Rainforest to Rockies: Valleys and Vineyards

It’s always best to start a journey with a full belly, and Vancouver is a city that is serious about eating and drinking. Sample fresh seafood scooped from the Pacific Ocean, visit Granville Island’s colourful stalls, and sip at craft breweries and distilleries—the city’s diverse dining scene spans family-owned dumpling shops in Richmond to Michelin-starred restaurants downtown. 

The fertile Fraser Valley spreads out east of the city along Trans-Canada Highway 1. Backdropped by the Coast and Cascade mountain ranges, farms welcome you to try their freshest fare, like u-pick berries, corn from Chilliwack, and cheeses from local dairy farms.

Near Hope, the rushing Fraser River—BC’s longest—has special significance. It offers stunning scenery, hosts one of the world’s largest salmon runs, has deep cultural ties with Indigenous nations including the Stó:lō Nation and Nlaka’pamux Nation, and it played a pivotal historical role in the BC Gold Rush.

From the rainforests of the coast to the semi-arid desert town of Osoyoos, this stretch of the journey shows how diverse and how striking the landscape in BC can be. The town of Hope, nestled within densely wooded mountains, is where the landscape starts shifting dramatically. The Crowsnest Highway 3 banks hard as it spirals around mountains, opening up in the valleys to provide glimpses of lakes before whisking you around yet another bend. Hikes in E.C. Manning Provincial Park can bring you to an alpine wildflower meadow, while a bit farther along, the former mining town of Princeton offers even more scenic trails. 

Not far beyond Princeton, the mountains part to reveal a green floor of farmland: Keremeos in the Similkameen Valley is known as the Fruit Stand Capital of Canada, and alongside orchards heavy with fruit are vineyards celebrated for their unique terroir, boutique wineries, and commitment to sustainable and organic practices.

The Okanagan Valley stretches from Osoyoos past Vernon. This part of the journey offers sophisticated sips, tasty treats, cultural experiences, and some rest and relaxation in the great outdoors. 

In Osoyoos, Canada’s only semi-arid desert, colours shift from bright green to sage to dusty orange. The Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre is a great place to learn more about local Indigenous practices and wisdom, and the unique landscape. This state-of-the-art centre is built into the hillside within a large conservation area. Nk’Mip Cellars winery—an Osoyoos Indian Band venture—is situated next door at Spirit Ridge Resort.

Travelling north along Okanagan Lake past Kelowna, Lake Country, and beyond Vernon, you’ll leave the Okanagan and enter the Shuswap, with lakes and ranchlands on either side of the highway towards Sicamous.

Climbing through the Monashees towards the Selkirk ranges, you’re now firmly in mountain country with the clean scent of deep green conifers and glacier-fed lakes. Past Craigellachie, the site of the “last spike” driven into the Canadian Pacific Railway, Revelstoke is known for its small-town charm, cool cafes, and outdoor adventures. Explore its inland temperate rainforests, enjoy 360-degree views or relax with a beer on a patio. “Revy” is also the gateway to Mount Revelstoke National Park with the spectacular Meadows in the Sky Parkway and plenty of wildlife.

Surrounded by six of Canada’s most remarkable national parks, the mountain town of Golden makes an excellent base for exploring Glacier National Park and Yoho National Park on the western edge of the Canadian Rockies. These parks offer ancient cedar forests, tranquil lakes, trails, and waterfalls. Well-known attractions include Yoho’s Burgess Shale fossil sites that pre-date the dinosaurs and the aptly named Emerald Lake.

From fertile valleys to snow-capped peaks and desert hills to lush vineyards, a journey between Vancouver on the Pacific Ocean and the Canadian Rockies includes diverse flavours, landscapes, and communities connecting the coast to the mountain peaks. 

Please note: Remember to check for access information and note which parks or areas require advance booking or have other unique conditions.