One day in Calgary

Day by day

1. Day 1: Calgary Tower and Peace Bridge and Prince's Island Park

   Calgary Tower, Peace Bridge and Prince's Island Park, Stephen Avenue Walk and Devonian Gardens, then Calgary Stampede in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Calgary Tower

      Go on a clear late afternoon for the best chance of seeing the mountains, and stay for sunset. Allow 1 hour.

   2. Late morning

      Peace Bridge and Prince's Island Park

      Walk across the bridge to Kensington for coffee, then return along the river pathway to the island. Allow 1–2 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Alberta beef

      Steakhouses downtown and along 17th Avenue; butchers and the Calgary Farmers' Market for cooking at home.

   4. Afternoon

      Stephen Avenue Walk

      Look up at the sandstone façades between 1st Street SE and 2nd Street SW, rebuilt in stone after a fire in 1886. Allow 1 hour.

   5. Late afternoon

      Devonian Gardens

      Reach it through the +15 skywalks in winter without going outside. Allow 30–45 minutes.

   6. Evening

      Calgary Stampede

      Buy grandstand tickets for the rodeo or the evening show well ahead, and go to a community pancake breakfast for a free taste of Stampede spirit.

Before you go

• Calgary Stampede: Hotels and grandstand seats sell out months in advance; book as soon as the dates are announced.

If it rains

• Swap in Studio Bell, National Music Centre (East Village): Allow time for the interactive rooms on the upper floors; children and adults spend longer there than they expect.
• Swap in Calgary Central Library (East Village): Stand under the cedar-lined entrance arch for the best photo, then take the stairs up through the atrium.
• Swap in TELUS Spark Science Centre (Northeast Calgary): Combine with the zoo, a short drive away, for a full family day.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 5–7 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.9 hours in December to 16.5 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Tram. The CTrain Red and Blue lines link downtown with the northwest, northeast and south, including stations near the zoo, Stampede Park and Chinook Centre.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Calgary
• 3 days in Calgary

Questions travellers ask