268 Best Sights in British Columbia, Canada

Canadian painter Emily Carr's haunting interpretations of the British Columbian hinterland are among the attractions at western Canada's largest art gallery. Carr (1871–1945), a grocer's daughter from Victoria, BC, fell in love with the wilderness around her and shocked middle-class Victorian society by running off to paint it. Her work accentuates the mysticism and danger of BC's wilderness, and records the diminishing presence of native cultures during that era (there's something of a renaissance now). The gallery, which also hosts touring historical and contemporary exhibitions, is housed in a 1911 courthouse that Canadian architect Arthur Erickson redesigned in the early 1980s as part of the Robson Square redevelopment. Stone lions guard the steps to the Georgia Street side (the plaza is often the site of festivals and other events); the main entrance is accessed from Robson Square or Hornby Street.

Resembling a flying saucer stuck atop a high-rise, the 553-foot-high Vancouver Lookout Tower has fabulous views of Vancouver and its surrounding landscapes—on a clear day, as far as Mount Baker in Washington State. A glass elevator whizzes you up 50 stories to the circular observation deck, where knowledgeable guides point out the sights and give a (free) tour every hour on the hour. The top-floor restaurant (604/669–2220) makes one complete revolution per hour. (Note that the elevator ride up is free for diners.) Tickets are good all day, so you can visit in daytime and return for another look after dark.

Sharing the seafaring history of the Pacific Northwest and Arctic regions, this family-friendly museum houses the RCMP Arctic St. Roch, the first ship to sail in both directions through the treacherous Northwest Passage and the first to circumnavigate North America. You can scramble around the decks and into the St. Roch's cabins, imagining yourself as a sea captain attempting to navigate the Arctic. About a third of this museum has been turned over to kids, with touchable displays offering a chance to drive a tug, maneuver an underwater robot, or dress up as a seafarer. Toddlers and school-age children can work the hands-on displays in Pirates' Cove and the Children's Maritime Discovery Centre. The museum also has an extensive collection of model ships. While you're here, take a moment to look at the 30-meter-tall (100 foot) replica Kwakiutl totem pole in front of the museum. The massive white-and-yellow contraption behind the Vancouver Maritime Museum is the Ben Franklin submersible. It looks like something a Jules Verne character would put to sea but was actually built in 1968 as a marine research tool to, among other things, chart the Gulf Stream. A more fascinating claim to fame is that it was once the largest of its kind in America and was instructional for NASA. The information about how people lived in such close quarters for extended periods of time provided preliminary research data on the dynamics of living aboard a space station.

Home to the Museum of Vancouver, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vanier Park is also known as the best kite flying venue in the city. Every summer, this is also where you'll find the Children's Festival and Bard on the Beach theater—both presented under billowing tents along the water.

This small family business prides itself on not using any pesticides or herbicides in its limited-release products. While it started out making wine, Venturi-Schulze is quickly becoming known more for its balsamic vinegars, which are crafted using an ancient process. Regular, maple, and 100-year-old balsamics are available. Enjoy a glass of wine and lunch on the picnic patio. Tastings, which include 3–5 wines and a balsamic vinegar, are available Wednesday to Sunday from June to August (Thursday to Saturday from March to May). Tours are available by appointment.

Located directly across from the Kootenay Park Lodge (now closed), this beautiful picnic area is just off the highway with ample parking, outhouses, and tables placed along the scenic banks of the fast-flowing Vermilion River.

Local kids clamor to visit this offbeat minizoo, home to the largest collection in North America of live tropical insects. You can even hold many of the 60 or so varieties, which include walking sticks, scorpions, millipedes, and a pharnacia—at 22 inches, the world's longest insect. The staff members know their bug lore and are happy to dispense scientific information and fun entomological anecdotes.

Planning a picnic? Stop here first. Bakers, green grocers, cheesemakers, and other artisanal producers from across Vancouver Island sell their wares in this century-old indoor space that was once a department store. In summer especially, ready-to-eat treats abound here, from homemade pies and fresh baked bread to tacos, sandwiches, and fish-and-chips. In winter, it's a much quieter place.

This 4.6-km (3-mile) out-and-back trail has minimal elevation, making it a fun one for the whole family. The trail is a wide, heavily trafficked path through the forest, until you eventually reach the Wapta Falls ("wapta" means "river" in the Sioux language of the Stoney people). The falls are especially forceful and impressive in June and early July, when the runoff is still high. Easy.

