Best Time To Visit British Columbia (Local’s Guide)

British Columbia is one of the best and most beautiful provinces in Canada. Whether heading into the interior or on one of the many islands, you’ll experience something unique.

While there’s truly no best time to visit British Columbia, as it will all depend on what you plan to do and see. In fact, British Columbia is one of, if not, the only province in which you can fully experience all four seasons.

As someone born and raised in British Columbia’s largest city, I’m here to help provide information on the best time to visit this province.

Best Time To Visit British Columbia

While British Columbia is a large province, the weather and climate will vary depending on where you go. Because the Pacific Ocean and mountain ranges influence the weather, many regions in BC will experience different types of weather and climate. For example, some locations have some of the wettest or driest climates.

Spring

March | April | May

Spring in British Columbia is when common animals in the province start to come out of hibernation, and flowers and leaves bloom. While the weather can still be cold in some regions, snowmelt starts, and rainfall is expected during spring.

It’s also the start of hiking and biking season and the tail end of skiing and snowboarding season. Farmers Markets start to pop up around Vancouver and the Gulf Islands, and artisan shops are open for the season.

If you’re looking for fewer tourists, more reasonable prices for accommodations, and are okay with more rain when you’re outdoors, spring is the best month for a visit.

Events & Things To Do in Spring

Since spring is when flowers bloom, there are beautiful places within British Columbia where you can see these sites.

One location is the Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island, outside Victoria in Brentwood Bay. It’s one of the most famous gardens in Canada, and it has been blooming with various species of trees, flowers, and plant species for 120 years.

➡️ Check Prices & Availability Here For a Tour of Butchart Gardens From Vancouver

I also recommend experiencing high tea or afternoon tea. Victoria is worth visiting and is known for having many tea rooms, especially at the Butchart Gardens, Fairmont Empress Hotel, and The Tea House at Abkhazi Garden.

If you’re looking for local Vancouver spots, Queen Elizabeth Garden is a gem in the heart of Vancouver with beautiful gardens. Stanley Park also has gardens like its Rose Garden and Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden. There’s also VanDusen Botanical Gardens, which has over 7,500 species of plants.

Vancouver is also home to over 43,000 cherry blossom trees. There are many places to see cherry blossom trees scattered throughout the city. There’s also the Cherry Blossom Festival in March, where you can enjoy music, food, and good company.

And if you’re looking for even more flowers, there’s the Harrison Tulip Festival (formerly known as the Chilliwack Tulip Festival), where you can colourful tulips on a 109-acre farm, one of the best places to take Instagram photos in the spring.

Another experience you can have in British Columbia is going whale watching. Whales migrate along the coast for half the year to feed in our nutrient-rich waters. You may see grey whales and orcas, also known as killer whales, and humpback whales.

While whales can be seen all over the coast in many places during this time, the best way to experience them is on a whale-watching tour from Vancouver or Victoria.

➡️ Check Prices & Availability Here For a Whale Watching Tour From Vancouver

➡️ Check Prices & Availability Here For a Whale Watching Tour From Victoria

Summer

June | July | August

Summer is the best time to visit the province. Of course, this would be the ideal time to visit British Columbia because everything is open for the season, and the weather is excellent.

However, the two downsides to visiting British Columbia in the summer are that it’s the most expensive and busiest time of the year, and forest fires are increasing.

While forest fires are a rising issue in the province, not every year does the wind blow the smoke toward Vancouver, but it does affect many towns and cities within the interior.

But with that being said, I still recommend summer as the best time to visit British Columbia. There are more places to see and things to do; weather-wise, it would be best for tourists.

Events & Things To Do in Summer

Of course, there’s so much to do in the summer in British Columbia, so I’ll list only some of the things to do.

One of the best things to do is go outdoors. You can go hiking, swimming in lakes, camping, mountain biking, kayaking, and every outdoor recreational activity you can think of.

The Okanagan Valley in the summer thrives as there are many wine tours and award-winning vineyards where you can experience wine tasting. If you’re not into wine or don’t drink the Okanagan, it is the best place to swim in lakes and pick fruit at orchards.

Many events and festivals occur throughout the summer in Vancouver and the rest of the Lower Mainland.

