The ultimate guide to the 100 best things to do in BC

Apr 25 2024, 2:00 pm

Beautiful BC has so much to see and do, and it can honestly be a bit overwhelming when it comes to your choices. We’ve rounded up our top 100 ultimate things to do list, and if you are a local, it might even have some bucket list ideas you’ve never tried.

For those just visiting BC, we hope some of these suggestions let you get a glimpse of all that British Columbia offers, but you’ll have to come back to see it all!

1. Squeeze through Victoria’s Fan Tan Alley

fantan alley

Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock

2. Watch the ocean sparkle with bioluminescent algae

Sea Sparkle: Here's where to catch the natural phenomenon in Vancouver

RugliG/Shutterstock

3. Explore Little Huson Caves Park

caves

EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock

4. See the SuperDogs at the PNE

superdogs

SuperDogs/Facebook

5. Hug the more than 1,100-year-old Hollyburn Fir tree on the North Shore

tree

ittipon/Shutterstock

6. Vibe at Shambhala Music Festival

music festival

Shambhala Music Festival/Facebook

7. Wander amongst the Fraser Valley’s sunflowers

sunflowers

Chilliwack Sunflower Festival/Facebook

8. Spend a week on Hornby Island

hornby island

Tomas Kulaja/Shutterstock

9. Indulge in afternoon tea at the Empress

tea

Leila Kwok

10. Eat a fresh honey-dip donut at Lee’s

donut

leesdonuts.ca/Instagram

11. Camp at Joffre Lakes

lake camping

karamysh/Shutterstock

12. Watch a championship Whitecaps game at BC Place

13. Shop at Granville Island Market

granville island

Robert Mullan/Shutterstock

14. Check out the powwow trail

powwow

Indigenous Tourism BC/Facebook

15. Ski or (or aprés!) in Whistler

whistler

EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock

16. Go kayaking around one of the Gulf Islands

kayaking

EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock

17. Ride Canada’s only wine train

wine train

Daily Hive

18. Cross the Golden Skybridge

golden skybridge

Golden Skybridge/Facebook

19. Watch the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks in Vancouver

fireworks

Alina.Kalinina/Shutterstock

20. Walk with wolves

wolf

Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre/Facebook

21. Hike Eagle Bluffs

eagle bluffs

Elena_Alex_Ferns/Shutterstock

22. See a perfectly heart-shaped lake

hike

Time Gage/Flickr

23. Take a train journey through the province

train

joseph s l tan matt/Shutterstock

24. Visit a real-life ghost town

ghost town

JR Reyes/Shutterstock

25. Make a splash at the Vancouver Aquarium

aquarium

Maxim Shad/Shutterstock

26. Zip down one of Canada’s longest ziplines

zipline

Ondra Ovesny/Shutterstock

27. Marvel at the incredible Spotted Lake in Osoyoos

Spotted Lake

Galyna Andrushko/Shutterstock

28. Learn about railway history in Hope’s Othello Tunnels 

Othello Tunnels to partially reopen this summer

Othello Tunnels (Harry Beugelink/Shutterstock)

