Kamloops to Vancouver road trip itinerary

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve driven between Kamloops to Vancouver.

Having lived in Vancouver for many years and then buying a place in Sun Peaks, just north of Kamloops, this drive became a regular one for us between the city and our mountain retreat.

The Vancouver to Kamloops route is also popular for anyone heading out of the city to the Rockies of Banff and Jasper National Parks or to Revelstoke. Often, many people will plan a road trip in Western Canada where they fly into Calgary and then fly out of Vancouver after visiting the Canadian Rockies and Whistler.

If you’re planning to drive between Kamloops to Vancouver then this route is the most direct. It’s also pretty scenic, though not quite as much as the drive between Whistler and Kamloops.

If you’re wondering where to stop between Kamloops and Vancouver, this BC road trip guide has you covered! I’ll share my favourite cafes, restaurants, viewpoints and short hikes along the way so you can have an enjoyable trip between Kamloops and Vancouver.

About the drive from Kamloops to Vancouver

When driving between Kamloops and Vancouver, remember to take your time. Though the road has 2 lanes pretty much the entire way (if not more in some sections), there’s no rush especially if you’re on holiday!

On this Vancouver to Kamloops route, you’ll pass over the Coquihalla Summit at over 1,000 metres above sea level and there are many other climbs you’ll need to do too.

Unlike in the UK (where I’m from), trucks in Canada don’t seem to have a speed limiter on them so they go fast. Sure, they’ll crawl up the hills trying to overtake each other, but when it comes to the downhill they often charged past us in our self-converted campervan van Elvis.

Pay attention as you don’t want to get caught out by one!

Distance between Kamloops to Whistler

This distance from Kamloops to Vancouver is about 355 kilometres (221 miles) and takes around 4 hours if you don’t plan on stopping and you don’t hit traffic. However, it’ll likely take at least 5 and I’d recommend allowing yourself most of the day to really enjoy the journey.

Kamloops to Vancouver driving route

The map below includes the places to stop that I’ve mentioned on this route and can be used to guide your road trip from Kamloops to Vancouver.

Road conditions between Vancouver and Kamloops

The speed limit ranges from 80-100 kilometres an hour (50-62 miles per hour) on the drive, but be prepared to slow down depending on road conditions, especially if there’s rain and definitely if there’s snow.

Since you’re in mountainous areas, you should expect the weather conditions to change along the way. In early summer and late fall, you might encounter snow at the higher points along the drive.

If you’re driving between October 1 and March 31, you must check your car has snow tires or all-season (mud + snow) tires. You can tell this by either a little snowflake symbol on the tyres or an M+S marked on them. There are regular police checks and it’s just safer to have them.

It’s a good idea to have snow chains too if you’re driving in the winter, especially if you’re in a larger vehicle or have just mud and snow tires. Make sure you know how to put them on before you need them. There’s nothing worse than standing in the freezing cold in a snowstorm trying to figure out how they work.

The best way to check the road conditions along the drive from Vancouver to Kamloops is to follow DriveBC on Twitter. They’re super active over the winter season to keep drivers up to date with road closures and conditions. They also have webcams on their website so you can see what the roads are looking like and make an informed decision.

We’ve used their website so many times on our drives back and forth between Vancouver and Kamloops.

Services along the drive from Vancouver to Kamloops

There are plenty of places to get gas, use the washrooms or stop off to stretch your legs between Kamloops and Vancouver apart from in one section.

Make sure you top up your gas before leaving Hope if you’re going to Kamloops, or Merritt if you’re going to Vancouver. You’ll have a long drive over the Coquihalla and you don’t want to run out!

Kamloops to Vancouver road trip

Kamloops

Kamloops gets a bit of a bad rap but having spent a significant amount of time there once we bought our place in Sun Peaks (45 minutes up the mountain and Canada’s second-largest ski area), I think it’s a lot better than people give it credit for.

Kamloops has some great breweries including Bright Eye Brewing, Iron Road Brewing and Red Collar Brewing, as well as some great coffee shops including The Art We Are (my favourite for coffee and lunch) and Amplified Cafe and for breakfast or brunch in Kamloops, there’s Hello Toast which my parents loved.

