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Canada has a lot going for it right now: Justin Trudeau, universal health care, and an exchange rate that will get Americans close to 30 extra cents on the dollar. It was also just named the number one place to visit in 2017 by the New York Times. Embrace the winter season in the Great White North by heading to Whistler, the picturesque ski town that offers a little something for everybody. Here, a look at what to do, where to eat, and where to sleep in the famed Canadian mountain village that’s located just a few hours north of Vancouver, BC.
Where to Stay:
For the ultimate in alpine luxury, opt for one of the luxury townhouses or private residences at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler. Tucked away in the Upper Village near the base of Blackcomb mountain, this resort checks all the boxes: spacious rooms outfitted in earthy wood accents and rugged slate, all the amenities (spa, heated outdoor pool, and fitness center) and exceptional service, including a ski concierge who will take care of everything from lessons to rentals to meeting you post-piste to take your gear, leaving you free to après unencumbered.
Skiers and nonskiers alike will find themselves settling right in at the Zen-like Nita Lake Lodge, perched on the edge of a glacier-fed lake in Whistler’s Creekside Village and consistently ranked amongst the best boutique hotels in the country. Each of the lodge’s 77 guestrooms has its own fireplace, and your stay includes complimentary snowshoe rentals, as well as an onsite yoga studio and personal trainers. Plus: Locals swear by the burger at Cure Lounge, one of the lobby restaurants.
What to do:
Voted the number one ski resort in North America three years in a row, Whistler-Blackcomb has 8,171 acres and 200+ runs that should take up the bulk of your itinerary. Don’t know where to start? If there’s fresh powder, make your way up Whistler to Harmony and Symphony Bowls. Otherwise, Blackcomb’s 7th Heaven is a perennial crowd-pleaser. Pro-tip: Be sure to pack a bag of peanuts for the 7th Heaven lift line. You’ll see why when you get there. (Here’s a hint.)
Give your legs a break (both mountains boast seven-mile-long runs!) with a massage followed by a cycle through the steam rooms, saunas, thermal waterfalls, and outdoor baths at Scandinave Spa Whistler, a 25,000-square-foot Nordic-inspired spa just begging to be Instagrammed. (The signs say no phones, but we won’t tell if you won’t.)
Once you’ve recovered, take a stroll through the Whistler Village, pick up a globally sourced handmade gift or something from a local designer at 3 Singing Birds before making your way to the “uncommonly beautiful” and newly opened Audain Art Museum to take in one of the most comprehensive collections of Canadian and, more specifically, Northwest Canadian art in the country, including works by Emily Carr, Jack Shadbolt, and Jeff Wall. (If you’ve got the shopping itch, in true ski-village style, your best bet is to scratch it by stopping into Can-Ski to peruse its international collection of top-rated ski gear from brands like Bogner and J. Lindeberg.)
Where to eat:
You won’t want for good food while in Whistler. You will, however, want to make reservations. Start with a midday ski-break one at Christine’s on Blackcomb, a sleekly designed and exceptionally executed fine-dining option situated atop Blackcomb mountain. (Why not kick things off with a bottle of Champagne while you’re at it?) Check Araxi, known for its seasonally focused menu made with locally sourced ingredients, off your list with an 8:00-p.m.-or-after booking to give yourself enough time for a pre-dinner drink at its sibling restaurant Bar Oso. (The cocktails there hold their own against any in New York and you wouldn’t be wrong for losing track of time, eating there, and re-booking Araxi for another night.)
Soak up your hangover the next day with a slice of fresh bread or still-warm pastry from purebread bakery in the village, or do penance with a grain bowl and Dr. G’s Ultimate Green juice from The Green Moustache.
And for a real under-the-PR-radar hit, head to Sachi Sushi for some of the freshest no-frills sushi in the province, including in-season-only British Columbia uni, from everybody-knows-how-good-he-is-but-no-one-wants-to-spoil-the-secret Chef Toshiyuki Kobayashi. (Sorry!)
Where to drink:
Après-ski will find most revelers in the main square of lower Whistler village, where no less than four bars open amphitheater-style onto the base of both mountains. Start at Garibaldi Lift Co. where you can look down (literally, but figuratively, too, if you so choose) on the whole scene from their outdoor terrace dotted with gas fireplaces and heating lamps. What happens after that is up to you.
If your après inclinations lean more chalet-chic than shotski, cozy into the lobby bar of the baronial Fairmont Chateau Whistler for martinis or a warming tonic made with honey from the hotel’s rooftop bees. Bonus: Indulge your sweet tooth and make yourself a maple-syrup melt, Laura Ingalls Wilder–style, on the snow outside.
For a true local experience, head directly to Dusty’s Backside in Creekside Base or Merlin’s at the bottom of Blackcomb. Better yet, time your visit to the former on Friday or the latter on Saturday to watch hometown heroes The Hairfarmers play. Buy your tablemates a round or two of beers and, with any luck, you’ll end up with a personal ski guide by morning. Canadians are friendly.