android smartphones which simply use a photo to recognize your face the Mate 20 pro shoots over 30 000 little dots onto your face. This makes it much more secure as it “reads” the contours of your face. In fact, it can recognize you even if you’re wearing glasses or a hat. In our time using the phone the face unlock has worked so well that we’ve actually forgot we had it enabled.

Waterproof

Most phones these days come with some sort of water resistant rating. This device is IP68 rated. The “IP” stands for Ingress Protection meaning it fights against debris entering the device. The first number refers to solids – 6 meaning it is “dust tight”, while the second number is talking about liquids – 8 meaning it is able to be submerged in water for a period of time.

When this is put together, Huawei says this phone can handle up to a 1.5 meters (5 feet) depth for up to 30 minutes. While we don’t recommend swimming with the device we do regularly bring ours out into rain storms or kayaking with us on a lake. Just keep in mind also that this doesn’t include salt or chlorinated water. Both of these can damage the gaskets that keep the phone water tight.

Trust us, this is more than a feature you should overlook. While traveling in Bali one of our phones got a little wet and started malfunctioning. This wouldn’t be an issue if we were somewhere we could get it repaired, but we were in a remote area. The phone stopped working the next day, meaning we lost a way of capturing photos.

Worldwide bands

Travelers will appreciate the long list of available bands this device can connect to. For those not familiar with this term “bands” refers to the frequencies a device can connect to. Each country, region, and cellular company uses different bands. This means that no matter if you’re road tripping through Canada, or backpacking Thailand, you’ll be able to stay in touch with your friends and family.

Expandable storage

Even though this phone’s storage can be expanded it’s not entirely needed, and can be expensive. This is because Huawei have strayed from the industry’s standard of micro SD cards. Instead, they use something called Nano Memory. It’s quite similar to micro SD cards except it’ll be much thinner. You can get 64 GB, 128 GB, all the way up to 256 GB.

Comes with a case

Most top of the line smartphones these days come with the bare minimum in the box: a charger, the device and headphones (if you’re lucky). You’ll find a fast charger, headphones, a 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter and a case. It may not be the most durable but it keeps the device from scratching. Every time you place your device on a surface it has the chance to scratch so even the thinnest cases will ensure it stays in pristine condition for as long as possible.

Addressing the controversy

Huawei has been in the news a lot in the past few months, especially in Canada. This has tainted their name a little when it comes to their products. Some people have brought up that the company may be spying on it’s customers. Most people don’t realize that Huawei manufacturers nearly all of the cellular communication towers (at least here in Canada) so if they really wanted to take your data they’d simply siphon it from the towers. In other words, they wouldn’t need to produce a physical device in order to spy on you.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for the best smartphone for travel in 2019 you’ll want to check out the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. When it came time for us to upgrade our phones, we did a lot of research in order to find which one was going to fit into our busy rough lifestyle the best.

We are so happy with our choice to go for the Huawei, mostly for the impressive photo quality it gives us as well as the waterproofing technology.The entire device has built in Artificial Intelligence which tailors everything from the apps that stay open to the battery to the automatic selection of the cameras.

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro specs speak for themself. Having 6 GBs of ram allow you to multitask without apps force closing, 128 GBs of storage gives you the ability to take photos for months without having to transfer them to a computer.

Until next year…

What unlocked smartphone do you use for travelling? Let us know in the comment section below!

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means we may get a commission if you make a purchase at no extra charge to you. Our opinions are our own and we only share what we believe you’ll find helpful. We also use all the products that we have links to. You can even see them in the photos we post.

In Canada

10 Reasons You Need To Visit Kelowna Now!

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Ahhh Kelowna – the Hawaii of Canada! In 2019, after travelling quite extensively, we made the calculated decision to make Kelowna our home base. After thoroughly exploring North America on our three-year road trip it is safe to say we knew exactly what we wanted in the place we decided to call home: tons of hiking trails, long hot summers with mild winters, slow good vibes and friendly people. You need to visit Kelowna now!

Looking to get romantic on your next trip to Kelowna? Check out these romantic date ideas in Kelowna!

Kelowna checked all of these boxes off with flying colours! We could go on and on about why we love this city (and often do) so we decided to do just that by listing the top reasons that Kelowna needs to be at the top of your must-visit travel list.

Travelling to British Columbia? Read about 6 secret spots that are our favourite in the province.

1. Kelowna has long hot summers with mild winters

If there is one thing that Kelowna excels at it’s outdoor living. Everywhere you look you will see patios, parks, people on their bikes and at the beach. Kelowna is great for those looking for short milder winters and long hot summers.

Wondering what the best way to spend a summer day in Kelowna is? Packing a cooler and relaxing aboard a private pontoon boat cruise on Okanagan Lake is the way to do it! This cruise will take up to 11 people to spend the afternoon on the lake for $960 CAD ($715.99 USD). Split that cost 11 ways and this becomes super affordable!