There are also some great shops like Far + Wide for plants and gifts and, since I love outdoors stores, True Outdoors in Kamloops is worth a visit for any outdoor gear you need.

Besides downtown Kamloops, there are a bunch of cool trails in Kenna Cartwright Nature Park or in Lac du Bois. Plus, you’re just 45 minutes from Sun Peaks where you have lift-accessed hiking trails and mountain biking and loads of cross-country/non-lift-accessed trails to explore.

Kamloops get very, very hot in the summer, and Sun Peaks is usually about 10 degrees cooler so it’s a nicer place to escape the heat from.

There are a bunch of lakes nearby too where you can go paddleboarding Kamloops Lake is one of the prettiest. Or you could go chasing waterfalls near Kamloops in Wells Grey Provincial Park.

While Kelowna is better known for BC wine, Kamloops has some vineyards too such as Monte Creek Winery and Privato Vineyard and Winery.

For kids and families, the BC Wildlife Park is worth a visit. It’s a great rehabilitation and rescue centre in Kamloops where you can see a rare white bear, known as a spirit bear, as well as cougars, insects and other animal species you’ll find across BC.

Merritt

About an hour or so after leaving Kamloops on the BC 5 Southbound you’ll arrive in Merritt.

Merritt is a funny town that’s known for its country music festival and honestly, not much else. We once got ‘stuck’ in Merritt for a week when returning from a weekend away wine tasting in Kelowna and so I think I’ve pretty much discovered all the things to do in Merritt.

There’s a Vancouverite joke that Merritt is a great place to stop for a pee and that’s pretty much how we treated it on our journeys back and forth between Vancouver and Kamloops.

There are service stations here not far off the highway and the gas is usually a little cheaper than in Kamloops, and cheaper than in Vancouver.

If you want a coffee and something to eat, I’d recommend Kekuli Café Coffee & Bannock which is more in the centre of Merritt. They do bannock which is an Indigenous food that’s a form of flatbread (though it looks more like a North American biscuit).

Otherwise, you’ll pass through Merritt pretty quickly!

Coquihalla Summit

Coming out of Merritt things start to get super scenic as you start making your way over the Coquihalla, otherwise known as one of the World’s Most Dangerous Roads, the road that fell apart in November 2021, or the Highway Thru Hell (there’s a whole TV show about it!). The danger of the Coquihalla mostly applies in winter, in summer there are rarely dangerous conditions.

As you make your way uphill you’ll see a signpost marking the Coquihalla Summit at 1,244 m above sea level. Here, there’s a pullout area where you can get out and stretch your legs.

In the winter, the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area is popular with backcountry skiers taking on Zoa Peak or harder objectives and, in the summer, there are some great hiking trails around here. An easy one with some pretty views is the Falls Lake trail which should take under an hour.

Hope

Coming down off the top of the Coquihalla you’ll pass through some windy roads alongside the Fraser River.

Along the way there are. a few stops such as the Othello Tunnels (unfortunately still closed), and the Ladner Creek Trestle which is something of a local’s hidden gem.

In Hope, there are a bunch of gas stations and a couple of places to grab food including a Tim Hortons, and Rolly’s diner which does huge portions of food at relatively cheap prices.

Bridalveil Falls

On from Hope, there’s Jones Lake (but you’d need a 4×4 to get up there) and Bridalviel Falls just before you come into Chilliwack.

Bridalveil Falls is a short way off the highway and well-signposted. From the parking lot, it’s a short walk up to the falls where you can often feel the spray and the water cascades off the rocks in a formation that looks a bit like a wedding veil, hence the name!

Chilliwack

Chilliwack is the next major town you come across and my husband and I always end up stopping here (he has a love for the Home Depot here) and sometimes we’ll stop at the White Spot for a quick dinner before heading back to Vancouver.

Though we don’t usually go into Chilliwack itself much, it’s actually getting. a lot nicer.

When we first moved to Vancouver back in 2017, we spent two weeks housesitting in Chilliwack and took trips out to Chilliwack Lake, Cultus Lake and Lindeman Lake.

These days Chilliwack has some nice shops, good restaurants and a few breweries such as Bricklayer Brewing and Old Yale, which your passengers might enjoy before you continue on your drive from Kamloops to Vancouver.

