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Scenic Drives and Nearby Towns to Visit from Vancouver

Vancouver is a fantastic city in the heart of beautiful natural landscapes and picturesque, quaint towns. By getting a rental car, you can quickly leave the city and find many lovely opportunities for memorable trips or retreats in a few hours.

Two hours northward along the sheltered Sea-to-Sky Highway is Whistler, a resort town of famous mountains. Rent a car in Vancouver and take the scenic route to enjoy some fresh alpine air. During different seasons, you can enjoy hiking or biking the epic trails and descend by either skiing or snowboarding. The two mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb, connect by a spectacular gondola called the Peak 2 Peak. After skiing, travellers can enjoy the bars and restaurants in the nearby village.

A 90-minute drive followed by a one-and-a-half-hour ferry ride brings you to the idyllic Vancouver Island National Park with its romantic capital city of Victoria. Walk around Inner Harbour and stop at the elegant Empress Hotel for refreshing tea with tasty pastries. Be awed by the beauty of The Butchart Gardens, a 54-acre expanse of carefully tended flower gardens and winding trails displaying more than 900 species of flowering plants. Walk along Dallas Road to enjoy spectacular vistas of the Olympic Mountains across the Juan de Fuca Strait.

To the east of Vancouver, it is less than a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Harrison Hot Springs. Walk into the healing mineral waters that are natural spas and wander around. Hike through fishing or do several other fitness activities. In fact, you should make an appointment to get massage or facial treatments offered at various resorts and spas.

A 2.5-hour drive northwest of Vancouver takes you to the Sunshine Coast and its charming coastal highway, with towns like Gibson and Sechelt dotting it. It is an ideal place to enjoy life at a slower pace amid magnificent landscapes. Take a few minutes to stop and enjoy the fresh seafood from the dock, and walk through soft sand beaches or quiet forests while enjoying mesmerizing views of sunsets over the Salish Sea.

The Okanagan Valley, with orchards, vineyards, and lakes, is about four hours east of Vancouver. Wander the scenic passages of surrounding wineries like Mission Hill, tasting award-winning wines. Cherries, peaches, and plum stands along the roadside sell newly harvested produce. Hire a kayak or paddleboard and spend some carefree hours at Lake Okanagan. With a rental car, one can cruise from one idyllic town to the next on their own time.

With a car hire in Vancouver, travellers can visit areas outside the city limits and can formulate an itinerary that best suits their preferences. You can travel through the areas that are difficult to reach by public transport and stay as long or as close as you like. For the best road trip in British Columbia, rent a car from Rent A Car Vancouver and book your rental vehicle now. Take the open highways and roads to find everything this beautiful region has in store for you!