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Major city · Canada

Sicamous

Give Sicamous 1 night as a Trans-Canada stop, or 2–3 nights if you rent a houseboat on Shuswap Lake; without a boat, one afternoon covers it.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CAD
Best months
Jun–Sep
avoid Nov–Mar (cold, many seasonal businesses closed)
Airports
YLW · YVR · YYC
Nights
1–3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Canada ↗Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through Canada usually need an eTA; check your passport on the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and apply only there.
  • Canada ↗A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop in national parks such as Banff and Jasper; some spots (for example Moraine Lake) are reached only by shuttle or tour, so book ahead.
  • Canada ↗Keep well away from bears, elk and moose; carry bear spray on Rockies trails and follow trail closures.

Sicamous is a town of about 2,400 people at the eastern end of Shuswap Lake, on the junction of Highway 1 and Highway 97A in British Columbia. It calls itself the Houseboat Capital of Canada, and that is the honest reason to stop: the lake, the beaches at Mara Lake and the boat rentals. Landside, it is a small highway town with a dairy, a few pubs and motels, best used as one night between Vancouver and the Rockies or as a base for a houseboat week.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Sicamous, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeC$3–6 (≈ US$3–5)
  • BeerDraught beer in a pubC$7–9 (≈ US$6–7)
  • Budget bedTent or RV campsite, a night, per roomC$35 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedMotel double room, a night, per roomC$145 (≈ US$110)
  • High-end bedMotel double room, a night, per roomC$195 (≈ US$150)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget C$90 (≈ US$70) · Mid C$170 (≈ US$130) · High C$300 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Houseboating on Shuswap LakeMara Lake beachesD Dutchmen DairyThe Last Spike at Craigellachie
Airports
YLW Kelowna International Airport (About 1 h 30 min–2 h by car via Highway 97A; the nearest full-service airport.) · YVR Vancouver International Airport (About 4 h 30 min–5 h by car east on Highway 1; most overseas arrivals land here.) · YYC Calgary International Airport (About 5 h–5 h 30 min by car west on Highway 1.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Sicamous: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−1°C

−7°C

13 rd

Feb

3°C

−5°C

10 rd

Mar

9°C

−2°C

11 rd

Apr

15°C

2°C

10 rd

May

20°C

6°C

12 rd

Jun

24°C

10°C

12 rd

Jul

28°C

13°C

9 rd

Aug

28°C

13°C

9 rd

Sep

22°C

8°C

10 rd

Oct

13°C

3°C

13 rd

Nov

5°C

−1°C

15 rd

Dec

0°C

−6°C

14 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is the practical way to move: the town sits on Highway 1 and Highway 97A, and the beaches, dairy and golf courses are spread out. On the lake, the point is a boat — houseboats, or a speedboat if you are short on time. Two floating stores serve the lake in summer.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

The Last Spike, Craigellachie

go

Door to door: About 20 min each way

Drive east on Highway 1

Plaque and display marking the 1885 last spike; gift shop and info centre open May–Oct.

Salmon Arm

go

Door to door: About 30 min each way

Drive west on Highway 1

Bigger town with more food and shops; pairs with a lake day.

Revelstoke

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min each way

Drive east on Highway 1

Better as an overnight on the way to the Rockies than a return day trip.

Vernon and the Okanagan

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min each way

Drive south on Highway 97A

Wineries and a bigger lake; a long half-day from Sicamous.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Trans-Canada Highway strip

Motels and the Best Western on Highway 1; easiest for one night with a car.

Downtown / Main Street and Finlayson Street

Walkable to pubs, the ice cream shop and Silver Sands Beach.

Riverside Avenue

Lakeside hotels and Moose Mulligans; some rooms look over the water.

Mara Lake / Two Mile

Beaches and golf south of town on Highway 97A; needs a car.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
C$90–150 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
C$150–260 (≈ US$110–190) excl. bed
High
C$260 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel double room1 × 1 night × C$145C$145
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × C$170C$340
Houseboat rental, per boat per night1 × C$900 · check; varies by boat size and seasonC$900
Golf, 18 holes at Hyde Mountain2 × C$70 · checkC$140
eSIM, about a week of data2 × C$25C$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeC$158
Trip total≈ C$867 per person per day, bed includedC$1,733≈ US$1,300

2026 estimate in Canadian dollars; long-distance transport and houseboat rental excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Ice cream cone at D Dutchmen DairyC$5–9 (≈ US$4–7)
CoffeeC$3–6 (≈ US$3–5)
Pub main (burger, fish and chips)C$18–28 (≈ US$14–25)
Draught beer in a pubC$7–9 (≈ US$6–7)
Grocery run for two, one dayC$40–70 (≈ US$30–55)
Gasoline, per litrecheck; varies with the seasonC$1.60–1.90 (≈ US$2)
Provincial park day useCamping fees apply separatelyFree

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Sicamous is a small, low-crime town and feels safe day and night. The real risks are the lake — cold water, no lifeguards at most beaches, and alcohol on a boat — plus winter driving on Highway 1 and wildlife on rural roads.
  • Distances between sights are driving distances, not walking ones; plan on a car.
  • Houseboats need advance booking, and a valid driver's licence is required — confirm requirements with the rental company.
  • Many seasonal businesses (ice cream, cafés, some campgrounds) close from October to April.
  • Highway 1 through the mountains closes for crashes, avalanches and rockfall: check DriveBC before driving in winter.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
BC health advice line (HealthLink BC, 24 h)
811

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

SicamousSicamous

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • HealthLink BC (24 h health advice)811

Embassy

No embassies in Sicamous. The US has a consulate general in Vancouver; most other countries keep embassies in Ottawa and consulates in Vancouver.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Ebus or Rider Express, Vancouver → Sicamous: check current fare and days; both run the Trans-Canada corridor
  • Taxi within town: C$10–20 (≈ US$8–15) (check)
  • Houseboat rental, per night: C$500–1,500 (≈ US$400–1,100) depending on boat and season (check)

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you (—)
  • Where is the beach? — Where is the beach? (—)
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card? (—)

English is the working language; no phrasebook needed.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Sicamous. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep · avoid Nov–Mar (cold, many seasonal businesses closed) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contracts for YLW and YVR: last bus and shuttle times field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking and driving clusters with rescue anchors: Highway 1 strip, Main Street, Riverside Avenue, Mara Lake.
  3. Houseboat operator pages with verified booking windows, licence rules and deposit terms.
  4. Beach and park pages with verified seasonal open dates and parking rules.

Meanwhile

Back to Canada

Sources