Long, Deep, Wild and Free

I am lucky to have a view of Whistler Blackcomb from my house, which means I can watch the snowline creep its way down, a little lower every day, bit by bit. I can almost hear the swoosh of my skis on corduroy and feel that heart-pounding rush course through my veins as I push myself a bit farther, a bit faster.

Whistler is a place that believes life is for living. It’s about broadening your perspectives, embracing challenges, seeking connections, pushing envelopes, creating change and protecting what matters.

The target opening Day for Whistler Blackcomb is set, so mark your calendar for Thursday, November 23 (subject to change). This is the beginning of one of the longest ski and ride seasons in North America, as Whistler Blackcomb anticipates staying open until late May 2024.

A drone shot of Whistler Village as the sun sets creating a purple glow over the lights of Whistler Village with Whistler and Blackcomb mountains in the background.
Get your winter stoke on because it’s comin’. PHOTO MITCH WINTON

Whistler is the place to connect with your inner thrill-seeker, the birthplace of go big or go home. The countdown to winter fun has begun, and Whistler’s ready to embrace it all. Don’t miss another winter, come join us in the mountains.

Here’s what to expect when you come to Whistler this winter season.

Be Prepared

Book Ahead

We would advise you to book accommodation, restaurants and activities ahead of time to avoid possible disappointment and to allow Whistler businesses time to plan and be ready for your arrival.

A group dines out at the Bearfoot Bistro, one of Whistler's fine dining restaurants.
Make reservations for your favourite Whistler restaurants. PHOTO JUSTA JESKOVA

With Whistler Blackcomb’s winter lift ticket limits (more detail below), it’s also a good idea to secure your days on the hill EARLY. You can save up to 65% on lift tickets if you book them in advance, so if you know you’re coming to Whistler this season consider a Blackcomb Day Pass, Season Pass, or Edge Card. Typically, these passes are available until early December, but our advice is to lock them in as soon as you can.

Whistler can get busy at peak times over the winter. Please be kind to the people serving your food, checking you in and taking you out on a tour, they are working hard to deliver a great experience.

Locally based, Whistler.com travel consultants can help answer any questions you have about Whistler and help you book ski packages and activities, guaranteeing you the best price available.

When in resort, you can use the Whistler interactive map for up-to-date information on local businesses including hours of operation and Google review ratings.

A woman ziplines across the Whistler Valley in the snow.
Expand your definition of magic. PHOTO ZIPTREK ECOTOURS

Whistler this Winter: Activities

Creating a bucket list is a highly personal thing, but there are some winter activities that are more popular than others. Snow school, dogsledding, ziplining and specialty snowmobile tours like the Mountain Top Fondue will sell out at peak times over the season, so again the advice is to book those must-do activities ahead of time. Don’t ski, but love the mountains? Sightseeing on Whistler Blackcomb typically runs from opening day, so the end of November to mid-April. Check the hours of operation page as it will have the dates as soon as they’re released for the 2023/24 season.

For more ideas of what you might want to do off the slopes, read Outdoor Activities Off the Slopes.

A mother and daughter spin down the ice at the Tube Park on Whistler Mountain.
Make time for family time. PHOTO JUSTA JESKOVA

Whistler this Winter: Events

Check out the Whistler Film Festival, Whistler Pride Ski & Snowboard Festival and World Ski and Snowboard Festival, all on the calendar for 2024.

There are also Whistler Blackcomb’s Fire & Ice Shows, comedy nights, live music, art exhibitions and races of all kinds on and off the slopes to name a few events that happen weekly during the winter. Keep an eye on our events calendar as it starts to fill up for the coming season.

The Fire & Ice show never fails to impress. PHOTO MIKE CRANE

Responsible Travel

The Whistler community cares deeply for the environment and strives to preserve the area’s natural beauty by taking meaningful steps toward the resort’s vision of sustainability. Take a read of Whistler’s environmental initiatives and how you can play your part while you’re here on our Responsible Travel in Whistler page.

