Grouse Mountain Skating Rink

The Peak of Christmas at North Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain is where you’ll find sleigh rides, skating, gingerbread houses, Santa Claus, reindeer and more.

The festivities run from November 22nd until December 25th in 2024. There are also special activities including Fireworks on the mountain on December 31st for New Year’s Eve.

Other places where you’ll find amazing Christmas-themed holiday lights include the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Gardens, Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge, Christmas Glow and Martini Town in Langley, plus various other attractions elsewhere in the Lower Mainland.

To learn about the above and other Lower Mainland Christmas attractions, see our article about Best Vancouver Christmas Activities. To learn about the Christmas-themed things to see and do at Grouse, continue reading below.

This article contains the following information about the Peak of Christmas:

Grouse Mountain at Christmas in 2024

The Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain offers some of the best Christmas-time activities in the Lower Mainland.

In addition to great skiing, the mountain offers outdoor ice skating and holiday season movies in the resort’s Theatre in the Sky throughout December. There are also opportunities to visit Santa Claus and a variety of other special Christmas activities and events.

Grouse Light Walk Tunnel — Light Walk Tunnel at Grouse Mountain

Peak of Christmas Dates

In 2024 the Peak of Christmas runs from November 22nd until December 25th. It’s open daily during the holiday season.

Christmas Cost of Admission

There are usually both expensive and less expensive ways of experiencing the Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain.

Peak of Christmas activities are included in the cost of the gondola ride up the mountain. As of December, 2024, the Skyride gondola costs $40 for children, $60 for youth, $70 for seniors and $80 for adults. This is the more expensive way of enjoying the Peak of Christmas.

Grouse Mountain also offers its special Family Ticket. It allows two adults and two children to access the mountain for one day during the Peak of Christmas season. This makes it cheaper than at other times of the year. In 2024 the price varies depending on the date. Between November 22nd and December 6th, the Family Ticket costs $99. Then, from December 7th to 13th, it costs $129. From December 14th to 25th the price increases to $149.

All Peak of Christmas activities are included at no additional charge with the purchase of a ski ticket. This is the “more-value-for-your-money” way to enjoy Grouse Mountain’s festive Christmas activities, as it includes skiing (assuming you like to ski).

If you aren’t into skiing, all of the aforementioned activities (except for skiing) are also included when you make advanced reservations for dinner at the Observatory restaurant. The restaurant isn’t cheap, but it’s very nice and dinner isn’t a whole lot more than the cost of the gondola ride which is included with the meal reservation. What’s more, you can also enjoy fine cuisine from one of Vancouver’s most scenic and famous dining spots!

Observatory Restaurant at Grouse Mountain — View from the Observatory Restaurant

Peak of Christmas Activities

There’s so much to see and do at the Peak of Christmas event up at Grouse Mountain.

At the attraction there is Santa’s Workshop and the Elf Headquarters. That’s where children can visit Santa Claus, take photos with him and write him letters. If you want pictures with Santa Claus, you must make a reservation in advance.

Other activities include the Sliding Zone, where you can slide down a hill on a crazy carpet, and the Light Walk, where you can walk along illuminated trails through the forest. There’s also the Skating Pond, where people can rent skates and glide around on about 8,000 square feet of ice.

Throughout the Christmas season there are Christmas movies in the Theatre in the Sky. There is also live entertainment on weekends and for the full week leading up to Christmas Eve. For the full schedule click Peak of Christmas.

Breakfast with Santa is another activity available, though it costs extra. This year, people can enjoy the breakfast buffet on select dates between November 24th and December 23rd, 2024. The buffet costs $70 for adults and $50 for children and teenagers.

Of course, during the Peak of Christmas event and throughout the entire winter season, there are also wonderful skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing opportunities up at the resort. For details about those activities see our article about Grouse Mountain in Winter.

What to Take to the Peak of Christmas

When heading up to enjoy the Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain, don’t forget to take your camera, ice skates, snowshoes, skis and/or snowboard. What you’ll need depends on what you want to do. Equipment for all activities is also usually available for rent at the top. And finally, don’t forget your winter boots and warm clothing!

Light Walk Video

The Light Walk is one of the main attractions at the Peak of Christmas. It’s a trail through the forest that’s open for visitors to explore during the Peak of Christmas season.

Below is a video showing what the Light Walk is like. The Light Walk is a trail that goes through the forest and around a frozen lake. The route starts and finishes with a tunnel of lights.

You don’t normally have to wear snowshoes to go through the Light Walk, except after fresh snowfall, but lots of people do. From dusk until closing time the trail is lit up with Christmas lights and illuminations.

Other Information

For more details about the Peak of Christmas, see the Grouse Mountain website.

To learn about what happens at the resort on December 31st, see our article about Grouse Mountain on New Year’s Eve.

For more information about the ski resort, click Grouse Mountain in Winter. And for details about other area snow sports destinations, see our article about Lower Mainland Ski Hills.

For more ideas on places to see Christmas lights in the Lower Mainland, check out any of the following: