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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Revelstoke
Give Revelstoke 2 nights if you ski or ride the mountain coaster; 1 night is enough as a Trans-Canada Highway stop between Banff and Vancouver.
Revelstoke is a town of about 7,100 on the Columbia River between the Selkirk and Monashee mountains, on Highway 1 midway between Calgary and Vancouver. Skiing built its name: Revelstoke Mountain Resort has the most lift-served vertical in North America, and the town holds Canada's record for the snowiest single winter. Summer brings the mountain coaster, lift-served biking and Mount Revelstoke National Park. Most travellers pass through in a day; skiers and bikers stay two or more.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jul–Sep for hiking and biking; Dec–Mar for skiing
- Avoid
- Nov and Apr (shoulder season, lifts and some sights closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–250 excl. bed · High C$300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · DriveBC road conditions 511
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$3–6 |
| Breakfast or lunch main | C$15–25 |
| Dinner main | C$25–40 |
| Draught beer in a bar | C$7–10 |
| Revelstoke Mountain Resort lift ticket | about C$129 winter, C$25 summer |
| Revelstoke Dam Visitor Centre entry | adult C$8, child or senior C$7 |
| Camping, provincial park site | C$28 a night |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YRV · Revelstoke Airport
- Seasonal charters from Vancouver only; no scheduled year-round service.
- YKA · Kamloops Airport
- Nearest scheduled airport, about 2.5 h by car.
- YLW · Kelowna Airport
- About 2.5 h by car; more flights than Kamloops.
Typical fares
- Revy Rides in town
- flat fare from about C$4.20
- Resort shuttle
- about C$4 a trip, free at some lodgings
- Bus from Vancouver
- about 8 h 15 min on Rider Express
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Downtown is small enough to walk. BC Transit runs several town routes Monday to Saturday. Revy Rides is an on-demand, door-to-door service with flat fares by zone and gear storage for skis and bikes; taxis (Howard's, Johnnie's) cover late nights. A resort shuttle links the mountain with Columbia Park, downtown, Southside and Arrow Heights, about $4 a trip and free at some lodgings. A car helps for the national park, the dam and the highway sights.
See and do
Known for
- Revelstoke Mountain Resort
- Mount Revelstoke National Park
- Railway history and the Last Spike
- Heli-skiing and cat-skiing
- Deep powder snow
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Revelstoke National Park | Drive or taxi up the Meadows in the Sky Parkway from town | 20–40 min |
| Revelstoke Dam Visitor Centre | 3 km (1.9 mi) north on Highway 231.9 mi (3 km) north on Highway 23 | About 10 min |
| The Last Spike, Craigellachie | Drive 45 km (28 mi) west on Highway 1Drive 28 mi (45 km) west on Highway 1 | About 40 min |
| Three Valley Gap Heritage Ghost Town | Drive 21 km (13 mi) west on Highway 1Drive 13 mi (21 km) west on Highway 1 | About 20 min |
| Canyon Hot Springs | Drive 35 km (22 mi) east on Highway 1Drive 22 mi (35 km) east on Highway 1 | About 30 min |
| Golden | Drive east on Highway 1 through Glacier National Park | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Downtown (First Street and Mackenzie Ave)
- Walk to restaurants, bars and the museums; the Regent and Eleven are here. Best for a car-free night.
- Highway 1 strip (Laforme Blvd and Victoria Rd W)
- Chain hotels, easy parking and quick highway access. Best for one night with a car.
- Mountain resort base
- Slopeside beds at Revelstoke Mountain Resort; 10–15 min from town by shuttle or car.
- Highway 23 North
- Basecamp Resorts and the dam road; quiet, needs a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the bus stop? | Where is the bus stop? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Winter driving on Highway 1 through Rogers Pass: snow tires or chains are required by law on many BC mountain routes in winter, and the pass closes for avalanche control — check DriveBC before you set out.
- This is black bear and grizzly country. Carry bear spray on trails, make noise, and never leave food in a vehicle or tent.
- Cell coverage is patchy on Highway 1 east of town and inside the national parks.
- Shoulder seasons (November, April) close lifts, the dam visitor centre and some highway attractions.
- Book ski-season beds weeks ahead; the town is small and fills up.
A small, safe mountain town; the real risks are winter highway conditions through Rogers Pass, backcountry avalanches and bears. Check DriveBC and the avalanche forecast before you go out.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Revelstoke yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Revelstoke Mountain Resort
- Mount Revelstoke National Park
- Railway history and the Last Spike
- Heli-skiing and cat-skiing
- Deep powder snow
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Revelstoke: revelstoke.ca/
- See Revelstoke (tourism): seerevelstoke.com/
- Revelstoke Mountain Resort: www.revelstokemountainresort.com/
- BC Transit — Revelstoke: www.bctransit.com/revelstoke/home
- BC Hydro — Revelstoke Dam Visitor Centre: www.bchydro.com/community/recreation_areas/visitor-centres/revelstoke-visitor-centre.html
- Revelstoke Railway Museum: www.railwaymuseum.com/
- Revelstoke Museum & Archives: www.revelstokemuseum.ca/
- Rider Express: riderexpress.ca/
- BC Parks — Blanket Creek: bcparks.ca/blanket-creek-park/
- BC Parks — Martha Creek: bcparks.ca/martha-creek-park/
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Revelstoke
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in town; the US consulate-general is in Vancouver and most others are in Ottawa or Vancouver.
Tipping is expected: 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/revelstoke). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.