The ‘Thompson Okanagan’ region is located in south central British Columbia and is renowned for its ‘Champagne powder’, reliable snow fall, panoramic mountain vistas, world class ski resort and friendly locals… Also the area is famous for its wine and ice wine is a specialty – not cheap but definitely worth trying this liquid gold!
You can start this safari either at Kamloops or Kelowna. If you land at Kamloops then your first point of call will be Sun Peaks. Landing at Kelowna gives you more options as you could choose to start at either Big White, Silver Star or Apex. Whichever resort you choose it will involve some backtracking along the way.
The most obvious route to include all the resorts in The Okanagan Explorer, would be Big White, Apex, Silver Star and then Sun Peaks or vice versa.
With a bit of planning it is possible to do Okanagan Explorer using transfers instead of car hire. Transfer details are as follows:
- On a daily basis transfers run to and from Big White, Silver Star and Apex to Kelowna and to and from Sun Peaks to Kamloops.
- Transfers between Sun Peaks and Big White/Silver Star run on Saturdays and Wednesdays in both directions.
- Transfers between Big White and Silver Star via Kelowna Airport go every day or there is a direct service on a Saturday and Wednesday.
Suggested Safari trips durations:
As a general rule you will want to spend a minimum of 3 nights at one resort. Any less than this and the trip becomes tiring and you will feel like you are constantly packing and unpacking. On a 14 night trip you will be looking at around 4 resorts but you can add more or do less – it is your trip!
There is no set or standard trip and we will tailor make the trip depending on your requirements and the type of skiers you are.
Some ideas…
14 nights: 7 nights Big White / 7 nights Silver Star
14 nights: 5 nights Big White / 4 nights Silver Star / 5 nights Sun Peaks
14 nights: 7 nights Big White or Silver Star / 7 nights Sun Peaks
14 nights: 4 nights Big White / 3 nights Apex / 3 nights Silver Star / 4 nights Sun Peaks
10 nights: 5 nights Silver Star / 5 nights Big White
Accommodation choices:
There are lots of options available ranging from budget to high end, hotel or self catering depending on the resort. Once we have established your budget for the trip we will choose properties to fit the budget. All of the resorts in The Okanagan Safari have ski in / ski out accommodation.
The Interior add on:
From Big White or Apex it is possible to add on a trip to Red Mountain Resort and also Whitewater. You generally will need to hire a car for this part of the trip. From Whitewater you can continue on and link in to the Rockies Loop but you will need around 3 weeks for this trip…
The Whistler Loop add on:
You could even add a Whistler loop into the equation, either at the beginning or the end of the trip – again with a bit of careful planning the whole trip can be done using transfers. You would fly into Vancouver and out of Kelowna, using either car hire or transfers to get around. You may opt to fly between Vancouver and Kamloops or Kelowna. You would need 3 to 4 weeks for this trip. For driving times and details please see the Whistler Peaks Safari
The Rockies Loop add on:
And if time is on your side you could then carry on to Calgary and take in some of the Rockies Loop – you would need around 3 to 4 weeks for this Safari to do it justice… For driving times and details please see Rockies Loop Safari.
Price Guide:
A sample price for a 14 night ski safari including accommodation, direct flights and hire of a 4x4 is £1,649 for 2 adults, £1,499 for 4 adults.
Click here to request a quotation tailored to your particular requirements, or please call us on 01273 224 060.