25 Exciting Things to Do in Kelowna

No one has time to spend with family and friends in this busy world. But we have to take a break from our work and spend some time with our family, and the fantastic way to do that is through tourism and trying different things in Kelowna, British Columbia.

This tour will be very memorable for you because there are many fun things to do in Kelowna. To increase your excitement, we will discuss some places you can visit in Kelowna.

Some of these places are Mission Creek Regional Park, Okanagan Lake, Okanagan Valley, Hot Sands Beach, Big White Ski Resort, Kettle Valley Rail Trail, Knox Mountain Park, Apex Mountain Resort, Stuart Park Ice Rink, Waterfront Park, City Park, Ski resorts, Silver Star mountain resort, Knox mountain, Stuart park, Skating rink, Myra Canyon, Apex trail, orchard museum, and Fjord lake.

Some other activities include ice skating, climbing the gym, mini golf games, hiking on Knox Mountain, rock climbing, and many more

Do you know Kelowna shares a sister city relationship with Kasugai, Japan? They came into this relationship in 1981. In 1987, Kasugai Gardens was established in downtown Kelowna. Both of these cities support each other in business and environmental protection.

List of Fun Things to Do in Kelowna

Photo by Kolby Milton on Unsplash

People who want to enjoy their holidays and experience an adventurous journey visit this place with their family and friends. Kelowna is an incredible place. Many beautiful places are located all over Kelowna, but the major spots are downtown and West Kelowna.

Youngsters want to do something different that no one has done before. So, they always choose activities like rock climbing, hiking, skiing, mini golf matches, and bike drives on trails, and some also enjoy bike drives on mountains.

If you are a tourist and you don’t have a bike or car, then don’t worry, you will get it from here. Many shops give bikes and cars for rent, and their one-hour rental rates are also not too high.

1. Ride the Kettle Valley Rail Trail at Myra Canyon

Image from the official website.

The youngsters who love to explore the places on their bikes would love this activity. The area of this trail first comes under the Kettle Valley railway, and the trains pass through here. But now it is the trail, and the railway tracks have been removed.

The best things we can do at the Myra Canyon are walking, cycling, and riding bikes. If you don’t have a bike or car, there is a bike and car rental shop from where you can rent bikes from these shops.

This trail starts from the Myra Bellevue Provincial Park, which is 22 km long. It will take 40 minutes to cover this distance. There are many tunnels and wooden bridges to make this ride more exciting.

Location: Myra Canyon.

2. Go on the Wine Tours

Okay, let me take you on the virtual wine tour. You can taste the incredible wine, and there is a tasting room so that you can enjoy your time with your friends only.

Photo by Danica Stradecke on Unsplash

Kelowna has many famous wineries. It is known as the wine country. So these are the famous wineries in Kelowna that we want to introduce to you: Mission Hill, Quail’s Gate, The Hatch, Volcanic Hill Estate Winery, Tantalus Vineyards and more.

Location:

  • Mission Hill Restaurant- 1730 Mission Hill Road, West Kelowna.
  • Volcanic Hill Estate Winery- 2845 Boucherie Road.

3. Explore the Local Cuisine

People visit local cuisines for wine tasting. If you love cuisines, then please explore the local cuisines once.

If you are a foodie and want to go on a food tour, start with Okanagan Valley because it has many freshly produced food items. After this, you can explore the nearby restaurants and hotels, and you will enjoy being there.

Location: Downtown Kelowna.

4. Explore the Slopes

Slopes are beautiful places that you can explore. They are full of enjoyment and ready to make new memories for you. You can also enjoy the ski hills and downhill mountains.

Location: Silver Star Mountain and Big White Mountain

5. Explore the Kangaroo Creek Farm

This farm is very vast, and thousands of kangaroos live here. You can see the lifestyle of kangaroos here. It is a chosen place for wildlife lovers and photographers.

There are entry fees for both adults and kids and free for children under four years to enter the creek farm. This farm also has joeys (baby kangaroos).

This place is unique and run by those who love kangaroos and treat them well.

Location: 5932 Old Vernon Rd, Kelowna, BC V1X 7V2.

6. Drive through Scenic Lake Country

In today’s world, everyone loves going on long drives with their partner, but this is not possible every time due to the busy schedule. If you are planning to visit Kelowna, then don’t miss this chance.

