New Ways to Experience
Kelowna, Metro Vancouver, and Victoria

Relax and reconnect with nature around Victoria

Rain or shine, you can spend a day at Victoria’s newest indoor/outdoor spa, the Nordic-inspired circuit at Ritual Spa. Reconnect with yourself and others with a hot and cold experience that includes traditional-style cedar and basswood saunas, infrared heat saunas, a eucalyptus-infused steam room, cold plunge pool, and Nordic bucket showers.

Or take a bike tour of The Victoria Ale Trail for liquid refreshments and bites or visit “the garden that love built,” Abkhazi Garden, tucked away in a heritage home overlooking Greater Victoria.

Say cheers to cherry blossoms and cocktails in Metro Vancouver

Springtime in Vancouver turns the streets into a beautiful canvas streaked with swathes of pink cherry blossoms that herald brighter days ahead. Spot the beautiful yet transient blooms across the city or at one of Vancouver’s urban gardens like the Japanese-inspired Nitobe Garden and the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.

Traditional medicinal and edible plants found in nature hold a special significance for Indigenous people. Find out more on a walking tour around Stanley Park with a Talaysay Tours Talking Trees experience or discover the culture of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation during a paddle with Takaya Tours.

You don’t have to go far to spot nature’s spring awakening. Grinder & Coola, the resident grizzlies at Grouse Mountain, usually rouse from their hibernation around this time and April signals the start of whale watching tours from downtown Vancouver and Sewell’s Marina Sea Safari leaving from Horseshoe Bay. Herring spawning season attracts hungry sea lions—tours with Steveston Seabreeze Adventures run between April and May, travelling the South Arm of the Fraser River estuary where noisy California and Stellar sea lions congregate to feed.

Kick back and soak up sunny days in Kelowna

Driving to the Thompson Okanagan region is a springtime treat in itself. Warmer weather arrives early in Kelowna, with mountain bike trails and lake activities open and the chance to sip newly released rosé and white wines in the sunshine. Let someone else do the driving and take a winery tour for a day of tastings, or go behind the scenes and do a cellar tour at a renowned winery like Mission Hill. Alternatively, you can wet your whistle on a two-wheeled tour of Kelowna breweries with Smile Cycles.

Aside from culinary pursuits, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy. Pay a visit to the outdoor bronze sculpture garden by internationally acclaimed artist Geert Maas just outside town, or take a gentle hike up lakeside Knox Mountain Park for sweeping views. Cyclists can ride along the scenic Kettle Valley Rail Trail and Myra Canyon Trail.

Immerse yourself in Indigenous cultures and flavours at Nk’Mip Cellars in Osoyoos, or take a cultural plant and food educational tour with Moccasin Trails in May to find out more about how the Syilx people use traditional plants.