Tourist Places to Visit in Calgary, Canada, America
Calgary is one of the major cities of Canada located in Alberta province, about 300 km south of the provincial capital Edmonton. It is the 3rd largest municipality and the 5th largest metropolitan area in the country in population. Calgary became the 1st city of Canada to organize the Olympic Winter Games in 1988. Petroleum industry and agriculture are the major revenue sources of Calgary.
Geography of Calgary:
Calgary is located on the Bow River between 51°03′ N latitude and 114°04′ W longitude, about 130 kms away from famous Canadian Rockies. Calgary is situated at an altitude of 1,100 meters and the metropolitan area of Calgary covers an area of 5,107.55 sq. km.
History of Calgary:
Calgary got its name from Calgary Bay (beach) in Isle of Mull, Scotland. It was initially established as a village in the year 1875 and later it was formed as a town on November 7, 1884 and Calgary gained city status on January 1, 1894.
Connectivity to Calgary:
Calgary International Airport is located around 17 km from the downtown Calgary with connections to almost all of the domestic locations and the major international destinations like Amsterdam, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and more locations, served by Air Canada, British Airways, American Airlines and many other renowned airlines.
The major bus operators in Calgary include Greyhound, Red Arrow and Executive Express. Calgary is connected by train with few locations of the country such as Vancouver, Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff. Cars and buses are ideal for local travel.
Things to do in Calgary:
- Calaway Park
- Glenmore Reservoir
- Calgary Flames Hockey Club
- Calgary Hitmen
Culture, Food and Shopping in Calgary:
Calgary houses plenty of cultural centres including Vertigo Theatre, EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts, Pump House Theatre and Lunchbox Theatre.
Tourists can refer the below shopping centres for high class shopping experience:
- Southcentre Mall
- Deerfoot Outlet Mall
- Chinook Centre
- Deerfoot Meadows
- Eau Claire Market
The prime eating options in Calgary are:
- Chicken On The Way
- Louie’s Sub & Pizza
- Peter’s Drive-in
- Pho Pasteur Saigon
Tourist Attractions in Calgary:
Prince’s Island Park:
Prince’s Island Park is a cool and calm site in Calgary located within the city and is the place for two major annual events of Calgary (the Calgary Folk Music Festival and Carifest).
Glenbow Museum:
Glenbow Museum is the largest museum in Western Canada comprising more than 20 galleries with artifacts from Glenbow’s collection. It is open from 9AM – 5PM Mon-Sat and Sun noon- 5PM. Entrance fee is $14 for adults.
Calgary Zoo:
Calgary Zoo is a world class zoo housing more than 1,000 animals from the different regions of the globe. It is the 2nd largest zoo in Canada featuring a Botanical Garden and a Prehistoric Park. Tourists are allowed between 9AM – 5PM every day. Admission fee is $18 for adults and $10 for children.
Other places of interest near Calgary include:
- Barclay Parade
- Calgary Tower
- Stephen Avenue Walk
- Chinatown
- Olympic Plaza
- Telus Spark
- Fort Calgary Historic Park
- Inglewood Bird Sanctuary & Nature Centre
- Stampede Grounds
- Canada Olympic Park
- Devonian Gardens
- The Military Museums
- Battalion Park
Best time to visit Calgary:
From late May to the end of September is the ideal time to visit Calgary.
Accommodation Options in Calgary:
Calgary is one of the major cities of Canada housing numerous hotels ranging from small budget ones to ultra luxurious deluxe hotels offering amazing services and amenities. List of some of the reputed hotels located in Calgary include:
Budget:
- Centro Motel Calgary
- Best Western Airport Inn Calgary Hotel
- Wicked Hostels
- Hostelling International
Mid-range:
- Courtyard Calgary Airport
- Acclaim Hotel Calgary Airport
- Nuvo Hotel Suites
- Hampton Inn & Suites
- 5 Calgary Downtown Suites
- Best Western Hospitality
- Residence Inn
Splurge:
- Kensington Riverside Inn
- Calgary Marriott Downtown Hotel
- The Fairmont Palliser
- Hotel Le Germain Calgary
- Hotel Elan
- Hyatt Regency Calgary
- Sheraton Cavalier Hotel