Hold your partner’s hand and take them on a long drive with incredible views of Lake Country.

Location: Drive outside Kelowna, heading towards Vernon. You will reach your destination.

7. Enjoy Kelowna’s Beaches

Photo by Kolby Milton on Unsplash

Enjoy the hot sands beach and hot tub on Kelowna’s beaches. People visit these beaches to take a break from their busy lives and enjoy time with themselves. People came here to take a rest.

The names of some beaches are Tugboat Bay Beach,  Boyce-Gyro Beach, Rotary Beach Park, and Sarsons Beach.

Location:

  • Rotary Beach Park- 3736 Lakeshore Road.
  • Tugboat Bay Beach- Waterfront park

9. Enjoy Paul’s Tomb Trail

Paul’s tomb is an important part of the history of Kelowna, British Columbia.

After riding, you will reach a place from where you can see the sunset, which seems amazing. There are many bike rental shops. If you don’t have a bike, you can rent it from the shops.

Location: 3-mile out-and-back trail in Kelowna.

10. Enjoy the Cruise on Okanagan Lake

Photo by Adam B on Unsplash

Okanagan is a beautiful place. You can enjoy the ride on cruises, explore the Okanagan Heritage Museum, explore and enjoy the beauty of the beautiful Okanagan Lake, and explore the Okanagan military museum.

Location: Lake Okanagan

11. Visit the Local Crafts Market

Do you love shopping? In the local crafts market of Kelowna, anyone can fall in love with shopping.

Everyone loves to take something with them as a memory when they visit a new place. If you visit the local market, you will love the things you see here.

Kelowna farmers also grow fresh vegetables and fruits. So you can also taste the fresh fruits here which you have never tasted before, like fresh berries, blueberries, and many more. In Kelowna, there are many herb farms.

Location: At the corner of Springfield and Dilworth Street.

12. Walk on the Waterfront Park

This will be the next thrill of your trip if you visit this place. Do you know why? Okay, we will explain it to you because W4aterfront Park is well known for hydro-flying sessions.

Yes, you are right about hydro-flying sessions. Everyone in this world wants to touch the sky, so we are allowing you to touch it. This is a 30-minute tour for you, and there is an instructor with you who will guide you throughout the tour.

You are trained well before the tour, and safety equipment is given to maintain your safety.

Location: Downtown Kelowna along the Okanagan Lake.

13. Enjoy Drinks and Dinner at Various Restaurants in Kelowna, BC

You can enjoy food and wine tours in different hotels and restaurants. Don’t you think this will be fun?

Some amazing restaurants in Kelowna serve the best food, and their location is really warm. You can enjoy the beautiful scenes of mountains and valleys from their dining room.

The names of those restaurants are Old Vines Restaurant at Quails’ Gate Winery and The Terrace at Mission Hill Winery.

Location:

  • The Terrace at Mission Hill Winery- Mission Hill Family Estate, 1730 Mission Hill Rd, West Kelowna, BC V4T 2E4, Canada.
  • Quails’ Gate Winery- 3303 Boucherie Rd, Kelowna, BC V1Z 2H3, Canada.

14. Explore the Okanagan Distillery

First, suggesting this fun activity, I would like to ask you a question. Do you love whisky and spirits, and what about the blue-coloured gin? It turns pink when mixed with tonic. Yes, you think this is very exciting.

You are also allowed to go on a Farm-to-Flask tour where you can see the procedure of making a spirit. The tour is 45 minutes.

This could be a great experience for you because you have always tasted the spirit and wines, but this is the first time you can see its production procedure.

Location: 267 Bernard Ave in Downtown Kelowna.

15. Enjoy the Cross Country Skiing

If you are visiting Kelowna in winter and have not enjoyed the snowshoe trails and cross-country skiing, it is worth visiting here.

If you don’t have snowshoes or skis, you will rent them from the nearby store.

After practicing skiing, you can easily explore the winter terrain, and you will love the beauty of mountains covered with snow. If you are childish on the inside, then you can also enjoy making snowmen there.

Location: Kelowna Nordic Club

16. Explore the City Park

It is located near the waterfront park. This park is full of green trees and plants. And the best thing about this is it is located on the shoreline of Okanagan Lake.

Location: 1600 Abbott Street.

17. Enjoy the Parasailing Adventure

In today’s everyone wants to touch the heights of the sky. We will fulfil your dream in Kelowna by taking you on an adventurous parasailing trip.

