Calgary has A LOT of good food! We recommend eating at: Indian Ocean, White Elephant (Thai), Mozy Cafe (Shawarma & Donair), Barbarella, Native Tongues (Tacos), Lil Empire Burgers, OEB (breakfast), Jinya Ramen Bar, Hayden Block/Comery Block (bbq), Alumni (Nashville hot chicken sandwich), Inglewood Drive In (burgers & milkshakes).
Once again, SO MANY good places. Alforno, Phil & Sebastian (Bridgeland or Simmons Building locations), Analog, Neighbour Coffee, and Higher Ground Cafe.
Our friend group does an annual summer biking pub crawl, so we know all the spots! Check out Two Pillars (our favourite micro brewery), Two House, 33 Acres, Dandy Brewing, High Line Brewing, Cold Garden (DOG HEAVEN), Prairie Dog Brewing Co, Kensington Pub, Wild Rose Brewery and, Vaycay Brew Co.
If you want to hit the mall, Chinkook and the Core would be the go to's. If you are a consigner/thrifter like us, check out some of these places: Change is Good, Man of Distinction, Peacock Boutique, Kept Clothing Collective and, Next 2 New.
If you are treating yourself to a spa getaway: Kananaskis Nordic Spa is 17/10! Head to Canmore and check out some of our favourite spots. The Rocky Mountain Bagel Company, Tank310, The Grizzly Paw Brewery, Rocky Mountain Soap Co., Stonewaters, Cafe Books and Hello Vintage. Head to Banff for the Three Bears Brewery & Restaurant or Bear St. Tavern, walk Bear St. and pop into the cute tourist shops, go up the Gondola for sweet views and of course, head to Lake Louise for the classic Canadian view. You can rent bikes and bike the Banff Legacy Trail - it is a stunning bike ride that takes about 1.5 hours each way at a leisurely pace. For hiking, we recommend checking out the AllTrails app for recommendations but a couple we have done: Easy: Grassi Lakes, Troll Falls, Johnson Canyon, Policemans Boardwalk. Medium/Hard: Prairie View (Megan's fav), Lake Agnes Tea House (nearly had a heart attack), Banff Gondola (switchback city with a frequently seen bear). And don't forget your bear spray - you can borrow ours if you don't want to buy!
There is lots to do in Calgary! If you want to see some nature in the city, check out the Devonian Gardens, Nosehill Park, Glenmore Reservoir, Fish Creek, River Park, Pearce Estate Park and a downtown favourite: Princes Island Park. If you want to be cultured, check out the Esker Foundation (free museum), Studio Bell, Calgary Central Library, Heritage Park, and the Telus Spark Science Center, which is great for kids. Other fun things to do: the Calgary Zoo, go tubing down the Bow or Elbow river, walk the River path downtown, check out Stephen Ave, head to the Crossroads Market or Calgary Farmers Market, Greta bar or Pinbar have arcade games, catch a movie at the Plaza theatre in Kensington, or take a picnic to Scotsmans Hill. If you just feel like meandering, our favourite neighbourhoods are Inglewood, Kensington, Mission and Bridgeland.
If you have time to spare and a car at your convenience, we recommend: Drumheller (1.5 hours away) where you should visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Walk Horsethief or Horseshoe Canyon, have lunch at the Last Chance Saloon, and visit the big dinosaur! Waterton (3 hrs away) - Patrick prefers Waterton to Canmore/Banff as it is STUNNING. Check out the view from the Prince of Wales hotel. Walk the Red Rock Parkway or climb Bear's Hump trail for another awesome view. Explore Waterton village and spend some time at the nearby beach.