Okanagan British Columbia Tourism

Okanagan British Columbia tourism is unique.

Cities and towns in the Okanagan Valley including the town of Osoyoos, city of Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon BC and the city of Salmon Arm all offer wonderful attractions and offer a variety of year round activities for all.

The Okanagan BC is surrounded by incredible Canadian mountain ranges to the east and west.

When you visit each of these southern Interior BC cities and towns you'll find a few things in common...warm and friendly Canadian people, fruit orchards and vineyards, arts and culture, golf, lots of family friendly attractions and fun summer activities for kids, plenty of soft sandy beaches along beautiful lakes.... and so much more.

At the same time, you'll also find unique and charming tourism in each community and region in the valley that you won't find in another.

In the south you'll find a semi-arid desert region, while the north offers lush forest, and a true Canadian winter haven.

Where is the Okanagan Valley?

British Columbia highway 97 connects with U.S. highway 97, from the U.S. - Canada border at Oroville Washington and Osoyoos BC, and runs north to the British Columbia - Yukon border at Watson Lake, Yukon. Highway 97 is the longest continuously numbered route in the province, running 2,081 km (1,283 mi).

Alberta Canada is our easterly neighbor, and the Pacific Ocean borders British Columbia to the west. U.S. Washington State lies just south.

The Okanagan has a number of regions within the valley. To help you navigate to cities and towns, we've organised the Okanagan British Columbia tourism pages by region - South, Central, North Okanagan and Shuswap. Click on the links here for the region you would like to explore to quickly skip down the page.

South Okanagan Regional District - town of Osoyoos, Oliver BC, the city of Penticton, Summerland BC, Naramata BC
Central Okanagan Regional District - Peachland BC, city of Kelowna, Winfield, Lake Country BC
North Okanagan Regional District - Oyama, Vernon BC, Enderby, Armstrong BC, Coldstream BC
Shuswap British Columbia - city of Salmon Arm, Chase BC, Scotch Creek...

British Columbia Tourism - The South Okanagan BC

Osoyoos

In the South Okanagan, the town of Osoyoos is in the tip of Canada's pocket desert region, in the Great Basin Desert region.

British Columbia tourism here presents fruit orchards and the BC wine industry are the mainstays of the town, with tree fruits blanketing the bottom of the valley and vinifera vines climbing all the hillsides. Summer months are almost rain free. Osoyoos Lake is a main attraction, and they have some really great festivals.

With Grasslands and mountain regions around Osoyoos, you won't find a lack of things to do here, summer or winter with hiking, mountain biking, birding, and exploring nature.

Penticton BC
The River Channel

With two of the best beaches in the Okanagan Valley, and Apex Mountain Ski Resort for winter fun, the city of Penticton is a very popular vacation destination for families.

And if you're in to wine tours and golf, you won't be disappointed here either. Most wineries in the Okanagan Valley are within an hour's drive from the city, and you've got plenty of golf courses to choose from as well.

Kaleden

Kaleden BC was founded in 1909 as construction of water irrigation began to provide the hillside community with adequate water supply for growing orchard fruits.

Land developer, James Ritchie sold 5 acre parcels to buyers for a whopping $1800!

The Hadfield General Store, which is now the 1912 bistro, resides next door to the old Kaleden Hotel along the waterfront, and these are the main buildings with historical significance in the village. If you're looking for a cozy B&B though, Kaleden's got some great places to stay with beautiful views of the valley.

Naramata

Paddlewheelers regularly docked at the local wharf carrying passengers and freight up and down Okanagan Lake until the Kettle Valley Railway was completed in 1914.

British Columbia Tourism - The Central Okanagan

Kelowna

The Central Okanagan Regional district is marked by the largest city in the Okanagan Valley, the city of Kelowna.

A busy, growing urban center, Kelowna British Columbia tourism and the Central Okanagan offer visitors all the amenities of the big city, wineries, golf, beaches, skiing, excellent shopping, and lots of interesting places to explore culture and BC history.

Kelowna's waterfront is lined with a multitude of beaches, parks and walkways, yet a short trip to the outskirts of the city and you'll discover mountain trails, hiking and biking and opportunities to explore back country and nature.

British Columbia Tourism - The North Okanagan

Vernon

Vernon is the oldest incorporated city in the Okanagan Valley, and lies in the ranchlands and low rolling hills surrounded by the Monashee mountains. Some of the best family attractions are Atlantis Waterslides and the historic O'Keefe Ranch.

Vernon BC is packed with agricultural British Columbia tourism attractions, as well as beautiful Kalamalka Lake, the Allan Brookes Nature Center, Silver Star Ski Resort, Sovereign Lake Nordic Club, and lots of heritage attractions to explore. If you're downtown you could tour the Vernon Heritage outdoor wall murals which are painted on buildings througout the down town area and give you a large scale view of Vernon's history.

Armstrong

Armstrong BC Canada was named after E.C. Heaton Armstrong, a London banker who helped finance the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway in 1892, and local development at the turn of the century.

Armstrong sits above the dairy and ranch lands of the Spallumcheen Valley and aside from a history of making fine artisan farmstead cheese with the influence of Dutch immigrants, Armstrong British Columbia tourism is known for it's community events, some of the oldest and largeest in the Okanagan Valley.

British Columbia Tourism - The Shuswap

Salmon Arm

Summertime in the Shuswap and around the city of Salmon Arm, you'll find berry farms, dairy farms, cheese factories, and all the great golf the rest of the Okanagan Valley offers.

One of it's most spectacular attractions is the Adam's River Salmon River Run each year, where Salmon return to their origin of birth....by the millions!

Sicamous

The Shuswap British Columbia tourism region is where you'll find all the houseboats, the number one Canada map destinations for houseboat vacations, with lush green forests and the largest variety of fun summer activities for everyone. The Shuswap is also a winter haven for those who love to snowmobile, snowshoe, dogsled and ski.

And if you're around in the fall, the annual Fungi Festival is a week of identifying and picking wild mushrooms, with guided tours every day, and then you get to enjoy a gourmet mushroom cuisine.

We hope you enjoy exploring our Okanagan British Columbia tourism pages. We'll be adding more about these most beautiful places to visit in Canada as we go along. Be sure to bookmark our site, and stay up to date through our RSS feed, or subsubscribe to our ezine. That way you'll never miss the latest British Columbia tourism information and vacation ideas.

We hope to see you here in the Okanagan. Enjoy your travels!

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