Kelowna – Day 5 of a 6-Day Trip in the Okanagan
Day 5 was our final full day in Kelowna. We had a day packed full of wineries, cideries and food in Western Kelowna!
Day 5
Kelowna
The day started with breakfast pastries – custard cream croissant and strawberry danish. We had picked the pastries up from Karat Chocolate and Pastry Boutique the day before. They were very tasty. Bliss Bakery is another good bakery downtown.
We stopped by Quail’s Gate for a wine tasting, but the earliest availability they had was noon. We had a private lunch and tour reservation at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery at noon, so we did not put our name down on the waitlist.
Instead, we headed to Frind Estate Winery. The winery is newer and was purchased by Markus Frind in 2017. It is located right on the beach. Upon arrival, we were led to a tasting station where we tried a variety of their wines.
Next stop, Mission Hill Family Estate Winery. Mission Hill Family Estate Winery is an award winning winery and is a staple to the Okanagan, as well as to much of the rest of British Columbia. The Estate was designed by architect, Tom Kundig. The owner, Anthony Von Mandl, is known for starting his business by selling wine out of his car and he also started White Claw, an alcoholic seltzer beverage. Upon arrival to the estate, the bell tower chimed indicating noon. To begin our private lunch, we were greeted with a glass of wine and guided to our table. For starters, we had the charcuterie (the focaccia bread was delicious!) and the sidestripe prawn. For our main, chicken cotechino sausage with gnocchi and for dessert, a peach crumble. Each course was paired with a glass of wine. The food was amazing! After lunch, our guide began our tour with another glass of wine and we were led into the barrel cellar. The cellar has a capacity of 800 barrels and is climate controlled.
After Mission Hill, we headed to the Hatch Winery. The Hatch Winery strives on their creativity and their easy going environment puts them apart from the other wineries in this area. Their tastings start with a complimentary bubbly wine while you wait in line, followed by an addition 4 tastings once seated at a table.
Next, we headed to Truck59 Ciderhouse, a sister company to the Hatch Winery. Truck59 Ciderhouse specializes in, evidently from the name, ciders. Their ciders are good, but BX Press Cidery in Vernon is still my favourite.
Less than a 5 minute walk away from Truck59 Ciderhouse is a winery called Crown and Thieves Winery. This was one of the most interesting wineries we went to. From the outside, the concrete building looks like it has been abandoned. However, when you enter, it is almost as if you stepped back in time to the early 1900’s. The biggest surprise was when we were led to the basement and it unveiled a speakeasy. The vibe was very cool, but the tastings were pricier than any of the other wineries we’d been to ($15/person), but well worth a visit.
For our last winery in Kelowna, we decided on Indigenous World Winery. The winery is BC’s only 100% Indigenous-owned winery. The wines pays homage to the Syilx culture. There is also a tepee onsite. The wine tastings are $5/person.
Next, we visited Kasugai Gardens located in downtown Kelowna. The garden represents the union between Kelowna and its sister city, Kasugai, in Japan. The garden is beautiful and is a nice escape from the bustling city. We enjoyed watching the koi. Note: The gardens are open until 8pm during the summer, but 5pm the rest of the year.
After the garden, we stopped by Bamboo Chopsticks, a Vietnamese restaurant, for dinner. Note: Bamboo Chopsticks has two locations in Kelowna, we went to the one downtown. We ordered the salad rolls, vermicelli bowl (with spring rolls, bbq pork, and shrimp), and stir-fry noodles to share.
Following dinner, we walked to Eurobean Coffee for ice cream. The café closes at 5pm, but the ice cream window is open until late. We opted for the truffle ice cream. On the way to ice cream, we passed by an outdoor piano and we stopped so he could play. How lovely it was to be serenaded!
Finally, we walked to Bad Tattoo, a new brewery in Kelowna, but they were extremely busy and we did not feel like waiting 40 minutes for a table. Instead, we mixed and matched 4 beers to go.
Complete Day 5 Itinerary
*Travel times may vary. Check Google Maps for most accurate travel details.
9:00am: Breakfast Pastries. Suggestions: Karat Chocolate and Pastry Boutique or Bliss Bakery.
10:00am: Visit Wineries before lunch. Suggestions: Quail’s Gate Winery (13 minute drive from Downtown Kelowna) and Frind Estate Winery (2 minute drive from Quail’s Gate Winery).
12:00pm: Have lunch and wine at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery (4 minute drive from Frind Estate Winery). Go on a tour of the Estate.
2:00pm: Visit more wineries (and a cidery)! Suggestions: the Hatch Winery (4 minute drive from Mission Hill Family Estate Winery), Truck59 Ciderhouse (11 minute drive from the Hatch Winery), Crowns and Thieves (5 minute walk from Truck59 Ciderhouse), and Indigenous World Winery (12 minute drive from Crowns and Thieves).
6:00pm: Visit Kasugai Gardens (8 minute drive from Indigenous World Winery).
7:00pm: Dinner at Bamboo Chopsticks (4 minute walk from Kasugai Gardens).
8:30pm: Ice cream at Euro Bean Coffee (5 minute walk from Bamboo Chopsticks).
9:00pm: Have a drink at Bad Tattoo Brewing (11 minute walk from Euro Bean Coffee).
6-Day Okanagan Itinerary
Click “Download” below for an excel version of my 6-Day Okanagan Itinerary. Feel free to use the excel file as a planning template for your own trip in the Okanagan!
Travels with Carolyne 