The gondola line at the Roundhouse Lodge on a Saturday night runs past a wall of glass facing straight down the Coast Mountains. Prime rib is on the buffet, and more gondola cars are still coming up from the valley below, even though there are only a few patches of snow left anywhere on the mountain.
Whistler built its reputation on winter, but the resort runs just as hard from July through September, with a different set of activities and longer days to fill with them. Here’s what’s worth booking, where to stay, and where to eat.
Adventure Activities
Via ferrata. “Via ferrata” is Italian for iron road. The route up Whistler Mountain uses steel rungs bolted into the rock face and a fixed cable that runs the length of the climb. Guides lead small groups across the base of a glacier before the climbing starts, then clip everyone in for the ascent. The full tour covers about 260 metres of elevation gain over roughly four hours, and runs close to $200 per person. Twelve is the minimum age for the standard route; younger kids can book a private tour with their own guide. The reward at the top is a 360-degree view of Garibaldi Provincial Park, with snow still visible on the upper slopes despite the season.
Ziplining. Ziptrek Ecotours has operated here since 2002 and runs several tours suited to different ages and nerve levels. The Eagle Tour crosses the Fitzsimmons Valley between Whistler and Blackcomb on a line with a thirty-storey drop. The Sasquatch, at just over two kilometres, is the longest zipline in Canada or the U.S. For younger children, the Bear Tour is the better fit: shorter runs, treetop suspension bridges, lower stakes.
Bear viewing. Guided 4×4 tours head into the backcountry to known feeding sites and daybeds, with operators tracking bear activity throughout the season. A standard tour runs two to three hours and costs around $200 per person; sightings aren’t guaranteed, since they depend on the weather and the bear, not the guide. Tours run from spring through fall, and most operators recommend the standard tour for kids ten and up, with private vehicles available for younger families.
Hiking. Both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains open their alpine trail networks once the snow clears. Gondola access means no long drive to a trailhead first. Cheakamus Lake is the better option for younger kids, a flat path along the river that ends at a turquoise lake with mountains on every side. Older kids tend to like Train Wreck more: a walk through old-growth forest to a cluster of abandoned, graffiti-covered boxcars left over from a 1956 train derailment. Anyone hiking inside Garibaldi Provincial Park needs a free day-use pass, released online at 7 a.m. two days before each visit. They go fast in July and August, so set an alarm if the date matters.
Valley Trail and the lakes. Whistler’s 46-kilometre Valley Trail is paved, car-free, and connects the entire resort, making it the easiest way to get the family moving without anyone having to navigate traffic. Rent bikes from several village outfitters — e-bikes are available for anyone who needs them — and pedal out to Lost Lake, Alta Lake, or Rainbow Park for a swim and a picnic. Wayside and Lakeside parks both have watersport rental operations on site, so you can get out on the water without towing your own gear. The Parks Eats program brings food trucks to several of Whistler’s parks through the summer months, taking care of lunch without having to backtrack to the village.
Where to Stay
Designed with families in mind, the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside features an all-suite layout, with every room boasting a full kitchen, fireplace, and private balcony. The two-bedroom suites offer roughly 810 square feet of space—complete with two bathrooms and separate living and dining areas—offering far more breathing room than a typical hotel setup. On-site amenities include an outdoor heated pool and hot tub, perfect for relaxing after exploring the via ferrata or hiking trails. Location-wise, it sits directly on Skier’s Plaza. This places you closer to the Whistler and Blackcomb gondolas than almost any other property in the village, saving you a long walk at the end of an active day.
Where to Eat
Four restaurants stand out for families visiting this summer, each offering something different.
Lorette Brasserie opened in the village in 2025, from the team behind Caramba! And Quattro. Chef Shane Sluchinski runs a French-Canadian menu that draws on his own family’s cooking, open for breakfast daily and dinner nightly, with weekend brunch added to the rotation.
Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar is a Pacific Northwest seafood restaurant by chef Alex Chen, who was named one of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants. The kitchen leans on oysters, sablefish, and other West Coast catch, backed by a wine list with real depth. It’s on the pricier end, better suited to a parents’ night out or a special family dinner than a regular weeknight stop.
Balam, located in the Crystal Lodge, serves Latin American cuisine spanning Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina under chef Fabio Milan, with dishes ranging from ceviche to a Buenos Aires-style ribeye. The menu and the room are both colourful and lively, a good option for groups.
Provisions is an all-day café serving pastries, coffee, and breakfast sandwiches, ideal for a quick stop before a day of activities.
Mountain Dining: The Mountaintop Feast
The Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain runs its Mountaintop Feast every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening through early September. The gondola carries guests up to 1,800 metres for a buffet dinner with live music, including prime rib, salmon, and a dessert spread. It’s a family-friendly event built around the setting as much as the food, and reservations are recommended.
Evening Activity: Vallea Lumina
Vallea Lumina is a nighttime walk through an old-growth forest on Cougar Mountain, about 15 minutes north of the village, with a free shuttle available on-site; parking is limited. The summer course covers 1.5 kilometres and takes roughly an hour, with lit installations and projections by Moment Factory along the route. Strollers aren’t permitted due to the trail’s stairs, so carriers are recommended for younger children. Start times run as late as 10 p.m. in midsummer, making it possible to combine with a full day of other activities.
Indoor Activities for Rainy Days
The Audain Art Museum is free for visitors 18 and under and is currently showing two exhibitions on artist Takao Tanabe: Vistas: From Takao Tanabe’s Travels, running through September 21, and Takao Tanabe: Inside Passage, a retrospective marking what would have been the artist’s hundredth birthday. The museum’s permanent collection includes the largest holding of Emily Carr paintings in any single collection and a Haida dance screen by Chief James Hart.
A five-minute walk away, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre offers a different kind of experience: general admission includes a guided tour led by a Cultural Ambassador, a welcome drum song, and access to the permanent exhibit, What We Treasure. A new feature exhibit, Wisdom of the Animal People, is now on view alongside Audain’s Tanabe retrospective. The on-site Thunderbird Café and gift shop are open to visitors without a museum ticket.
For more information and trip inspiration, visit Tourism Whistler. —Mark Sissons
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