29. Shop authentic South-Asian clothing

The ultimate guide to shopping for a South Asian wedding in Metro Vancouver

Photo by Dimitry Loiseau | Sunny’s Bridal Gallery/Instagram

30. Scratch Panorama Ridge in Garibaldi Park off your bucket list

Woman standing outdoors with arms outstretched

EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock

31. Get a refreshing massage with a view of the Vancouver skyline

best spas in vancouver

Fairmont Pacific Rim / Instagram

32. See all the best views along the Sea to Sky Highway

Sea to Sky Highway

freidensonsphoto/Shutterstock

33. Get up close with the Rockies along the Meadows in the Sky Parkway

meadows in the sky parkway

Megan Devlin/Daily Hive

34. Relax in the grotto spa at Tigh-Na-Mara

grotto spa

Grotto Spa at Tigh-Na-Mara/Facebook

35. Experience the Sooke Potholes

sooke

poemnist/Shutterstock

36. Explore the 100-year-old Britannia Mine Museum

mine museum

Alexander Sviridov/Shutterstock

37. Take a scenic tour of Vancouver from a seaplane

float plane

illuminaphoto/Shutterstock

38. Visit Fort Langley’s adorable town and historic fort

fort langley

Daniel Avram/Shutterstock

39. Hike through golden larch trees

larches

MontanaMountainPhotos/Shutterstock

40. Wander the Enchanted Forest

enchanted forest

Enchantedforestbc.com

41. Ride the Sea to Sky Gondola

gondola bc

EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock

42. Go for a swim at Cameron Lake

cameron

EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock

43. Eat a taco at the original Tacofino in Tofino

taco

Tacofino/Facebook

44. Take it all off at Wreck Beach

wreck beach

pr2is/Shutterstock

45. Do the Grouse Grind

grouse grind

ApinBen4289/Shutterstock

46. Bob around in a cranberry bog during harvest season

cranberry

Hachapite/Shutterstock

47. Dip in Liard River Hot Springs

hot springs

Milan Sommer/Shutterstock

48. See the Northern Lights in Dawson Creek

northern lights

Beth Ruggiero-York/Shutterstock

49. Go whale watching on the coast

whale watching

Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock

50. Celebrate love at the Vancouver Pride Parade

pride

Einstein Barathyraj/Shutterstock

51. Ride at the Whistler Sliding Centre

whistler sliding centre

whistlerslidingcentre/Instagram

52. Bounce around on a floating water park

water park

Harrison Watersports/Facebook

53. Get a natural high at the Malahat Skywalk

malahat skywalk

Mr.Nikon/Shutterstock

54. Peer into the tidal pools at Botanical Beach

botanical beach

Max Lindenthaler/Shutterstock

55. Eat everything in sight at the Richmond Night Market

richmond night market

sen yang/Shutterstock

56. Spot dozens of hidden teapots on Teapot Hill at Cultus Lake

Teapot Hill

Teapot Hill / Instagram

57. Raft class 4 rapids on the Kicking Horse River in Golden

Golden Kicking Horse River

tourismgolden.com

58. Fish and stay at century-old Telegraph Cove

Telegraph Cove

One of the few boardwalk communities left in BC is on northern Vancouver Island. (Max Lindenthaler/Shutterstock)

59. Catch the whitewater wonder at the Skookumchuck Narrows

60. Sunbathe with sea lions at Whytecliff Park

Sunset at Whytecliff Park near Vancouver

Pierre Leclerc/Shutterstock

61. Say hi to our southern neighbours at Peace Arch Park

Peace Arch Park

Pixeljoy / Shutterstock

62. Test yourself along the West Coast Trail

West Coast Trail Hiking

EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock

63. Find the hidden waterfall at Sombrio Beach

sombrio beach

Galyna Andrushko/Shutterstock

64. Eat your way through Vancouver’s Michelin-recognized restaurants

Okeya Kyujiro

@okeyakyujiro/Instagram

65. Scuba dive to a sunken airplane near Chemainus

66. Try the BC Ale Trail full of craft breweries

CAMP Beer Co, a local brewery in the Fraser Valley (The Fraser Valley)

67. Rent a boat in the Okanagan on a summer day

bc lakehouse for sale

68. Soak up the cherry blossom petals as they rain down in spring

Henry Huy/blogTO

69. See an impressive collection of potlatch artifacts at Alert Bay

umistapotlatch.ca

The U’mista Cultural Centre is one of the longest-operating and most successful First Nations cultural facilities in BC. (umistapotlatch.ca)

70. Bust out your chicest fit for a day at Hastings Racecourse

Hastings Racecourse

Hastings Racecourse/Submitted

71. Smoke some of that good BC bud, endorsed by Seth Rogen himself

bonify cannabis retail

Shutterstock

72. Eat your way along the Nanaimo Bar Trail

nanaimo bar

Shutterstock/photogal

73. Spend the day on Bowen Island

Apodaca provincial park bowen island

Apodaca Provincial Park on Bowen Island (Jason Wilde/Shutterstock)

74. Climb to Cox Bay lookout in Tofino

Cox Bay lookout

Chase Clausen/Shutterstock

75. Visit Finn Slough, the floating fishing village in Richmond

 

Bekyk hierdie plasing op Instagram

 

‘n Plasing gedeel deur Visit Richmond BC (@visitrichmondbc)

76. Get swept away on the charming Sunshine Coast

Sunset canoes

Lamb-bay Beach in Tuwanek (Daily Hive Vancouver)

77. Enjoy a brewery bike crawl in East Vancouver

Parallel 49 Brewing Oktoberfest

Parallel 49 Brewing

78. See the totem poles in Stanley Park

totem poles

poemnist/Shutterstock

79. Ice skate in a forest at Apex Mountain Resort

ice skating

Apex Mountain Resort

80. Relax at the Scandinave Spa in Whistler

spa

Scandinave Spa Whistler/Facebook

81. Zip down every waterslide at Cultus Lake Waterpark

waterslide

Cultus Lake Waterpark/Facebook

82. Chase waterfalls at Wells Grey Provincial Park

wells grey

Harry Beugelink/Shutterstock

83. Live it up at Bass Coast Music Festival

bass coast festival

@basscoastfest/Instagram

84. Surf in Tofino

tofino

Dorse Media House/Shutterstock

85. Catch a glimpse of the view from the Lions Gate Bridge at night

bike

Pierre Leclerc/Shutterstock

86. Bike the Stanley Park Seawall

bike

Lissandra Melo/Shutterstock

87. Experience the beauty and culture of Haida Gwaii

haida

Russ Heinl/Shutterstock

88. Eat Indian street snacks in Surrey

snacks

India Picture/Shutterstock

89. Take a spin along on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail

biking

Amy K. Mitchell/Shutterstock

90. Check out the goats on the roof at Coombs Old Country Market

goat

poemnist/Shutterstock

91. Warm up in Canada’s pocket desert, Osoyoos

osoyoos

EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock

92. Spend the night in a tree pod at Free Spirit Spheres

spheres

Free Spirit Spheres

93. Go winery hopping in the Okanagan

winery

Valmedia/Shutterstock

94. Explore the Upana Caves on Vancouver Island

caves

Raymond Champagne/Shutterstock

95. Have an omakase experience in Vancouver

sushi

Sugrit Jiranarak/Shutterstock

96. Take the ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island

bc ferries

Volodymyr Kyrylyuk/Shutterstock

97. Walk the longest pier in Canada in White Rock

white rock

Max Lindenthaler/Shutterstock

98. Be an extra in a movie filmed here in Hollywood North

film extra

Paul McKinnon/Shutterstock

99. Cross the Capilano Suspension Bridge

suspension bridge

Colin Hui/Shutterstock

100. Keep exploring, because you know this is just the beginning

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Maridav/Shutterstock

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