Okanagan Valley Travel Guide
Okanagan Valley is a vacation paradise. Located in Southern British Columbia, it is one of the warmest regions in the province.
Featured Communities
Vernon
Lumby
Oliver
About the Okanagan Valley
Travel through landscapes of mountains, clear sparkling lakes, sandy beaches, roaring rivers, colourful orchards, and vineyards. The Okanagan Valley, the sub-region of British Columbia is home to Canada’s unique desert located in Osoyoos. Home to dozens of excellent wineries, the Okanagan Valley attracts tourists from all over the world. Some wineries offer guest accommodation, restaurants, and gift shops.
The Okanagan Valley is the place for outdoor activities where you hike, bike, heliski, and whitewater raft to your heart’s content. You can find beautiful hidden spots only a short drive off the main roads. Discover unique places and things to do as you travel. Look out for simple things and enjoy the big outdoors, most of it is free.
Bring lots of sunscreens when you come to the Okanagan Valley!
How To Get There
BY AIR
Regional and International Airports provide easy air access to the Okanagan region. Airport Gateways are found in the cities of Kelowna, Kamloops, and Penticton.
BY ROAD VIA MAJOR HIGHWAYS
Highway 1 – Travel Highway 1 east from Vancouver and the Lower Mainland to Cache Creek or west from Alberta to Sicamous.
Highway 5 and 97C – Travel from Hope on Highway 5 north to Kamloops and the North Thompson or take Highway 97C at Merritt and travel east to Kelowna and the Okanagan Country.
Highway 3 – Travel from Hope on Highway 3, and head to Princeton and Osoyoos. Or from Cranbrook head west on Highway #3, and enter the region through Christina Lake and Grand Forks.
How To Get Around
Major Centres are Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, and Osoyoos. To visit more than one place you will need a car. The downtown core of each city is easily explored on foot, by bike, or via BC Transit bus.
Activities
The Okanagan Communities
Kelowna
Kelowna BC is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada and is the largest city in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Located approximately 600 km from Calgary and 400 km from Vancouver it makes it a good halfway stop.
Kelowna has an International airport with connecting domestic flights and direct flights from Seattle which bring you right to the Okanagan Country.
Kelowna has a beautiful waterfront and an attractive downtown. If you are not able to avoid all cities on the way to the backcountry, Kelowna is worth a stopover.
This region has more to offer than fine wines, good food, and sandy beaches. Visit Myra Canyon trestles and tunnels. The scenic portion of the Kettle Valley Runway (KVS) runs along impressive steep-walled canyons. The railway was built by hand at the turn of the last century and today you can hike it or bike it.
Whether you want to rent a camper or buy a car for your backcountry Canada adventure, Kelowna is a good place to start.
Vernon
The Okanagan glitter starts to fade before you reach Vernon. Maybe it has to do with the weather. Winters are a bit harsher here and wineries are few. Vernon has its own charm and is surrounded by three lakes, Kalamalka, Okanagan, and Swan.
Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park is great for swimming and fishing with beautiful beaches and hiking trails. Visit Davison Orchard where you get a great view of Vernon. Next door is Planet Bee where you get a free tour of a working honey farm.
Vernon is your getaway to Silver Star Mountain Resort, don’t miss the 20-minute drive to the resort.
Detour up to the Aberdeen plateau for some good fishing lakes and solitude.
Step back in time and visit the historic O’Keefe Ranch, just a short way north of Vernon. The ranch has been home to the O’Keefe family from 1867 to 1977. The Ranch tells the story of early BC Ranching and endeavours to preserve the history and culture of the early ranching era. You can tour original buildings, enjoy the grounds and drop in at the Cattle Men’s Club restaurant for some Cowboy grub and a drink.
Lumby
Lumby, my home for many years is a small community, located near the edge of the Monashee Mountains. The large carved Lumber Jack greeting you at the west entrance of the town reminds you of its long logging history. People come here mostly for recreational opportunities. Make sure to spend a few days in the valley to visit some hidden treasures.
Armstrong
Armstrong is a small farming community with a pleasing blend of country activities and plenty of outdoor recreation. The town’s authentic western look is complemented by its heritage buildings, shady streets, and huge fairgrounds. You can come here to shop for antiques and locally handcrafted goods, to visit farms and orchards.
TIP! Caravan Farm Theatre is staging outdoor productions on a farm in Armstrong every summer. This is something you don’t want to miss!
TIP! Armstrong is also known for the Interior Provincial Exhibition (IPE) and Stampede. This is one of the largest agricultural fairs in Western Canada. Wear your boots and hat and experience the thrill of one of Canada’s premier pro rodeos. It all happens with five action-packed evening performances.
