This blog about how to spend 48 hours in Whistler was originally written in 2013, but has been updated in February 2024 with fresh content.
Warning: The following itinerary is full-on, action-packed and not for the weak-kneed or faint-hearted. There will be very little time (or tolerance) for naps, spas or candlelit dinners. Here’s how to spend a high-octane, non-stop 48 hours in Whistler.
FRIDAY
5 PM — The Weekend Starts Now!
If you’re not in Whistler already you need to get up here. The new-and-improved Sea to Sky highway from Vancouver to Whistler is awesome but driving takes energy and attention. To really enjoy the views it’s best to pile your whole crew into a limousine and kick the weekend off with style.
7 PM — Welcome to Whistler
Eat a warm meal and get acquainted with the layout of town. If you feel the only way to do that properly is with a skip-the-line Club Crawl, so be it. The pizzas at Fat Tony’s are substantial and tasty— perfect late-night food.
SATURDAY
9 AM — Brekkie
Fuel up at one of our many fantastic breakfast spots in Whistler. Will it be a classic eggs benny or a full breakfast? Will you wash it down with buckets of coffee or a cheeky mimosa? Be sure to grab a giant cookie or energy bar too for a snack later in the day.
10 AM-1 PM — Wet & Wild Elaho Exhilarator
Nothing says, “You’re alive now, bud” like a face full of glacier-fed river water or a few hundred feet of empty space under your toes. The Wet & Wild Elaho Exhilarator is a thrilling adventure that promises the beauty of Whistler’s fast-rushing rivers, and the exhilaration of riding them with little but a blow-up boat and a paddle. Get loud and get that heart rate thumping (PS Don’t take your cookie on the raft unless you like it soggy).
1 pM-4PM — Ziplining
You spent your morning staying afloat, now actually float with an adrenaline-pumping ride through the trees on one of Whistler’s numerous zipline tours. For a high-octane weekend, it has to be The Sasquatch®. This monster single zipline experience is the longest zipline in Canada and the USA, spanning a mind-blowing distance of 2+ kilometres.
4-7 PM — Après
Originally devised as an end to your ski day, in Whistler we now Après after pretty much anything. The sunny patios, beautiful scenery and youthful, diverse population offer some of the best afternoon drinking, nacho eating, and people watching opportunities in the world.
7-8 PM— Prep For Dinner
Just clean up a bit for dinner: no one wants to eat with someone who stinks. You might even be able to sneak a 20-minute power nap on the couch to help you rally for the night.
8:30-10 PM — Dinner
Going full throttle requires a lot of fuel and dinner is your best chance to refill. No need to get too fancy or try to impress anyone with your wine swirling. Go for large quantities of decent quality. The Garibaldi Lift Company has really great daily pasta specials, Sushi Village is always a party (and has the Dumbo-sized sake), 21 Steps is a bit more civilized and serves food late-night, and Creekbread, in Creekside, is the king of local pizza.
10 PM-2 AM — Get to Know the Locals
It seems kind of stupid to drink so late into the night when you know you have a big day tomorrow, but you’ll probably do it anyhow won’t you? Here’s our local nightlife guide for where to go.
SUNDAY
9 AM — Recovery
Breakfast is your medicine, your rest, and your fuel for today. Southside Diner is a great Creekside option, but there are plenty of spots right in the Village as well.
10 AM — Bombing Down the Bike Park
The Whistler Mountain Bike Park is the standard all the other parks in the world are held next too. With over 200 km of lift-serviced trails this is downhill mountain biking at its gnarly, flowy best. Full-Face helmets, full-suspension bikes and lap after lap of “Hero” dirt. This is about as high octane as gravity-fed adventure gets.
2:30-6:30 PM — Climb the Via Ferrata
Eat lunch while you upload to the top of Whistler Mountain and then hook up with the Whistler Alpine Guides for Via Ferrata aka “The Iron Ladder.” With fixed safety lines and Iron rungs cemented into the cliff face below Whistler Peak, Via Ferrata offers the same exposure and dizzying heights as an alpine multi-pitch rockclimbing route but without having to learn any of those pesky rock climbing skills. One of the coolest tours in Whistler.
7 PM-10PM — Dénouement
How was it? Is everyone still standing? Relive the glory over dinner somewhere like The Brewhouse or Black’s Pub while deciding how easy it will be to call in sick on Monday and milk one more day of full-throttle awesomeness out of Whistler.
MONDAY (Bonus Round!)
9 AM — Actual Full Throttle, in a Jet Boat
Whistler Jet Boating invites you to punch through the rapids of Green River up to the base of Nairn Falls while checking out local wildlife and learning about the ways rivers move and change.
1 PM — Lunch…and Caesars
No weekend can be considered epic without partaking in Canada’s most popular cocktail. This Whistler day-after staple is all about the garnishes and local establishments have been known to toss everything from hard boiled eggs to mini-sliders to beef jerky on top. Try them all.
2:30 PM — Bungee Airtime
No high-octane trip would be complete without a 160-foot free fall from a bridge. Whistler Bungee has a perfect safety record and anyone between 50-350 pounds can make the jump.
Of course, this is just a sampling of the extreme things you can do in 48 hours in Whistler in the summer. Customize your own high-octane adventure at Whistler.com.