Last weekend, I celebrated a bachelorette party (or hen do if you’re in the UK) up in Whistler, British Columbia. It was an absolute blast! I thought I’d share some of the things we got up to on the weekend in case any of you are planning a bachelorette in Whistler, or simply a weekend in Whistler for some fun. We visited the Scandinave Spa, stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, and did the Peak to Peak Gondola as well as a few other fun activities.
Scandinave Spa, Whistler
I’d long wanted to visit the Scandinave Spa, having seen tons of amazing Instagram photos of the hot pools steaming away among the snowy mountains. You arrive, grab your towels and robe, and take a cup of herbal tea or glass of water with you. Once inside, there are various saunas, steam rooms, pools, and tubs to choose from. Staff present you with a map to show you how to do the spa, from hot pools to cool, and then steam rooms.
One thing to note is that staff at the spa are extremely strict on talking. In fact, there are ‘shh police’ that go around the pools! Fair enough if you’d like a relaxing, silent break but this wasn’t ideal for a bachelorette party.
We hopped between the hot pools with fountains, to steam rooms and saunas and back again. There are also quiet rooms where you can simply lay back and relax. It was pretty magical staring out across the snowy mountains from the comfort of a warm jacuzzi. It was so cold, in fact, that my hair and our towels were freezing after getting damp in the pools! Although a little expensive (around $90 per person inclusive of robe), it’s an awesome experience.
We nibbled apples and sipped more herbal tea in the lobby which has a view of the entire snowy spa. After showering, we got back into the car to head back to Whistler village.
Fairmont Chateau Whistler, British Columbia
We checked in to our room at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. It’s an impressive hotel, with great facilities including ski slope access from the hotel. It’s fairly similar to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. There are pretty much all the amenities you could wish for, plus multiple hot pools and swimming spaces.
The hotel’s in a great location, and the friendly staff are happy to drop you off wherever around Whistler in their shuttle buses. A weekend in Whistler in the winter is pretty magical thanks to the buzz of the skiiers and snowboarders walking around. The scenery just looks that little more amazing, and the snow on the blue mountains is pretty breathtaking.
Of course, the room had to be decked out in tacky bachelorette decorations. Is it even a bachelorette if you don’t?
The views from our room were pretty lovely too!
After a quick change and a restock of liquor and snacks, we headed out into Whistler for some cocktails and a bite to eat.
A Bachelorette in Whistler Village
We had some antics planned for the bachelorette in Whistler. We kicked them off with some mimosas and nachos in the Milestones conveniently next to our hotel. It has some of the most amazing views of the ski slopes.
The bride-to-be donned her veil and sash, and we set back off to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler for more mischief and mimosas. As you can tell, it was super cold, around -12 degrees Celsius. Brrr!
With plenty of drinks and mischief in full force, of course, which bachelorette would be complete without a Butler in the Buff? It was all a great laugh before we headed out to the bar in the Fairmont.
We ended our night off in Moe Joe’s in Whistler Village in the early hours and in great need of room service. A great send off for the bachelorette I think!
Whistler, British Columbia
The next morning, a few of us – including the bachelorette herself – miraculously managed a workout. The Fairmont has a great workout area which was much appreciated and definitely helped us to feel better. The pool area is even better. There are a bunch of incredible hot pools outside of varying temperatures. You can cruise between, or take a swim in the indoor pool where you can swim outside. Just beware of the icy areas when it’s so cold outside!
Guests can also help themselves to a selection of herbal teas, coffee, and flavoured waters. It’s quite dreamy just relaxing near the pools and is perfect for a hangover. It’s also absolutely beautiful with snowy mountain views. The fact you can chat freely too made me actually prefer the area to the Scandinave Spa. Let me know if you’ve been to any better spas in Whistler that I should check out next time.
Having worked up quite the appetite, we were in need of a hangover cure. For brunch, we went to Elements Urban Tapas Parlour. They have one of those menus where it’s really tough to pick, despite all going with eggs benedict in mind. All the brunch options were absolutely delicious. I went for the English Breakfast Stack, complete with tomato, mushroom, duck sausage, smoked bacon, poached eggs and hollandaise. It was truly divine and pretty good value!
After a giant brunch with plenty of coffee and good chats, I always need a walk. We explored round Whistler village in the freezing cold, taking in the incredible snowy scenery.
Peak to Peak Gondola, Whistler, British Columbia
With a first-time visitor to Canada among us, we decided to go on the Peak to Peak Gondola. It’s something I hadn’t done before, and I’d heard all about the awesome views up among Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. The others headed back to the Fairmont to defrost over hot chocolates and cake.
For around $70 a person, you can take the ski lift right up to the top of Whistler mountain among skiiers and snowboarders. From there, there’s a special 360 gondola with glass floors that take you over to the peak of Blackcomb mountain in an exhilarating ride. You can then ride back down to the bottom of Blackcomb mountain, right next to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
Despite a slight stop in the middle of the lift, we made it up to the top, also making new friends along the way. The views are incredibly beautiful all the way up, and you pass over dozens of skiers and snowboarders. It’s hard to put your camera away!
Whistler Mountain Peak
We reached the peak of Whistler mountain and explored a little. How cool are the Canadian flags with that backdrop? The bar at the top was full of skiers enjoying an apres-ski drink. Although we tried to warm up with a hot chocolate, we just missed the serving cut off.
The Olympic rings are a pretty iconic reminder of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. They look so cool with the snowy mountains and sun shining through in between.
We shuffled across on the ice to catch the Peak to Peak Gondola to get to the peak of Blackcomb Mountain. Here, you hop aboard a carriage that often has a glass bottom so you can see all the way down. It’s pretty exhilarating, with huge drops below but amazing scenery between the mountains for as far as the eye can see.
Blackcomb Mountain Peak
The views from the peak of Blackcomb Mountain are arguably even more breathtaking. We stood for a while and simply took them in.
Catching the ski lift down from Blackcomb Mountain is just as scenic as catching it up, despite being on another mountain. It takes around 20 minutes to get all the way down.
We reached the bottom, conveniently right at the Fairmont where we were staying. We loaded the car and set off, back down the Sea-to-Sky Highway to a surprisingly snowy Vancouver.
Have you visited Whistler? If so, what are your favourite things to do there? Let me know in the comments!
