Best Time to Visit Whistler Sliding Centre: Summer or Winter?
Best Time to Visit Whistler Sliding Centre: Summer or Winter?
There's no single best month to visit the Whistler Sliding Centre, because the track itself changes completely depending on the season. Come in winter and you're riding real ice, the same surface used at the 2010 Olympics. Come in summer and the same track runs on wheels instead, no snow required. Both are fast. Both are run by the team that trains Canada's national bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge athletes.
Winter (December to April): Ice Bobsleigh and Skeleton
This is the original version, the one built for the Olympics. From roughly December through April, the ice season opens up two public experiences.
Passenger Bobsleigh puts you in a real bobsled with a trained pilot at the wheel, hitting speeds over 125 km/hr and up to 4 g-forces through ten corners of the actual Olympic track. Riders need to be 14 or older, with 14 to 15 year olds riding alongside an adult.
Public Skeleton is the solo version: you, a sled, and the bottom six corners of the track, headfirst, up to 100 km/hr. You get two runs, so the first one doesn't have to be your last impression.
Kids get their own way in too. Discover Luge is a two hour, on ice introduction for ages 8 to 14, sliding the final four curves of the track with full coaching.
Book both Passenger Bobsleigh and Public Skeleton in the same winter and the second ride is 25% off.
Pick winter if you want the real ice, the higher speeds, and the closest thing to what the athletes actually race on.
Summer (June 12 to September 13): Summer Bobsleigh
Once the ice melts, the track doesn't close, we switch to wheels. Summer Bobsleigh runs June 12 to September 13, and it's the most accessible way to try the track: no experience needed, a trained pilot drives, and you'll still hit speeds up to 90 km/hr through the same twists and turns. Every ride starts with an orientation and a track walk, so you get the full story of the venue, not just the run itself.
It goes rain or shine, and youth aged 12 to 18 ride at half price alongside a full paying adult, which makes it an easy add to a trip that's already built around hiking, biking, or exploring the village.
Pick summer if you're already in Whistler for the warm weather activities and want to add one genuinely unique thing to the trip, without needing winter gear or a specific weather window.
Not Riding? Come Watch for Free
You don't have to get in a sled to visit. Sightseeing and spectating are free year round, just on different schedules:
- Summer: Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm
- Winter: daily during scheduled sliding times, mid-October through early April
Either season, pick up a map at Guest Services and follow the self-guided interpretive tour along the track, stand on the Olympic podium, and watch athletes from around the world train on the same ice or wheels you'd be riding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Whistler Sliding Centre open in summer? Yes. The ice track closes for the season, but Summer Bobsleigh runs June 12 to September 13 on the same course, on wheels instead of ice.
How fast does the bobsleigh go? Up to 125+ km/hr in winter's Passenger Bobsleigh, and up to 90 km/hr in Summer Bobsleigh.
Do you need experience to ride? No. Every public sliding experience, winter or summer, starts with an orientation before you get on the track.
Is there a minimum age? Passenger Bobsleigh requires riders to be 14 or older (14 to 15 year olds ride with an adult). Discover Luge is built for ages 8 to 14. Height, weight, and health requirements apply across the board, worth checking before booking.
Is it free to visit if I don't want to ride? Yes. Spectating and sightseeing are free year round.
Whenever You Come, Come Ready to Slide
Winter or summer, this is still the only place in Canada where the public can ride an Olympic track. Book your ride and find out what it actually feels like to slide like an Olympian.