Thanks in advance for being a responsible traveller.

Support Local

If you need some new winter gear or want to give what you have some TLC, buying locally  from shops and utilizing local services enhances the Whistler community, connects us all socially, creates jobs and boosts the economy.

Two women carry shopping bags down the Village Stroll in Whistler.
Make sure you’ve got room in your suitcase for a few extras. PHOTO JUSTA JESKOVA

What’s New at Whistler Blackcomb

Before we start with what’s new, let’s just recap what’s not changed. Whistler Blackcomb is North America’s largest ski resort and with 200+ runs over 8,100 acres of terrain, it’s proving grounds for both powder hounds and cruisey carvers.

Whistler enjoys reliable snowfall and moderate temperatures, thanks to its West Coast locale and has been voted Best Ski Resort in North America multiple times. It’s a quality AND quantity kind of place.

A skier powers through the snow on a run on Whistler Blackcomb.
Carve out time for some powder turns this winter. PHOTO GUY FATTAL

What happens here is big mountain skiing, the kind of skiing and snowboarding you see in the movies. You know, powder in the face, graceful, arcing turns on long, vertical descents and cliff drops with pillowy landings. Not quite there yet?

Seventy-five per cent of Whistler Blackcomb’s terrain is green and blue (beginner and intermediate), so you can work your way up to those powder turns, or cruise the corduroy at your own pace and take in the incredible views of the Coast Mountains.

New Fitzsimmons Express Opens!

Whistler Blackcomb’s Fitzsimmons Express has been replaced with a high-speed, 8-person chairlift this winter season, the first of its kind across Vail Resorts’ North American resorts. The upgrade will help reduce lift line wait times out of the base at Skier’s Plaza in Whistler Village, increasing uphill capacity and improving circulation in the mid-mountain area.

The Creekside Gondola and Big Red Express Upgrade

The Creekside Gondola and Big Red Express upgrades went in last season. Creekside Gondola, (Facing North: Sq̓útsa ti Tsaw̓ewéca “by the creek” – Lil̓wat7úl Ucwalmícwts; Facing South: Ch’it ta Swá7elt “beside the creek” – Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim) previously a six-person gondola, has been replaced with a new high-speed 10-person gondola. This will significantly improve wait times and increase uphill capacity by 35 per cent in the Creekside area, especially on high-volume days.

Big Red Express (Kwemkwim K’aýk in the Squamish language, Tseqwtsíqwa Q̓ilq̓ in the Líl̓wat language) has gone from a high-speed, four-person chair to a high-speed, six-person chair. This increases uphill capacity by nearly 30 per cent and improves the ability of guests to move around mid-mountain and from the Creekside area. 

A picture of the Big Red Express on Whistler Mountain.
Last season’s lift upgrades moved skiers quickly up to the slopes. PHOTO GUY FATTAL

Winter Lift Ticket Limits

To prioritize the guest experience, Whistler Blackcomb has set a winter lift-ticket limitation for each day of the season. This means if you don’t have a pass, you might find getting up the ski hill on popular days more challenging than in the past if you decide to come last minute.

The availability of lift tickets will be visible on the Whistler Blackcomb website in the coming weeks. If tickets are sold out online, guests will not be able to purchase them at ticket windows. Our advice is to purchase your lift access in advance – whether it is a Whistler Blackcomb Day Pass, Season Pass, or Edge Card (for the latter two call Whistler Blackcomb Guest Services at 1.800.766.0449).

Passes, including Day Passes, and Pass Holder benefit tickets will not be limited. There is also no impact to guests who enroll in ski and ride school lessons that include lift access.

People dance to live music enjoying Whistler's vibrant apres scene.
Earn your après. PHOTO JUSTA JESKOVA

Whistler Blackcomb Dining Info

First Tracks

Want to be the first one up the gondola for some untouched powder and corduroy groomers? Get yourself a First Tracks ticket. Your ticket includes an early upload between 7:30 and 8 AM (it’s limited to 600 people) and a $17 CAD one-time voucher to be used at any time throughout the day at Whistler Blackcomb food and drink locations. Caesar at the Umbrella Bar anyone?

