Hidden Gems in the Okanagan
Cafés, wineries, trails, beaches and more that are easy to miss — each card says why it’s a gem.
How we pick our Hidden Gems
Every Hidden Gem is chosen by hand, one place at a time. We look for spots that are easy to miss: small independents, places off the main strip, or somewhere a local tourism, parks or community source points to as a lesser-known find. Each one has to be worth the trip on its own merits. Star ratings and review counts don’t decide it, and the list isn’t ranked: “Mixed” order changes every day. Every card tells you why it made the cut.
Open Now is based on each place’s listed hours. Hours can change for holidays, seasons or special closures — check with the venue before you go.
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Chaibaba
Open now · Closes 5:30 PM
Kelowna tea shop blending organic, globally sourced loose-leaf teas, with an in-store drink menu.
Why it’s a gem: A cozy downtown tea shop full of plants, books and organic loose-leaf blends, a calm break from Bernard Ave.
Dogs OK Patio
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Cedar Creek Park
Open to the public
Cedar Creek Park is the biggest off-leash dog beach in Kelowna, and on a hot summer’s day that is the whole point: a beach and swimming area on Okanagan Lake where you…
Why it’s a gem: Kelowna's biggest off-leash dog beach, with a swim area, mountain views across the lake and a big field for dogs to socialize.
Free Dog Friendly
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Mill Creek Regional Park
Open to the public
A cool, shaded surprise east of Kelowna's airport.
Why it’s a gem: A cool, shaded creekside walk under cedars, a surprising bit of rainforest right by Kelowna's airport.
Free Dogs OK
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McKinley Mountain Park
Open to the public
The City of Kelowna's "Mini Knox": a 17-hectare hillside park in the McKinley area where a short hike of about 1 km uphill ends at a wide view along Okanagan Lake to…
Why it’s a gem: Kelowna's 'Mini Knox': a short 1 km climb in the McKinley area to a big view up and down Okanagan Lake; the City lists it as a hidden gem.
Free Dogs OK +1
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Sarsons Beach Park
Open to the public
Sarsons Beach Park is the Lower Mission beach to choose when you would rather not share the beach with a crowd: the City describes it as usually quieter and less crowded…
Why it’s a gem: A Lower Mission beach the City says is usually quieter than the big lakeshore beaches, with a swim area and playground.
Free
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Maude-Roxby Wetland (Bird Sanctuary)
Open to the public
A raised boardwalk winds through willows and cattail marsh to a viewing platform over Okanagan Lake.
Why it’s a gem: A boardwalk through a lakeside bird sanctuary hidden at the end of a residential street in Pandosy.
Free
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Father Pandosy Mission Heritage Site
Open to the public
The first permanent non-Indigenous settlement in the Okanagan, founded by Oblate priest Father Pandosy in 1860.
Why it’s a gem: The historic buildings of an 1860 Oblate mission, open daily with a $5 voluntary admission, tucked off Benvoulin Road.
Free Groups +1
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Buffalo Rouge Brewing Co.
Closed · Opens 3 PM
Family-run saloon brewery with lots of plant-based food and a fryer kept just for gluten-free dishes.
Why it’s a gem: A tucked-away Kelowna brewery pairing craft beer with an entirely plant-based kitchen.
Vegan Vegetarian +6
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Kuipers' Peak Mountain Park
Open to the public
A short hike with a big reward in Kelowna's Upper Mission: a view of Okanagan Lake from the peak.
Why it’s a gem: A five-to-ten-minute climb in the Upper Mission that pays off with a sweeping lake and city view.
Free Dogs OK +1
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Munson Pond Park
Open to the public
A 9.8-hectare urban wetland with a one-kilometre gravel loop around a pond, past boardwalks and two viewing platforms. More than 225 bird species have been recorded here.
Why it’s a gem: A small urban wetland ringed by rare cottonwood forest, where herons, ospreys and wood ducks are often just steps away.
Free
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Bertram Creek Regional Park
Open to the public
Bertram Creek is a tranquil regional park at the south end of Lakeshore Road, with plenty of space on the grass and the shore to enjoy a day at the beach.
Why it’s a gem: A tranquil regional park at the very end of Lakeshore Road, where the beach stays calm while the downtown beaches fill.
Free
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Scorched Earth Winery
Closed for the season
Pinot Noir from a certified organic vineyard, incl. a Reserve; also a traditional-method Blanc de Noir.
