10 Spectacular Things to do in Calgary (& Some to Skip!)

Calgary is a small but mighty city. There’s a unique mix of downtown city vibes with nearby nature escapes.

I’ve visited Calgary on short trips on my way in and out of Banff National Park. Even though it’s small, it seems like there’s always more to discover! So here are my top things to do in Calgary, with some recommendations of top things that I don’t think are worth it.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

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Top 10 Things To Do in Calgary

These are the best things to do in Calgary if you have some more time before or after your trip to Banff National Park.

P.S. Planning a trip to Banff National Park? Be sure to check out my mini travel guide specifically for Banff, including checklists for all the top things to do (even in Calgary!).

1. Take a Historical Walk Along Stephen’s Avenue (8th Avenue)

Stephen’s Avenue Walk is a pedestrian only block, and one of the top things to do in downtown Calgary. It’s a very historical part of the city, with the oldest (and shortest) buildings. It’s an incredible juxtaposition between the big modern buildings that rise above them.

There are information panels to read more about the history of Calgary and Canada. Otherwise, if you’re in the shopping mood, there are some souvenir shops. Or in more of a photography mood, Stephen’s Avenue Walk makes the perfect back drop!

Stephens avenue walk in the rain in downtown Calgary. The streets are shiny and wet with people walking in the middle of this pedestrian only section, they have rain jackets and umbrellas. There are short railings on either side of the street, for patios on nicer days. there's still nice green trees that add some colour to the otherwise dull day. The buildings are only two stories in this historical street.

2. Walk Through the Indoor Circuit on Calgary’s +15 Skywalk

Downtown Calgary amazed me that I didn’t have to walk outside when it was raining during my first visit. I walked from my hotel (The Westley) to the Bow all pretty much indoors. And I stopped for lunch indoors along the way.

This is known as the +15 Skywalk. What started as 15 bridges in 1969, has grown to 86 bridges. It connects 16 kilometres through downtown Calgary. These are all elevated, weather protected walkways.

This is super useful on those cold winter days, or rainy days. You can easily get lost as it feels like a bit of a maze, but try to follow the blue +15 icon to keep you walking indoors!

the sun is shining on a +15 skywalk in downtown Calgary connecting two buildings on either side of the street. Behind it is the tall observation tower, leading to the blue skies with barely any clouds.

3.Take a Photo with the Sculptures around the Calgary

Calgary has some pretty unique sculptures throughout the city that are all very different from each other.

The most popular is the Giant Head Sculpture (Wonderland) next to the Bow Building. Close by is the Family Man. You also have a raging (Outlaw), which often associated with the financial district, but in Calgary plays a bit more of a role with the impact the rodeo has in town as well. And finally, another favourite of mine is The Conversation on Stephen Avenue Walk, and just a bit further is Horse statue.

There are some even more impressive statues further out of the city, like the Bronze Bison Statue. I like the Van Gogh Monumental statue, and By the Banks of the Bow, that each play with their surroundings and negative space.

You might also be interested in: Do You Need To Visit Lake Louise (& When To Visit?)

the Wonderland statue of a giant large head is juxtaposed against the Bow building which is a striking curbed building of just windows.

4. Learn About Canadian Music At Studio Bell

Studio Bell is a fun interactive music museum the whole family can enjoy. The museum is up on 4 floors, with Canadian Music Hall of Fames on the top 2. These are constantly changing exhibits based on the new inductees of that year.

The bottom two floors explore instruments, with their history and how they work. You can learn to play the piano, or even find your vocal range (I’m an Alto apparently!).

P.S. With your ticket you also get 10% of at King Eddy’s across the street. It makes a good place for lunch or dinner – just check it’s open before you visit!

Alternative Museum: The Glenbow Museum is another very popular museum and one of the best things to do in Calgary (it’s closed until 2027 for renovations). It’s an art and culture museum focusing on Western Canada, especially Indigenous culture.

The exhibit at the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. A striking wall of red and white, with the maple leaf on the bottom. There's an outfit in a glass casing.

5. Go For a Walk in Nature, Just outside The City

Calgary has such a small downtown that not too far from the city centre you have beautiful escapes to nature… and I’m not talking about Banff National Park (which still isn’t far from the city!).

Walk through Prince’s Island Park in the middle of the Bow River. Or head to the Inglewood neighbourhood to walk through the Inglewood Wildlands.

6. Ogle at the Magnificent Library Architecture (Inside)

I’ve never seen such unique architecture, especially for a public library. Not only is the outside stunning, with large moving sculptures, but the inside is jaw dropping.

Travel tip: if you visit Studio Bell Museum, the Calgary Public Library is just around the corner. So it’s worth a quick stop!

inside the Public library in Calgary. It's a pointed oval architecture design of criss crossing levels creating unique layers and shadows before finally reaching a skylight on top.

7. Explore Kensington Calgary

Kensington is the “trendy” neighbourhood in Calgary. You leave the high rises of the financial and business centre behind for some cute restaurants, and shops.

You don’t have to do anything in Kensington Calgary other than stroll the streets. But I recommend stopping for some tea and shopping at Oolong Tea Shop Kensington and grabbing a bite to eat at PB and J YYC. If you’re in to board games like myself, you can head to the Hexagon Board Game Cafe, as well.

Tea Tasting Notes & Guide: you might be interested in my digital and printable tea tasting notes & guide to take your tea tasting to the next level. See it on Etsy.

tea steeping in a french press half pressed down. There are two small blue clay teacups waiting for their tea and a baked scone next to it.

8. See A Skyline View

You should absolutely see a skyline view as one of the things to do in Calgary. And no, I don’t mean Observation Tower… I actually recommend skipping that Calgary tourist attraction altogether. Instead go to a skyline view of the city itself. There are tons of places to do this around the city that are completely free as well.

I visited Scotsman Hill, which was an easy drive to and 30 second walk to the viewpoint. The view is of the Calgary Stampede Stadium, with the city in the background. On a clear day, you might even be able to see the mountains in the distance.

You can also head to Crescent Heights Lookout Point. This is the complete opposite side of the city from the Scotsman Hill viewpoint. Here, you’ll get a breathtaking view of the Bow River separating you from the city skyline. You can either walk up a lot of steps from Sunnyside Bank Park, or drive straight to it.

If you want an even further skyline view of Calgary, head to Nose Hill Park. This one does require a bit of an uphill walk from the parking lot to the viewpoint though.

a view of the Calgary skyline, the stadium is in front of it all. It's not a long skyline view, but there are some tall buildings and the observation tower in the middle.

9. Walk Along the Bow River

The Bow River flows from Saskatchewan through Alberta. In fact, it leads you from Calgary all the way to Bow Lake along the Icefields Parkway. If you’re planning a visit to Banff National Park, there are many scenic viewpoints along the Bow River. It’s incredible to see how the river transforms from an urban landscape in Calgary to a mountain setting in the Rockies.

So in Calgary, make a point to walk along the Bow River Pathway taking in the views of the Bow River. You’ll want to cross two main bridge; the historical Centre Bridge from 1916 and the modern pedestrian Peace Bridge. They encircle Prince’s Island Park, which you can also take a moment to walk through and enjoy.

a striking modern birdge that looks like a red tube with windows connects both sides of the bow river in downtown Calgary. Nature on one side, and high rise buildings are on the other. The day is overcast, with some clouds, and grey skies adding to the ominous mood of the photo

10. Go to the Calgary Stampede (or Rodeo!)

Calgary is famously known for their annual Calgary Stampede, a 10 day rodeo every year in July.

If you aren’t visiting in July, but still want to learn more about this cultural event in Calgary, there’s a year round interactive museum at the Sam Centre.

And they do host other events at the Calgary Stampede stadium you can check out when you’re visiting.

Bonus! Enjoy a Delicious Breakfast at Brekkie

Brekkie is about a 20 minute drive outside the city centre, but it’s worth it. They have a constantly updated menu using fresh and local ingredients. They make some insane culinary creations, both sweet and savoury.

P.S. It’s also the perfect pit stop on your way to the Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park! See my other stops along the way from Calgary to Banff.

a top down view of the breakfast from Brekkie. One bowl of bananas with seeds on top, two cups of coffee, one in a beautiful teal mug, and finally the best part of all, a thick cut piece of french toast with a custard and berries on top.

Top Things To Do In Downtown Calgary You Can Skip

There are a few top things to do in Calgary that you can completely skip altogether. They aren’t worth your time or money! There are just better alternatives for these activities… most of which I’ve already mentioned!

Be sure to not miss the best things to do in Calgary with my Alberta travel guide checklist.

Don’t Go to the Devonian Gardens

I was definitely unimpressed with the Devonian Gardens. I understand the idea of it, to have some greenery even when it’s a bad day outside, but it just didn’t do it for me.

I was also the perfect customer to enjoy these gardens – my first time visiting Calgary it was a horrible rainy day. The Devonian Gardens should have been the ultimate nature escape in a concrete jungle. Unfortunately, it didn’t hold up to expectations.

