Whistler Blackcomb - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb
4.5
MountainsSki & Snowboard AreasCross-country Ski Areas
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
About
Whistler Blackcomb is a four-season resort located in Canada’s Coast Mountains north of Vancouver. Proudly holding the title of the largest ski resort in North America, Whistler Blackcomb offers 8171 acres of terrain for skiers and riders of all ability levels. With an average annual snowfall of over 10 metres, the resort enjoys a long winter season that stretches into late May. Glacier skiing on the upper reaches of Blackcomb Mountain is even possible during summer months! A true four-season resort, guests enjoy some of the world’s best mountain biking & alpine hiking during summer months. Events such as the Crankworx mountain biking festival and activities such as ziplining and wildlife tours make a summer visit to the resort a must. At Whistler Blackcomb, passion for the outdoors runs year-round.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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  • Shelly S
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best spring break ski destination! Amazing skiing, friendly people, adorable village. We highly recommend.
    Perfect spring ski vacation! Breathtakingly beautiful and incredible terrain. It offers great shopping and dining for people who don’t want to ski. Everything about Whistler runs like a well oiled machine. We hope to be back!
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written April 1, 2023
  • Denise D
    4 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Views, but Bring a Credit Card
    The views were absolutely beautiful! However, I was disappointed when I went to purchase refreshments and discovered they only took credit cards. Thankfully I had a little cash in my wallet! Be sure you pack your credit card when you choose this experience. If you are there in the summer or early fall, take the hike past the gondola. You will love the beautiful views!
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written September 24, 2023
  • Inspire67438286215
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Canada!
    We went on the West circle Rocky Mountain coach tour. Stopping at Kamloops, Hope, Jasper, Banff and based in Vancouver. The last four days we stayed at the Hinton Hotel in Whistler which was the Olympic venue back in 2010. Overall I love this amazing country.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written September 29, 2023
  • CLG Travels
    Phoenix, Arizona6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing trip - thank goodness it was the week BEFORE Christmas!!
    We came for a family ski trip the week before Christmas. It was unfortunate that the weather had been so warm as many of the runs at the base were closed, so we had to download mid-mountain. I can’t take a star for that however since that is out of the resort’s control. Mother Nature can’t be controlled! The kids (15 and 17) did snow school the first few days and had an absolute blast. The instructors were friendly and classes were kept small. All the lift operators and staff were extremely friendly and helpful. We ate at Christine’s on Blackcomb for lunch on Christmas Day and it was wonderful. The food was absolutely top notch and worth the price. It was nice to have a good meal on the mountain also. Lift lines were short and we skied all day and hit most runs on the mountain, having done many more than once. I’m very thankful we left right after Christmas as the crowds were absolutely insane. I would NEVER come the week between Christmas and New Years. My husband and son skied on the 26th and the lines were 20-45min and 10-15x longer than what we had the week prior. It was so much fun spending our Christmas in Whistler and we brought a little tree and some lights from home to set up in the hotel room by the fireplace. We stayed at the newly renovated Delta by Marriott and it was absolutely wonderful. I don’t know why all the bad reviews as our experience there was nothing but fabulous. Black Tie equipment rental came right to our hotel and we could store the skis and poles right at the base of Whistler Mountain. Overall, a magical trip all around!!
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written December 26, 2023
  • Karen Y
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best Mountain for Winter Sports
    Easily the best winter mountain resort for ski and snowboarding in BC, Canada and quite possibly the world if you are a snowboarder. Lots of runs with a wide range of difficulty to keep all types of winter sports enthusiasts entertained at all competency levels within the sport. Lots of amenities in the village and mountain should you want to stay here for a few days to a few weeks. Only negative is the expensive lift ticket prices and hotel accommodations, but Whistler is the best after all.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written January 30, 2024
  • Travelgirl2171
    Sydney, Australia323 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Insanely expensive
    Good but insanely expensive!!! We have skied here in the past was shocked to see the increase in pricing, especially ski school prices at $405 per day! For a group lesson. We have skied in Japan, Colorado and Australia including Europe but $405 per day for a Group lesson is absolutely insane! Lines are extremely long, and the snow maintenance was poor. What a disappointment!!! Go to Japan!!! Better snow, better conditions, better food and service!!
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 3, 2024
  • HolidayHelen
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Skiing Whistler Blackcomb
    We're currently enjoying two weeks at Whistler / Blackcomb. We arrived last week amidst rumours that there was minimal snow. We were really nervous as to what we'd find. To our surprise the skiable terrain on our arrival was vast and fabulous, albeit a bit icy in some places. Then after 24 hours of snow fall last Thursday the conditions became even more enjoyable. Not only has Whistler delivered fresh snow, but also beautiful blue skies, minimal wind and no rain for 8 days straight. Some of the chair lift lines can be long (10 - 15 minutes) but once on the slopes the crowds disperse quickly and the ski runs are so nice and long. Our group is made up of intermediate and advance skiers. We have been able to ski together most of the time, but just take different lines down. The mountain restaurants are enormous and offer a variety of food to suit all dietary needs. We have always been able to find a table, even at peak times. Price's aren't too bad ie a bowl of chips is about $7, a bowl of soup and bread about $9, a vegan pie about $12 (Canadian). One afternoon we booked in to do the bobsled. If it's in your budget it's definitely worth considering. There are only a limited number of sessions open per day. These are largely run by training athletes and the money earned goes to maintaining the facility. Last, but so far my favourite experience, has been the Whistler FREE CIBC mountain tour (there are similar tours on Blackcomb). Groups are divided by ability. I opted to go intermediate level. Our volunteer tour leader, Don took us on a range of runs to suit our group's skill. He explained the local history and geography as we went and told funny stories along the way. He was vigilant, patient, generous with his time and entertaining. If you do nothing else you must do this when in Whistler. The groups run from the top of the Whistler Gondola every day from 11.15 am. Well done Whistler for providing this great service!!! Helen
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 14, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

