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Tips & Traps
Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
- TipA place or a move worth it
- TrapWhat to avoid, and how
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Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
Join RALF to share your own tips and traps
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Hotels near the Stampede grounds sell out months ahead, sometimes as soon as the next dates are announced, and rates can triple or quadruple during the ten days. Book as early as you can and choose a downtown or East Village base within a 15-minute walk. If prices are out of reach, stay in Airdrie, Cochrane or…
The Palliser opened in June 1914 as a Canadian Pacific Railway hotel and was Calgary's tallest building until 1958. It still stands at 133 9 Avenue SW, beside Calgary Tower, with a Renaissance Revival lobby in grey Tennessee marble. It was one of the first two Alberta hotels licensed to serve liquor after Prohibition…
On one day each year, 4th Street SW closes to cars for the Lilac Festival, a free street party that marks the start of Calgary's summer festival season. It runs along 4th Street between 12 Avenue and Elbow Drive, with an extension on 17 Avenue, and brings live music across eight stages, local vendors, food trucks and…
Sled Island is Calgary's June music and arts festival, five days of bands, comedy, art and drag at venues across downtown, from theatres to record stores. A guest curator chooses part of the lineup each year, so the mood shifts every edition. Buy a pass or single tickets on the festival site, and plan late nights. The…
The Calgary Philharmonic plays its season at Jack Singer Concert Hall in the Werklund Centre, a short walk from downtown. The programme mixes classical nights with film concerts and pops evenings, such as live-to-film screenings and songbook shows, so there is an entry point for non-regulars. Check the season calendar…
Studio Bell, the National Music Centre, spans five floors of instruments, hands-on synth and drum stations and the Canadian Music Halls of Fame, including a theatre organ. Daytime events come with admission, while evening concerts are ticketed, so look at the whats-on calendar. Cross the street to the King Eddy, a…
Alberta Boot builds western boots in Calgary, and its flagship in the Beltline, near the Stampede grounds, is also the factory. Browse ready-made pairs, or order bespoke boots in the leather you choose. Past visits have included watching boots made and trying a hands-on workshop, so use the schedule a visit page to…
Crossroads Market in southeast Calgary is a Saturday-morning habit for locals, part flea market and part food hall, with over 125 vendors selling antiques, crafts, produce and baked goods. It runs year-round indoors, with an outdoor market in summer, and the food court is worth a stop. Go earlier in the day for the…
The grassy bluff above the Bow River at the end of Crescent Road NW gives one of the best downtown skyline views in the city. It takes a climb, so wear sturdy shoes, bring a hiking pole if you like, and pack a snack to stay for sunset. Parking rules nearby can change, so read the signs. Skip it in icy conditions when…
The Glenbow, once the headline museum on Stephen Avenue, has been closed since 2021 for a big renovation. Sources have given different reopening years, from 2026 to 2027, so do not build a day around it. Spend that time at Studio Bell or The Confluence instead, both a short walk or ride away, and check the Glenbow…
Scotsman's Hill, above the Elbow River in Ramsay, frames the downtown towers, Calgary Tower and Saddledome in one shot. Go for sunset or blue hour, when the glass towers pick up the light, and bring a tripod for night shots. It connects to the Elbow River pathway, so you can walk or cycle in. During Stampede fireworks…
Where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet, the former Fort Calgary was renamed The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland in 2024 to tell more than the police fort story. Inside the cultural centre, a lodge-inspired Blackfoot exhibit sits next to the North-West Mounted Police material. Walk the river paths first, then take…
Many Calgary day trips aim at Moraine Lake, but since 2023 Parks Canada has barred private vehicles from the road to the lake all year. In the summer season you ride a Parks Canada shuttle from the Lake Louise Park and Ride, booked through the Parks Canada reservation service, or use a private operator. Most seats are…
Street parking in Calgary is paid by licence plate and a four-digit ParkPlus zone number, and that number is on the nearby sign, not on the pay machine. Entering the machine ID is the classic mistake. Pay machines do not credit unused time, so if you want to pay only for the time you stay, use an account or the text…
Floating the river is a Calgary summer ritual, but the Bow is usually deep and fast, with features like Harvie Passage and a standing wave, while the Elbow is calmer and better for beginners. Check the flow on the Alberta rivers site before you go and skip the float if the City has issued a flow advisory. Launch only…
Nose Hill is an 11 square kilometre plateau of native grassland inside the city, and from the top you see the Rockies, the Bow River valley and the plains rolling east. Pick one access point, such as the lots along 14 Street NW or at John Laurie Boulevard, and expect mostly dirt paths with thin signage, so carry a…
Chinatown, just north of the Bow River and Prince's Island, is where Calgary does dim sum seriously. Silver Dragon on 3 Avenue SE has served Cantonese and Sichuan food since 1966, and dim sum is a main draw. Order four or five dishes for two, then add more if you are still hungry, and balance light dumplings with…
The south market on 77 Avenue SE is where locals do a long, unhurried lunch. Walk the food hall first, where around twenty family-run counters serve everything from crepes and bagels to butter chicken and cabbage rolls. Then fill a bag with Alberta beef, handmade sausage or local produce for later. It opens Thursday…
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