All the sunshine in Kelowna makes the spring and fall months feel like an extension of summer. In fact, many locals will start their outdoor living as early as late March when the snow has melted and the sun is in full force. By April, patios are in full swing and it seems every single house has a BBQ going for dinner. The many surrounding lakes help to break the heat you may be experiencing as summer temperatures are known to sit around the mid-30s (in the 90s Fahrenheit).

Tucked amongst the mountains, Kelowna continues to be a playground even through the winter months. Big White in Kelowna is a popular option amongst locals for skiing and snowboarding but there are many in the area including Apex mountain in Hedley and Silverstar mountain in nearby Vernon. A great place to experience all 4 seasons, Kelowna winters drop just below freezing to around -5℃ (around 25℉) allowing for white winters that aren’t too chilly.

Looking to go to Big White? Booking private transportation from Kelowna to Big White will get you there without stress.

2. Shopping local is easy

Kelowna, and most of the people living here, place a great priority on shopping locally. With a dominating farming industry, sourcing produce and meat fresh from local farms are the norms.

From the budding local farmers’ market to the many small markets selling locally produced goods, you have endless farm-to-table options. Even big corporations such as Save On Foods have entire sections of their stores that highlight all locally crafted items.

Walking down Bernard Ave. or Pandosy St., the two streets that are most dedicated to “downtown shopping”. A majority of these stores are all local boutique-style businesses. The top cafes and restaurants in Kelowna are all smaller family-owned businesses that serve local craft beers and wines.

If you’re wanting to take part in the shop local eat local trend, this 3 hour private downtown foodie tour will take you to some of the best downtown local restaurants that are exclusive to Kelowna. The tour costs $120 CAD ($89.50 USD) and includes all food and drinks at the different independent restaurants.

If you are looking to get on board with this trend there are many farms in the city where you can go directly to buy all your produce, meats, cheeses, honey, and more.

Looking for more of a one-stop shop? The farmers market in Kelowna is large and bustling with great local finds and runs every Saturday and Wednesday morning in the summer months. You can find everything from fresh locally grown vegetables to homemade clothes and dreamcatchers.

3. There are over 100 wineries in the Okanagan

The Okanagan is BC’s little Napa Valley – full of stunning wineries. Summerhill Pyramid Winery is one of our favourites with lake and city views that are sure to take your breath away. Sandhill Wines is right downtown Kelowna making it a super popular destination. With every winery having its own spin on things you can even find some great niche wines, such as the honey wine found at Meadow Vista.

Take this self guided wine tour of the best wineries in Kelowna!

If you don’t have a designated driver, booking an afternoon Kelowna wine tour is a great option. You can choose between either an east Kelowna or West Kelowna wine tour here visiting 4 of the best wineries in the city. All tasting fees and transportation from your hotel is included in the cost. The price varies based on the number of people in your group with 2 people costing $250 CAD ($186.46 USD) each and a group of 6 costing $179 CAD ($133.50 USD) per person.

Wine isn’t your thing? There are TONS of small craft breweries and cideries in the city and surrounding area. If you want it all in one place visiting any number of the local pubs around town will give you local options.

If you’d be more into checking out the craft beer scene, this Kelowna brewery tour will take you to 3 of the best breweries in the city: Tree Brewing, BNA Brewing, and Kettle River Brewing. Flights of beer from each brewery and transportation are included in the $110 CAD ($82.04 USD) per person price tag.

Downtown Kelowna has developed a brewery district with a bunch of craft breweries opening close together. The best way to see this is with a walking self guided Kelowna brewery tour that takes you to the best Kelowna breweries. Our top recommendations are BNA, Red Bird and Bad Tattoo Brewing (all located within a few blocks of each other).

4. Kelowna’s Okanagan Lake is full of activities

We LOVE the water and that is a massive positive for the city – it’s surrounded by huge lakes. Okanagan Lake runs North to South between West Kelowna and Kelowna. Kalamalka Lake and Wood Lake also run vertically but are northeast of the city.

Kelowna’s waterways are beautiful providing gorgeous views both in and out of the water.

The lakes here are BIG and offer warm clear waters that are perfect for boating, kayaking and even scuba diving. Kelowna’s main lake is called the Okanagan Lake and is famous for having the friendly Ogopogo monster living inside, similar to Scotland’s Loch Ness monster.

This lake is lined with beaches every few hundred meters making it so there is plenty of access in the summertime. As a general rule, the farther away from downtown you go, the better your chances are of finding a great spot.

The most popular beaches in Kelowna are Boyce-Gyro Beach, Hot Sand Beach at City Park, Tugboat Beach and Rotary Beach Beach. If you are looking for less busy Kelowna beaches to visit, we recommend driving down Lakeshore Rd/Abbott Rd to find some smaller beach access points.

