Sightseeing
Year-round sightseeing on both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains offers access to the record-breaking PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, Whistler Mountain Peak Express Chairlift, viewpoints and interpretive loops.
Check What's Open for dates.
PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola Access Via:
- Whistler Village Gondola from the Whistler Village Base to the Roundhouse Lodge
- 25 minute ride up Whistler Mountain in a covered gondola
- Wizard Express Chairlift to Solar Coaster Express Chairlift from the Blackcomb Base to the Rendezvous Lodge
- 25 minute ride up Blackcomb Mountain via two open-air chairlifts
Elevation:
- Roundhouse Lodge (Whistler) and Rendezvous Lodge (Blackcomb) 6,000 feet (1,850 metres).
- Whistler Mountain Summit (accessed via Peak Express) 7,160 feet, (2,182 metres).
Circle Route:
- Whistler Village Base to Blackcomb Base
- Allow 90 minutes for straight travel time.
- Food and beverage options are available on either side of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola.
Dates of Operation:
- Whistler Blackcomb opens for the winter season American Thanksgiving weekend (third week in November).
- Sightseeing operations continue throughout the spring/summer, and close after Canadian Thanksgiving weekend (second week in October).
- Check What's Open for specific operating dates and times as operations do vary in the transitional months (May, June, September).
Whistler Mountain Peak:
- Summer months provide the opportunity for sightseers to travel by open-air chairlift to the Peak of Whistler Mountain. Operations and opening dates depend on the snowpack and how quickly it melts.
- Access is available via a short walk downhill from the Roundhouse Lodge to the base of the Peak Express.
- An interpretive loop and lookouts are available from the Peak, offering 360-degree views of stunning scenery, including the famed Black Tusk.
Blackcomb Mountain High Alpine:
- Access to the top of 7th Heaven on Blackcomb Mountain is available to sightseers while Glacier Skiing is running (approximately mid May to late July, weather permitting).
- Access is via a short bus ride from the Rendezvous Lodge to the base of the Seventh Heaven chairlift, then up the open-air chairlift to the top.
- Spectacular views looking across the Fitzsimmons Valley to Whistler Mountain’s alpine bowls are available from the top.
- The Horstman Hut is open for light refreshments.
Dining Options:
- The Roundhouse Lodge and Rendezvous Lodge offer a variety of food and beverage options from casual marketplace meal items, to outdoor BBQ, to full service fine dining, including high tea and wine tastings:
Whistler Mountain:
- Summer Sunset Alpine BBQ – Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights
- Steeps Grill full service restaurant featuring seasonal offerings such as winemaker’s après and dinners.
- Roundhouse Lodge marketplace
- Daily patio lunch BBQ
Blackcomb Mountain:
- Rendezvous marketplace
- Christine’s full service restaurant
Pricing:
- A Whistler Blackcomb sightseeing ticket provides foot passengers with full access to the lift system including: Whistler Village Gondola, Peak Express, PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, 7th Heaven Express, Solar Coaster Express, and Wizard Express.
Introduction:
A truly top-of-the-world experience awaits sightseers year-round on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Winter, spring, summer and fall each bring their own unique flavour to the mountaintop, and sightseers do not need a snowboard or skis to create their own high alpine moment.
PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola Gets Up Close And Personal In The Alpine
Spanning the distance between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, the world record-breaking PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola is a breathtaking, 4.4-kilometre sightseeing journey delivering jaw-dropping views of dramatic peaks, ancient glaciers, and the Whistler valley far below. Truly establishing itself as one of Canada’s iconic attractions, the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola redefines the alpine experience by creating limitless ways to get up-close-and-personal with the mountains.
This engineering marvel breaks three world records.
- Longest unsupported span of 3.024 kilometres
- Highest lift of its kind at 436 metres above the valley floor
- Completes the longest continuous lift system on the globe
And while the record-setting statistics are impressive, nothing compares to the PEAK 2 PEAK Alpine Experience. The journey between the two Mountains provides a 360-degree window into Whistler Blackcomb’s alpine environment, its surrounding peaks, changing seasons and wildlife habitat. And on either side of the Gondola, a variety of dining options abound from casual marketplace meal items, to outdoor BBQ, to full service fine dining, including high tea and wine tastings. The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola is easily accessible via a 25-minute ride up Whistler Mountain in the covered Whistler Village Gondola, or via The Wizard Express and Solar Coaster Express, both open-air chairlifts, on Blackcomb Mountain. One sightseeing ticket provides an entire day’s access to Whistler Blackcomb’s lift system.
Sightseeing And Nature Lessons For Every Season
Wildflowers, wildlife, summer heat, fall hues and the ever-present snowpack ensure a sightseeing trip into the Whistler Blackcomb alpine will deliver an inspiring and educational experience whatever the season. Even in the summer, visitors flock to the gondola in search of snow – sometimes to experience it for the first time ever, or to escape the summer heat in the valley below. Unmatched views and nature lessons abound year-round for visitors from around the world looking to immerse themselves in BC’s spectacular Coast Mountains.
Wildflowers
Whistler Blackcomb's alpine wildflowers bloom all around the extensive trail network, painting the alpine with a tapestry of vibrant colour. Prime viewing months are July and August (dependent upon snow melt).
Bears
40-60 black bears, from approximately 8 resident families, call these Mountains home. Their diet consists primarily of berries that are plentiful in the ski runs and forested areas on Whistler Blackcomb. Bears can be spotted from the chairlifts and gondolas or via a guided bear tour from the comfort and safety of a 4X4 vehicle.
Marmots
One of Whistler Blackcomb’s most famous residents is the Whistling Marmot. Found in high alpine areas, this giant squirrel-like character feeds on grass, berries, lichens, mosses, flowers and roots. While it hibernates in winter, its shrill summer-time whistle was the inspiration for Whistler Mountain’s name.
Black Tailed Deer
These majestic 100-200lb (45-90kg) animals take shelter in the old growth forests throughout summer and winter, but can be spotted at the tree line and in open spaces that offer grassy areas for grazing. The larger males have small fork-like antlers.
Snow
With over 30 feet of snow annually, Whistler residents take snow for granted but snow in the winter OR summer is an exciting experience for many. And as Whistler Village heats up in the summertime, the refreshing alpine snow keeps everyone cool.
Refreshments and Dining
Various options abound year-round for alpine refreshments on either side of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, with mouth-watering BBQs, cold beverages served on a sunny patio, or hot lunches in a cozy full-service restaurant.
A Sightsee Trip To The Top Of The World
An exciting way to access Whistler Mountain's highest elevation and some of the most iconic hiking trails on either mountain, is via the Peak Express Chairlift for a truly top of the world experience. Open to sightseers throughout the summer and fall, the Peak Express offers an open-air chairlift ride over a snowy glacier to the Whistler Mountain summit, and incredible views of landscape that cannot be seen from Whistler Village. At the top, easy interpretive walking trails provide a chance to take in the unique high alpine topography, climate, soil and vegetation, outstanding 360-degree views of the Coast Mountains, including unmatched views of the legendary Black Tusk, the lava core of an ancient volcano in Garibaldi Provincial Park.