Abbotsford

It’s somewhere between Chilliwack and Abbotsford that you’ll typically notice the roads get busier and you might come across some traffic.

At this point in the journey, Kamloops to Abbotsford is usually around 3 hours of driving.

If the traffic is really bad, there are some good places to stop off in Abbotsford for dinner. Brodeur’s Bistro and Restaurant 62 are good options. If you’re passing through here earlier in the day then check out Cafe Amarti, Old Hand Coffee, or Good Kid Coffee.

One of my favourite things about this section of road is that if you’re coming from Vancouver to Kamloops you can often see Mt Baker in the US as you drive. It’s super cool to see!

Fort Langley

My parents loved visiting Fort Langley on one of their visits to Canada and it’s definitely a bit of a different place to visit when you’re driving between Kamloops to Whistler.

Fort Langley might even look familiar to you when you arrive since there are TV shows and films that have been filmed here including Riverdale. You can actually take a self-guided audio tour to learn more about the locations which have been used in film and TV.

Fort Langley is the home of Fort Langley National Historic Site, a former fur trade post of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the town is full of historic homes and buildings that look super different to the rest of what you’ll find in towns nearby.

There are some great independent shops and places to get food too. It’s well worth a wander for an hour or so or visiting Fort of Fort Langley if you have more time.

Vancouver

You’ve made it!

Welcome to Vancouver my favourite city ever. Surrounded by mountains and the ocean with forests in between, Vancouver is the perfect place for people who love the outdoors.

There are so many incredible hikes in Vancouver, adventures to have on the water by kayaking near Vancouver, and places to visit like Deep Cove, Bowen Island and more.

Check out all my Vancouver travel guides to learn more about my favourite things to do in Vancouver.

Looking for more things to do in Vancouver and nearby? Check out my Vancouver travel guides which are full of information on the best things to do in Vancouver, the best Vancouver restaurants, and detailed guides for each of the main neighborhoods.

Kamloops to Vancouver by bus

To get the Kamloops to Whistler bus you’re going to have to change in Vancouver as there is no direct Whistler to Kamloops bus.

There are a few bus companies offering services between Kamloops and Vancouver and I’ve taken them a couple of times before. Sometimes you’re required to change in Merritt and this is often where they’ll stop for you to use the restroom or get some food and drink along the route too.

The buses are pretty comfortable and do have wifi. You can also take a large suitcase or bag and store it underneath the bus while you travel.

I used the Ebus and booked through Busbud which I find the best way of seeing all bus schedules in one place.

A one-way bus ticket from Kamloops to Whistler is around CAD$60-70. You might be able to get it for less if you book far in advance. The journey is around 4.5 hours long and you’ll arrive at Pacific Central Station in Vancouver which is close to the Science World Skytrain station downtown.

Flights from Vancouver to Kamloops

Though I personally think it’s a bit unnecessary to fly from Vancouver to Kamloops, it is possible.

Vancouver to Kamloops flights take around 48 minutes and cost over CAD$150 each way for your airline tickets. They’re not exactly cheap flights, especially if you’re used to European flight prices.

You can fly between these two cities with airlines including Air Canada and West Jet. West Jet doesn’t seem to offer many (or any) direct flights so it would make a lot more sense to drive rather than book flights Kamloops to Vancouver.

You’ll depart from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to Kamloops Airport which is pretty close to downtown Kamloops. You can also book flights from Kamloops to Abbotsford International Airport with WestJet.

FAQs about driving from Vancouver to Kamloops

Final thoughts on the Kamloops Vancouver road trip

This Kamloops to Vancouver road trip itinerary has shown you the best places to stop along the route. From the Coquihalla Summit Recreation area to the breweries in Chilliwack you’ll now know what to expect.

If you’re planning on visiting Whistler from Vancouver I have a guide to the Sea to Sky highway. Or, if you’re then looping back around to Kamloops, consider mixing up the drive by going from Vancouver to Whistler to Kamloops which is super scenic.

For those of you going from Vancouver to Kamloops and then on to Jasper or Banff, my 7-day Rocky Mountain road trip guide has you covered.