You haven’t experienced British Columbia until you’ve visited Canada’s Tournament Capital, Kamloops! Situated just south central of B.C. in Canada, this small town is a four-season beauty, ideal for outdoor recreation enthusiasts. The mild climate and gorgeous landscapes make this place perfect for golfing, biking, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, paddle boarding and skiing. The downtown corridor is increasingly expanding with great restaurants and boutique shops.
For those looking to experience the mountains, make sure to visit Sun Peaks Resort, just an hour from Kamloops, and a destination worth taking while visiting Kamloops. It’s family-friendly and offers incredible activities like segway tours, cross-country skiiing, snowboarding, hiking, golfing, and mountain biking in the summer. Sun Peaks Resort has a similar European-style village feel as Whistler but more quaint and less populated.
Unique Fact: Kamloops is ranked the friendliest in B.C., is the ideal fall destination.
To make your life easier, we’ve put together our top bucket list items for your next trip to Kamloops and Sun Peaks:
- Participate in the Brew Loops bike festival (photo)
- Standup Paddle Boarding with Bodie Shandro from Surfit (photo)
- Play a round of golf at Tobiano Golf Course
- Offroad Segway Tour at Sunpeaks Resort. Pro-tip: don’t freak out. (photo)
- Mountain bike at The Kamloops Bike Ranch, Canada’s largest municipal bike park
- Skydive over Kamloops with the Skydivers Sport Parachute Club
- Hike at Kenna Cartwright Park. Views are phenomenal (photo)
- Experience the Kamloops downtown Farmers Market (photo)
- Have a juicy steak at Terra Restaurant
- Beer and deep fried pickles at the Noble Pig (photo)
- Breakfast eggs benedict at Hello Toast (photo)
- Ride a ferris wheel at the Brewloops Block Party (photo)
- Voyageur Canoe Tour at McGillivray Lake,Sun Peaks resort. (photo)
- Wine tasting at Monte Creek Ranch Winery (photo)
- Wine Flight at Sagewood Winery (photo)
- Wine flight plus try their rosé at Harper’s Trail Winery (photo)
- Crush grapes at Privato Wine (photo)
- Beer at Red Collar Brewing (photo)
- Dinner at Brownstone Restaurant. A great spot for date night, it’s intimate, warm, and the food is exceptional.
- Book transportation with TasteFull Excursions and go wine hopping.
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Flights: For those making a trip from Seattle, the best way to get here is by taking a short flight from Seatac Airport to Vancouver International Airport, then taking a short flight to Kamloops Airport. The plane is a bit loud so make sure you bring earplugs or noise canceling headphones.
Accommodation: We recommend the Hotel 540 in downtown Kamloops. They have a great restaurant inside the hotel, small gym, swimming pool and a jacuzzi.
Transportation: We recommend pre-booking a shuttle from the hotel to pick you up, it is the cheapest and most comfortable option. You can also pick up a cab as well.
Tour Operators: If you aren’t renting a car, we recommend booking with Tailgate Tours as they have a ton of great tour options, such as Wine tours, Stand up paddle (SUP), hikes, and Craft Beer Tours. Another great option is with TasteFull Excursions, great for larger parties as their shuttles come in the new 2016 Ford Transit, seating for up to 14 passengers. TasteFull Excursions also offers Airport and Hotel Shuttles, as well as trips to Sun Peaks.
For more info: Tourism Kamloops / Sun Peaks Resort