Kelowna, BC, Canada | Cruise port of call | CruiseBe
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Kelowna, BC, Canada

Kelowna is a city in the Okanagan region of British Columbia.

Kelowna is the largest inland city in British Columbia, located in the heart of BC's wine country. It has a metropolitan population of about 165,000.

Okanagan Lake

is the main draw in the summer. This 135 km long jewel is a big draw for boaters (power and sail), swimmers and kite-boarders. In winter thousands of tourists come from all parts of the world to ski at

Big White resort

, located 55 km from the city. Tourists also come in the fall (mostly) to experience and taste the Okanagan's world-class wines from various wineries throughout the valley.
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Kelowna, BC, Canada

Destination:
Canada & New England

Kelowna is a city in the Okanagan region of British Columbia.

Kelowna is the largest inland city in British Columbia, located in the heart of BC's wine country. It has a metropolitan population of about 165,000.

Okanagan Lake

is the main draw in the summer. This 135 km long jewel is a big draw for boaters (power and sail), swimmers and kite-boarders. In winter thousands of tourists come from all parts of the world to ski at

Big White resort

, located 55 km from the city. Tourists also come in the fall (mostly) to experience and taste the Okanagan's world-class wines from various wineries throughout the valley.
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Kelowna, BC, Canada: Port Information


There is no cruise port. Cruise passengers visit this city during a cruise tour.
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Get around Kelowna, BC, Canada


Traffic can be quite heavy on major roads in Kelowna during the summer months, especially at the approaches to the floating bridge. A lack of advance left turn traffic lights contributes to accidents at major intersections.

  • Kelowna Regional Transit System, 763-6011. Best times to travel are early mornings and late afternoons on weekdays. High traffic routes (such as Lakeshore #1, University #8, Rutland #10 are the most efficient and numerous routes). Bus drivers are generally courteous and will on request call ahead to your next bus to facilitate a timely transfer. When school is in session, expect to miss a bus (or two) due to over-filled buses. Check the user website for more details and schedules.
  • Kelowna has an extensive network of bike lanes. Cyclists are advised to use bike lanes (when not obstructed by parked vehicles) and intersections with caution. Cycling on local highways is not recommended. 
  • There are several boat launches along the lakeshore with parking facilities. Be prepared to queue in the summer months. As for the lake itself, it can get crowded out there, especially with small watercraft.
  • The downtown area is pedestrian-friendly, especially along the waterfront.

Vehicle Rentals

  • Budget Car Rentals
  • Enterprise Rent-a-Car
  • Avis Car Rentals
  • Discount Car and Truck Rentals
  • Hertz
  • Vespa and Scooter Rentals.

Downtown

The Downtown Core is easily accessible with public transit as well as taxis and bicycles, once downtown you have two major Parkades to choose from if you decide to drive yourself one is of Pandosy Street (The Verve Restaurant is in the first level) or at the Library by the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) Station, so parking shouldn't be a chore.

As in any city, the Rush Hour (usually 4:30 PM-6 PM) can be a challenge in the downtown core as well as on the main transportation arteries: Highway 97C, Highway 33, Lakeshore Rd.

 
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What to see in Kelowna, BC, Canada


  • Bertram Creek Regional Park, end of Lakeshore Rd. One of the best-kept secrets of Kelowna is Bertram Park at the end of Lakeshore Road, with beautiful beaches and grassy areas to picnic on it is one of the most idyllic places in Kelowna, it offers BBQ's as well as change/wash rooms.
  • City Park (Downtown City Park), Abbott St at Leon (west of Abbott St between Bernard and Harvey, car access from the corner of Abbott & Leon). A great environment in the summer to suntan, play and enjoy yourself, or be with your family at the playgrounds. The water and skate park offer a great time in the sun.
  • Gyro Beach Park, Lakeshore Rd & Swordy Rd. Enjoy the half-submerged playground in summer - you can let yourself slide along the rope into the lake within which you may come across our lake's resident the Ogopogo (we are not joking, Loch Ness isn't the only body of water with a lake monster the term monster is used loosely). If you see Ogopogo make sure to be friendly as it is his home you're swimming in ;).
  • Knox Mountain Park, Knox Mountain Rd (accessed from the end of Ellis St). 6 AM-10 PM; vehicle access only in summer M-Sa 9:30 AM-9 PM, Su noon-9 PM. Large park and the natural area north of Kelowna's downtown. The view from the top has great views of the valley, including downtown Kelowna and Okanagan Lake. There is a road most of the way up with parking, that is open in the summer. There are also many trails for walking and biking that lead to other viewpoints and Paul's Tomb, the only beach in the park.
  • Mission Creek Regional Park, 2363 Springfield Rd, ☎ +1 250 469-6140 (EECO Center). Open during daylight hours. Park set on both sides of Mission Creek. The EECO Center has environment exhibits and park information. The creekside trail has a fish ladder, an old homestead site, interpretive signs, and a playground/picnic area. Salmon return to the spawning channel in Sept-Oct each year.
  • Stuart Park, Water St, between Mill & Doyle. 6AM-11PM. Waterfront park with some nice views. Notable for Bear Plaza and it's public art, and the outdoor skating rink in winter.
  • Waterfront Park, 1200 Water St. 6AM-10PM. Another park along downtown Kelowna's waterfront. It's well-maintained with a boardwalk along the waterfront, gardens, a sandy beach for swimming (Tugboat Beach) and a seasonal concession stand and washroom facilities. There's also a bird sanctuary (Rotary Marsh) at the northern end.
  • Another "best-kept secret" is a beautiful beach located off Lakeshore in the Mission area. To get to it, turn down Truswell Road and take a left on Martin Road. If you walk keeping on the right to the end of Martin, you will come to a river. Turn right down a narrow bank alongside the river and walk along it for a short distance and you'll find an absolutely gorgeous beach frequented mainly by the younger crowd. If you bring beer or "other things" BC is famous for, be careful, as this beach is certainly not a secret to the police. This beach is referred to by locals as "Hidden Beach", often reduced to "Hidden", or "Skim Beach."