Some of the festivals or events that happen during the summer, in no particular order, are:

• Italian Day on The Drive
• Dragon Boat Festival
• Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
• Khatsahlano Day
• Honda Celebration of Lights
• Richmond Night Market
• Vancouver Pride Parade & Festival
• FVDED in the Park Music Festival
• Vancouver Folk Festival

British Columbia is home to many regional and provincial parks, almost all of which are open to the public during the summer. There are also many beautiful waterfalls on Vancouver Island and viewpoints all over the province, whether in the interior or along the coast.

Fall

September | October | November

I think fall is an underestimated time to visit British Columbia. While fall brings shorter days, more rain, and colder weather, the upside is that prices are more reasonable, and there are fewer crowds.

Fall hiking is also beautiful because of the changing leaves. However, be prepared for rain and anything that can happen in the mountains, as they’re unpredictable in the fall.

Events & Things To Do in The Fall

October is the pinnacle of fall, and many events happen, mostly in and around Vancouver. There are many things to do in the city at night, such as celebrating Oktoberfest or Fright Night at the PNE. There are also corn mazes and pumpkin patches that are excellent for people of all ages outside of the city.

Gastown has many walking tours if you’re looking for something spooky to do during the fall. The best way to get into the Halloween or fall spirit is by taking a ghost tour. The tour typically runs only in the evenings and lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

➡️ Check Prices & Availability Here For Vancouver Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour

Other events that happen in the fall is the start of the professional National Hockey League (NHL) season, which means the Vancouver Canucks season starts. If you can catch tickets to a game, it’s always a great experience.

Something popular in Vancouver is the Cirque du Soleil. It’s a professional acrobatic performance company that starts at the beginning of fall and runs until January. They have different performance themes every year, so they’re never the same but always impressive.

Winter

December | January | February

Winter is the next most popular time to visit British Columbia after summer. The mountains are covered with snow and ready for a season of skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and other winter activities.

Moreover, the provinces experience different winters, such as Vancouver and Victoria, which almost always experience mild winters with temperatures hardly reaching the negatives. Meanwhile, in the interior, temperatures can reach -20°C (-4°F).

During winter, prices increase because people visit for snow activities, but there are still fewer crowds overall. Winter road trips are also beautiful in British Columbia, especially from Revelstoke to Banff.

Events & Things To Do in Winter

Since winter is another popular time to visit British Columbia, you can do many outdoor winter activities almost everywhere in the province. There are skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing opportunities in the Okanagan Valley, Whistler, and Vancouver, as well as in the interior, such as in Kelowna and Penticton.

If you’re looking for somewhere that doesn’t involve snow or too much snow, Tofino is worth visiting for winter storm-watching.

Some beaches in Tofino, such as Cox Bay Beach and Long Beach, are among the best locations to watch storms. There are also many hotels and lodges on the beach, which allows you to have a front view of the massive swells in the ocean.

Many take the Vancouver to Whistler drive, known as the Sea to Sky Highway corridor, during the winter to travel to Whistler Village for a weekend of skiing and snowboarding. There’s also the stop at Squamish or one of the many hikes in the Garibaldi area, popular year-round for all-season hiking.

Vancouver also hosts many events and festivals. One of the most popular is the annual German-themed Vancouver Christmas Market, held at Jack Poole Plaza in Downtown Vancouver. There are also the VanDusen Festival Lights, the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park’s Canyon Lights, and Stanley Park’s Bright Nights.

Safety

I mentioned that forest fires occur every summer in the province. If you’re in an area with forest fire smoke, BC Health recommends staying indoors, keeping your windows closed, and watching out for symptoms from smoke inhalation.

British Columbia also has many wild animals, such as grizzly and black bears, cougars, wolves, and other animals you may encounter on hikes in the backcountry. BC Parks has wildlife recommendations, such as keeping your distance and never feeding wildlife, and more information.

Be prepared for changing weather and climate when you’re in the mountains. Always bring the 10 essentials while hiking or camping in British Columbia.

Avalanches do occur in British Columbia; be sure to stay within the safe areas for any winter activities in the mountains.

Conclusion

As you can see, even though I recommend visiting British Columbia in the summer, there’s truly no best time to visit. The province is beautiful and has unique and fun things to do throughout the year, no matter the season.

Have a good day 🙂