Enderby
Enderby is a picturesque small city nestled on the banks of the Shuswap River. The spectacular Enderby Cliffs are soaring overhead. The river running right through Enderby makes a natural playground for water sports and picnicking on a sandy beach.
Enderby is the stepping-stone to hidden fishing lakes (one of them is Hidden Lake). This is a great place to discover and a good start to get into the backcountry, that’s where you meet the locals.
TIP! Starlight drive-in theatre located south of Enderby, featuring movies throughout the summer months. Don’t miss that experience.
Falkland
Falkland is a small town located on Highway 97, 30 minutes north of Vernon. The surrounding area includes Deep Creek, Ranchero, Silver Creek, and the beautiful Salmon Valley. You know that you’re near Falkland when you see the community’s large Canadian flag perched high up on the mountainside.
Falkland is known for its rural agricultural lifestyle and has an abundance of small fishing lakes and off-road trails.
Some attractions to check out are “The Pillar” at Pillar Lake, Museum and Archives, Tut Mountain Lookout, and Falkland and District Heritage Park.
And the best of all, May long weekend is rodeo time in Falkland; don’t miss the Falkland Stampede if you happen to be in the area at that time.
Osoyoos
Osoyoos is close to the USA border and you feel like being in another world. Osoyoos Lake is one of the warmest lakes in Canada. That, together with the sandy beaches calls for great water sports. It’s not uncommon for the temperature to reach 42 C. Many campgrounds and motels rent out kayaks, canoes, and small boats. Make sure you visit the Osoyoos Desert Centre and you might want to take a guided tour, it’s fully worth it.
Just about 3 km from Osoyoos east on Hwy 3, look for Spotted Lake, a weird natural phenomenon. In the heat of the summer, the lake’s water begins to evaporate. This causes its high mineral content to crystallize and leave white-rimmed circles of green on the water.
Continue Hwy 3 west and it will take you through the rugged Similkameen Valley to the cute town of Keremeos, surrounded by orchards. About 30 km west of Keremeos is Cathedral Provincial Park, a place for great backcountry adventures and backcountry camping.
Oliver
Over the 20 km drive between Oliver and Osoyoos, on Hwy 97 you drive through orchard after orchard laden with yummy fruit, earning it the name “The Golden Mile”. You see plenty of roadside stands and many places will let you pick your own fruit.
The Oliver area is a good choice for touring local wineries and sampling Canadian Merlot, Cabernet, Pinot, or Chardonnay in the tasting rooms. Oliver offers many biking and hiking trails along Okanagan River and into the hills to idyllic fishing lakes.
10 km north of Oliver towards Penticton on Hwy 97, stop at the Vaseux Wildlife Centre. Hike to the Bighorn National Wildlife Area and the Vaseux Lake National Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Even the lake itself is a gem, framed by granite cliffs.
Penticton
Penticton is not as hectic as Kelowna and is a beach resort. For many Canadian retirees, it is a final stop in life. For cycling, try the route through Naramata onto the Kettle Valley Rail Trail. Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park is the place to go rock climbing. The park attracts climbers from all over the world.
Check out the Apex Mountain Resort 37 km west of Penticton
Summerland
Summerland is a lakeside resort town 18 km north of Penticton on Hwy 97 and features beautiful heritage buildings on the hillside. Climb aboard the vintage Kettle Valley Steam Railway for a 16 km trip and think about times gone by. Riding in open-air cars behind an old steam locomotive is an excellent way to enjoy the orchard views.
Peachland
Peachland, the small town 25 km from Kelowna is surrounded by sloping hills, colourful orchards, picturesque vineyards, and large ponderosa pines. Stroll along the lakeshore before heading through the traffic nightmare of West Kelowna.
Ski Resorts
Our ski resorts are some of the best, with Silver Star Mountain Resort being my favourite, only a 20-minute drive from Vernon, British Columbia
Big White Ski Resort is located 55 km east of Kelowna and is another great place for winter sports lovers. Big White offers excellent downhill or backcountry skiing. Because of its isolated location, most people stay at the resort for the night.
Apex Mountain Resort is located 37 km west of Penticton with the reputation to be one of Canada’s best small ski resorts. With more than 68 downhill runs the resort has something for all ability levels. Enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere compared to nearby Big White.
Climate
Seasons in the Okanagan are more pronounced than on the coast. Summer days are dry and hot and it cools down at night to comfortable temperatures. Most winter months the region gets beautiful powder snow and it’s a winter lover’s paradise.
Further north, the region becomes more mountainous, with more precipitation and cooler annual temperatures.