British Columbia is a world-renowned ski destination, rivalling the Swiss Alps, Colorado Rockies, Japan, and other major ski spots!

When planning a perfect BC ski holiday, you’ll want to find the best powder, plan for the weather, and stay safe on the slopes. We’re giving you the inside scoop on how to do so.

Creating the Perfect Trip

Skiing Level: BC’s mountains offer a wide variety of ski runs, suitable for skiers of all levels. New skiers will be able to enjoy thousands of feet of vertical and smoothly groomed green runs. Expert skiers will quite literally be able to jump off of cliffs to their heart’s content! BC offers terrain for everyone.

Fitness Level: Be mindful of the altitude if you need to manage your cardio! If you don’t do well a few thousand feet above sea level, plan your trip around the coast. Cypress and Mt Washington are safe bets. Whistler tops out around 8,000 ft, giving it a lower average elevations than many renowned ski spots.

Plan out your ski days! 90+% of ski accidents take place after 2PM, and it’s no different in BC. Warm up, ski the hardest runs of your day around mid-morning. When the afternoon rolls around, stick to groomers and take it easy on your sore legs.

Trip Duration: With more than 13 amazing resorts to choose from, you may want to work in some rest days as you explore BC! If you’re skiing in the Rockies, take a break at Radium Hot Springs and enjoy the naturally heated water. If you’re staying closer to the city, go into Vancouver and explore the city! 

Getting from Point A to Point B Safely

Winter Tires: From October 31st to April 30th, winter or all-season tires are required by law in most of BC. This is important to ensure you stay safe on icy winter roads.

Finding the perfect vehicle: We firmly believe a 4×4 Toyota Tacomas and 4Runners are the best vehicle for a multi-resort ski trip in the winter! We’ll stock the vehicle up with chains, its size and weight will cruise through any patch of snow. It’s the safest driving experience for families looking to adventure around BC. Click here to check out how we deck out our vehicles for the winter months.

Ski Passes

Buying a lift ticket the day of is never the cheapest option. Here’s the inside scoop on how to get the best bang for your buck!

Epic Pass: Vail Resort’s season pass, priced at $899 USD, gives you unlimited access to Whistler Blackcomb, Canada’s top ski destination. You also gain access to Vail’s partner resorts in the Canadian Rockies: Fernie, Kicking Horse, and Kimberly Alpine.

Icon Pass: Vail’s rival, the Icon Pass gives you access to several renowned BC ski spots – Revelstoke, Cypress, Red Mountain, Panorama, and Sun Peaks.

Day Tickets: Epic and Icon Passes can only be booked until early December. If you’re planning a trip in January, buy passes in multi-day packages to lower the cost of your daily lift ticket.

Independent Mountains: Buy online ahead of time at these resorts to save money! Mt Seymour, Grouse, Mt Washington, Mt Cain, Whitewater, Apex, Silverstar, and Big White all sell passes exclusively through their sites.

Not sure which ski resorts to go to? Our guide here gives you a rundown of 13 of BC’s best ski resorts, helping you plan the ultimate BC ski holiday!

Ski Gear

We recommend making sure you have a parka, a good pair of snow pants, a ski helmet, mask, googles, and big gloves. All essentials to ensure you stay warm at subzero temperatures in the alpine!

You’ll be skiing in Canada! It’s not known for being warm, but luckily the coldest ski spots produce the fluffiest powder.

Flying in from somewhere warm and don’t have the gear? Many of BC’s ski resort’s, including the most popular spots like Whistler and Revelstoke, will offer options to rent winter coats and snowpants.