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Heading to Kelowna for the weekend? You’re in for a truly relaxing getaway!
Although a small town, there is a surprising amount of things to do in Kelowna. The first time we planned a short 2-day weekend escape, we had trouble figuring out exactly how to use our time. You might be in that boat too if you’re reading this blog!
Since then, we’ve visited dozens of times and have whittled down the massive list of “can’t miss” activities to those that will fit into a relaxing weekend itinerary. We’ve added some of the obvious attractions (hello wine tasting!) and also some secret local spots that you’ll have to keep reading to discover!
Day 1
Breakfast – Kelowna Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market
What better way to dive into Kelowna’s cute small-town vibes than hitting a local market? Kelowna Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market is one of the best markets in British Columbia and it runs year-round! Don’t worry, it’s indoors during the winter so you won’t have to brave the cold. But during the summer you can enjoy a beautiful sunny morning strolling through the stalls!
The market is filled with locally sourced goodies, from food, produce, crafts … pretty much anything you can think of. We hit the market in the morning and found some yummy breakfast and coffee options. You can’t go wrong with Anarchy Coffee and Crepe Bistro to start your day!
There were even more breakfast options and unfortunately, we couldn’t try them all! But we picked up a loaf of fresh bread from Alchemy Bread Company and enjoyed it for breakfast the next day.
The market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 am to 1 pm during the summer. After years of moving around, it finally has a permanent location in the Landmark District. The summer market season runs from April to October, and you can enjoy the indoor market the rest of the year at the Parkinson Rec Center. It is only open on Saturdays this time of year!
Morning – Bike the Kettle Valley Trail at Myra Canyon
Exploring the Kettle Valley Rail Trail is one of the most popular activities in Kelowna and a personal favorite of ours. We love hopping on bikes and spending a few hours cycling along this scenic route. I recommend packing a lunch, that way you don’t have to rush through it! Plus, a picnic view after cycling for a few hours – talk about rewarding.
This trail goes around Myra Canyon and starts at the Provincial Park, just 40 minutes outside Kelowna. The whole trail is 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) and it’s an easy and flat road. However, you really don’t have to ride the entire trail to get incredible views, you’ll see them right from the beginning!
We rented bikes from Myra Canyon Bike Rental, which is conveniently located right at the start of the trail. A half-day rental is $48 CAD and I recommend booking your bike in advance, but they do take walk ins on a first-come first-serve basis.
If you’re keen on learning about the history and seeing the best sights along this route, you’ll love this Kettle Valley guided bicycle tour! This makes exploring the trail a breeze, but the best part is it also includes wine tasting. You’ll stop by four wineries after you bike, which combines two of my favorite activities in one day! This bike tour is $289 CAD including bike rental and wine tastings.
Book this popular bicycle and wine-tasting tour here before it fills up!
Afternoon – Visit a beach
Kelowna is nestled along the massive Okanagan Lake, so we spent much of our weekend being beach bums! It’s hard to beat a beautiful sunny day on a beach in Kelowna, and you have no shortage of options. The best part is that all of these beaches are free to visit! Simply bring your own cooler with food and drinks and you’ll be set for hours.
While you can’t hit all the beaches here (we certainly tried) here are a few of my personal favorites.
- Hot Sand Beach – This one is a great option for those who don’t just like to lie on the beach all day, instead head to the volleyball, basketball, or tennis courts! There is also a waterpark that kiddos love. So it’s a great way to enjoy the beach and stay active.
- Tugboat Beach – Tugboat Beach is located right in the center of Kelowna, so it’s really easy to get to! Since it’s so convenient, it typically has more people, but still has a very relaxed vibe. There isn’t a lot of shade here, so best to bring your own umbrella because it will get hot!
- Dog Beach – If you’re traveling with your dog, Dog Beach is one of the few that will allow 4-legged friends!
- Rotary Beach Park – I love this park for swimming and sunset views. You can see Peachland Valley across the lake, so it’s quite stunning! This is a good family-friendly option with bathrooms, a playground and concessions, and also kayak and paddle board rentals. Dogs are welcome here too!
- Boyce-Gyro Beach – This beach is another adventure rather than relax type of place with two free ziplines, volleyball courts, and rentals like a paddleboard or water trike. Parking is cheap at $1.25 CAD an hour, but be sure to get here early as it can be really busy.
- Sarsons Beach Park – If you want to get away from the crowds, head 10 minutes outside of town to this beach. Since it’s technically outside of the city, you won’t hear the traffic and it’s always a lot less busy!