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4.5 of 5 bubbles4,334 reviews
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635
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Karen
Whistler, Canada45 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
After the welcome arrival of some serious snow over the past two days, I was looking forward to a great day of skiing today. I arrived at the lift at Creekside at 8:15 and with a moderate lift line, successfully road the Creekside gondola to find out that the Red chair was not working. “Go to Garbanzo” our lifty tells us, we’re having mechanicals. So, we skied down expressway with all the other eager skier to find out the the Garbo chair was also having mechanicals although it looked more like they had started cleaning chairs off early enough as they were covered in frozen snow. “Go to the Whistler Gondola” the lifty says, so off we go deciding to go over to Blackcomb since nothing was seemingly working at Whistler. We went up Blackcomb. By now it is 10:00 and we’re taking our first run. By now lessons are starting and the mountain is packed. There’s no where to go! So I went home. Vail needs to get their act together. Some poor buggers have paid $190 plus tax to be on the mountain. This is not exactly good value in my opinion. I’m wondering why I spent $1500 for an Epic pass. It’s been anything but an epic year and although much of that is due to minimal snow, now that there is snow let me ski!
Written January 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DMG
171 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Solo
I've been visiting Whistler for years to ski and this year I decided it was my last time.

It's basically got to the tipping point of being too expensive for what you get. Accomadation is silly expensive (plus I think it's disgusting that there is not reasonble priced rents for the workers. Over 1000 Cad for a bunk bed in a shared room. There's some serious greed going on in Whistler. Profit is OK but the ordinary workers are being exploited). Ski equipment, ski passes and just about everything is very expensive and the weather and snow is just not reliable enough for this. The snow is heavy, its cloudy a lot of the time. It's empty in the week and too crowded at a weekend so you spend more time lines rather than skiing. Every time I went for a mug or cutlery in the restaurants on the mountain they were dirty.

It's just not as good as it used to be overall - but yes it's still got great runs, it's a huge area but it's not worth the money anymore because the prices of everything is silly.
Written February 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

pgordon19073
Whistler, Canada1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Vail appears to be putting their energies into making Whistler a year round resort at the expense of the skier experience. The mountain staff and management in winter is degrading the customer experience. They are understaffed in all departments, there is often only one lift operator, no effort to clean the benches when snowing, no management of lines with the result that the lines are 25% slower than they should be.

