Calgary travel guide for first-time visitors

After visiting Alberta’s biggest city, Stuart Forster provides a Calgary travel guide for first-time visitors.

Disclosure: In June 2017, I had an opportunity to spend a week in Calgary. I travelled there as part of Destination Canada’s City Bloggers Plus project, involving 15 leading UK travel bloggers. The bloggers were distributed in cities across Canada. Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

Calgary is more than merely a gateway to reaching Canada’s West. It’s a city with lots going on, so is fun to spend time in. The city is a good base for exploring southern Alberta.

Where is Calgary?

Calgary is ‘out West’. The city is in Alberta, a province renowned for its prairies and for the dramatic landscapes of the eastern Canadian Rockies.

The city’s international airport a little over nine hours of flying time west of London (the one in England!) and a little more than four hours’ west of Toronto (the one in Ontario, not the one in County Durham, England).

Calgarians embrace their Western heritage. That’s celebrated each summer during the Calgary Stampede. Rodeos, chuckwagon racing and line dancing are all elements of an event that’s dubbed ‘the greatest outdoor show on earth’.

Calgary travel guide for first time visitors

While in Calgary you’re likely to see police officers wearing broad-brimmed hats, reminiscent of sheriffs in Western movies.

Edmonton is Alberta’s provincial capital and lies around 180 kilometres, or a three-hour drive, north of Calgary. Calgary, though, is the province’s most populous city, with 1.37 million inhabitants.

After Toronto and Montreal, Calgary has the third largest population in Canada. Skyscrapers thrust upwards in the downtown core, where the city feels like a metropolis. The high-rise buildings soon give way to low-rise architecture. The riverside East Village is a 10- to 15-minute walk from the city centre. Inglewood, a resurgent brewery district with a hip vibe, lies a further 15 minutes’ stroll eastwards.

Map of Calgary

The map below shows the location of Calgary, Alberta. Zoom into the map to find places mentioned in this post:

Getting your bearings in Calgary

For views from 160 metres above street level, take the lift to Calgary Tower’s observation deck. It’s an ideal place to orientate. You can see the layout of the city and the location of landmarks, including the Scotiabank Saddledome indoor stadium, which doubles as a concert and sporting venue.

The Glenbow Museum’s name is splashed across its rooftop. The Glenbow has an informative exhibition about the city’s development and the region’s First Nations heritage.

It’s one block over from Stephen Avenue, a pedestrianised street with a smattering of bars, restaurants and shops, including a Hudson’s Bay department store and Core Shopping Mall.

Orientation in Calgary

Like many North American cities, Calgary is laid out on a grid plan. That means it’s fairly easy to get around.

What I wish I’d known before driving to downtown Calgary from the airport is that the city is divided into quadrants. Centre Street demarcates the western and eastern parts of the city. The Bow River divides the northern and southern sections.

I made the mistake of entering an address on 4th Street South West rather than 4th Street South East in my navigation system. Mistakenly, I thought there wouldn’t be a problem. I anticipated that the streets would be across from each other and that I’d have no problem seeing my hotel. However, the two streets are about a kilometre apart.

With the benefit of hindsight, and understanding the city is divided into a quadrant, I’d now say Calgary is an easy place to orientate and get about.

Attractions in the city centre are relatively close to each other. Many were reachable on foot. I felt safe while walking in Calgary, even when I was out late at night.

Travel to Calgary

I flew with Air Transat from London Gatwick to Calgary International Airport. Air Transat’s Option Plus provided priority check-in, with a dedicated counter and a supplementary checked baggage allowance. It meant seat selection, priority boarding and perks for onboard comfort. Those included a comfort kit with a blanket and sleeping mask, plus headphones for in-flight entertainment.

Air Canada and WestJet operate direct flights from London Heathrow to Calgary.

Canadian Affair (tel. 0203 424 6316) has been arranging holidays in Canada since 1995.

Calgary Airport to Downtown

Calgary International Airport is a little under 19 kilometres from downtown Calgary. In normal traffic conditions, the drive takes less than 25 minutes. However, it can take longer at busy times.

Hotel shuttles operate from the Arrivals level at Calgary Airport. Buses 100 and 300 run between the airport and central Calgary. Bus tickets can be bought in advance from the 7-Eleven at Arrivals.

Transport in Calgary

The CTrain light transit system is an option if you want to use public transport. Day passes and single tickets are available.

Cycling in Calgary is also an option. Calgary is a bicycle-friendly city, with dedicated cycle paths and multi-use trails. The riverside trail provides fine views of the city skyline and some great photo opportunities. Guided cycling tours of Calgary are also an option.

Taxis are easy to use and can be hailed on the streets. Uber is widely available in Calgary.

Driving in Calgary and Alberta

Having a vehicle is advantageous if you want to explore beyond Calgary. Attractions such as the Calgary Farmers’ Market and the Canada Olympic Park are both short drives from the downtown.

I found driving in Calgary relatively easy. Even if you’re unaccustomed to driving on the right-hand side of the road, it’s unlikely that you’ll find the Canadian highways too stressful. Drivers tend to be considerate. Additionally, the volume of traffic tends to be lighter than on UK roads, with the exception of the morning and evening rush hours.

Consider day trips to places such as Banff (90 minutes away by car), Drumheller (also a 90-minute drive from Calgary) and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (less than two hours away). You may find this post on day trips from Calgary informative.

Hotels in Calgary

I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Calgary Downtown (711 4 SE Street, TG2 1N3). It’s a modern hotel with an indoor swimming pool and a fitness centre. The rooftop terrace provides views over the city. Drinks are served in the lobby bar, which is ideal for a nightcap.

Located in the East Village, the hotel is just a couple of minutes’ walk from Studio Bell, the home of Canada’s National Music Centre. Attractions in Calgary’s downtown are easily reachable on foot from the hotel.

Search for accommodation in Calgary using the map below:

Things to do in Calgary

For more ideas about things to do in Calgary, see the Visit Calgary website.

For inspiration about things to do in the surrounding province and further afield, see the Travel Alberta and Destination Canada websites.

The Bike Calgary website is a useful resource if you plan on cycling.

Books about Calgary

Planning a trip to Calgary and the surrounding area? You can buy the following books from Amazon.co.uk:

111 Places in Calgary That You Must Not Miss by Jennifer Bain.

Fodor’s Canadian Rockies guidebook.

Lonely Planet’s guide to Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks.

The Penguin History of Canada by Robert Bothwell.

Further information

Thank you for visiting Go Eat Do and reading this Calgary travel guide for first-time visitors. If you are planning a trip to the city, you may also enjoy this post about the Lilac Festival on 4th Street.

Stuart Forster, the author of this post, is an award-winning travel writer. He was the recipient of the 2017 British Annual Canada Travel Award (BACTA) for Best Online Content.

Photos illustrating this post are by Why Eye Photography.

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A version of this post was initially published on Go Eat Do on 26 August 2017.