Best Time to Visit Whistler from Vancouver: Weather by Month & What's Open
Day tours to Whistler run from Vancouver all year, with the widest choice of gondola tours from May to October. July and August are the best overall time for a first trip, with the warmest weather in the village. This guide compares the months, explains what is open in each season, and lets you check the conditions for your own date.
If snow is the reason for your trip, or your dates are already fixed, use the date checker below to see whether the gondolas are running, the weather in Whistler Village and how much daylight you will have on your day.
Whistler day trips from Vancouver are available year-round, but fewer of them include the Sea to Sky Gondola in winter. The biggest difference between months is which tours and lifts are open and whether there is snow in the village. Whistler Blackcomb’s Peak 2 Peak Gondola, an optional add-on, runs in summer and winter but not in between. The weather matters most at Shannon Falls, on the gondola summit and during your free time in the village.
If your dates are flexible, July and August offer the best overall balance for a first sightseeing trip. They are the warmest months in Whistler Village, with average highs of about 24°C and rain on about 9 or 10 days a month. Peak 2 Peak runs daily in high summer. June has the longest days but more rainy days. September is drier than June, but Whistler Blackcomb’s summer lifts close during the month.
For snow, choose December to March, when the village usually has snow on the ground and Peak 2 Peak runs for winter sightseeing. February and March have longer days than December and January and about a third less rain and snow. November is very wet, with little snow until late in the month.
On the day of your trip, check DriveBC, the province’s road-conditions service, because snow in winter and collisions or rockfall in any season can delay or close Highway 99. In late summer, check air quality too, because wildfire smoke can haze the views.
- Best overall for a first sightseeing day trip:
- July and August
- Longest days, but more rainy days:
- June
- Drier than June, summer lifts closing:
- September
- Snow in the village, but short days:
- December and January
- Snow with longer, drier days:
- February and March
- Heavy rain, little snow yet:
- November
- Sea to Sky Gondola closed for maintenance:
- November 16 to 26, 2026
- Most useful checks for your date:
- Rain, cloud, road conditions, gondola dates
- About 24°C against 0°C average high in Whistler Village in August against December
- About 45 mm against 192 mm average precipitation in July against November, so pack a rain jacket outside summer
- About 16 hours against 8 daylight in mid-June against mid-December, on a trip that lasts most of the day
Check Availability
What each season is like on a Whistler day trip
A day trip from Vancouver follows the Sea-to-Sky Highway along Howe Sound, stops at Shannon Falls and the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish, and then gives you free time in Whistler Village. What you can add in Whistler, and what the village looks like, follows two calendars: the snow, and the lift seasons that Whistler Blackcomb and the Sea to Sky Gondola publish.
Summer, June to September. This is the sightseeing season. July and August are the warmest months in the village, with average highs of about 24°C and only about 9 or 10 wet days a month. The choice of tours that include the Sea to Sky Gondola is at its widest, and Whistler Blackcomb’s summer sightseeing is open: in 2026 the Peak 2 Peak Gondola ran daily from June 13 to September 7, after weekends only from May 16. June has about 16 hours of daylight but about 14 wet days. September is drier than June, with an average high of about 20°C, although Peak 2 Peak closed on September 7 in 2026 and Whistler Mountain’s sightseeing on September 20.
Fall, October and November. Whistler Blackcomb’s sightseeing lifts are closed between seasons, so a day trip from Vancouver is Shannon Falls, the Sea to Sky Gondola and the village. November is the wettest month and October is also very wet, with about 192 mm and 155 mm of precipitation on average, and snow does not usually lie in the village until late November. Several gondola tours stop in October (Star Sightseeing on October 15 and Pacific Coach on October 31 in 2026), and the Sea to Sky Gondola itself is closed for maintenance from November 16 to 26, 2026. Our guides to Whistler in October and Whistler in November cover what is open week by week.
