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Whistler Blackcomb resort snow
Lat Long: 50.11° N 122.95° W
Ski Canada - BC

Whistler Blackcomb Resort Reviews

Weather Forecast for Whistler Blackcomb at 1480 m altitude

Issued: 4 am 13 May 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Next snow in Whistler Blackcomb: 0.5 cm on Wed 13th  (after 9 PM)

Visitor reviews for Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort

Whistler Blackcomb Ratings

Overall: 3.9. Based on 269 votes and 199 reviews.

Rate this resort

Snowsure: 4.1

  • Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
  • Is often closed due to a lack of snow
  • Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
  • Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
  • Whistler Blackcomb is snowsure even in the poorest seasons

Variety of pistes: 4.5

  • The ski runs are featureless and unvaried
  • The ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week
  • Whistler Blackcomb has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain

Off-piste: 4.2

  • No off-piste worth mentioning
  • Off piste is out-of-bounds
  • Some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days
  • A vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days

Scenery: 4.4

  • An ugly resort in a bland setting
  • Average mountain views and resort
  • A spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town

Access: 3.7

  • At least one overnight stop
  • Requires a whole day
  • Requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns
  • Arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon
  • There is a main airport within an hour of Whistler Blackcomb

Public Transport: 3.9

  • There are no buses or taxis to Whistler Blackcomb
  • There are slow or infrequent buses / trains available
  • Getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections

Accommodation: 4.2

  • No places to stay in/near Whistler Blackcomb
  • A few places to stay in the resort
  • A wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets

Cheap Rooms: 3.0

  • No budget accommodation available
  • Just one or two hostels so book ahead
  • Several cheap hostels and pensions available

Luxury Hotels: 4.7

  • No luxury accommodation available
  • Just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead
  • Several up-market hotels in Whistler Blackcomb

Ski in/Ski out: 4.2

  • The ski area is located far from any accommodation
  • A free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip
  • Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available

Childcare: 3.8

  • There are no child care facilities at Whistler Blackcomb
  • The resort has limited child-care facilities
  • the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche

Snowmaking: 3.9

  • Whistler Blackcomb relies entirely on natural snow
  • There are just a few snow cannons
  • There are snowmaking facilities on all pistes

Snow Grooming: 3.8

  • There are no snow groomers at Whistler Blackcomb
  • Occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state
  • All the runs at Whistler Blackcomb are groomed daily

Shelter: 3.7

  • There is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut
  • There are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close
  • Whistler Blackcomb is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close

Nearby options: 2.4

  • If snow conditions are poor at Whistler Blackcomb, it will be poor everywhere nearby
  • There are good alternatives within an hours drive
  • Other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions

Regional rating: 4.0

  • Whistler Blackcomb usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region
  • Has average conditions for the region
  • Usually has the best snow conditions in the region

Lift Staff: 4.0

  • The staff at Whistler Blackcomb are rude or unhelpful
  • Lift staff at Whistler Blackcomb are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help

Crowds/Queues: 2.7

  • The resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues
  • It is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays
  • It is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare

Ski Schools: 4.3

  • No ski schools available
  • One or two ski schools but local language only
  • A few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors
  • Plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available
  • Excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors

Hire and Repairs: 4.5

  • Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex
  • There are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance
  • Good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible

Beginners: 4.1

  • Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard
  • A few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week
  • Vast areas of gentle terrain

Intermediates: 4.4

  • No intermediate terrain at Whistler Blackcomb
  • Intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days
  • Vast areas of cruising runs

Advanced: 4.6

  • Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders
  • Enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste
  • Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week

Snow Park: 4.4

  • Not even a kicker at Whistler Blackcomb
  • Average sized park quite well looked after
  • Huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails

Cross-country: 4.0

  • There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Whistler Blackcomb
  • There are some cross country trails available
  • The area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails

Luge/Toboggan: 3.7

  • No designated luge or toboggan runs
  • There are toboggan runs that open quite often
  • Whistler Blackcomb has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages

Mountain Dining: 4.0

  • Nowhere to buy food by the pistes
  • Some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive
  • There is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets

Eating: 4.3

  • Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop
  • There are a few places to eat in the resort but nothing special
  • A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants

Apres-Ski: 4.4

  • Nothing to do, not even a bar
  • There are a few bars in the resort but nothing special
  • Clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere

Other Sports: 4.2

  • No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts
  • Resort has just a small public swimming pool
  • Resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool

Entertainment: 4.1

  • Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here
  • The non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week
  • The resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports

Winter Walks: 4.1

  • Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails
  • A couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails
  • Extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities

Ski Pass Value: 3.1

  • A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available
  • The ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts
  • Ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area

Value (National): 3.2

  • Overall, Whistler Blackcomb is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money
  • Overall represents average value for money
  • Overall offers the best value resort in the country

Value (Global): 3.3

  • Overall, Whistler Blackcomb is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world
  • Overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries
  • Internationally the resort offers excellent value for money

Show all 35 ratings

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September 30, 2011
Ian from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
I spent 4 months in Whistler and had an amazing time. Yes, the lift prices are expensive if you go for a short period of time but you get so much for your money if you get a season pass. So much snow and the most skiable inbounds terrain. Plus if you know where to look for it plenty of just out of bounds stuff for the more adventurous. I tore my ACL, MCL and menicus in my last couple of weeks there and have an operation and 14 weeks of physio since I've been back with a few more months to go before I'm back to "normal" but Whistler is at the top of my list for when I return to the slopes. Love the place, love the people, love the atmosphere...enough said!
April 19, 2011
ski bum from Ski Norway Norway
This is a reply to another reviewer, from the UK. Whistler is indeed expensive and some of the lifts are quite old compared to the Europeans resorts. The lift lines in Whistler are nothing compared to Europe though. I don't know what week you visited Whistler in, but I have been skiing almost every day since the opening day in November and trust me, the mountains are very empty 90 % of the time. The terrain is definitely so much better when you know where to go on a powder day, and that is perhaps one of the reasons why the locals love this place. However, if you come as a tourist you can join some of the free guided tours, which will show you some of the best spots on the mountains. This is a service you would never find in Europe! The level of service in Whistler is generally amazing compared to Europe, where you often meet unfriendly and not very unhelpful employees. If you prefer to stay on groomed slopes and don't like the fantastic feeling of riding through fresh champagne powder, Whistler is probably not the best place to go. I had never tried riding fresh pow before I came here (we don't get a lot of it in Europe), and I am truely amazed by the unlimited and very varying terrain on a powder day. [Editor's note: try to avoid responses to specific reviews. However, do encourage differing opinions.]
April 18, 2011
AG from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Put simply, the complete ski hill. Yes, there are big queues some weekends, surprisingly you can't have some of the world's best in-bounds terrain and snow to yourself... Yes, the pow rush is pretty crazy, and if you're a complete gaper (as some reviewers clearly are), you'll only ride under lift lines or on marked trails, and will obviously find a lot of tracked out pow. Yes the lift pass is pricey, but you get more for it than almost anywhere else. I've skied 4 continents, 50+ hills (Cham, St. Anton, Vail, Breck, Red, Kicking Horse, Revy, Valle Nevado, Verbier, 3 Vallees, Ruapehu, etc.), and done 7 seasons. None of them compare to Whistler.
April 13, 2011
Steve
