Okanagan Valley is known for its warm climate, wine tours, and fruit picking.
Located in British Columbia and easily reachable by car it is also one of the warmest regions of Canada.
In fact, Osoyoos is the hottest place in Canada with the temperatures reaching 40 C in the summer.
When talking about Okanagan most people immediately think about Kelowna.
Even though Kelowna is a beautiful town, there are many other places in Okanagan worth visiting.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Okanagan?
The weather in Okanagan is relatively warm throughout the year in comparison to the rest of Canada.
The best time to visit it is from May to the end of September when the weather is the warmest.
July and August are the busiest and hottest months of the year.
These two months are great if you are interested in doing some fruit picking.
Peaches are usually ready at the beginning of August and cherries in early July.
If you are planning to visit during these two months, try to book your accommodations as far in advance as possible.
Is the Okanagan Valley Worth Visiting?
Definitely. It is one of the most picturesque places in Canada and it would be a shame not to visit it if you have a chance.
The road from Vernon to Osoyoos is one of the most beautiful drives in BC and arguably Canada.
The best way to experience Okanagan Valley is to drive from Vernon to Osoyoos.
As you drive you will notice quite a change in the climate and scenery as you go further south.
A lot of people visiting the Okanagan region only stay in Kelowna and miss on a lot of other beautiful places in Okanagan.
How Long it Takes to Get to Kelowna?
Many people use Kelowna as their starting point when exploring Okanagan.
If you are driving from Vancouver, it will take you around 4.5 hours to reach Kelowna.
If you are driving from Calgary, it will take you closer to 7 hours.
How to Get To Okanagan Valley?
Since I live in Calgary I usually drive to Okanagan via Trans-Canada Highway.
If you drive from Calgary you will need to take Trans-Canada and head out west in the direction of Banff.
There are several awesome spots to stop on your way to Okanagan Valley.
My top ones are Banff, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls, and Wapta Falls.
You will be riding along Trans-Canada all the way to Sicamous where you will need to take left and go towards Vernon.
If you have time, explore the gorgeous Shuswap lake known for the houseboating.
There is also Adams River which is a great place to watch salmon run in Fall.
Further south there are a few other gorgeous lakes – Mara and Swan lakes.
If Trans-Canada is closed, you can take Crowsnest Pass and use Highway 3 to get to Osoyoos but it is a longer drive.
Trans-Canada often gets closed due to the avalanches and mudslides in the winter so it is worth having a second option.
This has happened to me once and I had to go south from Golden and drive to Kootenays to get to Highway 3.
If you are not able to drive, you can also fly into Kelowna and then rent a car there.
Stop 1. Vernon
Your first stop in Okanagan will be Vernon which a perfect place for the first night stop.
It is not as busy as Kelowna and a great starting point to explore Okanagan.
Vernon is located about 45 minutes north of Kelowna.
If you are a beach lover, Kal Beach located on Kalamalka Lake is a perfect place to spend a day.
When visiting Vernon in the winter, check out SilverStar Mountain Ski Resort.
Stop 2. Lake Country
The area between Vernon and Kelowna is known as Lake Country.
One awesome spot there is Kangaroo Creek Farm where you can pet all types of exotic animals like kangaroos, wallabies, sugar gliders, capybaras, etc.
Stop 3. Kelowna
Kelowna is the busiest and biggest city in Okanagan Valley.
It has Costco, Superstore, and all the other stores you would expect to find in a major Canadian city.
Because Kelowna is so busy, most of the parking lots require a payment.
I like to explore Kelowna by visiting City Park located just before the bridge that goes to West Kelowna.
This is a good starting point to see Kelowna downtown and all the nearby parks and beaches.
Kelowna waterfront trail starts at City Park and goes to Waterfront Park and Tugboat Beach.
Best Beaches in Kelowna
Boyce-Gyro Park Beach – located just a few kilometers south of Kelowna Centre.
Hot Sands Beach – located right by Kelowna City Park.
Things to Do While in Kelowna
Knox Mountain – You can either drive or hike up this hill located not far from Kelowna Downtown.
The views from the top of Knox Mountain are stunning and you can get amazing aerial photos of Okanagan Lake and Kelowna from there.
Myra Canyon – the road to Myra Canyon is a little rough for the last several kilometers but if you enjoy biking or hiking it is the place to be.
Located in the place of the old railway road it is a perfect trail to bike or walk in the summer.
