Kelowna has become one of our favourite places to visit as a family year after year, there is so much to see and do in the summer! With my husband home with us this summer we spent 3 weeks enjoying the sun and having so much fun with the kids! Everyday we had something to do whether it was hitting the beach, taking a hike or getting out on the lake in the boat. It’s also a dog friendly city so we love bringing Bandit along for our adventures when we can!

We always plan ahead when visiting the region by visiting the Tourism Kelowna website or their Visitor Centre in downtown Kelowna. They offer so many great ideas of things to do and places to see from wineries to activities, there is something for everyone in Kelowna!

Where to Stay With Kids

The Delta Grand Okanagan Resort is located right on the lake in downtown Kelowna. The location is perfect if you plan on doing a little exploring, everything is within walking distance that you might need. We enjoyed many restaurant options and the beautiful path along the lake for walks with our dog Bandit.

There is an amazing public beach right beside the hotel called Tugboat Bay. We love how clean the beach is and its a little less busy than the other one downtown. This location has full facilities, food options and calm waters in the bay.

One of our favourite things about this hotel was all the amenities available for hotel guests! We kept ourselves busy throughout our stay with swimming, bike rides, paddle boating, kayaking and the games room which was filled with entertainment for all ages. All of these amenities are included within your daily resort fee and they provide safety equipment like bike helmets and life jackets as well where needed!

We stayed in a 2 bedroom suite overlooking the lake with a walk out patio on the main floor. It was ideal for our family as it had a full kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a family room. The location was perfect for getting to the pool, restaurant and amenities counter outside on the lake for rentals. The property is pet friendly which we loved, it was great to see so many families had brought their furry family members along as well!

What to Do with Kids

Kelowna is such an amazing city for enjoying the great outdoors! We kept the kids busy with swimming, hiking, beach days and activities. Since Alberta has had such an awful summer this year we were so thankful to be able to be outside and enjoy the sunshine while visiting.

There are so many activities you can do as a family in Kelowna, we had a great time exploring the city together. Since so many Albertans travel to the region we wanted to share a few of our favourite things to do with you!

Okanagan Lake Boat Rentals makes it quick and easy for you to get out on the Okanagan Lake because they deliver the boat right to you! Over the years we have rented boats from different companies and have found this years experience with them to be the best. It was so easy for us to meet them at the boat launch beside the El Dorado hotel there is lots of parking available right there at the pay lot. They delivered the boat a few minutes early so we could head out right on time for our 10-2 timeslot on the water. They checked in with us before for our kids sizes on life jackets and even had a tube available for us to take out. They also have Wakeboards, Kneeboards and Ski’s available (for an extra fee.)
You have the option to choose from 8 different types of boats available for rent for full or half days out on the lake. Choose the boat that best suits your needs from Wakesurfing to just hanging out on the water. We took out the Larson LXi228 which was great for tubing or groups that just want to get out on the water. It seats 10 people comfortably and had a great sound system for listing to music! The lake is huge so take in the sights while you are out there!
A boat licence is not required to rent but you will need to fill out a form before hitting the water if you don’t have one so be prepared to spend 10 minutes or so filling that out before you go. They take reservations by text for their boats, you can reach them at (250) 506-2628.
Myra Canyon Trestles are situated high up in the mountain overlooking the valley and city of Kelowna. We spent some time up there last year with the kids doing a little climbing at the adventure park so we were excited to get back again this year for another adventure! Myra Canyon Bike Rentals is located right at the start of the 24k pathway through the trestles. They make it quick and easy to make a reservation online for you and your family. Once you arrive you can pick up your bike rental and helmet and head out on the trails. They will explain a couple of safety rules to you before you go and then you are off!

This was one of the most amazing experiences we did together. The views are BREATHTAKING and the trestles and tunnels are like nothing I’ve ever experienced before on a bike. The trails are flat and easy to ride with kids and you can stop at any point and turn around if you decide it is too far to do the whole trail. It took us approx 2.5 hours to do the whole 24k with a couple stops to check out the scenery. It was quite a bit cooler up the mountain, we were prepared with coats and sweatshirts but wished we had brought some gloves as our fingers were cold. Be prepared to get a little muddy as well, it had just rained so we ended up getting a bit dirty! They have lots of options for families including kids bikes, tandem bikes and bike trailers for little ones to sit in.

