7 Gorgeous Weekend Getaways from Vancouver, BC
We're both very lucky to have grown up in beautiful British Columbia, and one of our goals for 2016 was to see more of our home province! The best part? You have so many weekend getaways from Vancouver to choose from! It's super easy to escape the city to a totally different climate, scenery, or city.
We've taken thousands and thousands of photos over the years, and it's kind of sad that the only place they live outside of our blog is in Dropbox. We thought it would be fun to make a coffee table book about our home and native land, so we teamed up with Blurb Books to make one!
It was super easy to create our own photo book from the Blurb Books website, you can either upload a PDF, or if you are a bit design-challenged like us, you can just drag and drop your photos onto the page! Plus, they print the books locally right here in Vancouver. Always nice to support local (and get your shipments faster).
Top 7 Weekend Getaways: Vancouver
We made our book all about BC, but we figured we should probably share the content with you too! So without further ado, Here are 7 of our favorite places to go for a Vancouver weekend getaway!
Bonus: because of the Canadian dollar right now, if you're a BC resident, it's 30% cheaper to stay in Canada. If you're American, it's 30% cheaper to visit Canada!
1. Woods on Pender
We are so obsessed with this adorable Airstream resort on Pender Island, part of BC's stunning Gulf Islands. This would be the ultimate romantic weekend getaway from Vancouver, or perfect if you want to go with a big group of friends and book out a few Airstreams in the summer!
2. Osoyoos
Osoyoos, BC is home to a beautiful lake, amazing wine country, and Canada's only desert. It's pretty much begging for you to escape the rain in the city and come relax in the hot sun, all while sipping on the best of BC wine. It's a 5 hour drive from Vancouver, and the drive through the mountains is full of views that make it totally worth the drive.
3. Jones Lake
This hidden gem outside of Chilliwack has the most BC views ever: mountains, greenery, and crystal clear water. Jones Lake is free to camp at, just make sure you have a car with 4 wheel drive to get there!
4. Sunshine Coast
This was our first year really getting to know the small coastal towns of the Sunshine Coast, and we fell in love! Follow the West Coast Ale Trail for some of the best craft beer in BC, explore the charm of Powell River, or take the ferry to Gibson's for an easy and relaxing weekend getaway from Vancouver (we love Persephone Brewing).
5. Vancouver Island
Going a weekend getaway from Vancouver to Vancouver Island is soooo easy! We have definitely found a special spot for both Victoria and Nanaimo, it's nice to be in a "city" with different restaurants, coffee shops, and breweries to explore. You should definitely take a seaplane from Harbour Air over to the Island - it's only 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver and it's so much better than the ferry!
6. Tofino
Now this is a place we seriously have to get back to! Everyone love, love, lovesss Tofino, BC. Beautiful, sandy beaches, surfing, and one of the best restaurant scenes in the country. Stay in a cute cabin at Ocean Village Resorts, and you're all set for beach fires and cozy memories on your Vancouver weekend getaway!
More: An Escape to Tofino, BC
7. Whistler
Last but not least is the quintessential weekend getaway from Vancouver: Whistler! Whether you're coming in the summer, winter, or any time inbetween, there's always something going on. Plus, you can't beat the Sea-to-Sky Highway, it's probably the best road trip around.
More: Our Whistler City Guide!
Bonus: Best Day Trip from Vancouver
Whether you're a Vancouver local, or just visiting, there's a reason why Capilano Suspension Bridge is so popular. It's so stunning! We love visiting in the winter because the crowds are smaller, you get a little bit of fog, and the lights are so magical. If you're a BC resident, one visit actually gets you a year long pass to the park! We've used it a few times, and it's definitely the best day trip from Vancouver.
Thanks to Blurb Books for sponsoring this post and helping us create a beautiful book of our memories!