Mission Creek Greenway – a great place for walking and biking.
If you visit in Fall, you might see salmon spawning in Mission Creek.
When I visited in September I even saw a black bear cub feeding on a dead salmon there.
Best Kelowna Wineries
Even if you are not a wine person, it is worth visiting a few wineries while in Kelowna.
There are too many wineries around Kelowna to list them all here but here are the 3 most scenic ones:
Mission Hill Winery
Summerhill Pyramid Winery
Quails’ Gate
If you are into winter sports, visit Big White Ski Resort located about 60 km from Kelowna.
Stop 4. Peachland and Summerland
These are two small towns that are located right of the highway and perfect for a quick stop.
I would recommend stopping in Peachland and taking a walk along its waterfront trail.
Just as you leave Peachland another great stop is Hardy Falls.
If you are visiting in Fall, you can see salmon spawning there similarly to Mission Creek.
Stop 5. Penticton
The next stop is Penticton.
It is a beautiful town with a couple of stunning beaches.
Penticton is not as busy as Kelowna and might be a better choice for someone who wants to avoid Kelowna madness in peak summer months.
Located in South Okanagan Valley just one hour away from both Kelowna and Osoyoos, it is a perfect town to spend a few days.
Penticton Beaches
1. Okanagan Lake Beach
Okanagan Lake Beach is located close to downtown Penticton along Lakeshore Drive.
This is my favorite beach in Penticton.
It has awesome views, sand and perfect for sunbathing, or a quick stroll.
There are a lot of hotels located along Okanagan Lake Beach and I would recommend getting a room with a lake view to really enjoy Penticton.
2. Skaha Beach
Skaha Beach is another awesome beach located on the south side of Penticton.
It is long and has awesome sand similar to Okanagan Lake Beach but the water is deeper based on my experience so might not be ideal if you enjoy playing in shallow water.
3. 3 Mile Beach
3 Mile Beach is located a short drive from Penticton downtown.
This beach is more secluded and not as busy as the other two and perfect for sunbathing.
It is also known as a clothing-optional beach but when I visited it was absolutely empty so it was pretty awesome.
Not far from 3 Mile Beach there is a place called Naramata which is another great spot to visit both for wineries and biking.
Stop 6. Osoyoos
The last stop on your trip is Osoyoos located just a few kilometers away from the US border.
On the way to Osoyoos, two spots worth stopping are Oliver and Okanagan Falls.
Osoyoos is known as the warmest place in Canada as well as only Canada’s desert.
The same goes for Osoyoos Lake which is the warmest lake in Canada.
As you would expect from a desert region, it gets very hot there in the summer.
Things to do in Osoyoos
Anarchist Mountain Lookout – this is an awesome viewpoint where you can get an aerial view of Osoyoos Lake.
Spotted Lake – unique lake located right of Highway 3 west of Osoyoos.
In the heat of the summer, you can see big circles at the top of the lake formed when water evaporates from this highly saline lake.
I also highly recommend visiting Haynes Point Provincial Park and if possible camping there for a day or two.
Where to Stay in Okanagan Valley?
Kelowna will be the most expensive place to stay if you compare it to the rest of the Okanagan.
If you are planning to visit during the busy summer season, try to book your accommodations in advance because everything gets booked fast and prices usually increase even further for the available properties.
If you are booking hotels or motels, try booking through Agoda.
I was able to get the cheapest rooms there.
Even cheaper than booking directly through the hotel’s website.
Another option to save money while visiting Okanagan is to book Airbnb instead.
This might work well if you are coming with a larger group.
If it is your first time using Airbnb, you can use this – $45 coupon for your first transaction
The next cheap option is camping.
There are a lot of beautiful places to camp in Okanagan but similarly to hotels, it is worth booking in advance.
Two campgrounds where I personally camped:
Okanagan Lake Provincial Park – located between Peachland and Summerland on the shores of Okanagan lake it is one of the best campgrounds I have been to.
If you book early, you might be able to reserve a spot right by the water.
Haynes Point Provincial Park – located right in the middle of Osoyoos lake this is a perfect campground to spend a few days.
Camping is very popular in Okanagan and there are many other campgrounds in the area that you can find.
Read Next: How to Find Cheap or Free Accommodation While Traveling?
Did you know that your internet service provider can track your online activity? Want to hide your identity online and keep your browsing habits private? Try NordVPN!
*This post might contain affiliate links. If you click on a link, I might receive a small commission.
