Ride the Wild Beauty of the Sea to Sky Corridor.
Easily reached from Vancouver, the Sea to Sky Corridor is a land of soaring peaks and pristine wilderness, best discovered on the surefooted horses bred by the Lil’wat Nation and perfectly adapted to this rugged terrain. From your riverside base, each day delivers a fresh adventure – alpine lakes, historic gold mines, sweeping vistas and tranquil forests – leaving you utterly re-enchanted with the natural world and the remarkable horses who guide you through it.
Trip Highlights
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Loping along narrow forested tracks with birds singing above and lakes shimmering far below
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Washing away the day’s dust in the clear waters of Birkenhead Lake
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Singing songs and sharing stories around the crackling campfire
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Being totally awestruck when you eyeball your first grizzly bear
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Summiting a mountain on your sure-footed horse for a picnic with epic views
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Learning the local history, from the Lil’wat First Nations to the gold miners
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Watching the landscape change with every foot you climb
Details
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Riding levels
Suitable for intermediate to advanced riders. Some parts of the trail can be quite technical, so riders need to be well-balanced.
Not sure what your riding ability is? See the definitions below.
- Type of tack
Western saddles and bridles.
- Horse breed
Most of the horses were bred by the Lil’wat First Nations. They are a mix of many breeds, some harking back to the original Spanish horses from South America, and are amazingly well-suited to the local terrain.
- Accommodation
You’ll be staying at your hosts’ well-appointed base camp with a hot shower, composting toilet, fire pit and a covered kitchen and dining area. Guests will be spread out over several spacious platform tents (2-4 guests per tent) complete with sleeping bags and liners, cots, mats, towels and washcloths.
- Pace
The pace varies from a walk right through to a canter when the terrain allows. Due to the Western style of riding, you can expect to canter (lope) a lot more than you trot.
- Weight limit
A maximum of 105kg/230lbs.
It is VERY important that you provide your current weight accurately when booking. If your weight is not accurate, we cannot guarantee that your hosts will have a horse for you to ride.
- Group size
A minimum of 8 and a maximum of 10 guests.
- Minimum age
12 years of age
- Time in Saddle
Approximately 5 to 6 hours each day.
- When to go
July to September.
- Languages
Instructions spoken in English
What’s included (and what’s not)
Included
- All meals (from lunch on day 1 through to lunch on the final day)
- All riding activities
- Twin share accommodation
- Luggage transportation
- Canadian taxes
Excluded
- International or regional flights
- Travel insurance (compulsory)
- Transfers to/from the trailhead
- Staff tips (please budget for around $250 CAD in total)
- Alcohol (BYO welcome)
Departure dates and prices
Ride length
4 days, 3 nights with 4 full days in the saddle.
Riding level
Intermediate • Strong Intermediate • Advanced
Booking fee
A fixed Booking Fee of $2,018 CAD
Payment plans
Lock in your ride with a 10% deposit and pay the rest over time – interest-free in 10 easy payments. Learn more.
Accommodation types
Single
Private accommodation for one guest (room, tent, or similar). A supplement may apply on departures where a sharing option is available.
Share
Willing to room share with the same gender or travelling with a companion.
Couple share
Sharing a bed with companion.
Non-rider
Sharing a room with a riding companion.
Per person
2026
June 29 to July 2, 2026
July 6 to 9, 2026
July 13 to 16, 2026
July 20 to 23, 2026
July 27 to 30, 2026
August 3 to 6, 2026
August 10 to 13, 2026
August 17 to 20, 2026
August 24 to 27, 2026
August 31 to September 3, 2026
September 7 to 10, 2026
September 14 to 17, 2026
September 21 to 24, 2026
September 28 to October 1, 2026
The fun bits
Payment details
- A fixed Booking Fee of $2,018 CAD
- All bookings are charged in the local currency of the ride destination.
- Accepted payment method is by credit or debit card only.
Cancellation policy
We understand that plans can change. If you need to cancel your ride, please let us know as soon as possible. Cancellation fees apply based on how close your departure date is, and deposits are non-refundable. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your booking. Read our full cancellation policy.
International fees
If you're paying in a currency different from your own, your bank may charge a conversion or international transaction fee.
Itinerary
Please note, this is a suggested itinerary only and subject to change at the discretion of your guides due to weather and other influencing factors.
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Day 1: Arrival
3 to 4 hours in the saddleIt’s time to run away to the wilderness! This morning you’ll don our riding gear and head out to the start of the trailhead, where you’ll meet your amazing wranglers, support crew, and of course the horses! If you’ve arranged the transfer service, you’ll be picked up from your hotel in Whistler at around 8.15am.
Arriving at the trailhead at 9:30, you’ll get the low-down on the day’s plan, be paired up with your steeds and hit the trail for a 15 kilometre (9.3 mile) ride. With alpine forests, crystalline streams and views to die for, today’s journey is sure to get your globetrotting hearts thudding! You’ll climb about 2,000 feet in total, pausing for a saddlebag-packed lunch at an extraordinary lookout point, before arriving at the base camp near Birkenhead Lake in the afternoon. Here you’ll be reunited with your luggage, and if you’ve made it in good time and the weather permits, you might be tempted to take a dip in the river near camp before the sun sets.
