The best road trips from Vancouver

ROAD TRIPS, VANCOUVER Updated : Mar 30, 2015, 03.30 PM IST

Mariellen Ward

Mariellen Ward is a professional travel writer based in Toronto and Delhi, torn between the natural beauty of Canada and the chaos and colour of India. She writes for many online and offline publications and publishes the award-winning travel blog Breathedreamgo, inspired by her extensive travels in India, Canada and beyond.

Photo by:  Kenny Louie, Creative Commons Attribution Licence

Vancouver is located on the west coast of Canada, in a beautiful region of mountains, islands and the Pacific Ocean. Though the city is one of the world's most livable, and you may never want to leave, it's well worth the effort to take a road trip in any direction―including east, across the Georgia Strait, by car ferry. Within driving distance, you can reach a top-rated mountain resort, one of the world's most scenic drives, Canada's version of the Hawaiian Islands and panoramic scenes of primeval wilderness that will leave an indelible mark on your soul. Here are five of the best to get you moving in the right direction.
1

MOUNTAIN, VANCOUVER

The Rockies

The Rockies are Canada's Himalayas, the highest mountains on the continent. They run along the border between British Columbia and Alberta, and down into the USA. Though not close to Vancouver, The Rockies are within dri...more

2

SIGHTSEEING, VANCOUVER

Vancouver Island

East of Vancouver, across the Georgia Strait, is Vancouver Island, a huge land mass of old growth forest and achingly beautiful north-west Pacific beaches. The capital city of British Columbia, Victoria, lies at the bott...more

3

THINGS TO DO, VANCOUVER

Whistler Mountain Resort

Whistler is rated one of the top ski resorts in the world, comprising two soaring peaks and dozens of trails for skiers at every skill level. But Whistler is much more than just ski hills, it's a mountain resort with a l...more

4

SIGHTSEEING, VANCOUVER

Gulf Islands

Taking a Harbour Air Seaplane from Vancouver east over the Georgia Strait, the Gulf Islands break the ocean surface like pebbles in a pond. These balmy islands, called the Hawaiian Islands of Canada, are a magnet for lei...more

5

THINGS TO DO, VANCOUVER

Sea-to-Sky Highway

In the not-too-distant past, a native trail wound its way up the coast of what is now British Columbia. Along the way, various natural landmarks like mountain peaks, mystical islands and rock formations represented aspec...more

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