How to Spend a Weekend in Penticton, BC

I’ve always wanted to embrace more local travel here in BC and 2020 has certainly been the time to do that (unless restrictions say otherwise, of course). One local trip we did fit in was a weekend in Penticton in mid October.

I had never been to Penticton before but Colin had gone as a kid. It’s a cute town, right on the lake, and well-known for beautiful scenery, outdoor activities, a craft brewery scene, and lots and lots of wineries.

We spent three days in Penticton and I absolutely loved it! Penticton has that small town charm but there’s still so much to see and do. I loved that besides natural beauty there was also the cool factor with breweries, street art and a fun downtown area. I could even see us moving to Penticton one day (though I’m not sure Colin is quite on board). But we’ll definitely be visiting again in the future, especially since Penticton is where we got engaged.

If you’re planning a weekend in Penticton, read on for my itinerary!

What you need to know before spending the weekend in Penticton

Where is Penticton?

Penticton is located in the Okanagan Valley within BC’s interior. It’s sandwiched between two lakes, Okanagan and Skaha.

How do you get to Penticton?

From Vancouver, Penticton is about a five hour drive, depending on traffic and weather conditions. If you’re coming from Kelowna, Penticton is just an hour away and if you’re coming from Calgary, you’re looking at about an eight hour drive.

The easiest way to get to Penticton would be by car. You could also fly into the small airport, Penticton Regional Airport, which has daily flights from Vancouver and Calgary. And I’ve read conflicting reports about a bus, so if you’re wanting to go that route, just make sure you have the updated schedule.

How long do you need to spend in Penticton?

We were in Penticton for three nights in mid-October and I felt like that was enough time. We had plenty to do and enjoyed our time, but didn’t feel rushed. However, we’re not huge drinkers or outdoorsy types. So I definitely think you could spend longer there exploring the wineries/breweries or taking part in the outdoor activities, especially in the summer.

Where should you stay?

You definitely want to stay central, as Penticton is a small town. We stayed at one of the motels on Lakeshore Drive which I thought was perfect. They’re in a great location, right on the waterfront, a quick 10-15 walk to the main downtown strip, and they’re affordable. There’s also the Penticton Lakeside Resort if you want to splurge a bit more and be a few minutes closer to the downtown core.

When should you go?

Well, I don’t think I’m the authority on this, but I really enjoyed our mid-October visit. It was a little bit chilly, so maybe early October or late September would be better, but it also felt like we had the entire town to ourselves. Of course, that’s not the best time of year for swimming or other outdoor activities. So if you’re wanting to swim in the lake, you’ll have to fight the crowds and high prices of summer.

Day 1 of your weekend in Penticton

Breakfast at The Bench Market

Start your first day in Penticton off with breakfast at The Bench Market. This cute cafe/general store is just on the outskirts of town, so you may need a car to get there depending on where you’re staying. But it’s worth the short drive.

Here you’ll find delicious sandwiches, freshly baked goods and a weekend brunch menu (as well as a daily breakfast menu). There’s also lots of local grocery products you can purchase, like crackers, maple syrup and home-made granola. And Colin says the coffee was great!

If you prefer to be right downtown, I hear Wayne & Freda is a great place for good coffee and a quick breakfast!

“Hike” Munson Mountain

From The Bench Market, you’re just a 10 minute drive to Munson Mountain (or Mount Munson, it seems to go by both names). I’ll admit that Munson Mountain has a special place in my heart because it’s where we got engaged! 

But even if you’re not proposing, Munson Mountain is definitely worth adding to your Penticton weekend itinerary. From the top, you’re afforded a gorgeous view over Penticton, Lake Okanagan and all of the vineyards surrounding the area. It’s absolutely beautiful in every direction! I loved seeing the fall colours when we were there in October.

The best part (for me at least)? It’s really not much of a hike at all. Once you park in the lot, it’s about a three minute flat walk to the first viewpoint. And if you want to make it to the very top, it’s maybe a 5-10 minute uphill climb from there. Even I, a person who never hikes and gets winded running for the bus, made it up with no problems.

