Lakeside Laughs and Liquid Assets: Essential Things to do in Kelowna

The Ultimate Catalog of Things to Do in Kelowna (No Boredom Allowed)

The diversity of activities in Kelowna creates an unusual travel planning problem: not what to do, but how to justify not moving there permanently after experiencing it. From wine-soaked afternoons to adrenaline-pumping mountain adventures, here’s how to fill your days in the Okanagan’s premier playground.

Wine Country Adventures: Napa’s More Affordable Canadian Cousin

Kelowna’s wine scene is like Napa Valley but with more reasonable prices and fewer people pretending to detect notes of “wet asphalt” in their Pinot Noir. With over 40 wineries packed within a 20-minute drive radius, Kelowna boasts the densest concentration of vineyards in British Columbia. The wine trail here isn’t so much a trail as it is a spider web of possibilities, each strand leading to another venue where you’re encouraged to sip, swirl, and nod thoughtfully even if you can’t tell the difference between Merlot and grape juice.

Mission Hill Family Estate stands as the architectural showpiece of the region, with its 12-story bell tower and underground barrel cellar tours ($25-35). The winery looks like what would happen if a Tuscan village and a modern art museum had an extremely photogenic baby. Nearby, Quails’ Gate offers arguably the best combination of exceptional wines and lake views so perfect they seem digitally enhanced. Their Old Vines Restaurant serves farm-to-table cuisine that makes you question why you ever eat vegetables from anywhere else.

For those who appreciate eccentricity with their Chardonnay, Summerhill Pyramid Winery ages their organic wines in an actual pyramid. Yes, a pyramid—built to scale with the Great Pyramid of Egypt. Whether this affects the wine or is simply brilliant marketing remains unclear, but their sparkling wines have won enough awards to suggest that something is working right. Tours of the pyramid aging chamber provide both wine education and conversation fodder for years to come.

Guided wine tours run $120-180 per person for half-day excursions including transportation and tastings—a worthwhile investment considering the strict DUI laws and the mathematical impossibility of remaining sober while visiting multiple wineries. The insider move, however, is visiting mid-week in May or September, when you’ll enjoy perfect weather, attentive service, and tasting rooms not packed with bachelorette parties wearing matching “Wine Not?” t-shirts.

Lake Life and Water Activities: Okanagan’s Liquid Playground

Okanagan Lake is Kelowna’s crown jewel—an 84-mile long, surprisingly warm body of water that serves as the centerpiece for the city’s summer activity menu. With more than 30 beaches and water temperatures reaching a comfortable 75-80F in summer, the lake transforms the city into a water sports paradise that makes visitors wonder why they live anywhere without shoreline access.

Boat rentals start around $300/day for pontoon boats—essentially floating patios from which you can jump, sunbathe, or wave smugly at those confined to land. For the more athletically inclined, kayaking ($20/hour) and paddleboarding ($25/hour) offer core workouts with views that make you forget you’re exercising. Parasailing ($85 for a tandem ride) provides the dual experience of tranquil silence and mild terror as you dangle 500 feet above the water, wondering if the operator remembered to check all the equipment that morning.

Beach selection in Kelowna is serious business. Hot Sands Beach at City Park offers prime people-watching and convenient downtown access. Boyce-Gyro Beach attracts a younger crowd with volleyball courts and floating water parks that challenge both your balance and dignity. For those seeking tranquility, Bertram Creek Regional Park provides secluded swimming spots where you can pretend the rest of humanity doesn’t exist for an afternoon.

No discussion of Okanagan Lake would be complete without mentioning Ogopogo, the legendary lake monster and Loch Ness Monster’s more polite Canadian cousin. Described as a 40-50 foot serpent-like creature, Ogopogo has been “spotted” enough times to warrant souvenir shops full of plush versions and tourist boat captains who’ll point out “common sighting areas” with suspiciously straight faces. The monster represents the perfect Canadian approach to cryptozoology: potentially terrifying but ultimately unlikely to bother anyone.

Outdoor Recreation Beyond The Lake: Vertical Adventures

Kelowna operates like a reversible jacket—equally stylish regardless of which seasonal side you’re experiencing. While the lake dominates summer activities, the surrounding landscape offers year-round recreation that will exhaust even the most energetic visitors.

Hiking in Knox Mountain Park provides views comparable to “a drone shot without the annoying buzzing noise.” The popular Apex Trail rewards a moderate 45-minute climb with panoramas of the city, lake, and surrounding vineyards that make smartphone cameras seem woefully inadequate. For history buffs, Myra Canyon’s 18 trestles and two tunnels along the historic Kettle Valley Railway offer a literal walk through Canada’s transportation past, with the added bonus of guardrails preventing you from becoming part of its transportation past.

Cycling enthusiasts can rent bikes ($40-65/day) and tackle the repurposed Kettle Valley Railway Trail, a 12-mile route featuring engineering marvels from the early 1900s. The gentle grade makes it accessible for casual riders, while spectacular views provide convenient excuses to stop when your legs start questioning your vacation choices.