Venturing into West Kelowna is another great option for finding quieter beaches.

If you want a bit more luxury, another great way to enjoy the lake is by sailing on it. This private sailing cruise is a great way for your group to see the city. The price of this cruise varies on the number of people in your group with 2 people costing $160 CAD ($119.33 USD) each and groups of 6 costing $130 CAD ($96.96 USD) each. My favorite part about this tour is your captain will even let you take the wheel giving you a quick sailing lesson as you go.

If you are looking beyond just Kelowna, there are 50 lakes in the Okanagan area so you have plenty of options and may even find some secluded havens. Heading down some local FSRs (forest service roads) will take you to smaller, less crowded lakes such as Chute Lake, Lambly Lake, Hydraulic Lake, Postill Lake and Beaver Lake.

One of our favourite things to do is to hike in or kayak along the coastline to find our own private beaches. We often pack our dogs into our kayaks and paddle up the lake to find some great secret spots along the water. If you don’t have a kayak, try exploring on foot.

Knox Mountain is a great hiking spot that is located right downtown Kelowna and if you are brave enough to bushwack a bit you can find some great water access spots. A popular one to hike to is Paul’s Tomb – the walk is easy and the views are priceless. Another great hike-in-only beach is Rose Valley Lake on Kelowna’s Westside.

5. You get to enjoy the best restaurants in Kelowna

The amount of high-quality restaurant options in Kelowna is enough to make your head spin. We HIGHLY recommend skipping the big-name chains and opting for one of the many local restaurants in the area.

Wine more your thing? Check out these top Kelowna winery restaurants.

In the downtown core, higher-end restaurants such as Oak & Cru and Micro Bar & Bites combine with eclectic must-visit places such as BNA brewing, Leopold’s Tavern and Curious Cafe.

If you are looking to soak up the sunshine with a great patio and lake views check out King Taps or Cactus Club downtown or head to a winery such as Quails Gate in West Kelowna.

A great way to taste the city is to book this downtown Kelowna walking food tour. You can eat your way through 7 different places in the city. This tour costs $83 CAD ($61.90 USD) and includes all food and drink tastings along the way. Your guide will teach you about the city and the food as you spend 3 hours touring downtown.

If you’re looking for a meal with a ton of nightlife head to Craft Beer Market or Social 242 Lounge (bonus: Tuesday is Ladies Night where ladies get $20 off of a $40 or higher bill INCLUDING drinks!). Kelowna is fairly vegan-friendly with restaurants like Central Kitchen, the Naked Cafe, Frankie We Salute You and KB &Co offering many plant-based options.

6. The perfect mix of fresh fruit & local farms

Kelowna has a delicate balance of city life mixed with gorgeous farms and orchards. Okanagan fruit is definitely something to write home about – the cherries.. the peaches!!! You can expect the streets to be lined with fresh fruit stands in the summertime that are all well worth a visit.

Looking for a great date idea in Kelowna? Pack a picnic and head to a u-Pick.

If you are up for the adventure, there are MANY u-pick farms that you can visit to pick your own fruit straight from the source — it doesn’t get any fresher than this!

There are even great sanctuaries that allow hands-on experience with some rescued farm animals. The Arion therapeutic farm is a favourite of ours and a great place to get in touch with nature.

7. There are so many things to do in Kelowna

If you are lucky enough to visit the Okanagan in the summertime you will be left with no shortage of amazing things to do around the city. With all the wineries, farms, and patios you will have no shortage of ways to enjoy all the beautiful sunshine that comes in this area.

If you enjoy the outdoors, we recommend exploring the Kettle Valley Railroad. This offers endless stunning views and is great for hiking, biking or even cross-country skiing in the wintertime. There are a couple of different access points, our favourite of which is located here.

If you’re wanting to try biking this trail, the Kettle Valley Railway tour from Myra Canyon to Penticton is a great way to do it. While the whole trail is either flat or downhill, you will be traveling long distances so make sure you’re physically fit. You will be biking all the way to Penticton crossing the trestle bridges and going through tunnels. The tour is great for groups of 4 or more and includes your bike rental and round trip transportation for $225 CAD ($167.81 USD) per person.

Expect a bit of a drive from the city and a dirt road climb up a forest service road but trust us it is well worth it.

If you are coming in the winter months, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the relatively mild temperatures in the area. Winter makes a short and sweet appearance in Kelowna perfectly dusting the city with some snow to make all your winter wonderland dreams come true. This gives the local mountains some great fresh powder while allowing the city to put on their FREE annual outdoor skating rink.

Looking to explore more of British Columbia? Check out the top things to do in Vancouver!

8. Kelowna has an artsy vibe

From local craft breweries to hipster cafes this city has an artsy vibe that rivals San Francisco. Everyone here has their own unique style and it seems most have found their own ways to combine their passions with their business.

The downtown core is full of life and diverse hotspots sure to light your fire whether you’re a foodie or fashionista. With a buzzing arts and culture district, there is something new to do and see every night of the week.

9. There are SO MANY places to camp!

It is no surprise that we LOVE to camp. If you’re anything like us and love to find private FREE campsites, Kelowna and the surrounding area have plenty to keep you busy. As Kelowna is nestled between mountains, forests and lakes you will find that there are a ton of great spots to camp.

Less than half an hour from the downtown core in practically any direction you will find yourself in the middle of the outback with endless free campsites to enjoy.

10. It’s dog friendly

With three dogs, this should really be at the top of our list as it is one of the first things we look for in a new city. To be honest, we were nervous to move to Kelowna as we previously had found Kelowna incredibly not dog friendly but it turns out we just didn’t know where to go.

On a hot summer day, you can keep your dog cool by hitting the beach. Cedar Creek Park in the southern mission area is one of our favourite spots to bring our dogs.

Minutes from downtown you will find Mushroom Beach (also called Lake Ave Dog Off-leash beach), another great dog-friendly beach spot. There are also lots of great trails around that allow your furry friend to come along.

If you are wanting more of a city vibe you can walk your pup downtown along the water. Bernard Street offers up a plethora of restaurants some of which have patios with water dishes for your pup.

Where to stay in Kelowna

Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort – If waking up to stunning lake views sounds great to you, the Delta Hotel is one of the best hotels in Kelowna. Choose to soak in either their indoor or outdoor pool, enjoy the on-site restaurant Oak + Cru, or take a trip to their on-site wine cellar to do the most Kelowna-y thing you can do – enjoy a wine tasting. Located right downtown Kelowna, this hotel is within walking distance to the best beaches, restaurants and shopping in the city.

Hotel Zed – This quirky colorful downtown Kelowna hotel has a young and hip vibe with tons of cool extras to offer. With a pool, hot tub, outdoor firepit and sauna on site, there is tons to do. This is a great place to meet people whether you’re enjoying a cold beer on their rooftop patio taking in views of Okanagan Lake, raving at their mini-disco on site or having fun at their Ping Pong lounge complete with a Wii station. You can get around on their free bikes and rollerscates offered. Best of all, the hotel is pet friendly!

Hotel Eldorado at Eldorado Resort – This stunning boutique-style hotel is located in the southern Mission area of Kelowna. This lakefront resort has a stunning indoor pool and a whole lot of character. With a charming restaurant on site, this resort is close by the top beaches in Kelowna including Rotary Beach.

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Kelowna – A great option for families traveling to the Okanagan, Fairfield Inn has a giant waterslide that is great for keeping the family happy. Rooms are spacious and breakfast is included at this hotel. A great location sandwiched between downtown Kelowna and Kelowa’s airport, this hotel is within walking distance to many great restaurants and Orchard Park Mall.

Thanks for stopping by!

All in all, Kelowna is the ultimate destination offering something for everyone. Whether you are looking to set down some roots or planning the ultimate road trip through BC Kelowna has so much to offer!

Ever been to Kelowna? What was your favourite part of the city?

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10 Reasons You Need To Visit Kelowna Now! 106

10 Reasons You Need To Visit Kelowna Now! 107

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In Canada

Epic Road Trip: 8 Stops You Need To Make When Traveling Through BC

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British Columbia is one of the most beautiful places in all of Canada. We’re not just saying this because both of us grew up here, we did some thorough exploring before giving this title. After travelling around all of North America we have come to appreciate this part of the world even more than before. A road trip through BC offers some of the most scenic drives in the entire country.

An adventure lovers paradise, this province has everything from stunning coastlines, tall mountains, lush forests and a whole lot of wildlife. Where else can you scuba dive the depths of the ocean in the morning and go skiing in the afternoon? I mean, don’t actually do this because you are sure to get some altitude sickness… but, like, you COULD.

As BC natives and globe travellers, we’ve undoubtedly spent more time in this province than anywhere else and now consider ourselves experts. Below we have put together our favourite road trip through southern BC. This ultimate road trip guide is designed for people who are looking to get away for about a week.

All in all this road trip adds up to about 1,000 km of pure joy and the open road. We recommend allowing 5-10 days for this trip in order to be able to really soak in all the sights.

