Ultimate Whistler Summer Activity Guide: Budget Friendly
I was lucky enough to spend 2-years living and working in Whistler between 2019-2021, and although I cannot say I did everything there was to offer, I definitely did a lot! I got to experience 2 summer seasons in this beautiful village and there truly is something for everyone. Whether you’re on a budget or looking to splash the cash, I think you’ll find lots to do in the summer months. Below I’ve listed some of my favourite activities that I did that I would consider budget friendly, keep your eyes out for my next post which will detail ones that might implore you to indulge a little more.
Contents:
Explore the lakes and parks:
Green Lake, Whistler in Summer
Whistler has 5 main lakes: Alpha Lake, Nita Lake, Alta Lake, Lost Lake and Green Lake. Each lake offers something different from sports courts and slackline posts at Alpha, boat tour and rental operations at Alta as well as a concession stand, picnic tables with barbeque stands at Lost and even a Floatplane dock at Green!
In the summer the lakes pack out with sunbathers, paddleboarders, picnic goers and more. It’s a perfect way to cool off after a big hike or a day at work. Many of the lakes are surrounded by parks too, such as Rainbow Park which is host to multiple volleyball courts and is due to reopen in June 2024 after Phase 2 of a rejuvenation project!
Disc Golf:
Playing Disc Golf in Whistler
Following along the park theme, Lost Lake has a 27-hole disc-golf course made up of 3 9-hole sections, meaning you can spend a while doing the whole thing or have a quick game depending on how much time you have. The course is open from dawn to dusk as long as there is no snow on the ground. You can download an APP called ‘UDisc’ and use this to keep score. You can buy discs from many shops around Whistler including Sportstop, the Hardware store and Nesters Liquor Store for relatively cheap and seeing as the course is free to use it makes it a pretty budget-friendly activity!
Hiking:
Train Wreck Hike in Cheakamus, Whistler
Hiking is one of the most popular things to do in summer around Whistler, with there being so many single-day and multi-day hikes to do. Hiking can also be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it. There are many hikes around Whistler that can be done for free, such as The Train Wreck in Cheakamus or Iceberg Lake in Alpine. However, if you’re happy to spend a bit more you can purchase an unlimited access Summer Alpine Experience Pass from Whistler Blackcomb for $130 for the whole season. This will give you access to all the trails on both mountains as well as the Peak-to-Peak gondola, which is good value when you see how much terrain there is. If you don’t want to purchase the pass though, you can chose to hike up Blackcomb for free on the Ascent Trail, watch out though, it’s pretty gnarly!
Some multi-day hikes will involve the purchase of campgrounds as well, but these run relatively cheap, especially if shared amongst others. The only other thing to mention is to make sure you’re carry gear such as bear spray, first aid kits, plenty of water and GPS if necessary, just to make sure you’re safe on the trails! I have written a blog on some of my favourite hikes in the Sea to Sky area including costs, so make sure to check it out!
Whistler Summer Concert Series:
A great completely free activity throughout summer in Whistler is the Whistler Summer Concert Series. Running July through August, the Olympic Plaza turns into a concert arena to host a range of performances including DJ’s, drag shows, musicians, and films. Grab your blankets and pick up some food from the local restaurants and have a picnic whilst you watch some great performances completely free!
Whistler Summer Concert Series at the Olympic Plaza
Whistler Farmers Market:
Running from May-October, Whistler Farmers Market hosts a huge variety of local produce including groceries, drinks, and many homemade goodies. The market is at the Upper Village Stroll and is open between 11am-4pm every Sunday and some Saturdays. They tend to host an average of 60 vendors, with 100 throughout the season. Once you’re done at the market you can take a short stroll down to Lost Lake.
Breweries/Distillieries:
Whistler is host to 3 super popular craft beer breweries, including Coast Mountain, Whistler Brewing Company and High Mountain Brewing Company, or Brewhouse to the locals. Both Coast Mountain and Whistler Brewing Company are in the Function Junction suburb and are a great way to cool off after doing the many hikes in Cheakamus which is just the opposite side of the highway. Function Junction also plays host to vintage fashion shops, the famous Purebread bakery and The Forge Axe Throwing, which I’ve included in my Winter and Summer edition of this blog (coming soon).
The Beer Farmers patio in Pemberton Valley
Brewhouse is located right in the heart of Whistler Village, right next to the Olympic Plaza. This makes it a great place to visit before or after the Summer Concert Series, or even post ice-skating in the Winter months. If beer isn’t your thing, you’ll also find Montis Distillery in Function Junction, offering tasting tours on all their spirits on offer.
Finally, if you have a car and don’t mind a 1.5 hour return journey from Whistler, The Beer Farmers is located in the heart of the Pemberton Valley. Offering great beers on tap, as well as live music and food trucks throughout summer. They also have a farm on site which offers a tulip farm in spring, a sunflower farm in the heat of summer and a pumpkin patch in October. The location of this brewery is stunning and makes it so worth the drive, just make sure to only sample the non-alcoholic selection if you plan to drive!
Shopping:
I know right, you wouldn’t think shopping would be in the ‘budget friendly’ section, especially when it comes to Whistler, but there are some shops where you can pick up a bargain. First up is the Re-Use-It Centre in Nesters which is super popular with locals. Here you’ll find all sorts ranging from clothes to skiing/snowboarding equipment, furniture, accessories and much more, all donated from last year’s seasonaires. If you’re leaving town and have stuff to donate, they happily accept a lot of stuff too, just make sure to check their website as there are a few things they don’t take.
Another shop where I found plenty of bargains is Vula Vintage & Modern Goods, who have just moved to a new location at 31-4313 Main Street. You’ll find lots of second-hand branded clothes here all in great quality at much lower price tags than the high street shops. They also have a great collection of jewellery and accessories.
Happy Hours:
If you’re looking for a fun night out on a budget in Whistler it can be difficult, however there are plenty of decent Happy Hours to take advantage of. This blog post by the Daily Hive has a good breakdown of all the good ones (My favourite is Dubh Linn Gate for live music or Brickworks for speciality gin!). However, one worth mentioning if you’re looking to have a good night out whilst participating in activities such as roller skating, tennis, giant jenga, pickleball, axe throwing and more is the Monday night locals night at Whistler Racket Club. Entry is just $10 which gets you access to all the activities, then they have food and drink specials to go alongside this! They also have an awesome patio for summer nights, as well as a cosy fire and snowball fights in the Winter months!
Dead Season Deals:
If you’ve somehow planned your trip to Whistler during dead-season, which is what the locals refer to as the time between peak winter and peak summer, or you live in Whistler year-round, then you might be lucky enough as to participate in the ‘dead-season deals’. Many restaurants in town will put on a 3 or 4 course menu at a heavily discounted rate, allowing you to sample some of the places you wouldn’t usually be able to afford. However, it’s not just the restaurants, many of the activity groups also put on deals. The best one I saw but never took advantage of was the Harbour Air Seaplanes being offered for $150 for 3 people (just $50 each!) for a scenic flight over Whistler. The best way to find out about these deals is to join the Whistler Summer/Winter Facebook page where people will post about the deals their workplaces are doing!
I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my most budget friendly activities to do in Whistler in summer. Make sure to subscribe as I will soon be posting the best activities that will force you to increase the spending limit a bit, as well as winter related budget and non-budget friendly activities!
HEY, I’M LOZ!
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This is an insight into the life of a girl who likes to get lost. I write about all things travel and the outdoors. If you like my content please subscribe and if you really like it, please buy me a coffee so I can continue making content for you!