The budget for patrol to control the snow pack and open the Alpine is apparently inadequate. It is the middle of January and the Symphony, Harmony, and Peak Express chairs have been opened for less than 25 hours. The Glacier Bowl at Blackcomb has yet to open.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MDM
Kenmore, WA1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
I’ve been going to Whistler since the late 80s and have always been a huge fan of the terrain, snow conditions, mountain management, the village and incredible customer service by the wonderful staff. I’ve been up twice this year and disappointed in a number of things. In the past no matter the snow conditions the mountain was open earlier and more terrain was available. The grooming was much better, hazard were well marked, and the crowds were more effectively managed. The T bar on Hortsman glacier is apparently out of service or inoperable until nearly the end of the season due to the glacier recession. This is really unfortunate and changes the mountain for me in a big way. Accessing some of the best extreme terrain can now only be achieved by taking two chairs (Jersey and 7th Heaven) and patiently waiting in long lift lines.

The lift status boards and phone apps don’t accurately or consistently reflect what is operating or the wait times. The new reader board at the Rendezvous lodge has conflicting information from the old reader boards on the chairs that are open. Actual wait times are 20-30+ minutes vs the 6-13 minutes being reported on the app. This was never the case in the past. Whistler should either make sure the apps are working correctly of stop reporting status using apps. Transparency on the wait times is needed so skier can navigate the crowds.

Today it was windy and the Chinese New Year which brings a lot of people. The entire alpine (and crystal ridge chair) was closed due to wind. The Blackcomb Gondola was running at half speed (which could have been easily communicated so people could make a more informed decision on whether or not to ski), and it was raining on the lower third of the mountain. It took over an hour to get to the Rendezvous. Lines were 30 plus minutes everywhere. After drying off in the lodge we skied down and went home.

Snow conditions this year may be making it more challenging than ever to get the mountain open but there are many indications that something has changed. I fear that the epic pass has somehow shifted priorities and resources (like avalanche control, posting hazards, grooming, and information management) away from what is important for a world class resort.
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BoomerangBeach
Australia10 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
We are a family who’ve come from Australia for almost 20 years. We’ve loved Whistler' so much we bought into it many years ago.
After so many great memories we are sadly thinking it’s hay day is over. Since Vail took over, crowds have grown exponentially , cost have increased and the overall experience has declined. Lift lines are constant, crowded lunch spots are hectic and competitive.
Having come a few days prior from Utah, we had forgotten how peaceful and enjoyable a ski mountain can be.
Whistler is now a party town with skiing a second focus.
A snowbird or Alta is calling, Snowmass or even Highlands is what Whistler used to be. About skiing, family experiences and accessible restaurants that aren’t excessively priced or crowded.

Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fangkai Y
Seattle, WA34 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
Having heard Whistler to be legendary and the No.1 ski resort in North America, living in Seattle, I am so looking forward to visiting, even though I am an Ikon pass holder. I thought if the visiting to Whistler is as great as we heard, I will switch to Epic pass next year. But after one day on the slope I decided not to do that.

First of all the snow is icy and wet. The peak is not open due to high wind. The snow in middle mountain is so icy and hardened that it is more skating rather than skiing. No way to properly ski down even a moderate blue trail. The lower mountain is like mashed potato. I have been to Lake Louise and Aspen and had high expectation about power snow of Whistler. But it is pretty much the same as Crystal mountain, Seattle’s small local resort.

Secondly the lift line is ridiculously long. With many lifts closed due to high winds, the few remaining lifts become overcrowded. Not only the base areas are crowded. The mid mountain lifts also have extremely long lines. This morning I spent around one hour and half to get to mid mountain. The mountain is not maintained well with many trail signs covered by snow, making trail finding to be difficult, but the staff doesn’t care to clean them.

Finally the town is quite expensive. We spent $400 per night saying in a studio with a wallbed in Town plaza. The room is cozy and comfortable but the price is on par with ski in/out resort in Snowmass. The town is still beautiful with lovely party scene, but to ski seriously I felt it is not living up the expectation.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rob B
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
I used to come here a lot and loved this town, the activities, excitement and the magical atmosphere combined made for one of the best ski resorts in the world. HOWEVER, since Vail bought the resort, I have seen a truly world class resort turn into just another poorly run American business.