Wineries

Wineries and wine tours have become popular things to do in Kelowna. There are over 20 wineries in Kelowna and the surrounding area, ranging from some of the biggest names in BC wine to small boutique wineries. The list below includes wineries that are in Kelowna only — several popular wineries associated with Kelowna, such as Mission Hill and Quail's Gate, are in neighboring West Kelowna and covered there.

  • CedarCreek Estate Winery, 5445 Lakeshore Rd, ☎ +1 778 738-1027, e-mail: info@cedarcreek.bc.ca. Tastings 10AM-7PM (July-Labour Day), short hours other times of the year; tours daily at 11 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM May-Labour Day, by appointment at other times of the year. One of B.C.'c first 8 pioneering wineries, CedarCreek has also twice been named as Canada's Winery of the Year. Join in for wine tastings, winery tours or a meal at the 'Farm to Table' Vineyard Terrace Restaurant.

    The Vineyard Terrace Restaurant wraps around the wine shop and has views of the vineyard and Okanagan Lake. Open June 1- Sept 18, 2016. Daily: 11 am for Lunch and Dinner. Private tours are available with advance notice.

  • Summerhill Pyramid Winery, 4870 Chute Lake Rd, ☎ +1 250 764-8000, toll-free: +1-800-667-3538. Tastings 9 AM-6 PM; tours at noon and 2 PM. An organic winery that produces a variety of red, white and sparkling wines from grapes sourced from their vineyard and others in the Okanagan. Wine tours explain their organic methods and the role of the distinctive pyramid wine cellar. There is also an on-site bistro that is open for lunch and dinner Tues-Sun. 
  • The Vibrant Vine / Okanagan Villa Estate Winery, 3240 Pooley Rd, ☎ +1 778 478-4153. 11 AM-6 PM May-Sept, 1 PM-4 PM Oct-Dec. Small but distinctive winery. The tasting room is a 3D experience with the art and vivid bottle labels all in 3D (glasses included for free). There's live music on summer weekends and a stage for theatre performances. The wines are mostly whites, with a couple of red blends. The WOOPS? label (a blend of several Okanagan varietals) won Best White Wine in The World 2013 at the World Wine Competition, Geneva.
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What to do in Kelowna, BC, Canada


  • Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park accessed via McCulloch Rd (main entrance) or June Springs Rd. Home of the famous wooden trestles of the old

    Kettle Valley Railway

    . Recently rebuilt after being burnt down - They provide a unique and beautiful view of the Kelowna area, as well as the uninhabited areas surrounding it. These are about an hour's drive outside of Kelowna - up a dirt road.
  • Kelowna Rockets / Prospera Place, 1223 Water St, ☎ +1 250-762-5050 (box office), +1 250-860-7825 (team office). M-F 9:30 AM-5:30 PM, Sa 10 AM-4 PM. The Rockets are the local team in the Western Hockey League (players are 16-20 years old). Tickets can be purchased online or through the box office at Prospera Place, their home arena.
  • Okanagan Sun football.
  • Knox Mountain Climb (two viewpoints). An annual hill climb is one of the highlights of this peak.
  • Mission Creek Greenway.
  • Swimming - many sand beaches with great beaches. Some feature swimming platforms (Gellatly bay aquatic park) and swing lines (Gyro park).
  • Bike and hike the local mountains (Kettle Valley, Myra Canyon, Knox Mountain) 
  • Golf on any of the many great golf courses.
  • Play Tennis
  • Enjoy the Athletic Centers (Parkinson Recreation Center, Athens Recreation Center, Capital News Center5).
  • Sailing, Seadoo-ing and Boating on Okanagan Lake.
  • Windsurfing
  • Skateboarding/longboarding-the skateparks are average but lots of great hills
  • Or the best yet... just be lazy and lay at the beach... or in winter in a jacuzzi surrounded by snow.
  • Hangout in a city park and walk along the boardwalk.
  • See a Ballet Kelowna performance
  • H20 Adventure and Fitness Center, 4075 Gordon Dr. Kelowna, BC V1W, ☎ +1 250 764-4040. H2O Adventure + Fitness Centre is the largest municipally owned water park in Canada and features an Olympic length 50-meter pool, wave pool, river run, 3 water slides, children’s water play area, and an ocean wave surf simulator. And, for the fitness enthusiast, a 12,000 square foot cardio, weight equipment, and exercise space await you.
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What to eat and drink in Kelowna, BC, Canada