Road trip tips:

Best time to ROAD TRIP: Summers are known to be road trip season – and for good reason. This specific route is much better in the summertime. With many lakes, fresh fruit stands, hot summer sun and the best access to wineries, the months of June – mid-September are the best for this kind of trip.
The roads are MUCH safer at this time as you will be climbing some steep mountains. Make sure you have a reliable vehicle to take you on the trip. While you can plan a BC road trip in the winter months, it becomes a lot more dangerous with icy, snow-covered roads. Be aware that BC roads mandate winter tires on most highways between October 1st and April 30th.

road trip through bc, travel, backpack, roadtrip, drive, car — The Highway to Kamloops in the winter

While the best road trip through BC is in the summer months, be sure to consider the many natural effects that happen in these months. May – June typically experiences a fair amount of flooding. Late July – September typically sees wild forest fires. Be sure to check out what’s going on before you leave as there may be some changes needed to your route. These restrictions often lead to fire bans as well.

road trip through BC, bachelorette, weekend, winery — Samara’s Bachelorette Weekend

Starting Point: Vancouver

As most people are coming from Kelowna, let’s start our trip there. If you are coming from out of the province, you will be likely flying into Vancouver’s main airport: YVR (Vancouver International Airport). There are many places you can rent a car or motorhome for this trip.

road trip through bc, vancouver, sunrise, sunset, cityscape, city, city scape — Vancouver at sunrise

If you are not interested in renting a car (you really should, it will be MUCH cheaper) there are buses that will take you this route as well but these routes aren’t as affordable and flexible as other parts of the world.

Pro Tip: Skip the expensive and long cab ride from the airport to the city and instead jump on the Skytrain. The Canada Line will take you right from Richmond (the city YVR airport is in) and drop you right downtown for a fraction of the price.

Chilliwack

This is a small town nestled in the mountains located about 100 kilometres east of Vancouver. After leaving the hustle and bustle of the lower mainland, Chilliwack will be a welcomed introduction to the huge farmlands and gorgeous mountain views you can expect from the rest of BC.

Chilliwack has one major draw to it: an amazing resort community called Cultus Lake. This area has so much to offer and is a great vacation spot for families. Here you will find BC’s best waterpark: Cultus Lake Waterslides. As the name suggests, there is also a beautiful and warm lake that is a must-visit. Provincial campgrounds and privately owned lakefront cabins, many of which offer AirBNB, are in the area.

Take the Vedder Road exit off of Highway 1 to get to the last rest stop before Hope (another half hour away). You can use this time to stretch your legs, grab some snacks and fill your gas tank. Chilliwack is often home to the cheapest gas in the lower mainland so we recommend taking advantage. For those who aren’t Canadian, you will need to take this time to grab a Tim Hortons coffee. You can’t do a Canadian road trip WITHOUT Timmy’s.

Pro Tip: When driving through the Hope area, be sure to stop at the Othello Tunnels. Some old railway trestles weaving into the rocky landscape have been repurposed into some stunning hiking trails.

road trip through bc, british columbia, mountains, coquihalla highway, mountain pass — Coquihalla Highway (Hwy 5) in April

Manning Park (PAID)

Distance From Vancouver: 218 km

Just following Hope the road forks allowing you to veer off Highway 1 and get onto Highway 3 which cuts east across the province. Taking this will get you to Manning Park – a small mountain community in BC that sits inside a protected provincial park.

You can find accommodations for the night at Manning Park. This is a popular area for cross country and downhill skiing in winter and a beautifully scenic stop in the summer. Here you will find a mixture of campgrounds, airBNBs, cabins and hotels to choose from. While you may be able to snag something last minute, we recommend booking these in advance as things fill up quickly. Tucked into the mountains, be sure to pack layers no matter when you visit as temperatures can stick quite cool year-round.

The best way to see this area is to get out of your car and explore on foot (or ski). Extensive hiking trails allow you to get deep into the wilderness to explore. Bring your bike along, or rent some cross-country skis, and make the most of this beautiful landscape.

When you’re ready to leave you will want to keep driving east on Highway 3. This road is long, windy and often single-laned but incredibly worth it as you will be immersed in some breathtaking beauty.

Note: If you are wanting a free night of camping try using this area as a place to get out and stretch your legs. Hike the trails and go play outside for a bit before continuing another 50 minutes for a FREE site in Princeton.

Princeton (FREE)

For those of you who are looking to cut some costs and still get a great camping spot on the river, try heading to Princeton for some free camping! This spot has half a dozen campsites all sitting right on the water. You will find fire pits, picnic tables and even outhouses in this area. You can even drive your vehicle practically right on the beach making this spot perfect!

road trip through bc, camping, volkswagen, westfalia, vanagon, dogs, camping — Our campsite just outside Princeton

Note: Free camping spots all work on a first come first serve basis so you can not make reservations. Don’t worry though as there are many PAID campsites in this area that are just as beautiful so if you can’t score a free site you will have no problem still finding a place to park your RV.

Be warned, the town of Princeton doesn’t offer a ton in terms of city needs – it has a couple of gas stations, a booster juice and a Save On Foods (grocery store) to gather supplies. The real draw here is the outback that you are submerged in, the free camping sites and the many amazing biking trails close by.

On your way out of town, be sure to keep an eye out when driving through the tiny town of Keremeos as you will be wanting to take a turn south to head towards Osoyoos rather than directly towards Penticton.

Pro Tip: If you are looking to make this trip a bit shorter, skip over Osoyoos and head straight to Penticton.

