Okanagan Explorer Ski Safari

Resorts & Cities:	Driving Times:
Apex	Kelowna Airport - Big White	1 hr
Big White	Big White - Apex	2 hrs
Silver Star	Apex - Silver Star	21/2 hrs
Sun Peaks	Silver Star - Kelowna Airport	1 hr
Red	Kamloops Airport - Sun Peaks	1 hr
Sun Peaks - Silver Star	3 hrs
	Sun Peaks - Big White	3 hrs

I believe the Okanagan Explorer has it all - snow ghosts, 7 mile runs, Champagne Powder and empty slopes, plus with the on-mountain accommodation offering fantastic value, its easy to see why!
 
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 resorts and friendly locals. Also famous for its wine, there is nothing better than having an ‘ice wine Martini’ after a day on the slopes.

The 4 main resorts are Sun Peaks, Big White, Silver Star and Apex. All are within easy reach of each other. There are regular daily flights with Air Canada from the UK via either Calgary or Vancouver to the area's 2 airports - Kamloops and Kelowna, and you can hire a car at either airport, however, if you don't want to drive, this is a Ski Safari you can do based on transfers. It is also a great area for a family Ski Safari.

You can start this safari either at Kamloops or Kelowna. From Kamloops your first port of call would be Sun Peaks. From Kelowna you have more options as you could choose to start at either Big White, Silver Star or Apex. However, the route we suggest to include all the resorts in The Okanagan Explorer would be Big White, Apex, Silver Star and then Sun Peaks, and vice versa.

Sample 14 night itinerary:

7 nights Big White

Once your flight arrives in Kelowna you will meet your transfer or pick up your car and drive the 40 minutes to Big White. The resort here has been a Ski Safari favourite for a number of years, possibly because it’s the friendliest family resort in Canada and has amazingly consistent snow. The latter helps produce ‘snow ghosts’ where there is so much snow plastered on the trees they are no longer visible!

The ski-in ski-out accommodation is fantastic and centered around Big White's Village and the Kids Centre on the main 'street', which you can ski along. Here you will find a good selection of restaurants and bars, plenty for a week’s stay.

Big White is a superb resort for all abilities. Although it has mostly intermediate terrain, there are several incredibly long cruisers which will have you pushing your limits, and the tree runs here are some of the best I have ever skied. The phenomenal ‘Cliff’ area also has some of the most challenging blacks in the Okanagan to keep the steep and deep fans happy.

7 nights Sun Peaks

It’s an easy drive/transfer from Big White to Sun Peaks which takes on average 3 hours. Transfers between Sun Peaks and Big White/Silver Star run on Saturdays and Wednesdays in both directions so bear this in mind if you are not hiring a car. Sun Peaks, the second largest ski resort in British Columbia and the third largest in Canada, has taken big leaps forward over the last few years. The Tyrolean-style pedestrian village, modern ski-in ski-out accommodation and high speed lifts have transformed Sun Peaks from a local ski hill into an international ski holiday destination. The expansion continues as new lifts and terrain are added and the East Village area is developed.

The accommodation is located at the bottom of the mountain. Sun Peak's village has several excellent restaurants, a few lively bars and a night club. There is a Sports Centre which has a pool, hot tub and skating rink. The resort also offers cat-skiing, snowmobile tours, dog sledding, snowshoeing and snowshoe tours, horse drawn sleigh rides, Nordic skiing, snowbikes (for the non-skiers!) and mini z’s (miniature snowmobiles for little kids).

The uncrowded ski area offers a mixture of open bowls on Tod Mountain, beautifully groomed cruisers on Sundance Mountain and glade skiing on Morrisey. The well-planned trail system means that all levels of skier can ski down from any lift - ideal for mixed-ability groups and families. It will only take 40 minutes to get from Sun Peaks to Kamloops airport so you could sneak in a final morning on the slopes.

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.


Suggested itineraries:

21 nights: 7 nights Big White / 7 nights Sun Peaks / 7 nights Silver Star

14 nights:  7 nights Big White / 7 nights Sun Peaks

14 nights:  7 nights Big White / 7 nights Silver Star

14 nights:  7 nights Sun Peaks / 7 nights Silver Star

14 nights:  5 nights Big White / 4 nights Silver Star / 5 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

The Safari using transfers:

With a bit of planning it is possible to do Okanagan Explorer using transfers instead of car hire. Transfer details are as follows:

Accommodation choices:

There are many 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.

Whistler, the Rockies and the Interior add ons:

With careful planning it is possible to add a stay in Whistler, the Rockies and the Interior (Red Mountain and Whitewater). Obviously you will need much longer to do this and I would recommend 3 weeks minimum. Some destinations such as Whistler can be reached by transfer, and others you would need to hire a car to include, such as Red, Whitewater and the Rocky Mountain resorts.

Price Guide:

A sample price for a 14 night ski safari including accommodation, direct flights and hire of an SUV 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.