Eat

Budget

  • Bohemian Cafe, 524 Bernard Ave, ☎ +1 250 862-3517. W-F 7:30AM-2:30PM Sa 8:30AM-2:30PM Su 8:30AM-2PM. Cafe that serves breakfast, soups, and sandwiches. Focuses on locally sourced ingredients and makes their own bagels and bread.
  • Lake Tai Vegetarian Restaurant, 1958 Kirschner Rd, ☎ +1 778 478-9931. M-F 11 AM-9 PM, Sa-Su 12:30 PM-9 PM. Awesome little Taiwanese vegetarian restaurant serving light, healthy meals even carnivores will love. Almost all dishes are also vegan and gluten-free. Also serves a wide selection of teas, bubble tea. Incredibly nice people, great service. Accepts credit cards. Try the honey crispy bean!
  • Mad Mango Cafe, 551 Bernard Ave (across the street from the bargain shop on Bernard), ☎ +1 250 762-8988. Tu-Sa 7:30AM-6PM, Su 7:30AM-5PM. A small and popular cafe that serves a mix of Asian cuisine — won ton soup, pho, Malaysian curries, sweet and sour rice, and vermicelli noodles — as well as a small selection of sandwiches and breakfast items.
  • Subcity Donair, 1007 Rutland Rd N, ☎ +1 250 765-4440. 9AM-9PM. Local Subway or Quizno's style of restaurant with locations downtown and around the city. Offers chicken and beef donairs, a small selection of subs, and fries and other sides.
  • The Marmalade Cat cafe

Mid-range

  • Bai Tong Thai food - On 275 Bernard Avenue, one of Kelowna's best Thai food places!
  • Memphis Blues, 289 Bernard Ave, ☎ +1 250 868-3699. A fantastic BBQ house, close to the water in downtown Kelowna.
  • O-Zeki Japanese.
  • RauDZ Regional Table, 1560 Water St, ☎ +1 250 868-8805. 5 PM-10 PM. Popular and well-regarded bistro. Dishes focus mostly on BC seafood or meat from BC or Alberta. Seating is varied — there's one long communal table or you can choose a more traditional booth seat. 
  • The Yellow House Restaurant, 526 Lawrence Ave, ☎ +1 250 763-5136. Lunch M-F 11:20 AM-2:30 PM, Dinner daily 5PM-Close. Restaurant in an old Victorian heritage house. The menu is meat and seafood-focused with steak, lamb, duck, chicken and a few varieties of fish. There's often live music on Wed, Thurs and Fri nights.

Splurge

  • Chop Steakhouse & Bar. Steak, seafood & drinks for a special night out.
  • The Fixx.
  • Gulfstream Restaurant. Steak
  • Mon Thong
  • Bouchons Bistro, 1180 Sunset Dr #105, ☎ +1 250 763-6595. 5:30 PM-10:30 PM. Elegant French restaurant with many French classics — bouillabaisse, cassoulet, foie gras, duck confit, rabbit, lamb Provinçale and pommes frites. There's also a weekly "Chef's Table", a three-course fixed price menu.
  • The Rotten Grape
  • La Bussola Restaurant
  • Waterfront Restaurant

Drink

  • Roses Waterfront pub located by the Grand/Kelowna Yacht Club.
  • The Blue Gator A Blues Club located on Lawrence Street. Has an outdoor sidewalk patio where you can eat/drink.
  • 97 Street Pub At the intersection of Hwy 97 and Leckie Road (Beside the Best Western Hotel)
  • Doc Willoughby's Downtown Pub, 353 Bernard Ave
  • Sturgeon Hall, 1481 Water Street
  • Tonics Pub, Ellis Street. Good food, and great prices on drinks. Nice atmosphere and friendly, helpful staff.
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Shopping in Kelowna, BC, Canada


  • Bernard Avenue (between Richter and Water Street) & the downtown area: Frock (vintage clothing), Olive & Elle (beautiful household items), Funktional
  • Pandosy St at/around KLO Road
  • Okanagan fruit tree co-operative, 816 Clement Avenue, Mon-Sat 9-5
  • Kolu, Rosebuds consignments
  • Orchard Park shopping centre
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Safety in Kelowna, BC, Canada


As long as you keep yourself aware of your surroundings, you will be fine.
In summer, the city is prone to forest fires, having suffered large fires in 2003 and 2009. Depending on the season, there may be campfire bans or parks may be closed.
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Language spoken in Kelowna, BC, Canada


English and French are the official languages.

LOCAL TIME

3:41 am
January 19, 2021
America/Vancouver

CURRENT WEATHER

-0.07 °C / 31.874 °F
overcast clouds
Wed

-2.81 °C/27 °F
overcast clouds 		Thu

-6.49 °C/20 °F
overcast clouds 		Fri

-8.13 °C/17 °F
broken clouds 		Sat

-8.59 °C/17 °F
overcast clouds

LOCAL CURRENCY

CAD

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