Osoyoos

Osoyoos is a popular beach town located close to the USA-Canada border. From a wine drinker’s point of view, this town is a MUST SEE. Osoyoos weather is desert-like (read: hot and dry) making it GREAT for growing wine crops.

In Osoyoos and the slightly northern town of Oliver, you will find countless wineries where you can sip on your favourite wines for CHEAP. This area is a great place to gain some flexibility with your road trip as most of the wineries in the area don’t require appointments or reservations and welcome drop-ins. Just keep in mind most are only open from 10 am-2 pm.

road trip through bc, volkswagen, westfalia, osoyoos — Our secret spot overlooking Osoyoos

Note: Osoyoos isn’t a very dog-friendly city. Most of the beaches don’t allow dogs, there aren’t any dog off-leash beaches and most local restaurants don’t allow your furry friend to join you on the patio. With that being said, there are many great hiking and biking trails in the area for you to bring your pups.

road trip through bc, biking, bicycle, dogs, pets — Biking through the hills in Osoyoos

If you are visiting through the summer months be sure to hit up the MANY fruit stands in the area. Fresh, delicious fruits, veggies and honey are in abundance in the whole Okanagan region. For this reason, buy for the day and then keep driving to the many other fruit stands or U-picks along the way. There are also many campsites around this area if you don’t want to stay in Osoyoos hotels.

Penticton

One of our favourite cities in the Okanagan, Penticton has that quaint picturesque small-town feel with all the big city conveniences you could need. You’ll find big parks, tons of greenery, off-leash dog beaches and two big beautiful lakes. There is WiFi just about everywhere in this town if you are like us and working nomadically. (Look for the one named Shaw Go rather than Shaw Open).

This town is most famous for its lazy tubing down rivers. While there are many places on this trip where you will have the opportunity to laze on a river, this is by far the most popular place to do so. Bring a floaty and jump into the Penticton canal and join the river floating fun. Penticton weather in the summertime makes for floating heaven. You can even rent tubes and get shuttle buses to return you upstream taking all the guesswork out of your experience. They really make it easy to have a great day.

This town is built in between two lakes. The north lake, Okanagan Lake, is a much more sophisticated area. With beachside bars and million-dollar houses, this is the site where you will find expensive 5-star Okanagan resort hotels. At the south end of the city, you will find Skaha Lake which offers a large park and a much more laid-back young beach vibe. You will find more bed & breakfast style accommodations here and places to rent paddleboards, windsurf boards and kayaks.

Get your camera ready and be prepared to make A LOT of stops on the road between here and Kelowna. Your whole ride will be driving alongside one big beautiful lake: Okanagan Lake. There are plenty of spots to pull over along this drive to take lots of photos or stop for a picnic along the water.

Summerland

While this is mostly a drive-through town you will want to drive REAL slow. This area is absolutely stunning. There are many pull-offs here for you to get the best selfies. Tons of fruit stands give this small town a lazy beach bum vibe that you are sure to love.

Peachland

Another small drive-through town, Peachland is located a few minutes outside of Kelowna, the next big city. Worth a stop, this small town is small and lazy making it a great spot to stop on your road trip. Rent some paddle boards and head to the beach or lace up your shoes to a secret waterfall, Hardy Falls. We really do love summertime on the water.

There are some great off roading trails in this area up Brenda Mines Road that can take you to some great lakes and free camping sites. Our favourite in the area is heading to Headwaters Lakes or. Silver lake campground. If you’d rather adventure on foot than by vehicle, head to Pincushion Mountain. This short 3.4km hike starts off with a bang as you climb steep slopes and staircases to tread up the mountain. Keep with it as the steep climb levels off pretty well along the way and delivers some world class views once you get to the top.

Kelowna

Kelowna, our hometown, has turned into a mini Vancouver with all the conveniences you get with a big city, and yet a Hawaii-like tropical feel. Kelowna has the best of every world and is the best summer destination in BC. This lakeside city offers the longest summers in Canada and so much to do.

The city is so full of life and has an unbeatable outdoorsy vibe. Kelowna’s population is growing as many people are moving away from Vancouver’s buzz and Alberta’s flatlands. Think lakeside living, delicious wineries and excellent boutiques… oh and a CHEAPER PRICE TAG.

roadtrip through bc, winery, wine, field, vernon, kelowna — You can’t beat the view at the wineries

Soak in Okanagan Lake while searching for the Ogopogo, hike the beautiful hills, indulge in some lakeside dining and take on a wine tour. We specifically loved Quails Gate Winery in West Kelowna. This place is quite upscale and you can taste it in the wines. We also loved Meadow Vista winery. This is a really small winery with honey-infused wines!