If you’re looking for something a little more strenuous, check out the rock climbing opportunities at Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park. Or for a longer walk, hike along the KVR Trail for gorgeous waterfront views and pretty flat terrain.

Brewery crawl

Penticton is (apparently) the craft beer capital of Canada. We did not know this when we booked our trip but we were only too happy to investigate! Colin loves beer and I love hanging out at cool breweries, so it was a good fit!

Just in the small city centre, Penticton has six breweries with a seventh one in production. During our weekend, we stopped in at just two, but you could definitely make an entire afternoon of brewery hopping. They’re all within walking distance and it would be easy to have a taste at each one. Most of the breweries also serve food, so you can grab lunch!

Start at Bad Tattoo Brewing, a funky spot with good beer and even better pizza. We got the Donair pizza and it was amazing! We then headed over to Cannery Brewing where we enjoyed their happy hour live music. Colin tried a flight of beers, I went for a cider, and we both agreed the grapefruit radler was the winner.

Other breweries you should check out: Tin Whistle Brewing Co, Highway 97 Brewing Company and Slackwater Brewing.

Walk along the beach

You can’t spend a weekend in Penticton without hitting the beach at least once. Even if you visit in the fall or winter like we did, the beach on Okanagan Lake is still very scenic and worth your time. We did most of our walks with Ellie along the beach. And because it was mid-October, we often had the whole place to ourselves.

In the summer, follow up your brewery crawl with an ice cream crawl! Along the waterfront you can sample cones from Patio Burger & Ice Cream Co., Ogo’s Ice Cream and Tickleberry’s. Sadly, all of those places were closed for the season when we visited, so you’ll have to tell me which one is the best!

While at the beach, you’ll also want to get your photo taken with The Peach – where you can get even more ice cream!

Dinner at Elma

For your first dinner in Penticton, I’m recommending Elma. Elma is a Turkish restaurant on the waterfront that serves up Turkish fusion food, using local ingredients, in a very cool atmosphere.

Colin and I lucked out on our first night, sneaking into Elma despite not having a reservation. I definitely recommend you call ahead to this place as we saw many people get turned away.

The atmosphere inside Elma is so cool. The interior is beautifully decorated, the servers are fun and the food is really tasty. I don’t know much about Turkish food so we went for the specials and loved every bite!

Day 2 of your weekend in Penticton

Loki’s Garage for brunch

Start your second day in Penticton with brunch at local favourite, Loki’s Garage. As the name implies, this restaurant is literally in a converted garage at the back of the building (but no Tom Hiddleston in sight). We were a bit turned around when we showed up, so learn from us and just head to the back.

This place feels very local (at least it did to us in the off-season) and was pretty no frills. The food was homemade and delicious. I really enjoyed my eggs benedict!

Winery tour

Of course, most people come to the Okanagan Valley for the wine, so you can’t leave Penticton without tasting some of the local vines. There are over 80 wineries within 20 minutes of the city, so you will be spoilt for choice.

I will admit: Colin and I are not the biggest wine drinkers. But even we went to one winery and did a tasting, since we were in Penticton after all. We headed to Morraine Estate Winery, mostly because I loved their views. Thanks to covid, the dining area was closed and we couldn’t spend a lot of time enjoying the view. But we did have a lovely tasting and got a few photos of the view on our way out.

The woman who did our tasting was very friendly and catered to our novice wine knowledge. Because Colin was driving, we split a tasting ($10). We also decided to buy a bottle afterwards. And when you buy a bottle, they deduct the tasting cost from the price of the bottle. Is this common practice? I don’t go to enough wine tastings to know. But we were very happy to leave with a bottle and having tasted five wines, all for about $20!

Other nearby wineries you may want to check out: La Frenz, Poplar Grove (also a cheese shop!), Bench 1775, Play Estate, Laughing Stock and Three Sisters.

