I’ve spent a lot of time watching the sea planes taking off and landing over Vancouver’s harbour, so I decided on this trip that I’d like to finally take a ride on one of them. The problem is, when I looked at Harbour Air’s website, I discovered that they also offer a scenic flight from Whistler. Over glaciers. And bright blue lakes.
It took only the photos on this page for the Spectacular Glacier Tour for me to change my plans entirely.
I could not have asked for better weather, and being up in the mountains means that the weather really does dictate the route and even viability of the trip, so I was beyond thrilled when we got to see the exact views that I’d been swooning over on their website!
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I wrote about this briefly in my Canada road trip itinerary post, but sharing three cropped photos of an experience this spectacular doesn’t seem to quite cut the mustard. So here are a whole bunch more photos from this incredible flight…
The rough route was from Green Lake, over Whistler Village, over Cheakamus Lake and onwards to Garibaldi Lake, before turning back alongside the real wild side of the glaciers.
The highlight was undoubtedly Garibaldi Lake and circling Black Tusk, and to get similar views on the Panorama trail means a 20km hike. It’s a hike I would love to do one day but I am just not fit enough for it! So to get to see it from above was just incredible.
I flew with Harbour Air on their 4pm flight from Green Lake just a few minutes north of Whistler. They run tours at 12pm, 1pm, 4pm and 5pm from May to September, and the whole experience is meant to last about 40 minutes (this includes the safety briefing, take off, boarding etc etc) but honestly we were in the air about that long, and including all the extras it was probably closer to an hour.
I travelled in early June, which was actually the perfect time of year because there was still so much snow on the mountains. I am sure it would be amazing any time of year though, as long as the weather is favourable.
Green Lake is just off the road about five minutes north of Whistler village, but pull off just before the lake and park at Nicklaus North. It’s basically a hotel car park but they have an agreement with Harbour Air so you’re good to park there, and then it’s just a couple of minutes walk down to the pontoon. They also offer a complimentary shuttle from Whistler Village.
Check in was a breeze, and I also used a discount code as a member of HI Hostels – they didn’t check my membership card (though I did have it on me) so do with that information what you will. I’m actually a member of Hostelling Scotland which is part of the Hostelling International organisation, rather than HI Canada specifically, so I wasn’t sure if they would accept it or not.
This will go down as one of my favourite travel experiences – it didn’t even feel real!
There are lots of other things to do in the area, including one of my BC highlights, Squamish. As well as full-day hikes like the Panorama trail at Garibaldi Lake, or the High Note trail above Cheakamus Lake, there are plenty of shorter walks such as the train wreck trail, Brandywine Falls, and Lost Lake.
Have you ever taken a scenic flight?
Read more about Canada:
⭐ Vancouver & The Canadian Rockies: An Epic 10 Day Road Trip Itinerary
⭐ My Top 10 Things To Do In Vancouver
⭐ Road Tripping The Icefields Parkway In Autumn
⭐ Fun, Friends & Frolics in Whistler, Canada
⭐ Squamish, And Why I Prefer It To Whistler
⭐ A Short & Sweet Trip To Vancouver Island: Beautiful Victoria, BC
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What a spectacular experience! Thank you for sharing more photos and details from your trip to Canada.
Hi Clazz! That really is a spectacular photo journey you’ve delivered here. Fabulous. But you know that. Being somewhat older, I must say the idea of flying on a seaplane gets me a little excited and reminds me of Biggles books when I was a boy and Nevil Shute novels when I was a boy+ 🙂 Wonderful – thanks! Oh – and, obviously Garibaldi Lake takes the biscuit.
Gorgeous! I took the seaplane in Vancouver as part of a brief city tour– it only lasted 20 minutes, but it was lovely getting a bird’s-eye view of it all! Never been to Whistler, but I’ve heard great things about it, and the photos you took from above are unreal! Thanks for bringing us along with you!
Stunning photos. You were lucky with the weather. I think I’d be a bit scared to fly in a seaplane because I’ve only flown in regular much bigger planes
This is amazing! Those views… oh my gosh. And the color of the lakes. What an experience!
Great experience! So weird to see snow in summer like that.
Spectacular views! I can see why you did a U-turn on your original plan… I’d have done the same! Looks like an experience to remember.
Spectacular views! I love how rich the colors are and how dramatic the landscapes are from above
Wow, it is absolutely stunning scenery!! 🙂
Looks amazing, I’ve never seen Whistler from above.