This is a great place to visit for bachelorette parties or for fun nights out. Packing your days with tours through the vineyards and your evenings with lakeside restaurants is easy in this area. For those who like some entertainment, Kelowna offers some great nightlife at local hotspots like King Taps, Craft Beer Market, Social 242 and even Gotham nightclub. I had my bachelorette party in the city and there was tons to do!

Lake Country

In between Kelowna and Vernon you will find yourself driving through a city called Lake Country. As the name suggests you’re in store for stunning water views every way you look. This town doesn’t offer much in terms of city life as you will find only a few restaurants that aren’t associated with a vineyard. It does, however, offer some amazing lake country wineries all with their own stunning views. If you are in this area you do not want to miss a trip to Gray Monk Winery. Sitting perched on a cliff-side this winery offers delicious wine and views you won’t want to miss.

When driving through Lake Country the highway takes you past Wood Lake and Kalamalka Lake. When the weather is clear, these lakes glisten with turquoise waters that will have you thinking you’re in paradise. If you have time on your trip, we recommend crossing the hill to the west side of Lake Country where you will find access to Okanagan Lake. Driving down Cars Landing Road will reward you with amazing views and many white sandy beaches.

Vernon

Vernon keeps with the Okanagan trend of offering a ton of sunshine, lakes and laid back vibes. Kalamalka Lake is an absolute must-see when coming to this area. Point your car straight to Kalamalka beach and thank me later! While here, rent some paddle boards or go for a hike through the rocks to find some great cliff jumping. You don’t have to travel far for lunch as you will find some lakeside restaurants and convenience stores to give you fuel. If you have a dog along with you, instead head towards Okanagan Lake’s Kin Beach. They have a dog-friendly section of their beach that your pup will love. O’Keeffe Ranch is a great local farm that offers a ton of activities for the whole family.

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For those that are looking to soak in some luxury, we recommend the beautiful hilltop spa of Sparkling Hill. This is a great luxury destination in the Okanagan where you will find steam rooms, saunas, and even an igloo room. If your itinerary allows, we recommend staying at least 2 nights here to be able to fully enjoy the experience and make the most of all the activities on site. They even have dog-friendly rooms!

Enderby

road trip through bc, goat farm, goat, log cabin — The ideal goat setup

Heading north from Vernon you will drive past the small town of Armstrong to get to the town of Enderby. While this may look like just another small town, it packs a punch with tons of things to do. The drive to Enderby will take you past the Log Farm which is a great place to stop, especially for those travelling with kids. This eclectic farm is filled with fun activities your whole family will love. On arrival, you will be greeted by some massive dinosaur statues and a whole array of fun figures. There is also a mini petting zoo on-site with animals that you can pet and feed. The most iconic animals are the goats that have a bridge they can walk over that you drive under as you enter the site. Inside you will find a farmer’s market-style store that sells all sorts of goodies (try the pie!!!).

road trip through bc, goats, lunch, goat, farm — Lunchtime traffic jam

This tiny town may not look like there is a lot to do, but looks can be deceiving. The town is home to a quaint outdoor flea market where locals sell homemade goods. If you like hiking be sure to check out the Enderby Cliffs. While this hike is longer in duration it offers a good amount of tree coverage and switchbacks help to make it not feel as steep. This is one of our favourite hikes in the Okanagan. Not only are the views from the top of the cliff unlike anything else in the area, the path on the way up makes you feel like you’re trekking through a tropical paradise.

One of the greatest draws to the area for locals is the Enderby river. While Penticton offers a city float, the Enderby river offers a more remote float as you weave leisurely through expansive farmlands on your way into town. If you have to pick just one spot to float down a river on this list, Enderby should definitely be the one! As soon as it turns dark, head to the must-visit Starlight Drive-In Theatre. This is also a great place to do some stargazing on a clear night.

road trip through bc, goat, feeding, lunch, farm, fun — Samara feeding the goats

If you like wide-open spaces and large lush farmlands this area will not disappoint. Located a short drive from Armstrong, another small town in the area.

road trip through bc, enderby, lake, river dog — The river that runs through the town

From here you are faced with two options. You can drive north for another beautiful city: Salmon Arm or you can drive west and have a more rural experience in the hills of Falkland.

Option 1: Highway 1 Through Salmon Arm

road trip through bc, salmon arm, mountain, lake, marsh — The view from the park in downtown Salmon Arm

If you are wanting to stick to the small cities and lake vibes then heading north towards Salmon Arm and driving Highway 1 is the way to go. Once reaching the small green town of Salmon Arm you will be greeted by yet another large lazy lake, the Shuswap Lake. There is a lot to do in this area for adventurers. Some of our favourites are white water rafting, zip-lining or renting some kayaks and paddleboards for a lazy day on the water. In fact, this is one of the more popular spots locals like to hang out.

Option 2: Highway 97 Through Falkland

If you’d rather wind your way through farmlands and have a more rustic nature-filled experience, taking Highway 97 through Falkland and Monte Lake is a great route. There are tons of places to camp in the area as you drive through a couple of small farm communities.

