Vancouver is renowned for its winter activities like skiing and other snow sports. The city also has amazing Christmas holiday attractions.

Outdoor winter sport activities include downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, skating, tubing and more. The 2010 Winter Olympic Games weren’t in this city for nothing!

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Lower Mainland Ski Hills | Snowmobiling | Christmas Activities in Vancouver | Vancouver in Sun and Snow | Other Information

Vancouver Winter Things to Do

Outdoor winter sport activities usually start around early December and go until April. The snow is typically best from late December until early February, but the spring skiing weather can be fantastic (but also warm and on the slushy side).

Good indoor winter activities include ice skating at various recreation centres around the region, Staying Indoors somewhere if it’s raining, and checking out a Hockey Game in the evenings.

Parks can be nice places to visit in the winter on sunny days. Some parks are better than others, though. Unless you want to go snowshoeing, parks in the mountains are usually buried in snow by mid to late November. Parks with lakes or oceanfront are nice in all four seasons, as are ones where the leaves stay green all year long. For a list of places to check out, see our article about Lower Mainland Parks & Nature.

Abbotsford's Mill Lake in Winter — Abbotsford’s Mill Lake Park in Winter

Lower Mainland Ski Hills

Vancouver is famous for its top rated ski hills which include Grouse Mountain, Cypress, Mount Seymour, Sasquatch Mountain and (further afield) Whistler-Blackcomb. The first three are smaller, but located on the North Shore just minutes from downtown Vancouver. Whistler-Blackcomb is close to a two-hour drive away, but it’s also one of the best ski resorts in the world, so definitely worth the trip.

Click Lower Mainland’s Ski Hills for general information on the area’s various mountains (including a comparison of the different locations).

To learn about snowshoeing opportunities, see the above articles about individual ski hills, or check out the following two articles:

Snowmobiling

There are a few places in the Lower Mainland where you can rent Ski-Doos and go on snowmobiling tours. The Adventure Group in Whistler, for example, offers guided tours at both beginner and intermediate levels.

To learn about snowmobiling opportunities in Whistler see the website WhatToDoInWhistler.ca.

Whistler Snowmobiling Tour — Snowmobiling in Whistler

Christmas Activities in Vancouver

There is always a lot to do in Vancouver around Christmas time. Here are some of the highlights:

Christmas Lights at VanDusen Garden.
Enjoy mulled wine while shopping at the Vancouver Christmas Market (from late November until December 24th).
Holiday decorations and family-friendly activities at Christmas Glow in Langley.
Cameo appearances by Santa Claus in the film at the multi-dimensional theatre experience at FlyOver Canada at Christmas.
New on the Christmas season calendar is Martini Town Merry & Bright with holiday lights and entertainment in Langley.
Visit Burnaby Village Museum and enjoy their Heritage Christmas decorations in December.
Bright Nights at Stanley Park showcases an amazing display of Christmas lights put on annually as a fundraiser for the Burn Fund by the Vancouver Firefighters.
Christmas Lights at the Capilano Suspension Bridge.
Sleigh rides, gingerbread houses, skiing and skating at Grouse Mountain’s Peak of Christmas.
Steveston Festival of Trees – the Gulf of Georgia Cannery is a great place to visit on rainy and snowy winter days, especially in December when it’s full of decorated Christmas trees.
PNE Winter Fair – the Christmas attraction at the Pacific National Exhibition.

For more great things to do during the Christmas season, check out December’s Calendar of Events or Vancouver’s Best Christmas Activities.

Bright Nights Christmas Illuminations — Bright Nights at Stanley Park

Vancouver in Sun and Snow

It doesn’t snow very often at lower elevations in Vancouver, and in winter there isn’t always a lot of sun. When there’s sun in the sky and snow on the ground, however, the region becomes especially magical, as evident in the video below.