Golf addicts will find 18+ courses in the Kelowna area, including standouts like Predator Ridge and Tower Ranch. Green fees range from $60-150 depending on the course and season, with the added challenge of focusing on your swing while surrounded by distractingly beautiful scenery. Many locals claim to have developed a special “Okanagan handicap”—five extra strokes added due to view-based distraction.

Winter transforms Kelowna from water paradise to snow playground. Big White Ski Resort, just 45 minutes from downtown, offers 118 marked runs across 2,765 acres of skiable terrain. Day passes run $85-105, accessing terrain that ranges from bunny slopes to double-black runs with names that serve as their own warning labels. For those who prefer horizontal to vertical winter sports, the area offers exceptional snowshoeing and cross-country skiing opportunities at a fraction of the adrenaline output.

Culinary Experiences and Farm Fresh Phenomenons

Kelowna’s culinary scene benefits from the surrounding agricultural bounty in ways that make farm-to-table less a trendy concept and more a geographical inevitability. The region produces 40% of British Columbia’s apples and a cornucopia of other fruits that make orchard-hopping a legitimate activity rather than something made up by Instagram influencers.

The Kelowna Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market (Wednesdays and Saturdays) ranks among BC’s largest, with over 165 vendors selling everything from just-picked berries to artisanal cheese made by people who seem suspiciously happy despite working with livestock. The market offers a crash course in the region’s agricultural diversity and provides opportunities to sample products while pretending you’re considering buying them.

Orchard experiences reach peak charm at places like Paynter’s Fruit Market and Hillcrest Farm Market, where U-pick opportunities let you harvest your own produce from June through October. There’s something primitively satisfying about plucking fruit directly from trees, even if most visitors are three generations removed from knowing anything about actual farming.

Restaurant recommendations in Kelowna span all budgets and comfort levels. RauDZ Regional Table offers upscale local cuisine ($25-40 entrees) with an emphasis on ingredients sourced from nearby farms and waters. The Bike Shop Café combines cycling culture with casual dining ($12-18 sandwiches), perfect for refueling mid-adventure. For breakfast enthusiasts, The Jammery’s all-you-can-eat jam bar ($15-20) provides the sugar rush necessary to power a day of Okanagan exploration. Local insider tip: Order anything made with BC tree fruits, particularly the legendary Okanagan peaches in August, which taste like what grocery store peaches dream of becoming.

Cultural Attractions and Downtown Discoveries

Downtown Kelowna resembles what would happen if you took a charming European village and injected it with North American efficiency and Canadian politeness. The Cultural District houses the Kelowna Art Gallery ($5 admission), the Rotary Centre for the Arts, and the BC Orchard Industry Museum, offering air-conditioned respites from summer heat with the bonus of actual cultural enrichment.

The Laurel Packinghouse, built in 1917, stands as a testament to the region’s agricultural history. Now transformed into a wine museum, this brick building tells the story of how the Okanagan Valley evolved from fruit production to wine cultivation—essentially a tale of how the region discovered that fermented fruit is more profitable than fresh.

Bernard Avenue forms downtown’s backbone, lined with outdoor patios, boutique shopping, and street performers during summer months. The pedestrianized sections create an atmosphere where even dedicated mall-shoppers find themselves enjoying the outdoors despite the absence of food courts and escalators.

Annual events worth planning around include the Great Okanagan Beer Festival (May), which proves the region can ferment grains as impressively as grapes; Canada Day celebrations (July 1st), featuring fireworks over Okanagan Lake; and the Fall Wine Festival (October), which transforms the entire valley into a celebration of harvest that makes grape stomping seem like a perfectly reasonable activity for adults.

Accommodation Options: From Lakefront Luxury to Cozy Comfort

Kelowna offers sleeping arrangements for every budget and preference, from waterfront resorts where you’re lulled to sleep by gentle waves to urban hotels where you’re lulled to sleep by the gentle hum of air conditioning. The Delta Grand Okanagan Resort ($250-400/night) and Hotel Eldorado ($230-380/night) represent the luxury end, offering lakeside accommodations that make leaving to actually explore Kelowna seem optional rather than necessary.

Mid-range options include the centrally located Accent Inns Kelowna ($150-220/night) and Royal Anne Hotel ($140-210/night), both offering comfortable accommodations within walking distance of downtown attractions. Budget travelers can find shelter at Samesun Kelowna Hostel ($40-80/night) and Kelowna International Hostel ($35-75/night), where the savings on accommodation can be redirected toward wine purchases.

Vacation rentals through platforms like Airbnb and VRBO have exploded in popularity, particularly waterfront properties ($150-500/night depending on size and amenities). These options often provide kitchen facilities, allowing visitors to cook meals with local produce—or more realistically, to refrigerate restaurant leftovers and store additional wine bottles.

Neighborhood selection depends on your priorities: Downtown offers walkability to restaurants and cultural attractions; Pandosy Village provides a local vibe with boutique shops and cafes; and Lakeshore areas maximize beach access but may require transportation for other activities. Insider tip: Book accommodations 4-6 months in advance for summer visits, when Kelowna transforms from “delightful Canadian city” to “everyone’s vacation destination.” For savings of 30-40%, consider visiting during shoulder seasons (May/June and September/October), when the weather remains pleasant but crowds thin considerably.