I've incurred huge lines, massive increases in lift tickets, poor and frankly dangerous grooming conditions (lots of ruts and not even close to level). Lift stoppage and breakages are a regular occurrence as well. I've been told by staff that Vail scrapped pre-emptive maintenance and this is causing all the lift issues seen around the resort over the last two seasons. It's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed and all for the sake of saving a buck or two.

I feel unsafe here on the weekends with the overcrowding on the runs. Near misses are a regular occurrence. What used to be a top ski resort in the world has been tamed, broken down and is conforming with Vail's countless poor operation standards.

If you have been here before the Vail takeover, DO NOT waste your time and money here. It has changed immensely. Kicking Horse, Revelstoke and many other resorts are a fraction of the cost and more well run with world class skiing. To Vail, rather than spending money buying all these resorts, spend money on properly running the resort's your have. Shame on you!
Written July 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

iangreen82
West Kelowna, Canada68 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021
The only reason my rating isn’t a 1/5 is because the mountains themselves are amazing. Whistler Blackomb has amazing terrain, awesome steeps, great bowls and unreal tree skiing. Since Vail has bought it though this resort has definitely gone downhill. It makes me so upset and disappointed. First off they took out the ‘Solar Coaster’ chair on Blackcomb & replaced it with a gondola which continually breaks down. It completely messes up the naturally design and flow of the mountain and creates massive lines. This decision was likely to make more money from sightseers but without any thought at all for the skiers. Stupid move. The other issue is that Vail has completely neglected the Hortsman t-bar issue which used to access the best terrain at Blackcomb but now is essentially defunct because of the glacial recession. By failing to deal with this loss of access it causes huge backlogs at 7th Heaven. Another stupid decision. Since Vail has taken over all the prices have skyrocketed (except for the ‘Epic pass’ which attracts huge crowds from Washington state & the US), customer service has noticeably worsened, there’s overly cautious closures of lifts & areas, the lines have massively increased in size, the grooming is worse, the amount of technology glitches have increased, and pretty much everything has worsened. This honestly used to be my favourite place on earth; I grew up skiing at WB, lived and worked there after college & my parents still live there part time. I hate to say but I hope that either Vail goes out of business or they sell the resort to someone who actually cares about the mountain, the locals, and wants to restore the spirit and glory of an amazing place. I will likely continue to ski WB for a few years more as my parents are there and the Epic Pass is actually a pretty good deal if you use it enough. My wife & I now live in the Interior and enjoy skiing Big White & Revelstoke and will likely teach our kids to ski at these better run & better value resorts. Vail has failed. #vailfail
Written January 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Katymill2014
Oxford, UK61 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Positives: stunning scenery and skiing through the trees since many runs are below the tree line.
Negatives: sky-high lift prices, an inadequate number of lifts given the vast size of this complex, (when we were there the top of the mountain was also closed-the actual number of useable runs is a lot less than the piste map suggests), producing huge (30+ minutes) lift lines at peak times and at key chokepoints like the base gondolas, many closed or broken lifts, ridiculous lesson prices ($1300 per day for a couple), and too many boarders. Note too that weather on this mountain has far fewer sunny days than other North American resorts and a lot of fog.
Written January 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Julie T
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021
Vail Resorts has completely ruined this paradise.

1.5 hour lift lines on weekends. Upper mountain closed until 1:30 PM. $180 lift tickets. Utterly incompetent management.

I have been skiing and snowboarding here since the late 1980's. The changes have been since Vail bougth the mountain have been horrific.

Prices have skyrocketed, customer service in all aspects has plummeted, snow and slope management and grooming has been barely functional, routinely 50% of the lifts are closed, food sucks, lineups are horrendous, staff is totally incompetent.

Vail has taken the typical ruthless American approach to management and gutted everything in order to line their pockets. These greedy disgusting people have completely destroyed the ski culture of Whistler/Blackcomb.

Until they sell the mountain or go bankrupt DO NOT WASTE YOUR $$ HERE. BC has dozens of other options that are not run by corporate overlords and actually care about the customer's experience. You can spend half the $$ for twice the value at any Interior resort like Red, Revelstoke, Big White, etc.

After many second chances we are sad to say that all our friends family will not be visiting Whistler again until Vail is out of the picture.
Written January 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Whistler Blackcomb - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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