Closed for the season.
Why it’s a gem: A tiny appointment-based Lakeshore Road winery with an Okanagan Lake view.
From $35 Patio +2
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Sunset Ranch Golf & Country Club
Closed for the season
18-hole course with rolling terrain and Scotty Creek in play, minutes from Kelowna airport.
Closed for the season.
Why it’s a gem: A tree-lined South Kelowna course where Scotty Creek winds through 10 of 18 holes, once named in Golf Digest's Best Places to Play.
Patio Groups +1
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Farming Karma Fruit Co.
Closed for the season · Reopens Mar 1, 2027
Working orchard and soda maker with a tasting room, soda production viewing windows and a dog park
Closed · reopens March 1
Free Dogs OK +6
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Kasugai Garden
Closed for the season
Tucked behind a wall off Water Street, Kasugai Garden is downtown Kelowna's secret calm: stone lanterns, sculpted pines, a waterfall and a koi pond celebrating the…
Closed for the season.
Why it’s a gem: A walled Japanese garden off Water Street with a koi pond, waterfall and stone lanterns, free and steps from the lake.
Free
All places on this page, A–Z (92)
- A Touch of Austria
- Anthony Buchanan Wines
- Baccata Ridge Winery
- Beat Patisserie
- Bertram Creek Regional Park
- Black Widow Winery
- Bonamici Cellars
- Brigade Trail & Priest Camp Historic Park
- Buffalo Rouge Brewing Co.
- BX Creek Trail & BX Falls
- Castoro de Oro Estate Winery
- Cedar Creek Park
- Chabendo Gelato
- Chaibaba
- Chill&Go Tacos
- CODE Wines
- Controlled Entropy Distilling
- Cools Pond Park
- Dickinson Family Farm
- Echo Bay Vineyard
- Fairview Cellars
- Farming Karma Fruit Co.
- Father Pandosy Mission Heritage Site
- Fox & Archer Wines
- Gellatly Heritage Regional Park
- Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park
- Glen Canyon Regional Park
- Gratify
- Hardy Falls Regional Park
- Hidden Chapel Winery
- Hidden Lake Recreation Site
- Hidden Vines Family Estate Winery
- Inkaneep Provincial Park Campground
- Kalamoir Regional Park
- Kaleden Hotel Park
- Kaloya Regional Park
- Kasugai Garden
- Kettle Valley Winery
- Kickininee Provincial Park
- Kingfisher Interpretive Centre
- Kitchen @ Ve Oh Lay Acres Honey Wine & Farm
- KJ Coffee Bar
- Kopje Regional Park
- Kuipers' Peak Mountain Park
- La Casa Bianca Winery
- Lariana Cellars
- Liber Estates
- Lumby Golf Club
- Mabel Lake Golf & Country Club
- Mackie Lake House
- Manitou Park
- Maude-Roxby Wetland (Bird Sanctuary)
- McKinley Mountain Park
- Mill Creek Regional Park
- Mocojo Winery
- Mount Conkle Park
- Munson Pond Park
- Naramata Creek Park Waterfall Trail
- Nuyens Park
- Okanagan Falls Museum (Bassett House)
- OKGN To Go
- One14 Coffee Co.
- Osoyoos Oxbows Trail
- Pamplemousse Jus Natural Winery
- Penticton Ikeda Japanese Garden
- Powell Beach Park
- Raymer Bay Regional Park
- Rigour and Whimsy
- Roche Wines
- Rock Ovens Park
- Rocky Ridge Park (Turtle Mountain)
- Rotary Beach Park
- Rustlers Table
- Sarsons Beach Park
- Scorched Earth Winery
- Shannon Lake Golf Club
- Shuswap Cider Company
- Solvero Wines
- Sparrowgrass Field & Flower
- Summerland Ornamental Gardens
- Sunset Ranch Golf & Country Club
- Teassential
- Tender Hope Winery
- The Bistro - by Intermezzo
- The Flealess Hound Pub
- The Gallery Winery
- The Ridge Pub & Restaurant
- Thomas Hayes Ecological Reserve Trails
- Trepanier Creek Greenway Regional Park
- Vaseux Lake Provincial Park
- White Lake Grasslands Protected Area
- Yuki Sushi
Only after parks, waterfalls and quiet beaches? See Secret Spots →