Related Read: If you’re visiting Kelowna during the winter, there are other awesome activities! Check out our guide to the best things to do in Kelowna in the winter here.
Dinner – Enjoy a meal on the water
Who doesn’t love dinner with a view? There are so many amazing restaurants in Kelowna that boast high-quality food and lakeside views. One of the biggest reasons we love visiting Kelowna is its great food and drink scene – so we have tried a lot of restaurants here!
Our top recommendation is the Cactus Club Cafe in the Kelowna Yacht Club. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a member of the yacht club to go, but you can enjoy the classy setting as if you were! I love the open-air design and live music that gives this restaurant a buzz. The highlight is the waterfront views and the best time to dine is over sunset.
Their menu is expansive, but we went with the Blackened Creole Chicken and Steak and Prawns. Plus dessert and a huge cocktail menu – you know we were in heaven! I recommend making a reservation, as it can get busy.
King Taps Kelowna Lakeside is another iconic restaurant (can you guess where it’s located?). We love this place because they have a wide array of locally brewed ciders and beers on taps – hence the name! Their menu has pizzas, steaks, burgers, tacos – basically anything that pairs nicely with a local brew. They also have a great happy hour every day from 2 to 5 pm and 9 pm to close.
Night – See live music at Revelry Food + Music Hub
For a fun night out on the town, stop by Revelry Food and Music Hub! This is the newest music venue right in Kelowna and they host an array of musicians from all over Canada. The venue is super cool too, it was an old apple packing warehouse and the second floor is made of locally sourced lumber. It has that classic BC vibe and it’s beautiful!
Since you’ll be visiting Kelowna for a weekend, you’re sure to catch a show on Saturday night. The schedule rotates regularly, but sometimes it’s fun just to show up and learn about a new band. When we went we saw a Vancouver-based band that I hadn’t heard of before and had a blast sipping on drinks and listening to live music.
Check the event schedule here to see what’s on, or if you’re up for a surprise, simply show up and see what you can find! The cost of admission varies by show, but buying tickets ahead of time will save you about $5 CAD as opposed to buying at the door. Most of these shows are 19+, so this is just an adult’s night out!
Day 2
Breakfast – Enjoy a hearty breakfast at the Jammery
Hopefully, you didn’t stay out too late at the Revelry last night, or if you did we have just the cure – a big hearty breakfast at The Jammery! This is a local hot spot, and we only found it because Bailey’s family lives here. If you love quirky, family-owned breakfast joints, you’ll absolutely love it here.
This restaurant is an eclectic blend of a restaurant and jam shop. Their jams are famous, and so of course you can expect some unique collaborations on their menu. I had their Golden Belgian waffle with Jammery Strawberry, and Bailey went for the BC Eggs Benny, stacked with smoked salmon, Jammery Apricot Jam mixed with cream cheese, poached eggs, and topped with hollandaise sauce. I wasn’t kidding when I said their creations were eclectic!
The Jammery is open from 7 am to 3 pm and they have two locations. The original (and best) location is a little outside of the city center, and the new location is more in town. My top tip is to book a table in advance, especially on the weekend, or else you’ll be waiting for a long time!
Morning – Go wine-tasting
You are probably well aware that Kelowna is an astounding wine-producing region. That might be the whole reason you’re here! The best way to experience a range of these world-class wineries is to join a wine tour, that way you don’t have to worry about driving.
We went on this wine tour through West Kelowna, which we felt was a good value for money, and we absolutely loved our guide! They drove us around to four different wineries, and we learned why this region is so great for wine production. Our guide also pointed out incredible views and we gawked at the lakes and mountains, in addition to the gorgeous vineyards!
This tour is $179 CAD and includes all your wine-tasting fees and roundtrip transportation from your hotel. You can choose between touring west or east Kelowna, there are so many wineries to choose from! This is just one of many wine tours available, so check out our article on the best wine tours in Kelowna for more options.
If this is your perfect tour though, book your spot in advance here!
However, if you have a car and a designated driver, you can hit the wineries on your own! This is a cheaper option and you can move at your own pace, so if you love the vibe of one winery, you can stay as long as you want.
A few of my favorite wineries in Kelowna are Mission Hill Winery and Quails’ Gate, these are probably the two most popular (and for good reason, I might add). They both offer incredible views and are beautifully crafted wineries. Tastings range from $15-$25 CAD and both require reservations.
Before you take off, check out our full guide to the best wineries in Kelowna to craft your self-guided tour!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
Afternoon – Walk the waterfront
We’ve talked about the glorious lake that Kelowna sits on quite a bit now, so it’s about time we make a visit here. I love strolling along the waterfront, the views are gorgeous, of course, but you can also see iconic Kelowna sites – pass by the marina, Hot Sands Beach, and the bear statue.