Winter, December to March. The village usually has snow on the ground from December to March, on about 25 to 29 days a month; our guide to when Whistler gets snow, month by month compares the Village with the mountain. Blackcomb Mountain is scheduled to open on November 20, 2026, and Whistler Mountain and Peak 2 Peak on November 25, with winter sightseeing until April 18, 2027, conditions permitting. Snowmobile, snowshoe and winter zipline tours run in this season, and one Vancouver tour runs evening snowshoe trips to Whistler Olympic Park. December and January have the shortest days and the coldest weather, with about 8 to 8.5 hours of daylight and average highs around freezing. February and March keep the snow with more daylight (about 10 and 12 hours) and less precipitation than December and January. The Whistler in December guide covers the holiday weeks.
Spring, April and May. Snow leaves the village during April, when it is on the ground on only about 4 or 5 days of the month. Whistler Mountain and Peak 2 Peak close for the winter on April 18, 2027, and Blackcomb on May 16, 2027. Gondola tours from Vancouver come back from April and May: Landsea’s gondola route ran from April 1 and Pacific Coach’s from May 1 in 2026. May has an average high of about 16°C and about 15 hours of daylight.
Which tour fits your month
The Westcoast Sightseeing Whistler, Sea to Sky Gondola & Shannon Falls day trip is the one to look at first if your dates fall outside summer. It runs on almost every day of the year, with the gondola ticket included. From November 16 to 26, 2026, while the gondola is closed, it runs a shorter route of about 8 hours with eagle viewing on the Squamish River instead, and gondola admission is not included. It is not offered on December 25.
From May to October, the Pacific Coach Sea to Sky Gondola and Whistler day trip is a close alternative, with the gondola included; it ran from May 1 to October 31 in 2026 and does not run in winter. In winter, Landsea’s full-day Whistler tour runs a winter route through Squamish Canyon and Mamquam Falls from October 26 to March 31, without the gondola. For snowmobile, snowshoe and other winter trips, see our Whistler winter tours from Vancouver.
Whistler weather by month
These are long-term averages from Environment and Climate Change Canada for Whistler Village, at about 660 m. The Sea to Sky Gondola summit and the Peak 2 Peak Gondola are higher, so expect them to be colder, windier and snowier than these figures. Daylight is computed for mid-month.
| Month | Average high and low | Precipitation | Days with snow on the ground | Daylight | For a day trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1°C and −5°C | 176 mm | 29 | 8 hr 31 min | Snow in the village; short days; Peak 2 Peak winter season |
| February | 3°C and −4°C | 105 mm | 26 | 10 hr 5 min | Snow in the village; longer days than January |
| March | 7°C and −2°C | 98 mm | 25 | 11 hr 49 min | Snow in the village; about 12 hours of daylight |
| April | 12°C and 0°C | 76 mm | 5 | 13 hr 45 min | Snow leaving the village; Peak 2 Peak closes April 18, 2027 |
| May | 16°C and 4°C | 67 mm | 0 | 15 hr 24 min | Gondola tours back; Peak 2 Peak opened May 16 in 2026 |
| June | 20°C and 7°C | 59 mm | 0 | 16 hr 22 min | Longest days; more rainy days than July |
| July | 24°C and 9°C | 45 mm | 0 | 15 hr 59 min | Warmest and driest; Peak 2 Peak daily in 2026 |
| August | 24°C and 9°C | 47 mm | 0 | 14 hr 32 min | Warmest and driest; check air quality |
| September | 20°C and 6°C | 55 mm | 0 | 12 hr 41 min | Drier than June; summer lifts closing |
| October | 11°C and 2°C | 155 mm | 0 | 10 hr 49 min | Wet; fewer gondola tours; lifts closed |
| November | 3.5°C and −2°C | 192 mm | 11 | 9 hr 4 min | Wettest month; gondola closed November 16 to 26, 2026 |
| December | 0°C and −5°C | 154 mm | 28 | 8 hr 6 min | Snowiest month; shortest days |
Precipitation is the total depth of rain and melted snow across a whole month, not a daily amount, so a high figure means more wet days rather than a constant downpour: November averages about 20 days with some precipitation, July about 10. The snow column counts days with at least 5 cm on the ground in the village. These are averages over many years, and a single day can be warmer, colder or wetter.