This former Canadian Pacific Railway passenger terminal was built between 1912 and 1914 as the western terminus for Canada's transcontinental railway. After Canada's two major railways shifted their focus away from passenger service, the station became obsolete. But a 1978 renovation turned it into an office-retail complex and depot for SkyTrain, SeaBus, and the West Coast Express (a suburban commuter rail). In the main concourse, murals up near the ceiling depict the scenery travelers once saw on journeys across Canada. This is where you catch the SeaBus for the 13-minute trip across the harbor to the waterfront public market at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, and the adjacent Shipyards with its restaurants, galleries, and open-area concert space.

Running along the coast from Bamfield to Port Renfrew, this is an extremely rugged 75-km (47-mile) trail for experienced hikers only. It takes an average of six days to complete and is open from May 1 to September 30. A quota system helps the park manage the number of hikers, and reservations, through Parks Canada, are mandatory. Hiking requires payment of a reservation fee, ferry fares, and an overnight-use fee.

This is a 21.3-km (13.2-mile) circuit with 700 meters (2,297 feet) of elevation gain which takes you to Twin Falls backcountry campground. The trail takes you through the Yoho Valley and past Twin Falls and Marpole Lake. There is a seasonal suspension bridge, so check the trail report to ensure it's in operation before you go. Note that reservations for the campground must also be made in advance. Difficult.

This brewery crafts award-winning small-batch Belgian-inspired, West Coast–influenced and limited-release beers. There's no kitchen on-site, but guests are encouraged to order takeout from local restaurants. Indoor tastings are available, and the large outdoor patio has amazing views of the Purcell Mountains. The tasting room and patio are family-friendly noon–4 pm daily.

This calm cove near Horseshoe Bay is popular for swimming, scuba diving, sunset watching, and, at low tide, hiking out to Whyte Islet just offshore. Amenities: food and drink, parking (for a fee), and toilets. Best for: sunsets, swimming, and walking.  

This sandy beach, with its calm waters, playground, and shady picnic spots, is a summertime favorite among Victorian families. It’s just a few miles from Downtown in the very British Oak Bay neighborhood. Amenities: food and drink (summer kiosk); parking; toilets. Best for: swimming.

About 30 minutes west of Downtown Victoria, this park has a sandy beach, forest trails, marshlands, and a large lagoon—and it's home to 160 species of birds. There's also a nature house that presents interpretive programs. Amenities: parking; toilets. Best for: solitude; walking.

Clothing-optional Wreck Beach is in Pacific Spirit Regional Park, accessible via Trail 6—a winding staircase of 483 steps that's near the University of British Columbia campus. On sunny days, the beach is busy with locals and visitors, most of whom strip down to their birthday suits and enjoy the clean swimming waters. The welcoming sands also stretch around Point Grey to the north, where beach logs, wildlife, and WWII searchlight towers are some of the many reasons to explore further. Amenities: parking (for a fee) and toilets. Best for: its atmosphere, nudists, sunsets, and swimming.

The park's only visitor center is located in Field and is only available seasonally (May until mid-October). At the center, you can obtain information brochures, permits, and backcountry reservations, and get updates on weather, trail, and road conditions. The visitor center shares a building with the Friends of Yoho National Park Society (an organization that promotes appreciation, understanding, and stewardship of the ecology and culture of Yoho National Park) and there is also a small-scale exhibit of a train passing through the Spiral Tunnels and Burgess Shale fossil interpretive panels.

Hands down, this is the most scenic route in the whole park. After initially passing the Monarch and Kicking Horse campgrounds and the Meeting of the Waters viewpoint (where the Kicking Horse and Yoho Rivers meet), the 13.7-km (8.5-mile) road climbs up through a deep valley with impressive views of snow-covered mountain peaks, glaciers, waterfalls, and rivers. The road ends at the parking lot of the spectacular Takakkaw Falls, the second-highest waterfall in Canada. Note that the winding road has a couple of sharp, hairpin switchbacks that can be very difficult for larger RVs to navigate, and the road is open seasonally from late June to mid-October, weather permitting.

A local favorite is Zanatta Winery (formerly Vigneti Zanatta), Vancouver Island's first estate winery which produces lovely Ortega, Pinot Grigio, and Damasco entirely from grapes grown on its own 25 acres. If you can, time your visit for an Italian-style lunch on the veranda at Vinoteca, a restaurant and wine bar in the winery's 1903 farmhouse.