If you’re planning a trip to Banff, Jasper, or Yoho National Park, chances are you’ll be flying into Calgary — the gateway to the Canadian Rockies! For many travelers, it’s just a city to pass through, but trust us, Calgary is so much more than a starting point. It’s the perfect place to spend a day or two before or after your mountain adventures.
We were honestly surprised by how much we fell in love with Calgary. Just a 90-minute drive from the Rockies, it gave us the best of both worlds — a modern city full of life, with adventure waiting just around the corner.
Calgary is compact and walkable, with an incredible food scene, rooftop parks, and a clean, vibrant energy. In fact, it’s known as one of the cleanest and safest large cities in North America.
With over 330 days of sunshine per year, it’s also one of Canada’s sunniest cities — perfect for exploring its riverside pathways, urban parks, and green spaces. Whether your vibe is a fancy dinner with skyline views or grabbing poutine from a local food truck, Calgary has it all.
If this sounds like your kind of place, keep reading for our One day in Calgary Itinerary — or check out our Calgary video to see it all in action!
Where to fly into:
Conveniently, Calgary has its own Airport: Airport Code YYC. We were able to get a direct flight here from Denver.
What to do & see In Calgary:
Wonderland Sculpture
The Wonderland Sculpture is a unique mesh portrait sculpture sitting at the base of the Bow Encana Corporation building. With it lighting up at night, we highly recommend you visit it at night for the best views!
Visit the Peace Bridge
The Peace Bridge is not just any old bridge, it’s become a Calgary landmark. The unique helix shaped design has created a blend of engineering and art, and has become a staple hangout place in Calgary.
Visit the Central Library
The Central Library isn’t just a library, it’s another one of Calgary’s unique architectural marvels. The staircase inside alone is something to marvel at. We thoroughly enjoyed walking the halls of this library, and took advantage of the mid century slat walls for a fun photoshoot!
Dine at the Calgary Tower
The Calgary Tower, similar to the Seattle Space Needle, is a rotating tower in the sky! With 360 degree views, and a delicious meal in tow, we couldn’t recommend this experience enough. Dining at the Calgary Tower is not for the faint of heart though. If you’re scared of heights – you may want to skip this. I, HallyAnn, am very afraid of heights and did fine here though – as long as I didn’t look straight down that is! If you aren’t interested in dining here, you can also purchase tickets just to visit.
Visit High Park
High Park is a unique rooftop park located on top of a parking garage right in the city center of Calgary. Whether you are interested in playing basketball, having a picnic, playing on the teter toter, or just enjoying the unique art displays and city views – High Park is definitely a fun stop. They even have free outdoor movie nights here!
Visit Stephen Avenue Walk
Calgary’s Stephen Avenue walk is considered to be one of the most unique streets in all of North America. While it is actually only four blocks long, it’s one of the most developed blocks in North America, being the home to over two hundred floors of office space, multiple restaurants, an indoor botanical garden, unique tree metal sculptures, and it’s also a designated National Historic Site with many buildings being from 1880-1930!
See the City Skyline at Scotsman Hill
Scotsman’s Hill is a popular place to see the city skyline with a panoramic view of Calgary. Not only do you get a close up view of the Saddledome, but you get a wide view of the city including the Calgary tower. We have heard that during the Calgary Stampede this is a great spot to watch the fireworks. We suggest grabbing some Tim Horton’s to go and enjoying a morning coffee date – picnic style.
Places to Eat:
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons is basically Canada’s version of Starbucks with the company’s punchline being “Enjoy Canada’s favorite coffee”. With multiple locations in Calgary, it won’t be hard to get your morning cup of Joe while in the city. We also highly recommend trying their birthday cake timbits – it’s basically just a donut hole, but it was our favorite flavor.
The Beltliner
If you’re a fan of diners and Bloody Mary’s, the Beltliner is the place to eat! With classic diner options, a hefty breakfast menu, and Canada’s version of the bloody mary – a Caesar, then the Beltliner is the place for you! A Caesar, made with clamata juice, is a delicious Canadian drink. I got the spicy gin caesar while here and highly recommend it if you enjoy a spicy Bloody Mary!
strEATS
If you’re a fan of street food, and even more so if you are a fan of the Canadian poutine dish – then strEATS is the place to eat! With their unique flavors of poutine – this is a fun lunch or dinner stop with a Canadian twist!
The Sky 360 Restaurant and Lounge in the Calgary Tower
The Calgary Tower, similar to the Seattle Space Needle, is a rotating tower in the sky! With 360 degree views, and a delicious meal in tow, we couldn’t recommend dining at the Sky 360 Restaurant and Lounge enough. Dining at the Calgary Tower is not for the faint of heart though. If you’re scared of heights – you may want to skip this. I, HallyAnn, am very afraid of heights and did fine here though – as long as I didn’t look straight down that is! Please note that this is a more expensive restaurant – so be prepared. We treated this dinner as an experience and a meal – and were okay splurging a bit as we were also celebrating our wedding anniversary on this trip!
Be sure to try some ketchup chips while in Calgary! Canada is known for their delicious ketchup flavored Lays potato chips. Be sure to get a bag while in town and give them a try! We make sure to get a bag every time we visit Canada!
General Calgary Info:
- Calgary is considered the Gateway to the Canadian Rockies being the closest major city to Banff National park – it’s only 90 minutes away!
- Calgary is a clean, modern city with a western heart. The Calgary Stampede held in July of every year is considered one the of the greatest outdoor shows on earth!
- Calgary gets over 330 days of sunshine per year, making it one of the sunniest cities in Canada.
- Calgary has quite the food scene with a growing number of local restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops popping up. We suggest trying some Alberta beef or some poutine during your stay!
- Calgary is extremely walkable due to its compact size. You can also rent scooters or bikes to get around. We didn’t feel the need to drive our rental car other than to visit Scotsman Hill during our visit.
Check out our Wanderlog map for a detailed list of locations!
Considering an extended trip to Banff?
Be sure to check out our Banff National Park blog and vlog for more information!
Considering driving the Icefield Parkway during your trip?
Be sure to check out our Icefield Parkway blog and vlog for more information!