British Columbia is defined by its Pacific coastline, rugged mountain ranges and turquoise lakes.

The best, and easiest, way to truly explore the awe-inspiring landscapes and discover local towns is on a road trip.

You will find the journey is just as impressive as the destinations and a must-do for those who want to really experience what British Columbia (BC) has to offer.

There are several routes you can take, but for us, the week-long adventure started in Vancouver and moved clockwise through the interior Thompson-Okanagan region.

Day one: Setting off on the Sea-to-Sky Highway

Vancouver is one of the most ethnically diverse and most-dense cities in Canada.

Locals live an active lifestyle and with world-class skiing and biking mountains, hundreds of parks, campsites, hiking trails and one of the world’s longest seawalls (Stanley Park) to explore, it’s easy to see why.

We left the city via the Sea-to-Sky Highway, considered one of the most beautiful drives in the world. The winding corridor stretches for 1.5 hours from Vancouver to the ski town of Whistler.

Close to the outdoor sports town of Squamish, about 45 minutes north of Vancouver, you’ll find Shannon Falls, BC’s third largest waterfall. Joffre Lake is another must-see on this route, located along Duffey Lake Road.

The scenery is spectacular and everchanging.

We meandered from coastal rainforest to arid ranges, where the temperature jumped 10°C.

After passing the farming valley of Pemberton and the First Nations reserve in Lillooet we arrived in Kamloops, a junction town where BC’s largest rivers, rail lines and roads cross paths.

This was our base for the next few days.

Day two: Wells Gray's waterfalls and wildlife

Clearwater is 1.5 hours north of Kamloops and serves as a gateway to Wells Gray Provincial Park.

The 5,000sq.km park is arguably one of BC’s best-kept secrets. It’s smaller and much quieter than Jasper and Banff, offering tourists an off-the-beaten-track experience that is just as breathtaking.

Setting off along Moul Trail, our guide, biologist Dr Gy Ovenden, explained there were more than 40 waterfalls in the park and more than 60 species of mammals, including moose and black and grizzly bears.

The park’s main attraction is the array of waterfalls – including the most popular Spahats, Dawson and Helmcken falls, which are easily accessible from carparks.

Moul Falls is smaller, but in summer months, after the ice has melted and water levels drop, it gives hikers the unique opportunity to walk behind the tumbling water.

Day three: Exploring Kamloops

Kamloops is one of BC’s newest and northernmost wine destinations and home to four wineries – Privato, Monte Creek, Harper’s Trail and Sagewood – as well as brewhouses and distilleries.

You can visit yourself or book a tour like we did with DiVine Tours.

Closer to town, Bright Eye Brewing is a craft beer favourite among locals, offering ales, lagers and sours.

On the main highway, east of downtown Kamloops, Route 1 Distillery, which two local firefighters started, offers locally distilled vodka and gin.

Sockeye salmon in Adams River. Photo: Destination BC / Chun Lee

Day four: Salmon spawning season

Perhaps our most memorable and unique experience was the salmon run – an age-old spectacle of life and death.

Every autumn, between the end of September and mid-October, hundreds of thousands of salmon make their final journey upstream to the Adams River, to lay their eggs.

In a story reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, male and female salmon return to their birthplace, after spending four years travelling more than a thousand kilometres against formidable odds.

As they make the two-week journey up rivers and estuaries from the Pacific Ocean, the sockeye salmon turn from silver to red.

They spend days in rivers, picking their perfect mate and creating a rocky redd (nest) on the riverbed.

However, once they have spawned, they both die.

Salmon spawning season takes place yearly, however you'll see the largest schools of sockeye in the dominant years, which is every four years, the next being in 2026.

Shuswap Lake at Salmon Arm. Photo: Destination BC / @miraecampbell

Day five: Taking flight in Salmon Arm

Today we’re in the small community of Salmon Arm on Shuswap Lake. It’s a popular spot in the warmer months and a top-rated bird-watching destination.

Our guide Dr John Woods explained there were at least 270 recorded species in Salmon Arm, including the western grebe, which flock here in summer for a season of courtship and nesting.

From November to February most birds leave the region when the lake freezes and travel south to the United States seeking warmer climates. You can visit Salmon Arm Bay Nature Engagement Society for more information.

Don’t leave Salmon Arm without stopping at the renowned Shuswap Pie Company in town to try one of its sweet or savoury pastries.

Quails' Gate winery in the Okanagan Valley. Photo: Destination BC / @vancouverfoodie

Day six: Okanagan Valley wineries

An hour and a half south of Salmon Arm, we find ourselves in the city of Kelowna, situated in the Okanagan Valley amid forests, vineyards, mountains and lakes.

The region is home to more than 40 wineries, and we wasted no time in exploring what was on offer, starting at Quails’ Gate, one of the oldest family-owned and operated wineries in the region.

Sommelier Katrin Pottel said the varying soil profiles, long, hot growing days and diverse microclimates allowed them to grow at least 10 varieties of grapes across more than 80ha of vineyards.

Standing among the vines at Quails’ Gate, we heard the gong of what sounded like church bells, but in fact the sound was coming from the nearby Mission Hill winery.

If the wine isn’t enough to entice you, perhaps the stunning vistas and architecture at these wineries will.

Also close by is Indigenous World Winery, merging modern culture with Indigenous history.

Its owners Robert and Bernice are descendants of the Indigenous first peoples of the Okanagan Valley.

If wineries aren’t your cup of tea, the lakeside city of Kelowna has a large brewery scene (about 12 breweries within walking distance) and its downtown area boasts many microbars, restaurants and cafes.

Visit RACQ Travel for more great holiday ideas