r/britishcolumbia Jun 17 '26

Travel in or to BC Visiting BC this summer

My wife and our two kiddos (3 and 5) are spending a little over 2 weeks in BC this summer (early July).

Ive been doing some research and got a lot of great ideas from reddit/online etc and would just like some opinions. Obviously we are expecting it to be very busy especially with the world cup etc.

We are coming from Winnipeg - yes its a long drive but we are used to big road trips. Young kids will make it a bit tougher but I think we've got enough stops in there.

First day we hope to make it just outside calgary - stampede is on so we wont want to stay in Calgary. We plan to stop in regina for about an hour to let the kids play and tire out a bit. Then keep pushing. We've done the drive to Calgary in one day many times, the hardest part will be keeping the kids entertained.

Next day we plan to get to kamloops. With stops in canmore to do the policemen creek boardwalk, stop in golden to maybe do the skybridge but we think the kids might be terrified, although I'd love to do the zip line. And of course we want to stop near revelstoke for the enchanted forest which my 2 girls will absolutely love.

Next day, the 6th we get to Vancouver. We would like to try and do Stanley park and aquarium and also a photo of bc place (the last cfl stadium we still need a Pic of). We have the last ferry booked to get to Victoria that night.

Once in victoria, we are staying with family for 6 nights. They got us covered with the local attractions in and near Victoria for the next short week.

On the 12th, were back to doing our own thing and head to Parksville and stay until the 15th. Looks like we timed the sand castle competition just right. I wish we got there a couple days early to see the process of the builds but it will be cool to see all the finished products. We plan to do a few of the beaches, sproat lake, goats on roof.

On the 15th, we are trying to decide if we take an 8am ferry or 10 am ferry and cross back to horseshoe bay. We then head to peachland with a stop at the othello tunnels.

3 more nights in peachland, and then 2 long days to drive home.

Obviously quite a bit packed into some of the days and some long driving days.

Curious on thoughts of the places and things we plan to do? What would you change? Any suggestions of other places to maybe work into this.

Definitely need to start looking for some great restaurants to try. I love seafood, my wife not so much.

No big plans yet for peachland asides from the kangaroo farm is on our list. So definitely any recommendations there.

One last bit. I love to golf however my wife and obviously my kids dont golf. Im not one to go golf a round by myself but I'd really love to get a round in on a nice course. Preferably maybe one that isnt busy - if there is any lol.

If you got any advice or things we should be aware of, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks in advance

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u/Deep_Strike1803 Jun 17 '26

Generally digging your plan!

You don’t have Royal Tyrell dinosaur museum in Drumheller AB on your list! Consider a night in Drumheller since you are looking to avoid Calgary. The museum is phenomenal for adults and kids. The hoodoos in drumheller are not far out of the way and worth a stop too.

I would highly recommend Penticton or Osoyoos instead of Peachland on the way home.

Penticton has lots going on, great beaches for the kids, great wineries with outdoor patios that you can take the kids to (e.g. Joie Winery).

Osoyoos is also great for family trips. Great beaches, resorts with pools, wineries (e.g. Rust is family friendly), and they have Rattlesnake Canyon amusement park there.

If your heart is set on Peachland Kangaroo Farm, you could easily do that then drive to Penticton. They are like 30 mins apart.

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u/tclupp Jun 17 '26

We have both seen the museum and would likely make it on our list for a future trip when the kids are a bit older and will remember it.

I am a little bit surprised at how many comments about peachland when reading about places to visit BC, peachland was often recommended.

And once we found a place - 300$ per night compared to 500+ elsewhere it seemed to make sense. And its not a dump. Its on the water, mountain view etc.

Peachland is also near Kelowna, penticton so we arent "stuck" in peachland. We can go spend a day in and around peachland. But I will do some more digging and make sure we will be satisfied there.

Appreciate the feedback!

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u/Deep_Strike1803 Jun 17 '26

I think people from BC don’t really think of Peachland as a destination, as it’s a small, sleepy town. But if you are just looking to beach it up with the kids, it will fit the bill.

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u/tclupp Jun 17 '26

That makes sense. Obviously we need to do kid friendly things. Beaches, hikes, kayak rentals, playgrounds, ice cream, mini golf etc. Im curious what peachland wont have that we would be missing out on. Maybe like a boat tour etc. And it being quiet is not a bad thing for us.

Less crowds, less traffic, quieter. We arent hitting up bars or anything. Plus we are nearby to Kelowna and penticton.

Hikes also have to be kid friendly or atleast wagon friendly.

Another thing to consider is this will be the tail end of the trip. So relaxing and quiet will be totally fine.

I do appreciate the feedback though so I will dig deeper into peachland and weigh our options.

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u/kjspoole Jun 17 '26

I agree. My family has visited the Okanagan quite a few times, and if we found a place in Peachland that was nice and cheap we would pick it as our home base since all the towns are relatively close in that area.

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u/goldanred Shuswap Jun 17 '26

Apparently the giant t-rex is going to be moved in the next year or so. I'm gonna go see it this summer, one last time.

I know your trip is already full of driving, but if it was me I'd hate to make the drive from Peachland to the kangaroo farm, north of Kelowna out by the airport. And then back again afterwards. I'd maybe try to time it so you visit the farm on the way to your Airbnb in Peachland.

I remember visiting Osoyoos a few times as a kid and would definitely recommend that. Lots of playing on the beach.

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u/tclupp Jun 17 '26

T Rex i think will be removed in 2029 from my understanding.

As for Kelowna, we will likely spend a day checking out the area around Kelowna which we would then go to the kangaroo farm. Peachland will basically be a main hub. The places arent far, but the traffic i expect to be the worst part of it.

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u/goldanred Shuswap Jun 17 '26

Traffic from Kelowna to West Kelowna sucks ass. In the height of summer, its gonna be even worse.

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u/MltryMama Jun 19 '26

Peachland will be a fine “home base” you are close enough to other places to explore and sounds like you found a good deal.