Vineyards that stretch to the lake's edge and mountains in the distance – it’s tricky to picture a more spectacular setting in which to enjoy a glass of syrah or chardonnay. The fertile fields of the Okanagan Valley support more than 200 wineries – and there’s a complement of breweries, cideries and distillers throughout the region, too.

Tucked beneath a swathe of the Rockies, the town of Fernie is surrounded by natural splendour that practically insists you spend a good part of your stay outdoors. But it’s the quaint historic centre that earns this town its reputation. An enormous fire tore through in the early 1900s, spurring a major rebuild that locals took advantage of: the new(ish) facades alternate between rosy bricks and creamy sandstone, windows are finished with intricate mouldings and most conform to a three-level, flat-roof design that ensures symmetry along the wide streets.

This is a powder hound’s dream: Rossland is home to one of the world’s largest cat skiing operations, Big Red Cats, where riders are whisked to isolated, ready-to-ride slopes. Even mountain bikers can power through the terrain in winter thanks to the fat-biking community – the bikes have extra-wide tyres that grip the snow.

Combine sprawling national parks and buzzy cities and you have one epic holiday in Canada. Book now.

In Cowichan, a once-fishing-focused town of around 3000 people on Vancouver Island, Maple Syrup isn’t just for your pancakes – it's also the name of a nine-kilometre mountain biking trail that skims down the length of Maple Mountain. It’s one of several adrenaline-fuelled activities to try at this harbour village, such as tubing down the Cowichan River, ocean kayaking and hiking the Kinsol Trestle, a former log-transport track along the Koksilah River.

The 6000 locals are known as “Smithereens” and after you’ve camped on the spruce- and fir-tree-lined shores of Dennis Lake, alongside epic views of Hudson Bay Mountain, you’ll wish you were one, too. Built on the back of a railway development, the town is known for its outdoor adventuring and annual summer music festival. Image: Courtesy Destination British Columbia/ Grant Harder.

A dot on the Sea to Sky highway that winds through the Coast Mountains, Pemberton is surrounded by lush national parks, dense old-growth forests, icy-blue lakes and local wildlife.

Step right off the plane and into a fairytale when you visit Whistler during winter. Book your flights now.

Covering just 21 square kilometres, this isle is just a speck on Canada’s south-west coast but there’s plenty packed onto it: peaceful cycling trails, a mountain worth hiking, an historic lighthouse and even a brewery. Beyond the shore? A variety of fish species and even orcas.

The buildings in this 1000-person-strong town maintain an old-world air but the services within are thoroughly modern: a shop selling honey-based candles, a natural food store and an adventure centre. Out on Kootenay Lake, take a ride on S.S. Moyie, the world's oldest intact sternwheeler.

It might look verdant but Osoyoos is actually Canada’s only true desert. The grasslands lining the lake receive less than 32 centimetres of rain each year and just over five centimetres of snow, while summer days reach temperatures of around 30°C, making it a popular escape from the cooler climes in other parts of the country.

Step right off the plane and into a fairytale when you visit Whistler during winter. Book your flights now.

A slice of Bavaria among the Kootenay Rockies. The Platzl is the community hub of Kimberley, where you’ll find the library and an outdoor ping pong table, but it’s the town’s German-style architecture that charms – including the world’s largest cuckoo clock, designed to lure tourists from the highway for selfies.

Pretty as a picture, this urban centre has mountains towering in the distance, a lake sparkling in the foreground and is easily accessible from Calgary and Vancouver. As it’s the largest town along Shuswap Lake’s 1000-kilometre shoreline, most travellers start their on-water exploration here.

Downtown Squamish is an easily walkable hub of restaurants and live music but it’s the surrounding peaks and valleys that distinguish this town. You can best appreciate the landscape on one of the more manageable hikes to vantage points on Squamish’s immediate outskirts, or really put those legs to work by scaling the 702-meter high, three-summit Stawamus Chief.

Much of the good life here is spent out on the lake, one of the warmest in British Columbia: its calm surface makes it ideal for canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding. In the winter months, nearby hot springs and ski slopes become the playground.

Combine sprawling national parks and buzzy cities and you have one epic holiday in Canada. Book now.

The fifth-largest city in Western Canada, Surrey's population is predicted to surpass Vancouver’s by 2030 – but that doesn’t mean it’s losing its charm. The impressive contemporary architecture in this burgeoning city is complemented by extensive green space: around 30 per cent of the surrounding land is dedicated to farming.

On the edge of the incredible Clayoquot Sound, the deep green forests and moody blue waters make Tofino a must-visit for folks who love the outdoors. For an intensely memorable visit, stand on a beach during a storm: the Pacific Ocean has a clear path between the coast and Japan so the waves build as the winds whip across the water. Be safe of course – check tides and stand well back from the shore.

The Whistler Blackcomb slopes may be famously pristine but the mountain village where skiers spend the night is just as gorgeous. Lodge fireplaces send a warm glow out onto the snowy streets and fairy lights twinkle on the branches of the stripped-back trees. There’s even a pedestrian-only space throughout town, known as the Village Stroll, where you can take it all in.

Is This Canadian Train Journey the Most Scenic in the World?