A guide to Calgary, Alberta

Many who pass through Calgary head immediately off to the Canadian Rockies that loom to the west, with majestic Banff National Park just 90 minutes away. Their loss: for Calgary offers a balance of sophistication and friendliness you’ll find nowhere else in the world.

The city is crossed by the glacier-blue Bow River and graced with a soaring skyline (you can’t miss the red-topped Calgary Tower). There’s a frontier spirit to it all – the city is a center of ranching known as “Cowtown” and “Stampede City,” as well as the center of Canada’s oil and gas industry – along with an infectious, laid-back vibe.

Tell any Calgarian it’s your first time in the city, and you’ll be welcomed with open arms. Before you head off, here’s all you need to know.

When should I go to Calgary?

The summer months from June to August offer event-filled bliss. Taking place over 10 days every July, Calgary Stampede is the city’s hallmark event: one of the largest outdoor rodeos in the world, it attracts well over 1 million guests annually. You don’t have to be a rodeo lover to appreciate the citywide spectacle, thanks to Calgary-bred chuckwagon races, Indigenous community showcases, farming exhibitions, mega-concerts, carnival-food concoctions and more. High temperatures hover around 22ºC (70ºF) all summer long – dreamy weather that makes for big crowds and higher prices.

For a bargain, eye the November to March timeframe, when highs rarely break the freezing mark. Understandably, city streets are empty in such weather, though nearby ski resorts are in their powdery prime.

How much time should I spend in Calgary?

A full 3 days or a long weekend should be the minimum to experience Calgary's cultural musts, including downtown museums, quiet neighborhood strolls and that Western pizzazz. If you’re looking to pair your Calgary experience with a nearby ski day or two, 5 days should do it. Those seeking to tack on Banff and/or Jasper National Park excursions should plan for a week to 10 days.

Is it easy to get in and around Calgary?

YYC is the IATA code for Calgary International Airport, a 20-minute drive (approximately 20km) north of downtown. Taxis and rideshare services like Uber are prevalent in Calgary and are the easiest way for getting to or from the airport.

Calgary Transit is the city’s public transportation operator, with bus and train routes (CTrain). Day passes and one-trip tickets are available, with free fares in select downtown areas. The Transit app is the best for planning a route.

The city is both walkable and bike-friendly. People can zip around on shared scooters from companies like Bird, with corrals stationed periodically for parking. In colder weather, take advantage of the “Plus 15” Skywalk system – a 16km network of raised, covered and climate-controlled walkways that connect downtown buildings.

Top things to do in Calgary

Rock out at the National Music Centre

Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, is a work of art itself. Draped in gleaming glazed terracotta tiles, the museum spans five floors and is the home of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Its exhibits will remind you just how many Canadian legends there are: Joni Mitchell, Avril Lavigne, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, Neil Young, Justin Bieber... The complex houses some prized memorabilia, too, like one of Elton John’s famed songwriting pianos and Randy Bachman’s “American Woman” guitar.

Across the street (and if schedules align), you can catch a musical performance at hotel turned venue King Eddy. As part of a reconstruction project starting in 2013, it was famously taken apart then rebuilt brick by brick.

Stroll through the heart of the city

In the middle of the Bow River, Prince’s Island Park is as close to an outdoor museum as it gets. For an urban and educational adventure, the Chevron Learning Pathway within the park explains the local wetlands landscape, wildlife and more. If hunger beckons in the park, the local and seasonally focused fare at River Café is some of the best in all of Canada. Stretching some 4km between Chinatown and Stampede Park, Calgary’s RiverWalk has benches for scenic breathers and passes by the Confluence, where the Bow and Elbow Rivers meet.

Embrace Calgary’s Western spirit

July’s Calgary Stampede is the time of the year when everyone in town is decked out in their boots, flannel shirts and cowboy hats. Yet you can get in on the spirit by doing some cowboy-inspired shopping any time of year. White cowboy hats are a cultural icon in Calgary, and Smithbilt Hats has been the place to buy them for more than 75 years. In addition to classic models, the shop sells varieties in any color imaginable. For boots, Alberta Boot Co. lets you customize the perfect pair thanks to its on-site production shop. Shop for ready-built styles – or create your own from top-tier leathers, soles and stitching to be shipped to you at a later date.

Enjoy a the views from from the Calgary Tower

Arguably the city’s most iconic building, the Calgary Tower includes the SKY 360 rotating restaurant, a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and an observation deck with glass floor nooks. From the observation deck atop the 191m structure, you feel like a skyscraper among the skyscrapers, with the Rocky Mountains zigzagging around you. It’s easily one of the best views offered in Calgary and – with the glass floor below – one of the most spine-tingling, too.

My favorite thing to do in Calgary

I’ve lived in Las Vegas, South Florida and Colombia, all places that know how to let loose. And yet the Calgary Stampede may be the biggest party I’ve ever experienced. The food was nuts – like, pizza topped with Cheetos and pickles. Nickelback, the Jonas Brothers and Mötley Crüe were all performing. Everyone – absolutely everyone – was dressed like a cowboy or cowgirl, and there wasn’t a single soul in bad spirits. Align your first visit to Calgary with the Stampede, if you can.

Beyond that perfectly timed trip, I’ve enjoyed simply gawking at Calgary’s skyline; for such a bustling city, there is a calmness to it all. I love taking it in with the help of Rocky Mountain Sidecar Adventures, with a motorcycle driver ushering you around the city as you coast along in an attached sidecar.

Where should I eat in Calgary?

Breakfast: OEB Breakfast Co. is renowned in Canada for its eggs Benedict interpretations, which may include truffled squash or Korean bulgogi. Galaxie Diner serves all-day breakfast with 1940s diner flair – count on unlimited hash browns and toast with your meal.

Lunch: Class Clown Hamburgers has an intimate bar and smashed Alberta beef patties. Ten Foot Henry serves a vegetable-focused spread with gems like locally grown marinated beets and a pea-purée-topped mushroom medley. On the non-vegetable spectrum, its truffle Dijon-flared strip-loin steak satisfies.

Dinner: Caesar’s Steakhouse has been a Calgary staple since 1972, where gleaming wood walls and red booths set an old-school vibe. Steaks are cooked over an open flame in the dining room for all to gawk at. A favorite thanks to Alberta beef selections and creative shareable plates (think potato doughnuts with Gouda custard), Major Tom is tucked on the 40th floor of a skyscraper with panoramic views.

Drinks: No Calgary trip is complete without a taste of its two most famous homegrown alcoholic concoctions. The Caesar (invented at what is the present-day Westin Calgary) resembles a Bloody Mary, only made with Clamato. And the Shaft, invented at the Living Room, includes a mix of Kahlua, skim milk and espresso. It’s traditionally downed via a straw in a couple of quick slurps.

How much money do I need for Calgary?

You can find both bargains and deluxe experiences in the majority of Calgary’s neighborhoods. Chinatown is stellar for on-the-fly and cheaper bites, inclusive of the Calgary-born ginger beef. Another walkable area with both vintage shops and higher-end boutiques is 17th Ave. The bottom line: just keep strolling – whether in Kensington, Inglewood, Marda Loop or somewhere in between – and there will be a budgetary fit.

• Hostel room: 45 Canadian dollars to $60

• Basic room for two: $100–150

• Airbnb: $150–200

• Day pass on Calgary Transit: $12.65

• Cup of coffee: $4

• Classic hamburger made with Alberta beef: $15

• Dinner for two with cocktails at Major Tom: $140

• Post-dinner Caesar or Shaft: $17