There are so many places you can take amazing photos along this trail so leave yourself some time to make a few stops. The bike rentals are available for half days, we opted for the 9 am time slot and it was returned by 1 pm. It will take you approx 45 minutes to get up to the area so be sure to leave yourself enough time to make the drive as well! If you aren’t into biking you can also walk, it’s definitely worth the trip with the kids!

Okanagan Beach Rentals is located at all the major beaches in Kelowna and a great stop with kids. They offer Paddleboards, Kayaks, Pedalboats, Canoes, Water Trikes and Inflatables to enjoy out on the water.

We headed to the Gyro Beach location to rent some paddleboards on a hot sunny day. It was a great way to cool off from the sun! Before you head out on the water they ask you to come to a short demonstration on how to get up on the board and which way to use the paddle which is great for someone who hasn’t tried it before. They will then fit you for a life jacket and you are ready to go!
Our daughter wasn’t brave enough to try it herself that day but she was able to sit on the front of our paddleboard while my hubby or I paddled. Our 11 year old son loved having his own paddleboard and was off on his own the whole time! You may not get up on your feet the first time and that is OK! It takes some practice to be able to get up and be stable enough to not fall in the water. We were eventually all up and had a great time together.

You can find Okanagan Beach Rentals at Gyro Beach, Rotary Beach and Tugboat Bay in Downtown Kelowna. If you are headed to West Kelowna you can find them at Bear Creek Provincial Park!

Downtown Marina Kelowna is in the heart of downtown giving you direct access to Lake Okanagan. Their fully stocked marina has everything you need for a fun day out on the water with your family!
We rented a See-Doo GTI SE-130 with the kids for some fun out on the lake. This model is large enough to fit one adult and two kids or two adults on it so we opted to switch drivers half way through our rental. The marina has some benches at the end of the dock so you can sit and take in the views as well!
This marina can be very busy so I would recommend calling ahead to make a reservation so you aren’t disappointed. The See-Doo has a small area in the front for dry storage where you can pop your sandals, wallet and phone while you are out on the water.
They walk you through how to operate the watercraft before you head out and get everyone sized up with lifejackets as well. We found 1 hour to be a good amount of time out there with the kids but you can rent it for longer as well!

Kelowna Community Theatre has a variety of shows available throughout the year to enjoy. We happened to be in town when The Little Mermaid was on so we took our daughter for her 8th birthday! We couldn’t believe how well it was put together, from the actors to the props they used throughout! I would compare it to a full broadway production (I’ve been to a few in NYC), in fact I liked it better than Wicked in NYC!

Plan ahead by checking out the calendar of events. You can find them in the heart of downtown at 1375 Water Street.

The Dream Car Rally is an annual event that takes place in downtown Kelowna in support of the Ronald McDonald House charities of BC & Yukon. Over 200 luxury cars gather downtown before heading to Penticton for lunch with kid co-pilots, that have been negatively impacted by a life event. Our kids loved checking out the “fancy cars” and were lucky enough to have the opportunity to be a co-pilot for the day after a few kids registered were unable to make it. They had an incredible day being co-pilots and we can’t wait to check out the event again next year!

The Beaches in Kelowna are simply amazing and perfect for soaking up the sun! We love spending time at the beach, our kids are old enough now that we don’t have to be in the water with them the whole time so we can sit and relax while they play! We like to hit the beach around 11 before they get too busy so we can get a spot close to the water to keep an eye on the kids. We always bring so much stuff with us but over the years have found that a beach blanket, towels, a cooler bag with drinks and snacks, floaties and sand toys are a must. Don’t forget a good book if you want to catch up on some reading!

Some of our favourite beaches in the Kelowna area are Boyce-Gyro Beach, Rotary Beach Park, Willow Beach, Tugboat Bay, and the Hot Sands Beach – City Park.

There are so many places to take in the views of Kelowna and let me tell you they are all amazing! Every year we come we are blown away with how pretty this city is with the lakes and mountains surrounding it. Some of our favourite places to take in the sights are Wilden, Dillworth Mountain and Myra Canyon for more nature inspired views. Other popular places include Knox Mountain, Summerhill Winery, El Dorado Hotel, and the Downtown Pier.

This blog post was written in partnership with Tourism Kelowna and Delta Hotels. We were invited to experience activities and stay at the hotel with our family. Views expressed are my own based on our personal experiences. We love Kelowna and have been visiting year after year because it’s such a great city to vacation with kids!  A big thank you to Tabatha and Amanda for taking our kids out during the Dream Car rally giving them an experience they will never forget!