Spent last weekend with my 2 kids at Whistler ..amazing skiing..did Blackcomb day 1, Whistler day 2..blues to double blacks..all fantastic. The Fairmont..Chateau Whistler is a great place to stay if looking for accommodations. The whole experience is pricey but if you love skiing, there's nothing like it! Spring skiing is the best in a long time..cold and lots of snow..good and fluffy..Enjoy!
April 12, 2011
twoshortplanks from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Who ever said Whistler was the No1 resort in North America is having a laugh, I have only been to 5 ski areas in N America and it isn't in my top 3. Lift Pass was very, very expensive, lifts are quite antique (especially the Whistler gondola c1988), too many queues, lots of accommodation but most of it miles from the base. Oh and they don't care if you waste half your day in a queue because only half of the lifts are operating (Fitzsimmons express was closed as soon as the gondola queue dropped below 30 minutes it seemed to me). Loved by the residents of Vancouver and surrounding area because almost exclusively they haven't tried anywhere else.
March 30, 2011
Chris from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Lucky enough to have recently returned from 6 weeks in Whistler in what is widely regarded locally as their best season since 1998. This is a resort of extremes: extreme snow, extreme terrain (if you want it), extreme lift queues, extremely expensive lift pass if you're going for 1-2 weeks, extremely good fun! In my last week we had about 1.5m of snow but for 5 days the higher lifts were shut so you couldn't get to most of the ski area. Positives: variety and extent of ski area for all standards, Snowfall, cost of food/beer. Negatives: lots of competition for the powder, lift queues up to 45mins at weekends (locals on the mountain) particularly if high winds. Frequent closure of high lifts because of wind. Ski pass cost. A must for any seasoned skier to visit, catch it right and can be brilliant but catch it wrong and you could have a stinker. Best to go for an extended trip if possible.
March 01, 2011
john morrow
Just skied another flawless thigh deep powder day in Whistler Great trees, great steeps, fresh lines all day and no lift lines! To all the haters out there, when you score whistler like we have in the last few weeks it gets under your skin and can't be erased. whistler local for 25yrs.
February 28, 2011
Bozorgzadegan Amir from Ski Iran Iran
I was in Whistler during Oct 2010. The day I was there, one of the lifts was active for cyclists to carry their mountain bikes up. The peaks were snowy but lower elevations muddy. The appearance of the cyclists and their bikes were witness! I left the resort disappointed, being able to return back later during ski season some day in future hopefully for strong and hard continuous skiing. I had the same sense in Grouse mountain and Seymure ski resorts too. I hope my immigration process will end soon, and to be one of the skiers there, doing off-season jobs.
February 21, 2011
Matt from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
We have just returned from Whistler and have had yet another amazing 16 days skiing and boarding: 235 cms while we were there, 201 in 7 days! There was almost too much snow as I found out when a school boy error led to me digging my way out of a tree well...Blower powder as well! Huzzah! You can experience rain in the valley and at times up the mountain, but that is to be expected due to the climate. Go in late January to avoid most of this. It is the most amazing place to visit with a huge area to board. We have been several times and I know that I have only just touched some of the off-piste. The only downer is the rising oil prices which are making the flights to Vancouver, from the UK stupid money. I fear that I may not be visiting for some time now. For cheaper accommodation (but excellent) try alluradirect on the 'tinterweb. Stay in Creekside as it has it's own gondola and is only busy at the weekend generally, plus there are regular buses to the village which is 5 minutes away. Matt
February 17, 2011
Seve_Gotama
I ski most of the Western Canadian big mountain ski hills on a regular basis (chasing storm cycles) and also do a lot of cat skiing and the odd heli trip. When there is a storm cycle (lots of drier than average snow), like Whistler is getting right now, it is better than a great day cat skiing and at least as good as an A-star heli day. Wednesday the 16th we got face shots under the Crystal chair, knee deep to mid thigh powder in the trees and ear to ear grins all day long with more to come tomorrow. Oh ya, last Monday and Tuesday were pretty good too! For those that haven't experienced Whistler on a good storm cycle or got rained out...sorry. Sorry also to my friends stuck at work and to those that paid $10K or more to heli-ski this week...really sorry too! Oh and I should mention that the restaurants are pretty good. Whistler's biggest downside is the crowds...especially on long weekends, like USA President's day coming up...good weekend to hit Revelstoke or Kicking Horse I guess.