What is open month by month
The Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish is open daily year-round apart from its annual maintenance closure, which in 2026 runs from November 16 to 26. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from October 24 to November 15 and again from November 27 to December 31, 2026, and its summer hours are longer. Its winter activities, such as tubing and snowshoeing at the summit, depend on snow.
The Peak 2 Peak Gondola links Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and has two seasons. In winter 2026/27 it is scheduled from November 25, 2026 to April 18, 2027, depending on conditions. In summer 2026 it ran from May 16 to September 7, and Whistler Blackcomb has not yet published its summer 2027 dates. Between the seasons it does not run. Our Sea to Sky Gondola vs Peak 2 Peak guide compares the two lifts.
Day tours from Vancouver. Most guided day trips pick you up in downtown Vancouver in the morning. The choice of tours that include the Sea to Sky Gondola is widest from May to early October. In 2026, Landsea’s gondola route ran from April 1 to October 12, Star Sightseeing’s from May 1 to October 15 and Pacific Coach’s from May 1 to October 31. Westcoast Sightseeing, Jupiter Legend and Bearly There list gondola tours in winter too. Our Whistler day trips from Vancouver page compares them.
Holiday dates. Whistler Blackcomb lists November 27 and 28, December 26 to 31, January 16 and February 13 and 14 as holiday-restricted dates for some 2026/27 ski passes. If your date is one of them, or falls in the Christmas to New Year week, book your tour as soon as your date is fixed. Our guide to Whistler between Christmas and New Year covers that week.
Weather, smoke and the road on the day
Highway 99, the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler, is a designated winter tire route from October 1 to March 31, so a car you drive yourself needs tires marked M+S or with the mountain and snowflake symbol. Snow, collisions and rockfall can slow or close the road, so check DriveBC on the morning of your trip and allow extra time in winter. On a coach tour, the operator handles the driving, but a road closure can still delay or change the day.
Cloud can hide the views from the gondola summit in any season, so check the forecast for Squamish and Whistler rather than Vancouver’s. Shannon Falls and the village are still worth seeing on a gray day. In late summer, wildfire smoke can drift into the Sea-to-Sky corridor: Whistler and Squamish were under special air quality statements in August 2023. If there are large fires in the province, check the air quality forecast before you go, and if you have asthma or a heart condition, plan for less time on the summit trails.
Check your date
Choose a date to see if the Sea to Sky Gondola and Whistler Blackcomb’s Peak 2 Peak Gondola are running, the winter-tire rule on Highway 99, the weather in Whistler Village and how much daylight you will have. Within about two weeks of the date the card shows the forecast; further ahead it shows long-term averages.
In general, the Sea to Sky Gondola is open daily year-round apart from a maintenance closure in November, Peak 2 Peak runs in a summer season and a winter season with a closed gap between them, and average highs in Whistler Village range from about 0°C in December to about 24°C in August.
Gondola hours are the Sea to Sky Gondola’s and Whistler Blackcomb’s published dates, which can change with weather and conditions. Averages are Environment and Climate Change Canada figures for Whistler Village; forecasts are from Open-Meteo.
If your booking has free cancellation, you can book once your dates are fixed and look at the forecast again before the deadline; read the booking terms first. For how the day runs from pickup to drop-off, see our Whistler day trip from Vancouver guide.
How we know
Sources and method
- Weather: Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1981–2010 climate normals for the WHISTLER station (Climate ID 1048898, 658 m, at village level), read through the ECCC climate normals service on October 31, 2026. ECCC’s newer 1991–2020 normals do not include a Whistler station, so these are the most recent official figures for the village. They describe the valley floor, not the gondola summit or the alpine.
- Daylight: computed for Whistler Village (50.12° N) with the NOAA solar-position method, for the 15th of each month in 2027; accurate to a few minutes.