Lunch at Sushi Heaven

So by now, you may think I have lost it. First I recommended a Turkish restaurant and now I’m recommending a sushi restaurant in a small town in the interior of BC. I know! But trust me, these restaurants are good.

I had seen Sushi Heaven come up in a few articles about Penticton and the reviews were excellent. A lot of the reviewers were patrons of Vancouver sushi joints like myself and admitted being skeptical of sushi in Penticton. But their scepticism was unfounded. Sushi Heaven was great!

So we decided to try it. In fact, it’s the meal we celebrated our engagement with! And I could not have been more impressed. This sushi is seriously delicious. I’ve always told Colin we couldn’t move to a small town because I would miss sushi too much. Well, I guess I found the town that could make it work for me!

If you’re not a sushi fan, grab lunch at The Nest or Hooded Merganser, two other Penticton restaurants that come highly recommended.

Shopping on Main Street

Main Street is, as the name implies, the main street in Penticton. As this is a pretty small city, this is the core of downtown where you’ll find many of the breweries and lots of good shopping.

I’m not a huge shopper, but even I was attracted to the many independent clothing stores and cafes that lined Main Street. There’s also a surprising number of cannabis shops, if that’s your thing.

One place you definitely need to go is The Book Shop. The Book Shop is one of Canada’s largest used bookstores with an overwhelming number of books. As an avid reader (check out the book section of my blog!), I was so excited to check out this store. We didn’t buy anything, but I could have easily spent hours in there browsing.

Penticton is also a great place for street art! Right behind The Book Shop is an alley covered in street art. All around town you’ll find lots of gorgeous murals. For a full guide, check out this post by my travel blogger friend, Andrea. 

Head to Skaha Lake

On the other side of Penticton is Skaha Lake. Most visitors to Penticton stick to nearby Okanagan Lake, but we wanted to check out the other side of things.

Skaha Lake and Skaha Beach are definitely a cool scene. Especially if you’re travelling with kids or dogs, this would be a great area to come for a scenic walk and to tire everyone out. There were lots of playgrounds, volleyball courts, basketball courts and benches and tables to sit at. I could definitely see packing a picnic and making a day of it with the family.

Dinner at Salty’s Beach House

Sadly, your weekend in Penticton has come to an end and it’s time for one final dinner before you head out. For your final dinner, we’re heading back to the lakefront and going just a few doors down from Elma to Salty’s Beach House.

This nautical eatery is the perfect place to enjoy some fresh, local seafood and a drink off their extensive beverage menu. We enjoyed cocktails, seafood chowder, ahi tuna nachos, and fish and chips! It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend in Penticton.

What else is there to do during a weekend in Penticton?

Lots! As mentioned above, there are a ton of wineries and breweries that you could spend weeks sampling. There are also a lot of outdoor adventure activities, most that you’ll have to wait until summer to enjoy. You can spend a day at the beach swimming in the lake, float in the channel, go horseback riding, head out biking or tackle a local hiking trail. There’s also a weekly farmer’s market and many festivals and events held during the summer.

You could also couple your weekend in Penticton with a visit to nearby towns like Osoyoos or Kelowna.

For more ideas, check out these posts by some travel blogging friends of mine!

How pet friendly is Penticton?

As you may have noticed, we did take our dog, Ellie, with us to Penticton. She comes along on a lot of our travels. Overall, I found Penticton to be fairly pet-friendly, but probably not as pet-friendly as weekends we’ve spent in Germany or Austria.

For all of our outdoor activities (Munson Mountain and the beaches), we had Ellie with us. We called ahead to the winery and they had no problem with us bringing Ellie inside. Same for The Bench Market, where we chose to eat on the patio with Ellie at our feet.

I imagine we would’ve been able to have her on the patio of the breweries and other restaurants too, but it had rained recently so we chose to eat inside without Ellie. We also didn’t bring her into any of the shops on Main Street. But Ellie was more than happy to hang out at our pet-friendly motel while we were out.

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Ready for your weekend in Penticton, BC? 

 

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