Places to Visit in Edmonton, Canada, America

Places to Visit in Edmonton, Canada, America

Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta Province in Canada located on the banks of North Saskatchewan River at 53°32′ N 113°30′ W. In population, Edmonton ranks 2^nd largest city in Alberta province and the 5^th largest municipality in Canada. Edmonton is the northernmost city of North America situated about 300 km north of Calgary, the largest city of Alberta Province.

Edmonton is the culture, educational and administrative capital of Alberta Province hosting many famous festivals, due to this it is nicknamed ‘The Festival City’. West Edmonton Mall, the largest mall in North America and Fort Edmonton Park, the largest living history museum in Canada are the two prime identities of Edmonton.

Geography of Edmonton:

The city of Edmonton covers an area of 684.37 sq. km. and metropolitan area occupies 9,426.73 sq. km. Edmonton is placed at an elevation of 671 meters.

History of Edmonton:

It is believed that, Anthony Henday was the first European to visit Edmonton area in 1754. Edmonton draws its name from Edmonton of London and was established in the year 1795. It gained status of town on January 9, 1892 and upgraded as a city on October 8, 1904.

How to reach Edmonton?

Edmonton International Airport has direct flights to 11 USA airports and many other foreign airports and the major air operators include West Jet, Air Canada, Air Transat and Central Mountain Air. This airport is located around 30 kms away from the downtown Edmonton. There are bus services available from airport to downtown Edmonton, served by Edmonton Transit System and it costs C$5.00 per way.

Edmonton has a good connectivity with Vancouver, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal through train and also bus is useful to reach major cities.

To move around, tourists can refer the following taxi operators:

Yellow Cab
Barrel Taxi
Co-op Tax
Capital Taxi

Culture, Food and Shopping in Edmonton:

Edmonton is home to numerous museums and dance and music cultural centers. The Edmonton Folk Music Festival is one of the major folk festivals in the globe celebrated for 4 days.

The major shopping centres in Edmonton include:

West Edmonton Mall
Kingsway Mall
124th Street
Whyte Avenue

The prominent food corners in Edmonton are:

Duchess Bake Shop
Hardware Grill
Normand’s Restaurant
Tzin Wine & Tapas

Things to do in Edmonton:

Biking
Cross-country skiing
Golf
Hiking
Canoeing
Kayaking
Sailing

Places to see in Edmonton:

Art Gallery of Alberta:

Art Gallery of Alberta is a unique exhibition centre in Edmonton displaying typical Canadian and international objects related to different arts. It is situated in the centre of Edmonton’s Arts District.

West Edmonton Mall:

Considering as the largest shopping mall in North America, West Edmonton Mall is the major identity of Edmonton and is home to an artificial beach and indoor wave pool, an amusement park, indoor lake and much more.

Elk Island National Park of Canada:

Elk Island National Park of Canada is located on the Yellowhead Highway of Edmonton taking around 20 minutes to reach from the city centre. It houses about 40 species of mammals and 250 species of birds. Tourists can also enjoy the activities like hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking and golfing here.

Other places of interest near Edmonton include:

Alberta Legislature
Muttart Conservatory
TELUS World of Science
Royal Alberta Museum
Fort Edmonton Park
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Aurora Borealis
Edmonton Valley Zoo
Alberta Aviation Museum
Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre
Alberta Railway Museum

Best time to visit Edmonton:

Generally from June to August is the best time to travel Edmonton.

Accommodation Options in Edmonton:

Edmonton is one of the prominent cities of Canada known for its large hospitality industry. The major budget hotels of Edmonton are situated at the south end of the city and tourists can find mid range and top end accommodation centres in the downtown Edmonton. List of best accommodation centres in Edmonton include: