Squamish tours and things to do

Squamish is a town in British Columbia on the Sea to Sky Highway (Highway 99) and, according to Explore Squamish, halfway between Vancouver and Whistler. Explore Squamish lists downtown Vancouver as 64 km and 55 minutes away by road, Vancouver International Airport as 81 km and 1 hour 20 minutes, and Whistler as 60 km and 45 minutes.

Explore Squamish lists the Squamish Connector (daily and non-stop, with stops including downtown Vancouver), the BC Connector (daily between Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler), the Skylynx Airport Shuttle (daily between Squamish and YVR) and the Poparide carpooling app. Each operator sets its own schedule and fares. The tour pages give each Voyzo pickup area; ask us if you are staying in Vancouver.

July and August are the warmest months, with average daily highs of 24.5 °C, and July is the driest at 47.5 mm, according to Environment Canada's 1991–2020 normals for Squamish Airport. The normals give 2,344.1 mm of precipitation a year, and about 77% of it (1,813 mm, worked out from the monthly figures) falls from October to March. Bald eagle viewing peaks in November and December.

Voyzo has guides to the Sea to Sky Gondola, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park (three trails of 1.5 to 1.8 km), Shannon Falls (an easy 350 m walk to falls that rise 335 m) and Garibaldi Provincial Park, a mountainous 195,000 hectares. Explore Squamish's events page also lists Squamish Canyon as a venue, and BC Parks describes Alice Lake Provincial Park, about 13 km north of Squamish, with four freshwater lakes and the Four Lakes Trail.

The Sea to Sky private guided day outdoors runs 3 to 7 hours and the private rock climbing adventure 4 to 8 hours. Both use a private vehicle and driver from your accommodation, the climbing session from Squamish or Whistler-area accommodation and the guided day from Sea to Sky area accommodation, with drop-off afterward. Neither shows an online price; send a request and we reply by email.

No. The tour page describes the session as suited to novices and experienced climbers, with routes matched to your group's experience, and says all climbing equipment and safety instruction are included. BC Parks says peregrine falcon climbing closures at Stawamus Chief generally run from 15 March to 31 July and requires a park-use permit for commercial guiding there. Ask which crag fits your date.

The operator's hours page, read on 26 October 2026, lists daily 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (last ride down 6:00 PM) from 24 October to 15 November, closed for maintenance from 16 to 26 November, and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM again from 27 November to 31 December. It shows no year and no hours from January, so check seatoskygondola.com before planning a winter visit, and buy tickets only on that site.

In summer 2026 BC Parks required a free day-use vehicle pass (one per vehicle) at Diamond Head and Rubble Creek from Friday to Monday and on holidays, 12 June to 12 October, and at Cheakamus Lake daily from 13 June to 7 September, then Friday to Monday and holidays to 12 October. Passes are booked online two days ahead from 7 am Pacific time, and visitors with an overnight camping reservation do not need one. Those summer dates have passed, and no 2027 dates had been published when checked on 26 October 2026, so check BC Parks before you go.

BC Parks lists three trails: First Peak at 1.5 km with 540 m of elevation gain, Second Peak at 1.7 km with 590 m and Third Peak at 1.8 km with 630 m. It warns that rockfalls can occur at any time in the park and asks visitors to use extreme caution. Pets must be leashed except on the Chief Peaks Trail.

BC Parks says eagle viewing at Brackendale is at its peak from November to December, but significant numbers of eagles may be present from November to January. It says viewing is best enjoyed from outside the Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park boundaries, at the main Eagle Run viewing facility at 41015 Government Road. Access to the park itself is prohibited during winter months because of the eagles, and recreation use, except fishing, is closed from 1 October to 31 March.

Not necessarily. BC Transit's Squamish Transit lists five routes, and Explore Squamish lists BC Transit OnDemand (dated from 30 March 2026), Squamish Taxi, Uber and Coastal Rides. On both Voyzo tours a private vehicle and driver bring you to the crag or trailhead.

Only if you are travelling into Canada. IRCC says visa-exempt foreign nationals need an eTA to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport, but not when they arrive by car, bus, train or boat, and US citizens are exempt. IRCC gives the eTA fee as CAD 7 (checked 26 October 2026), and an eTA does not guarantee entry. Check the IRCC page for your own passport before you travel.