The base camp is equipped with a hot shower, composting toilet, covered kitchen and dining area and platform tents to keep you warm and dry in the chilly Canadian nights. A hearty dinner will be cooked over the campfire as the stars emerge between the peaks.
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Days 2 & 3: Daily Routine
5 to 6 hours in the saddleOver the next two days, the order of the trails you ride is interchangeable depending on the weather. Each day will begin with a filling cooked breakfast and end at base camp with another tasty supper and a good night’s sleep.
On one day, you’ll visit the Li-lik-hel mine, trailering the horses to the starting point of the trail then climbing about 6,000 feet to the historic mine site. You’ll be following the route that was originally cut by the miners and then pounded in by horses transporting the gold ore in the early 1900s. Reaching the mine site, you’ll be able to explore it on foot and see how the old miners extracted gold ore by following the veins in the rock. The horses will doze beneath the pines while you enjoy a packed lunch with a stunning view over the valley below. Following a different miners’ track back to the trucks, you’ll load the horses and head back to camp, arriving at around 5pm.
On another day, you’ll mount up at camp and explore the route encircling Birkenhead Lake. With relatively little change in altitude, it’s a cruisey ride through peaceful native forests. There may also be more opportunities to trot and canter due to the smoother terrain. The views across Birkenhead Lake and beyond are picture perfect, especially with Sun God Mountain watching over you from afar. At your lunch stop, you’ll have the chance to cool off in the water, then you’ll ride on around the lake back to camp.
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Day 4: Departure
5 to 6 hours in the saddleIt’s time to head back to civilisation, booo! After a leisurely breakfast, you’ll pack your bags and mount up for the trip back to the trailhead. There are a number of different trails you can take today, and you can decide which one tickles your fancy in the morning. You’ll arrive back at the start of the trailhead around 5pm where you’ll bid sad farewells to the horses and wranglers, before heading off on your merry way.
Remember it’s important to book a night’s accommodation in Whistler at the end of the ride, as you won’t get back there before 6pm in the evening.
Transfer information
The closest major international airport is Vancouver (YVR), about 2.5hrs drive away. Guests are encouraged to hire a car and drive to the ride location – the Sea to Sky Highway is an incredibly scenic route. Alternatively, should you prefer to catch a bus from Vancouver to Whistler, you can arrange a transfer through Whistler Shuttle.
You will need to arrive and stay in Whistler (at your own expense) the night before the ride begins. And you’ll also need to arrange a night in Whistler the day the ride ends.
If you are self-driving to the trailhead, you will need to ensure you arrive no later than 9.30am on day 1.
Alternatively the ride hosts can arrange for you to be picked up from your hotel in Whistler for an additional charge of $250 CAD per person round trip. Pick up is at 8:15am on the morning of day 1. Drop off is around 6pm on the last day. Contact us to organise a paid transfer.
Accommodation
You’ll be staying at your hosts’ well-appointed base camp with a hot shower, composting toilet, fire pit and a covered kitchen and dining area. Guests will be spread out over several spacious platform tents (2-4 guests per tent) complete with sleeping bags and liners, cots, mats, towels and washcloths.
Food
Meals will be either packed in your saddlebags or prepared on the camp oven. In general, you’ll have a filling breakfast and dinner and a lighter lunch. Breakfast consists of coffee, tea, juice, bacon, eggs, pancakes and toast. A saddlebag lunch is enjoyed streamside, on top of a mountain, or wherever your wanderings have taken you. Dinner is a relaxed affair that often includes delights such as chicken, chops, steak and stir-fry, with lots of veggies and salad on the side and of course dessert to seal the deal! Dietary requirements can be catered for with advance notice; please inform us when booking.
Reviews
Chelsey Parish
2 rides with Globetrotting 
Bernadette Kelly
Roz Beinke
What's my riding level?
Not sure what your riding level is? Watch our videos to see all our levels.
Beginner
Reasonably confident riding a horse at a walk, a rising trot, and learning to canter.
Intermediate
Confident and in control riding at all paces outside an arena, but not riding regularly. Comfortable and competent using aids {the language of your leg, seat and hands} to communicate with your horse.
Strong Intermediate
An intermediate rider who is currently riding regularly outside of an arena and is fit enough to ride for at least six hours per day. Strong intermediate riders are comfortable and competent in all three gaits; able to post or sit to the trot; have an independent seat while cantering (don’t hold onto the saddle); and can pick up the correct canter lead. They can also navigate more complex terrain, including asking a horse to sidestep and jump over a small obstacle.
Advanced
A frequent rider who is very fit, comfortable in the saddle for at least six hours per day, and has an independent seat and soft hands. Advanced riders are confident on a forward-moving horse at all paces over rough and variable ground on open terrain. They can ride over small jumps and know the techniques used to collect a horse
Not sure? Contact our team to help you figure out your riding ability.
