Travel Inspiration

Share this article

British Columbia in autumn: Open up to immersive nature and culture all around

Canada’s west coast province of British Columbia is the most easily accessible for Australians but one of the hardest to leave, thanks to friendly Canadians, iconic wildlife, cultural experiences, jaw-dropping landscapes and outdoor adventures on tap.

Canada’s west coast province of British Columbia is the most easily accessible for Australians but one of the hardest to leave, thanks to friendly Canadians, iconic wildlife, cultural experiences, jaw-dropping landscapes and outdoor adventures on tap.

Embrace radical openness in Canada with open spaces, open minds and open hearts, filling your cup in British Columbia in autumn, where nature is all around from the ocean to the rainforest to the mountains.

Radical Openness shares the storytelling heart of Canada, where travellers can connect directly with welcoming locals, diverse communities and the pristine natural environment for an enriching and unforgettable travel experience that is uniquely Canadian in context.

Meet Osoyoos local and Nk’Mip Cellars Winery estate winemaker Justin Hall, who infuses viticulture with Indigenous culture in British Columbia’s fertile Okanagan Valley. The Okanagan is also a top apple orchard region for pick-your-own fruit and cider-tasting opportunities.

Osoyoos is the southernmost town in the Okanagan Valley, about a 5.5-hour drive east of Vancouver.

Access all areas

Air Canada flies direct from Australia to Vancouver and then onwards to other Canadian cities via its domestic network. You can also fly nonstop to Vancouver with Qantas from Australia.

It’s also easy to get around British Columbia by road and rail, so you can explore beyond the urban gateways. Car hire is easily accessible from Vancouver’s airport or downtown.

For the stress-free, scenic route, board VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer services in Vancouver and explore more of British Columbia, the Canadian Rockies and beyond by train.

Why visit British Columbia in autumn

Orcas frolic in the wild – British Columbia in autumn. Image: Destination BC/Adrian Dorst
Orcas frolic in the wild off British Columbia’s coastline. Image: Destination BC/Adrian Dorst

There are plenty of reasons to visit British Columbia in autumn. The off-peak season has mild, temperate weather, making it pleasant to get around and enjoy the sights on foot. And you’re going to want to get outdoors to explore all that BC has to offer including the wilderness, wildlife, cities and Indigenous cultures.

Vancouver and Victoria are both cities surrounded by nature and gateways for all the natural potential of the autumn season for British Columbia.

Tick off BC’s natural and manmade attractions, from pristine lakes and soaring peaks to island archipelagos and beaches to manicured gardens and outdoor galleries. BC is also home to more than 200 First Nations communities – culturally rich immersions and experiential tours are readily available to connect visitors to the storytelling and significance of the land, ocean and sky.

British Columbia in autumn is the best time to see an abundance of wildlife thanks to the salmon run – think black, grizzly and Spirit bears as well as humpback and orca whales, not to mention bald eagles, seals and other wildlife.

Vancouver

Totem poles in Stanley Park, Vancouver. British Columbia in autumn. Image: Destination BC/Al Harvey
See the totem poles in Stanley Park on a loop through Vancouver’s expansive city park. Image: Destination BC/Al Harvey

British Columbia’s largest city has got the lot – a buzzworthy Michelin Guide culinary scene and farmers markets, indoor and outdoor arts and culture, plus beaches and green spaces, including a city park that’s bigger than New York’s Central Park.

Surrounded by the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver is visually stunning. Bike or walk the seawall at Stanley Park and immerse yourself in the area’s Indigenous culture and forest bathing with Talaysay Tours, discovering how the park’s totem art connects people to the land and coast.

Explore Vancouver one bite or sip at a time. Let the Vancouver Foodie Tours tastemakers tempt you with top restaurants and dishes, or craft a DIY walking tour of the 50-plus breweries in the city and surrounds, using BC Craft Brewers Guild as your guide.

Victoria

The stately Fairmont Empress Hotel at Victoria. Image: Destination BC
The stately Fairmont Empress Hotel at Victoria. Image: Destination BC

Head to BC’s capital city of Victoria on Vancouver Island, just 90 minutes by ferry, for pretty-as-a-picture landscaped gardens, harbour views and grand architecture.

Savour the quintessential Victoria experience: Admire the floral displays at The Butchart Gardens, tour the historic Craigdarroch Castle, lap up the luxury with high tea at the exquisite Fairmont Empress Hotel and stroll the Fisherman’s Wharf dining, shopping and marine precinct, staying on land or embarking on eco-tour adventures.

Cap off your Victoria sojourn at the Royal BC Museum, which will take you on a journey back from Indigenous culture to prehistoric times with a woolly mammoth named “Woolly”.

Vancouver Island

Surfer carrying a board on a Tofino beach, Canada's surfing capital. Image: Destination BC/Brian Caissie
Ride the wave in Tofino, Canada’s surfing capital. Image: Destination BC/Brian Caissie

Beyond Victoria, there’s still much more to Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island has 50 First Nations communities that are part of three cultural families: Coast Salish, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Kwakwaka’wakw. Discover how Vancouver Island’s natural attributes nurtured Indigenous peoples on an immersive grizzly bear-viewing and cultural tour through the waterways with Sea Wolf Adventures.

