8 Reasons Why You Should Visit British Columbia This Summer

While plenty of people see BC as a winter sports destination, this largely forested stretch of the Pacific Northwest is equally fantastic for those seeking summertime fun. Here, you can practice yoga asanas on a stand-up paddleboard, hike and bike through the woods and countryside, try your hand at dirt biking, or go kayaking and snorkeling in a harbor seal habitat.

Even if you aren’t the sporty type, there are still plenty of ways for you to enjoy BC’s pleasant summer weather with your sweetheart. Add sunset views to your date night aboard a Vancouver Harbour dinner cruise or head out on a wine-tasting tour in the celebrated Okanagan wine country. For an extra-special experience, consider a seaplane tour over the region.

While BC gets its fair share of rain and clouds, your chances of clear skies are high in the summer months. Take the Skyride aerial tram up to the summit of Grouse Mountain for the best views of Vancouver, and don’t forget to stop at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park along the way. If you’re in the mood for a road trip, continue up to Squamish for a ride on the Sea to Sky Gondola or mosey on over to Whistler for a ride on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, which connects Whistler to the nearby mountain of Blackcomb.

Peak whale-watching season in British Columbia runs from May through October, when the waters around the province are at their warmest. Take a summer whale-watching boat tour from Vancouver or Victoria and you'll likely spot resident and transient orcas (killer whales) and humpback whales. If you're lucky, you may even spot an elusive minke whale or two.

British Columbia is home to 10 major mountain ranges, so it’s no surprise that the region is full of geothermal activity and hot springs—lots of them. You'll find a particularly large concentration of hot springs in the Kootenay Rockies part of the province, from Naksup Hot Springs, a developed complex surrounded by forest to Ainsworth Hot Springs, where guests can wade through a hot springs–fed cave. If you don’t have time to stray too far from the city, Harrison Hot Springs near Vancouver is a fantastic option just a short drive from town.

BC has some fantastic gardens, starting with Butchart Gardens in Victoria, which offers a summer concert series and evening visits on summer weekends, complete with after-dark illumination. While you’re in the area, check out the Victoria Butterfly Garden or the Abkhazi Garden, home to a variety of rare plants. If you can’t make it to Victoria, VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver is a great alternative, as is the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, built in the Ming Dynasty style.

While the public market on Granville Island has been an institution for ages, there are plenty of other markets worth checking out, from North Vancouver’s Shipyards Night Market, where you can get your fix of food and live entertainment in equal measure, to the seasonal Salt Spring Saturday Market, which exclusively showcases food and handicrafts produced by local makers. If culinary travel is your jam, don’t miss the chance to take a food tour to the Victoria Public Market or sample global fare at the Richmond Night Market, a summer-only market inspired by night markets found across Asia.

Summer means festivals in British Columbia. The best-known is the annual Honda Celebration of Light, a musical fireworks competition featuring three pyrotechnics shows (each representing a different country), spread out over three nights in late July. Lovers of the performing arts will find plenty to keep them entertained at the Victoria Fringe Festival, while music fans should look into the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and the dance music–heavy Shambhala Music Festival near Nelson.