If you can time it right, walk this route around sunset or just before to get some amazing golden hour photos. The Waterfront Boardwalk at Tugboat Beach is my favorite spot to see the sunset! From there it’s just a 14-minute walk to our dinner spot, which is up next.
Dinner – Skinny Duke’s Glorious Emporium
Step back in time for dinner tonight at Skinny Duke’s Glorious Emporium. As outlandish as the name sounds, we had such a fun dining experience here, and the food was delicious too!
We’ll get to the food in a second, but the vibe here was so unique that I had to rave about it first! It feels like you’re in a house from the 1970s and every square inch of the restaurant is decorated. They take music seriously, so a jam is always playing in the background. Anyone who loves vintage music, art, and decor will swoon when they set foot in Skinny Dukes.
On to the important part – the menu! They specialize in Asian fusion dishes and also make killer pizzas, starters, and desserts. For mains, we tried the Thai Braised Pork Belly and Nasi Goreng, and I highly recommend both. I couldn’t resist dessert, so we split a Chocolate-Dipped Whoopie Pie – wow was it good!
A lively dinner to cap off a fun weekend in Kelowna sounds like the perfect end of a vacation to me!
Related Read: For a full list of the city’s best accommodations, read our guide on where to stay in Kelowna.
Where to Stay in Kelowna, BC
Choosing the right place to stay is essential for your weekend getaway in Kelowna! Whether you’re looking for something luxurious to relax in, something budget-friendly to save your money for activities, or something in between, we have the list! We have stayed in Kelowna dozens of times, so these truly are our top picks.
Luxury – $$$
Delta Hotels – This is the best high-budget hotel in Kelowna. It comes at a hefty price of $420 CAD a night but it’s superbly located right on Okanagan Lake. It has both an indoor and outdoor pool as well as an onsite casino! Talk about a relaxing weekend away.
You can check prices and book your stay on Booking.com.
Mid-range – $$ – Our Top Choice!
We’ve stayed at our fair share of hotels in Kelowna, but last time we stayed at the Coast Capri Hotel and loved it! Our pool-view room was perfect with a huge balcony and two large queen beds.
One of the best things about the Coast Capri Hotel is that it’s affordable without sacrificing any of the comforts you’ll need for a relaxing and enjoyable stay – suitable for almost all travelers and budgets. The location is central and the amenities are top-notch. Rooms start at $340 CAD and fill up quickly, so book your stay on Booking.com.
Budget – $
Samesun Kelowna – This is easily your best budget option and one of the only options for backpackers. A dorm bed in a mixed room costs $41 CAD whereas a private room with a shared bathroom costs $98 CAD. The reviews are really good and the property is quite modern, plus, there is a large common kitchen and indoor and outdoor lounge spaces. The location is perfect if you want to be close to downtown and they include a free breakfast that includes fruit and pancake mix.
You can book a room on either Booking.com or Hostelworld.com.
Renting a Car in British Columbia
If you’re arriving in British Columbia via plane, then I can’t recommend getting a rental car enough. British Columbia is a large province, and traveling between the best places to visit in BC requires transport. Although you can use public transport on some occasions, this means your trip will not only require more time but more planning.
Car rental in Canada isn’t relatively cheap, but it’s not that expensive either, especially if you get a budget car. The cheapest car with a pick-up and drop-off in different locations is around $100 CAD per day. The price does vary though, depending on the time of year. For car rentals, I use the website Discover Cars. It’s a search engine with lots of deals with good customer service. In fact, I’ve used Discover Cars all over the world, including in Chile, New Zealand, and Australia. Read my honest review of Discover Cars here for more details!
Another popular option is to rent a campervan or motorhome (only for the brave in winter). Using Motorhome Republic, you can search hundreds of deals across multiple companies to pick a great vehicle and the cheapest price. Having a motorhome is a stunning way to see Canada and you can often camp for free or very cheap in the most beautiful places imaginable! Read my tips on using Motorhome Republic here before you book!
Thanks for reading!
A weekend in Kelowna is bound to be an amazing time. I mean just look at all the activities we were able to squeeze into two days! We followed this same itinerary last time we had a weekend getaway in Kelowna and had a fabulous time, and I know you will too.
If you found this blog helpful, be sure to check out our other articles about Canada! We have heaps of information and local expertise to help as you plan your travels. Here are some to get you started:
25+ BEST Things to do in Kelowna, BC