- Sea to Sky Gondola: the operator’s hours and prices and FAQ pages, read on October 31, 2026, for the November 16 to 26, 2026 maintenance closure and the hours to December 31, 2026.
- Whistler Blackcomb: the hours of operation page, read on October 31, 2026, for the 2026/27 winter dates (Blackcomb November 20, 2026 to May 16, 2027; Whistler Mountain and Peak 2 Peak November 25, 2026 to April 18, 2027), and the summer 2026 dates read on September 23, 2026. The holiday-restricted dates are from Whistler Blackcomb’s holiday-restricted dates page. All of these dates can change with weather and conditions.
- Tour seasons: the operators’ own pages for Pacific Coach (read October 31, 2026), Landsea, Star Sightseeing and Westcoast Sightseeing, and the GetYourGuide listings and booking calendars, read on September 23 and October 31, 2026.
- Highway 99: the BC government’s winter tire and chain-up routes page and South Coast map, and DriveBC for live conditions.
- Wildfire smoke: the special air quality statement for Squamish and Whistler in August 2023, reported by the Squamish Reporter.
- Forecast: the date checker reads Open-Meteo’s forecast for Whistler Village for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. within about two weeks of the date, and the ECCC averages beyond.
- What these numbers cannot tell you: we found no monthly count of visitors to Whistler or the Sea to Sky Gondola, so this page makes no claim about which months are quieter. The weather figures are long-term averages, not a forecast for your day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month for a day trip to Whistler from Vancouver?
If your dates are flexible, July and August offer the best overall balance for a first sightseeing day trip. They are the warmest and driest months in Whistler Village, with average highs of about 24°C, and the summer gondola tours and Peak 2 Peak are running. June has longer days but more rainy days, and September is drier than June, with Whistler Blackcomb's summer sightseeing ending during the month.
Is it better to visit Whistler in summer or winter?
It depends on what you want from the day. Summer, especially July and August, is better for a sightseeing trip with Shannon Falls, the Sea to Sky Gondola and warm weather in the village. Winter, from December to March, is the time for snow in the village, Peak 2 Peak winter sightseeing and snowmobile or snowshoe tours, with short days and temperatures around freezing.
Is the Sea to Sky Gondola open in winter?
Yes. The Sea to Sky Gondola is open daily year-round apart from its annual maintenance closure, which in 2026 runs from November 16 to 26. It reopens on November 27, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through December 31. Fewer Vancouver day tours include the gondola from November to April, so check what your tour includes for your date.
When does the Peak 2 Peak Gondola run?
Peak 2 Peak runs in a summer season and a winter season, with a gap between them. In winter 2026/27 it is scheduled from November 25, 2026 to April 18, 2027, depending on conditions. In summer 2026 it ran from May 16 to September 7, at weekends only until June 12 and daily from June 13. Summer 2027 dates are not published yet.
When is there snow in Whistler Village?
Usually from December to March. Long-term Environment and Climate Change Canada averages give at least 5 cm of snow on the ground in the village on about 25 to 29 days a month in those months, about 11 days in November and under 5 in April. The mountains above the village are colder and snowier.
What is the weather like in Whistler in November?
November is the wettest month of the year in Whistler Village, with about 192 mm of precipitation on average and an average high of about 3.5°C. Snow usually starts to settle in the village late in the month. In 2026 the Sea to Sky Gondola is closed for maintenance from November 16 to 26, and Whistler Blackcomb's winter season starts on November 20 on Blackcomb Mountain and November 25 on Whistler Mountain and Peak 2 Peak, conditions permitting.
Do I need winter tires to drive from Vancouver to Whistler?
Yes, from October 1 to March 31. Highway 99 is a designated winter tire route, so passenger vehicles need tires marked M+S or with the mountain and snowflake symbol. Check DriveBC for conditions and closures before you leave. On a coach tour, the operator handles the driving.
Dates Fixed?
The Westcoast Sightseeing day trip runs from downtown Vancouver on almost every day of the year, with Shannon Falls, the Sea to Sky Gondola and free time in Whistler Village. Check what it includes on your date before you book.
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