3 Days in Whistler Travel Guide: Perfect For Non-Skiers

Think Whistler is only for skiers? Think again! This mountain town has so much more to offer beyond the slopes. In fact, if you’re not planning to ski, one of the best times to visit is late spring to early summer—when the weather is warmer and perfect for outdoor adventures. In this post, I’m sharing the ultimate 3-day Whistler itinerary for non-skiers, complete with a scenic road trip from Vancouver, adventures things to do, and all the best spots to eat and drink!

While this itinerary is based on a trip I took in June 2023, I’ve visited Whistler six times over the past three years—so I’ll be mixing in a few of my favorite spots and recommendations from other visits too. One thing to note: despite its outdoorsy vibe, Whistler isn’t quite as dog-friendly as you might expect. We brought our pup along once and found ourselves pretty limited when it came to activities and restaurant options.

Day 1 – Drive from Vancouver + Whistler Village

For the majority of people visiting Whistler, your starting base is likely Vancouver. The easiest way to get to Whistler is by driving via the Sea to Sky highway. Although it is windy in certain parts, the road is nicely maintained for an easy drive. You can drive straight through in about 2 hours but we made a few stops to get the vacation started.

Squamish: Sea to Sky Gondola + Backcountry Brewing

Squamish is at about the halfway mark on the road trip to Whistler and the most famous tourist attraction is the Sea to Sky Gondola. This stop pairs a gondola ride with stunning views of the Howe Sound mountains and a spot to enjoy food and drinks at the top! Squamish is also famous for their breweries and we often stop at Backcountry Brewing. They make some bold flavors and their IPA and sours are amazing!

Brandywine Falls

Another stop I like to do is Brandywine Falls Provincial Park. It is conveniently located right off Hwy 99 (Sea to Sky Highway) so you can just turn off, park, and walk 15 minutes to admire this large water fall. It’s a very flat walk and an easy way to stretch the legs.

Explore Whistler Village

After those early adventures, it is time to get checked in to your Whistler hotel and explore the Whistler Village. To wander around Whistler Village, find the road that says “Village Stroll” on Google Maps. That’s the main pedestrian street where all the shops and restaurants are. If it’s your first time, some highlights are:

• Olympic ring
• COWS icecream (the ice cream is not actually very good)
• Watch bikers or skiers come down the mountain on Skiers Plaza
• Rest on lounge chairs by the “river” (outside High Mountain Brewing)

After we got our steps in and took some photos, we turned in for an early night. A big day of adventure awaits tomorrow!

Day 2 – Joffre Lake + Blackcomb + Creekside + Vallea Lumina

Joffre Lake Hike

For many years, I was not interested in the Joffre Lake hike as I feel I’ve seen it all over Instagram. But after seeing it in real life, it is a MUST DO! First, you need to get an access pass from the government. It is free but in order to secure one, you need to be waiting online at 7am two days before your intended trip. It’s an advantage to visit Joffre Lake from Whistler as you’ll be way ahead of the crowd doing it as a daytrip from Vancouver! We left Whistler at 8am and got to Joffre at 830am. There were some people there already but it was not that busy.

The park ranger estimates 3-5 hours round trip and it took us 3.5 hours including lots of time for photography. We are not frequent hikers but are active people and we found the hike pretty easy. Be sure to wear proper footwear and NOT flip flops or sandals. The 2nd lake is the most scenic and is the most famous spot. The 3rd lake is worth going to if you are not tired yet as it’s so much more serene.

Afternoon Adventure

After we got back to Whistler, we showered, had lunch and rested up before heading back out. If your budget allows, I’d recommend some of these iconic things to do in Whistler.

• Peak 2 Peak
• Relaxing at Scandinave Spa
• Bear watching
• ATV tours
• White water rafting
• Ziplining

For our afternoon on this specific trip, we decided to explore Blackcomb and Creekside instead of one of the more active adventures above. I have surprisingly never been to Blackcomb and wanted to check out some of the luxury hotels the area. The Hilton Grand Vacations Club had a really nice outdoor area and Fairmont Chateau Whistler was quite busy with lots of people on the patio at Mallard Lounge. It’s a great place to come have a meal or a drink.

Then we drove over to Creekside. I was really curious about all the lakes at Whistler: Alta Lake, Nita Lake and Alpha Lake. It wasn’t quite warm enough to get in the water but I think Alpha Lake is the place to be. Creekside was surprisingly lackluster and there wasn’t a lot to look at so I’d probably skip it next time.

Vallea Lumina

Food in Whistler is really expensive these days so we decided to save on one night’s dinner by having a frozen lasagna at our AirBnb (I’ll still provide a list of best restaurants though). We had one more activity before the day is over and that’s the night time walk at Vallea Lumina. If you’re going to Whistler with family, this is my #1 recommended activity as it’s not as demanding as some of the other adventure offerings.

Vallea Lumina is located at Cougar Mountain which is about a 10 minute drive from Whistler Village. This night time walk is illuminated with lights, music, and vivid imagery. There is a story line but you don’t need to understand it to enjoy the sensory stimulation. The ending is really epic and the theme song from this activity is still stuck in my head. It’s one of the only evening activities in Whistler and is fun for all ages.

Day 3 – Forged Axe Throwing + Sea to Sky Gondola

This is the last of the 3 days in Whistler but I still had a lot of fun planned.

Forged Axe Throwing

After having a delicious brunch at Hunter Gather and pastries from Purebread, we headed over to Function Junction to Forged Axe Throwing. I cannot emphasize how much fun this was and if you’ve never tried axe throwing, you need to book a session now!

We had a 1 hour session and I thought we would just be trying to figure out how to throw an axe at the bullseye. But the whole session was actually led by an instructor. We went through basic training, learning variations, and then played games against each other. You can also score trick shots to earn a spot on the Hall of Fame! I have a full blog post detailing my experience if you want to learn more.

Sea to Sky Gondola

Lastly, as we headed home, we had one last activity at Sea to Sky Gondola. If this is your first time visiting Whistler, this is a must do activity in my opinion. At the top of the Sea to Sky Gondola, you’ll have a panoramic view of the Howe Sound. The mix of mountain and ocean is truly beautiful! I also love that you can enjoy a beer right on the edge of the patio. There are also trails on the top which leads to several other look out points. Check out my in depth guide to visiting Sea to Sky Gondola. You should plan for about 3 hours.

Best of 3 days in whistler

How Much to Budget for Whistler

You can do a trip to Whistler on a variety of budgets. How much you spend is Whistler is highly dependent on the activities, restaurants and hotels you choose. We did this trip on the cheap by skipping on the restaurants. Whistler hotels tend to be quite cheap in the summer time so you’ll likely spend less on accomodation than you’d think.

• Accomodation – Airbnb: $500 for 2 nights
• Activities – The value was $300 for Forged Axe Throwing, Villea Lumina, and Sea to Sky Gondola. (Some of these activities were comped as part of a collaboration)
• Food: $200. We had one happy hour at Joe Fortes, one brunch at Hunter Gather, pastries from Pure Bread, sandwiches for lunch, and a lasgana from the grocery store
• Transportation: $100 for gas

In total, I spent $600 for 3 days in Whistler. One of my favorite places to stay in Whistler Village is Crystal Lodge. They recently renovated and they have very affordable rates. If you’re looking to stay on a budget, an AirBnB just outside of the village on Lorimer Road is a great choice.