The town of Falkland is known in the area for the annual Falkland Stampede that draws in a fairly big crowd every spring. You will know you have reached the town when you can see their iconic Canada flag displayed up on the mountainside. Hiking up to this flag will lead to some rewarding views. Heading north up Falkland Chase Road will take you to some great outback areas where you can set up camp. On your way, you will pass Pillar Lake, a popular fishing lake.

Further north you will pass through Westwold where you will find the Westwold General Store – try their donuts and thank me later! A little ways further you will find an area called Monte Lake. This area draws a crowd of rock collectors who frequently dig near the lake for precious rocks and gems.

camp, camper van, travel, road trip, british columbia — One of the free campsites along this road

Kamloops

Another great place to float down the river, Kamloops is a town that is almost guaranteed to have sunny weather and a whole lot of wind. There are tons of hiking spots in this area including treks to Kenna Cartwright Park and Peterson Creek. Dog owners will enjoy a trip to Pioneer Park, a large off-leash dog park that even has an off-leash beach.

road trip through bc, fire, camp, camping, camp fire — One of the many places to camp for free around Kamloops

There are many surrounding areas here that you will enjoy including Paul Lake, Sun Peaks mountain and Harper’s Trail.

Note: If you have some time to spare, driving an hour and a half north to Clearwater will take you to Wells Gray Park. This is one of the best-kept secret places in BC’s interior which we consider a much see! There are so many impressive waterfalls in the area. With camping nearby, rafting and some great places to canoe on the lake, this is a must-see spot for those that can afford the time.

road trip through bc, camp, camping, vanlife, dogs, pets, hammock — Our favourite site near Hope

Merritt

A sharp turn south along the Coquihalla highway will take you to the city of Merritt. This will be the last stop on your travels. While the town of Merritt isn’t packed with entertainment, the surrounding area offers some great backwoods camping.

When heading back to Vancouver, be sure to take advantage of Chilliwack’s cheaper gas on your drive-through – this often saves us about 10 cents a litre compared to prices in the city.

Vancouver

If the sudden and crippling burst of traffic hasn’t already shown you, you’re back in the city once again. Be sure to use this time to look over your vehicle as this was a long road trip.

Have you wanted to take a road trip across BC? Tell us your favourite areas in the comment section below.

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kelowna

Best cities in BC

1. Vancouver

2. Victoria

3. Kelowna

4. Whistler

5. Kamloops

Do you need a car to explore BC?

Thanks for stopping by!

Should I book a brewery tour?

How do you get around to different breweries in Kelowna?

What are the best Kelowna breweries if I don’t have time to visit them all?

Are there any Kelowna dog friendly breweries?

Kelowna Brewery Tour Map

Kelowna Brewery Tour Itinerary

1. Kelowna Beer Institute (KBI)

2. BNA Brewing Co.

3. The Office Brewery

4. Unleashed Brewing

5. Rustic Reel Brewery

6. Jackknife Brewing

7. Vice & Virtue

8. Red Bird Brewing

Table of Contents

What are the options for getting around Kelowna without a car?

How To Get Started?

How much does it cost to rent a scooter or e-bike in Kelowna?

How safe are electric scooters and e-bikes?

Where can I park the escooter and ebikes in Kelowna?

Where can I ride a scooter and ebike in Kelowna?

Where are the best Kelowna scooter and cycling trails?

Table of Contents

Our “Perfect Date” Tips

Ideas For Date Nights Or Day Dates In Kelowna

1. Enjoy A Fire With A View Of Okanagan Lake

2. Go To The Drive In Movie Theatre

3. Have Dinner On One Of Kelowna’s Beaches

4. Go Kayaking/Paddleboarding On A Lake In The Okanagan

5. Bike Ride Together

6. Play A Round Of Golf In The Okanagan

7. Go Camping In The Okanagan

8. Head To An Okanagan Winery, Cidery, or Brewery

9. SPA Day Together

10. Try Something New Together

Storage

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Camera

Rear Camera

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Front Camera

Battery life

Fast charging

Reverse wireless charging

High resolution screen

Curved glass

Small Bezels

Security

Waterproof

Worldwide bands

Expandable storage

Comes with a case

Addressing the controversy

Final Thoughts

1. Kelowna has long hot summers with mild winters

2. Shopping local is easy

3. There are over 100 wineries in the Okanagan

4. Kelowna’s Okanagan Lake is full of activities

5. You get to enjoy the best restaurants in Kelowna

6. The perfect mix of fresh fruit & local farms

7. There are so many things to do in Kelowna

8. Kelowna has an artsy vibe

9. There are SO MANY places to camp!

10. It’s dog friendly

Where to stay in Kelowna

Thanks for stopping by!

Road trip tips:

Starting Point: Vancouver

Chilliwack

Manning Park (PAID)

Princeton (FREE)