With kids · Whistler · Canada
Whistler with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Whistler is very family-friendly: ski schools for children from toddler age, car-free streets, lakes with beaches and docks in summer, and easy walks and bike paths. Costs are high, so self-catering condos help. Top picks: Peak 2 Peak Gondola, Lost Lake Park and Alta Lake and Rainbow Park. Families usually base themselves in Upper Village.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 8
- Best area for families
- Upper Village
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- January–February and July–August
Best things to do with kids
Viewpoint · Whistler Blackcomb
1.Peak 2 Peak Gondola
Opened in 2008, the gondola links the Roundhouse on Whistler Mountain with the Rendezvous on Blackcomb in about 11 minutes across 4.4 km, with a 3 km unsupported span and a maximum height of 436 metres above the valley. A couple of cabins have glass floors.
Wait for a glass-floored cabin (marked silver) if you want to look straight down at Fitzsimmons Creek.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours with time at the top
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Couples
Park · Village North
2.Lost Lake Park
A 15-minute walk from the village, Lost Lake has a small beach, a swimming dock and a lawn for picnics, surrounded by forest trails used for walking and mountain biking in summer and cross-country skiing in winter.
Walk the loop around the lake early on a summer morning, then swim from the dock.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
Park · Creekside
3.Alta Lake and Rainbow Park
Rainbow Park, on the west shore of Alta Lake, has a sandy beach, swimming docks and one of the best views across the water to Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Paddleboards and kayaks can be rented at the lake, and the River of Golden Dreams flows from its north end.
Paddle the River of Golden Dreams from Alta Lake towards Green Lake on a guided or self-guided trip.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
- Couples
- Kids
Nature · Whistler Valley
4.Valley Trail
More than 40 km of paved, car-free paths link Whistler's neighbourhoods, lakes and parks, from Function Junction in the south to Green Lake in the north. In summer it is used by walkers, cyclists and inline skaters; parts are groomed for cross-country skiing in winter.
Rent a cruiser bike and ride a lake loop — Alta Lake to Rainbow Park and back is about an hour.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Active
- Outdoors
- Kids
Museum · Upper Village
5.Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
Shared by the Squamish and Lil'wat Nations, whose territories meet at Whistler, the centre's longhouse-inspired building holds carvings, weaving, canoes and a reconstructed pit house. Indigenous ambassadors lead tours and share songs, and the café serves bannock and salmon.
Join a guided tour on arrival; the cultural ambassadors explain far more than the labels.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
Nature · Function Junction
6.Train Wreck Trail
A short forest walk south of the village leads over a suspension bridge across the Cheakamus River to several boxcars left in the woods after a 1956 derailment. The cars have since been covered in colourful graffiti and are surrounded by mountain-bike features.
Combine it with a coffee and pastry in Function Junction, at the trailhead end of town.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
- Kids
Experience · Whistler Village
7.Ziplining over Fitzsimmons Creek
Zipline courses run between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains across the old-growth forest of the Fitzsimmons Creek valley, with suspension bridges and treetop platforms. Courses run year-round, and guides explain the coastal rainforest ecology along the way.
Book the longer course if you want the highest, fastest lines across the valley.
- Time needed
- 2.5–3.5 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Active
- Kids
- Nature
- Views
Street · Whistler Village
8.Village Stroll and Olympic Plaza
The pedestrian Village Stroll winds through squares and lanes of shops, restaurants and patios. Olympic Plaza, built for the 2010 medal ceremonies, has the giant Olympic rings, a lawn for free summer concerts and an outdoor skating rink in winter.
Take the classic photo with the Olympic rings early in the morning before the crowds.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- After dark
- Kids
- Food
Rainy-day ideas
- Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre — Join a guided tour on arrival; the cultural ambassadors explain far more than the labels.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for luxury, families, quiet stays and couples
Upper Village
The Upper Village sits at the foot of Blackcomb, linked to the main village by a short walk along Fitzsimmons Creek. It is home to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre and Blackcomb's Excalibur and Wizard lifts, with several ski-in, ski-out properties.
- Good
- Ski-in, ski-out options; Calmer evenings; Luxury hotels
- Watch out
- Top-end prices; Fewer restaurants than the main village
- Nearby
- Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Blackcomb base lifts
Family travel tips
- Book children's ski lessons well ahead of holiday weeks; programmes fill early.
- The Upper Village has ski-in, ski-out hotels with easy access to the Blackcomb base and its learning areas.
- Summer lake beaches at Lost Lake, Rainbow Park and Alta Lake are free and have docks for swimming.
- Carry layers and sun protection: the alpine is colder and the sun stronger than in the valley.
- Teach children what to do if they see a bear, and keep snacks sealed on trails.
Day trips for families
- Squamish (About 45 minutes by car) — The Sea to Sky Gondola climbs from Squamish to a summit lodge, suspension bridge and trails above Howe Sound.
- Pemberton and Nairn Falls (About 30 minutes by car) — Nairn Falls Provincial Park has an easy forest trail along the Green River to a two-step waterfall.
- Britannia Mine Museum (About 1 hour by car) — A former copper mine on Howe Sound turned into a museum, with an underground train ride into the old tunnels, gold panning and a 20-storey concentrator building where the ore was processed.
When to go with children
The best months overall are January–March and July–September. January–February and July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Whistler good for kids?
Whistler is very family-friendly: ski schools for children from toddler age, car-free streets, lakes with beaches and docks in summer, and easy walks and bike paths. Costs are high, so self-catering condos help.
+What can kids do in Whistler?
Peak 2 Peak Gondola, Lost Lake Park, Alta Lake and Rainbow Park, Valley Trail and Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre.
+Where should families stay in Whistler?
Upper Village: Blackcomb's base, with the Fairmont Chateau and ski-in, ski-out hotels.