The Devonian Gardens were still too mall-like. I never felt immersed into the gardens as I was expecting to be. They needed to do more greenery to make it a worthwhile stop.

inside the Devonian gardens a mix of concrete jungle with trees growing lush and full. People are walking between them. The light from outside comes through from the skylight above.

Don’t See The View from the Calgary Tower

The Calgary Tower is one of the top things to do in downtown Calgary, yet I’m saying to skip it. The Calgary Tower is in the middle of downtown, so you don’t get a true skyline view of the city. You also can’t always see the Canadian Rockies from here – it has to be a perfectly clear day. On top of that, you can get a view of actual downtown Calgary for free.

But if it is a clear enough day, and you want to visit Calgary Tower, I recommend going to Sky360 or Tops. These are the restaurants at the observation tower. This way, you’re at least getting a meal and an activity, making it much more worthwhile.

Sky360 is the revolving restaurant. So at least you can sit and enjoy the view for an hour. For a more budget friendly option, go to Sky360 for brunch or even drinks. On the weekends, Tops, just upstairs on the Mezzanine, is open for mini snack.

a vertical image of downtown calgar. Green trees line the bottom third of the photo. You can see people walking on the wet street below, they are very small though. And the line of the street leads you right to the observation tower.

Don’t Strain your neck at the World’s Tallest Mural

The World’s Tallest Mural sounded so exciting that I had to go see it for myself. I unfortunately was a little underwhelmed with the mural. It’s smaller than I expected, and very high up on the actual building.

On top of that, I feel like you can try to spot it from other places throughout downtown Calgary.

Visiting Calgary Logistics

Here are a few travel logistics to visiting Calgary. If you’re flying in, you’ll fly into the Calgary airport (YYC) it’s about a 20 minute drive from downtown Calgary. They have car rentals at the airport. Or if you’re heading to Banff National Park, there are direct shuttles from the airport to Banff.

A UPWARDS VIEW OF the world's tallest mural against the blue skies and the observation tower peaks in from the bottom right corner.

Renting a Car in Calgary

I’ve rented from both Avis and the Enterprise at the Calgary airport. Let’s just say, that was the first and last time I rented a car with Avis… Depending on when you’re visiting, book your car rental early. I had to go with Avis my first time visiting Banff in June because Enterprise was sold out.

The second time I visited, it was low season in January and I was able to book with Enterprise. The experience was so much better. The customer service was unmatched – from upgrading my car and including winter tires.

Pro Tip: If you’re planning on driving through Banff, I recommend upgrading to a larger car (like a compact SUV). You never know what the driving conditions will be like – no matter the time of year. You’re in the mountains, so conditions can quickly change.

Where to Stay In Calgary

I stayed one night in Calgary my first time visiting, just to make my trip to Banff more relaxed. I stayed at the Westley by Hilton. It’s just outside the main epicentre of downtown Calgary, but not far by any means. I really liked the location because I was able to walk everywhere, not just downtown. For example, I was close enough to also walk to Kensington and Prince’s Island Park.

the Westeley Hotel room by Hilton is modern, and clean. There's a large window just above a desk and the bed faces it, making for some nice views every morning.

Visiting Banff from Calgary

I always visit Calgary on my way in and out from visiting Banff National Park. It’s about an hour and 20 minute drive so it’s the perfect place before or after your flight home.

As I mentioned, if you are planning on driving to Banff from Calgary, read my post on all the top places to stop along the way. And be sure to use my Banff travel guide for even easier trip planning!

My Banff National Park Amazon Must Haves

There’s no denying that a trip to Banff is outdoor focused. Even if you aren’t planning on doing any intense hikes or outdoor activities, there are a few essentials I pack. For example, these protein bars and a refillable water bottle. You’re visiting more remote locations, that won’t have a place to buy any food or water so it’s important you always have something on hand.

I also like these Columbia Newton hiking boots because they also double as my waterproof shoes during the summer months and they also worked in the winter as a pair of lighter boots.

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Banff Travel Guide

Use it digitally on your phone to check off top attractions as you do them. Or print it out in one of three size formats.

9 Pages included:

Cover page
Banff at a Glance: with tips for travelling to Banff National Park
Packing Guide (summer & winter)
Things to do on the way to Banff (Canmore)
Things to do in Calgary
Banff National Park checklist
Souvenirs to Buy
Additional notes

Shop Banff National Park checklist on Etsy