The best time for whale watching in BC is between April and October, so visitors can also spy some 22,000 Pacific grey whales arriving along western Vancouver Island in autumn along with humpbacks and minke whales near the northwest port city of Prince Rupert.

Drive through the temperate rainforests to Canada’s surf capital, Tofino, to check out the chill beaches, hikes and hangs. Perched on the rocks between the rainforest and ocean, The Wickaninnish Inn is your dream Tofino boutique stay in nature, complete with yoga, hiking and biking. Check-in from November to February for storm-watching season.

Adams River

Close-up of salmon run in Adams River, British Columbia in autumn. Image: Destination BC/Josh Humbert
All the salmon run in Adams River. Image: Destination BC/Josh Humbert

Keen to see all five species of North American salmon converge on BC’s waterways to spawn? Adams River, north of Kamloops in the Thompson Okanagan region, is the place to be for one of North America’s largest sockeye salmon runs from September through to November.

Annually, millions of salmon return to hatch their eggs on this 11km stretch of river, which flows through Tsútswecw Park (Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park). Alternatively, Capilano Salmon Hatchery on Vancouver’s North Shore offers another free vantage point to see the chinook and coho species spawn during autumn.

Great Bear Rainforest

Black and Kermode bears on a rock in the Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia. Image: Ian McAllister/Pacific Wild
How much can you bear? The beary cute lineup in Great Bear Rainforest. Image: Ian McAllister/Pacific Wild

Seeing grizzlies in the wild is high on many Aussies’ bucket lists, and the aptly named Great Bear Rainforest on BC’s mid-coast has one of the largest populations of grizzly and black bears with autumn in British Columbia being the best time for sightings.

Great Bear Rainforest is also the only place in the world where you can see the rare Kermode or Spirit bear, a naturally white sub-species of black bear that’s also BC’s official mammal, plus coastal birdlife such as bald eagles and great blue herons.

To embark on a grizzly bear viewing tour in autumn check out Knight Inlet Lodge, Great Bear Lodge or Farewell Harbour, all off of Vancouver Island. To get a glimpse of the Spirit bear alongside grizzly bears, with the local Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nations people visit Spirit Bear Lodge further north near Klemtu.

Yoho National Park

Couple paddling on Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park – British Columbia in autumn. Image: Destination BC/Dave Heath
Paddling on Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park is a pinch-me moment. Image: Destination BC/Dave Heath

You know those turquoise lakes that Canada is famous for? You’ll find some in Yoho National Park in the Rocky Mountains in eastern BC, close to the Alberta border.

Head here for one of Canada’s highest waterfalls (Takakkaw Falls 373m), prehistoric fossils at Burgess Shale and the aforementioned Emerald Lake, staying at Emerald Lake Lodge on a private island with the Canadian Rockies as your swoon-worthy paddling backdrop.

There’s also 400km of hiking trails, including the Iceline Trail with its glacial sights and alpine animals such as bears, moose, elk and mountain goats. Kick-start your adventure in British Columbia in autumn by whitewater rafting on Kicking Horse River – Yoho indeed!

Fast facts about BC in autumn

Ultra-rare Kermode bear crossing a river on a log in the Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia. Image: Destination BC/Clare Levy
Ultra-rare Kermode bear spotted in Great Bear Rainforest. Image: Destination BC/Clare Levy
  • How to get there: Air Canada and Qantas fly direct from Australia to Vancouver. You can also fly to Vancouver with one stop in Auckland through Air New Zealand or via Nadi with Fiji Airways. Hop across to Vancouver Island by seaplane or ferry.
  • When to go: BC’s autumn season is from September to November – it’s also the peak time to see the salmon migrations that attract bears, eagles and more.
  • The bear essentials: BC is home to 50 per cent of Canada’s grizzlies, which are particularly prevalent in the remote parts of Great Bear Rainforest.
  • Did you know? With 27,000km of shore, this province’s coastline is longer than entire countries and includes North America’s longest fjord, the 180km-long Howe Sound, making ocean-going adventures easily accessible.
  • A cosmic fact: Cast your starry eyes upward in British Columbia in autumn at prime dark sky spots such as Wells Gray and Garibaldi provincial parks. You may even see the Northern Lights!

Level up with Canada Specialist Program

Ktunaxa elder in regalia next to a teepee at St Eugene Golf Resort, British Columbia. Image: Destination BC/Kari Medig
Connect to Indigenous culture when travelling in British Columbia in autumn. Image: Destination BC/Kari Medig

Join the Canada Specialist Program to become a bona fide BC expert, learn more about Radical Openness and the diverse landscapes and experiences, access exclusive content and valuable tools to help you promote and sell Canada and network with other agents via the closed CSP Facebook group.

Discover more and open up to Canada at keepexploring.com.au

This article is brought to you by:

L DestinationCanada color rgb@4x 1024x769 1