Fine Dining: Steeps

Steeps, one of two, premium, alpine, full-service restaurants serving unique, Canadian, contemporary, cuisine inspired by Vancouver, celebrity Chef David Hawksworth, is a must-do foodie treat. This is what we mean when we say Whistler is a place that pairs the rugged and the refined. There’s nothing like savouring a glass of BC wine while you look out over the Coast Mountain range.

Variety is the Spice of Life

Glacier Creek, Rendezvous and Roundhouse are offering more diverse food options with Japanese ramen, fresh grains and greens bowls, Indian curry, Thai and Mexican-inspired options all on the menu alongside the much-loved burgers and fries. 

Sweet Treats: Waffles at Crystal Hut

The famous, fully-loaded buttermilk waffles at the Crystal Hut are a perfect mid-ski treat. Our tip? Try the Triple B, which comes with bacon, banana and Baileys – yum! Chic Pea is another sweet treat locale with their signature cinnamon buns topped with rich and decadent cream cheese (you’ll just have to ride harder to burn these options off).

Lavazza Premium Coffee

Lavazza, Italian, premium coffee is now being served at all Whistler Blackcomb locations, including Garbo’s at the base of Whistler Mountain, which is a great grab-and-go option for a breakfast sandwich and java juice for the ride up in the gondola. It’s also good to note that their kiosk outside does great burgers!

Ollie’s at the Beginner Zone

Ollie’s, at the Whistler Mountain beginner zone, offers grilled cheese sandwiches with fries and hot beverages.

Cashless Transactions

From ordering food to buying that cool touque you saw at the on-mountain retail store, all transactions happening at Whistler Blackcomb will be cashless again this season.

Two kids ski down the slopes on Whistler Blackcomb.
Mini rippers! PHOTO GUY FATTAL

Whistler Blackcomb Snow School Daily Lessons & Camps

Whistler Blackcomb’s Ski & Ride School has various group programs at all three of the resort’s base locations (Whistler, Blackcomb and Creekside), along with an enhanced Whistler Kids: Kids 5 Day Ski Adventure Camp and the Adult 4 Day program. 

Kids who are in snow school might just find themselves dancing away with Bart the Bear and Rave-On the Raven, the Whistler Blackcomb mascots who are part of the Whistler Kids Live show that happens every Thursday at noon at Blackcomb Base.

Women’s Only Ski and Snowboard Clinics

Whistler Blackcomb is growing its offering of ski and ride camps for women this season. Whether you picked up the sport last year or enjoy a double black diamond with your morning coffee, these clinics help hone your skills under top, female coaches. You can ski or snowboard, and both clinics are two days of slope-filled fun.

Read more about what a Women’s Ski Camp is like in our blog, Confidence Boost: Women’s Weekend Ski Camps.

At its core, Whistler is about not just seeking out adrenaline-pumping activities but also finding opportunities for joy, quiet, connection and freedom. Whistler, thrill runs deep. 

A young girl spins in the snow as it falls in Whistler Village with sparkling, festive lights behind her.
There’s magic in the mountains here in Whistler. PHOTO JUSTA JESKOVA

Book your winter trip now to secure up to 25% off lodging and 33% off rentals. Thinking about spring skiing? Receive a $75 après voucher for every third night booked.

Come experience Whistler Blackcomb’s extensive terrain and adventure at every turn to see why we're known as one of the best resorts on the planet. Secure your mountain getaway with Whistler.com for personalized service and the local knowledge of our Whistler-based team. Want to win a winter trip for two to Whistler? Check out our Drop In to Winter contest.

Author

You can often find Dee exploring all Whistler has to offer with her three-kid tribe in tow. Originally from the UK, Dee enjoys balancing out high-thrills adventures with down-time basking in the beauty of the wonderful place she now calls home.