This is a thrilling activity in which you are tied behind a vehicle connected to a canopy that is specially designed and looks like a parachute. You will enjoy the beautiful views of the city from the sky, and the views seem awesome.

Location: Okanagan Parasail and Ogopogo Parasail, Kelowna, British Columbia.

Fun things to do in Kelowna
By Pazham on Unlim

18. Spend Some Time at Mission Creek Regional Park

Mission Creek Regional Park is located near Okanagan Lake. After getting tired from hiking, trails, and jet surfing, people visit this place to relax. This place contains parks, lush green spaces, trees, and plants.

This is known as the recreational paradise of Downtown Kelowna. The beautiful and dense nature will help to save from the sun during the summer. People enjoy running and cycling here.

If you visit Mission Creek Regional Park, you love the beauty of this place. This can be a memorable moment which you spend during the visit.

Location: 2363 Springfeild Road.

19. Have a Drive to Silver Star Mountain Resort

Resorts are where people enjoy themselves because it is full of food, drinks, sports, music, dance, swimming pools, lodging, and premises.

This place is not so busy, and you will enjoy the fabulous views of the Silver Star Mountains. It is located in few hours’ distance from the big white ski resort. In Silver Star Mountain, you can enjoy skiing and snowboarding during the winter season.

Image from the official website.

Location: Vernon, near Kelowna

20. Explore and Smell the Okanagan Lavender Farm

These farms open in the summer months from May to October. A visit to this place will benefit you because you will know the products in which lavender is used.

They also organize workshops on how to use lavender in cooking, aromatherapy, and many more things. You should be creative enough to learn it, and you will do it by yourself.

Location: 4380 Takla Road.

21. Hit the Slopes at the Big White Ski Resort

You will be happy to know that the Big White Ski Resort is the second most popular ski resort in British Columbia. It is spread over 2,765 acres of land. It is known as a magical wonderland escape.

There are many ski schools near it. Besides skiing, you can do plenty of things here, like a spa, shops, malls, and amazing restaurants near it.

Location: Big white road, Kelowna.

22. Explore the Okanagan Valley

This place is so peaceful because it is located near the shore of Okanagan Lake. It is famous for its different types of wine production. This place is full of fruit orchids and wineries.

Location: Province of British Columbia.

23. Make Friendship with Water at Wibit Water Park

It is the coolest water park that has ever been visited. It is located near the city beach park. Because there are multiple slides and water trampolines here, you will enjoy your time here very well.

Location: 1600 Abbott Street.

24. Enjoy Your Time at Knox Mountain Park

Image from the official website.

This is the largest natural park in Kelowna. You can enjoy several trails, and the recommended one is Apex Trailhead. This mountain park is 300 meters above Okanagan Lake. In a few hours, you can reach Ellis Street from here. You can enjoy biking, cycling, and hiking here.

Location: 45 Knox Mountain Dr.

25. Have Drinks in the Craft Beer

There are many brewing companies in Kelowna. Some brewing companies are Kelowna Brewing Company, Barn Owl Brewing Company, and BNA Brewing.

You will get many new things and different types of food here, like a barn, craft beer, cideries, and many more food items.

Location: Craft beer market- 257 Bernard Avenue

Final Note

We have discussed many fun things to do in Kelowna. You can’t wait anymore to make a plan to visit Kelowna. This is going to be the family’s favourite vacation spot.

You can enjoy natural beauty, surrounding mountains, adventurous hiking, bike drives, wine tasting, rock climbing, and mini golf. There are places in Kelowna that will introduce you to natural and human history.

There is a local market also where farmers will sell their fresh produce, fruits, and vegetables. But as we discussed, if you visit Kelowna, please explore these places: Mission Creek Regional Park, Okanagan Lake, Okanagan Valley, big white ski resorts, Kettle Valley Railway, waterfront park, Myra Canyon trestles, weekend getaway, and all the other things which we have discussed.

Remember to share your experience with us. So, we will be happy to see that you have enjoyed your trip and that this article seems valuable.

Priyanshi Sharma
I am an avid traveller. I have visited many tourist places and many beautiful spots across the world. I have done my Bachelor's in Biotechnology. I love to read J. R. R. Tolkiens and Charles Dickens books. I like to write my thoughts and travel experience so that people can know about the place. I like to do research about new places.