When you think about Kelowna, you probably picture sandy beaches along the shores of Lake Okanagan, sun-soaked days, and rows of orchard and vineyard reaching nearly right into the city. Kelowna is the largest city in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, and it offers all the urban amenities and entertainment that you require while still in a resort-town setting. But the charm of rural living so close to an urban centre is what visitors will truly fall in love with. Travellers with a curiosity for Kelowna’s agricultural heritage and a hankering for light activity can access the quiet country roads around Kelowna on a guided cycling tour. This behind-the-scenes peek at life in Kelowna is a wonderful way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

Monashee Adventure Tours offers guided cycling tours around the back-roads of Kelowna, through orchard country and breathtaking private gardens, and unforgettable lookout points over the expansive lake and valley. Ed Kruger, your guide and owner of Monashee Adventure tours will regale you with facts about how Kelowna got its name, how orcharding has changed from its original methods to present methods, how the surrounding mountains got their names, and a host of other fascinating factoids.

The bicycles are available to small or large groups, and range from comfortable hybrid mountain bikes to the endlessly clever Electronic Assist Bike, which functions like a regular bicycle but gives the rider an extra boost with its small and soundless motor. Riders will enjoy a moderate amount of exercise while riding this bicycle, but the beauty of this ride is in the vast area one can cover without ever really breaking a sweat. Feel like you’re 30 again on this bike! Hills are no longer a chore.

Monashee Adventure Tours’ bicycle rides range from pleasant orchard and back-road bike trips to more demanding wooded trail rides fit for the more advanced cyclist. They are a terrific way to learn about the region you find yourself in, and to savour the beauty of your surroundings.

Ed ends his bicycle tours at a nearby winery so that visitors can linger on the patios overlooking the vineyards and lake, take a winery tour, and then indulge in the menu and award-winning wares of the wineshop. What a truly “Okanagan experience! 

Depending on what your preferred physical activity, there are a variety of tour outfitters who offer guided trips into the outdoor playground that surrounds Kelowna. The following is a sampling of other adventure outfitters in the area and the types of tours they offer:

• Selah Adventure Tours offer guided canoe trips on Lake Okanagan, stopping at wineries near the water’s edge, recounting the legend of Ogopogo to paddlers, and even paddling out to shorelines which were ravaged by the Okanagan Provincial Park wildfires last summer to observe the way forests regenerate after fires.

• GeoQwest Excursion Ltd. offers visitors a chance to go among the regenerating forests by taking visitors into the back-country in a 4x4 Ford Excursion. Guide Steve Noakes has a background in geology and ecology, and can provide his guests with a well-informed lesson on the area’s ecological systems and topography, as well as historical information about gold-mining in the area.

• Wildflower Trails and Wine Tours conducts interpretive hikes in the hills surrounding Kelowna. Not only do you benefit from activity, and the satisfaction of the breathtaking view from the trail, but your hosts also pack a delightful picnic complete with wine from the region to energize you. On this hike you will learn about the flora and fauna of the region, as well as about some of Kelowna’s natural history and heritage.

Once you have returned from your day’s activities, be sure to treat yourself to a spa experience at one of Kelowna’s luxury spas or treatment rooms in your hotel. For more information on spas, click here.

With 65 wineries in the Okanagan, 15 of which are the Kelowna area, there are plenty of fascinating winery tours you can take. In addition to winery tours, the Okanagan Wine Museum is open year-round for complete background on viticulture in the Okanagan. The spring and fall also feature two wine festivals that team with social and educational events centring around wine. Click here for more information on our wine festivals. 

In the winter, Kelowna is homebase for a score of winter activities ranging form snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, telemarking, skating, and snowmobiling. Click here for more information on these winter activities.

Kelowna is a city that hasn’t outgrown its small-town friendliness and hospitality. It is a safe and active place for all ages, all year round. For more information about travelling to Kelowna, check out www.tourismkelowna.com or call toll free at 1-800-663-4345.