Whistler Sea to Sky Gondola Day Trip from Vancouver

About This Experience

This is Landsea Tours' small-group day out from Vancouver to Whistler, with the Sea to Sky Gondola ride built into the price. Pickup starts early, between about 7:10 and 8:30 in the morning depending on your hotel, and the van heads over the Lions Gate Bridge and up Highway 99 with Howe Sound on one side and the Coast Mountains on the other. The whole day runs about 10.5 hours, door to door, with a guide narrating along the way.

The first stop is Shannon Falls, at 335 m the third-highest waterfall in British Columbia, a short walk through the forest from the parking area. Next comes the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish. The ride takes about 10 minutes and lifts you to a summit 885 m above Howe Sound, where the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge, about 100 m long, crosses to a viewing platform. Your gondola admission covers the ride, the bridge and the summit trails.

From Squamish the road climbs to Whistler Village, where you get free time to walk the pedestrian stroll, eat lunch at a place of your choosing and try whatever seasonal activities appeal. Landsea's own tour page gives about 20 minutes at Shannon Falls, about 90 minutes at the gondola and about 3 hours in the village. Meals, drinks and any activities you add in Whistler are paid separately, and the van returns you to your hotel in the evening.

This version with the gondola is a spring-to-autumn tour: for 2026 it runs from 1 April to 12 October. Guests rate it 4.7 out of 5 across 763 reviews, and many mention their guide by name. It suits a first visit to the corridor when you want Whistler, the waterfall and a mountain-top view in one day without renting a car or driving the highway yourself.

Highlights

• Shannon Falls, British Columbia's third-highest waterfall at 335 m, a short forest walk from the road
• A gondola ride of about 10 minutes to a summit 885 m above Howe Sound
• The Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge, about 100 m across a gap at the Sea to Sky Gondola summit
• About 3 hours of free time in Whistler Village for lunch, shops and seasonal activities
• The Sea-to-Sky Highway drive past the Lions Gate Bridge, with ocean on one side and mountains on the other
• A small-group van, so the guide can stop, point things out and answer questions along the way

What's Included

• ✓ Sea to Sky Gondola admission (round-trip ride and access to the summit area)
• ✓ Crossing of the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge, part of the gondola admission
• ✓ Professional guide with commentary on the drive and at the stops
• ✓ Hotel pickup and drop-off at listed Richmond/YVR-area and downtown Vancouver hotels (call to arrange)
• ✓ Round-trip transport between Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler in a small-group vehicle

Not Included

• Meals and beverages
• Gratuities
• Optional activities in Whistler Village
• Pickup from cruise ship terminals

What to Bring

• A warm layer or light jacket, as the gondola summit is cooler and windier than the city
• Comfortable walking shoes for the falls trail and the summit paths
• Money or a card for lunch in Whistler Village
• A camera or phone with a charged battery
• Sunglasses and sunscreen

Good to Know & Caveats

• This gondola tour is a spring-to-autumn product: the 2026 season runs 1 April to 12 October.
• The Sea to Sky Gondola closes for annual maintenance 9 to 26 November 2026 and reopens 27 November. That falls outside this tour's season, but check dates if you see it offered later in the year.
• Pickup times run from about 7:10 am at airport-area hotels in Richmond to 8:30 am at the last downtown hotels; the listing gives the exact time for each hotel.
• Guests at the Pan Pacific Vancouver meet across the street in the Fairmont Waterfront lobby.
• The tour does not pick up at the cruise ship terminals.
• Suitable for all fitness levels; infants and small children can come in a pram or stroller, and service animals are allowed.
• The Sea to Sky Gondola is in Squamish, on the way to Whistler. It is a different lift from Whistler's PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, which this tour does not include.

Meeting Point

Hotel pickup is included from the listed Richmond/YVR-area and downtown Vancouver hotels, between about 7:10 and 8:30 am; call the operator to arrange yours. There is no pickup from cruise ship terminals.