Calgary travel guide
Calgary Tourism | Calgary Guide
You're Going to Love Calgary
With a population of 1,02 million, Calgary is the largest city in Alberta, Canada by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Calgary deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Where to Eat in Calgary
Beltline is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Calgary. These include popular favourites such as Ship and Anchor Pub (534 17 Ave SW), Cardinale (401 - 12 Av SE) and Bridgette Bar (739 10 Ave SW). If you’re looking for affordable options, Blink Restaurant (111 8th Ave SW) and Open Sesame (6920 Macleod Tr S) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Essence - The Westin Calgary (320 4th Ave S.W.) and The Dandy Brewing Company & Tasting Room (2003 11 St SE) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Calgary.
When to visit Calgary
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Calgary in July, when the average temperature is 17 °C, and the highest can go up to 23 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as -13 °C, with an average temperature of -7 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in June, when precipitation is around 94 mm. In contrast, January is usually the driest month of the year in Calgary, with an average rainfall of 9 mm.
How to Get to Calgary
Plane
When flying to Calgary, you’ll arrive at Calgary Airport (YYC), which is located 9 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Calgary from New Zealand departs from Christchurch and takes around 26h 04m.
Car
Another option to get to Calgary is to pick up a car hire from Edmonton, which is about 280 km from Calgary. You’ll find branches of Avis and National, among others, in Edmonton.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Calgary, including Rider Express, Red Arrow and Cold Shot. From Edmonton, the bus ride to Calgary takes 266 km and will cost you around $116. From Kamloops, the ticket costs about $279 for a journey of 821 km. The most popular bus station is Calgary Westbrook Mall, located 5 km from the city centre of Calgary. Calgary Memorial Drive - 12 4 St Ne is also a commonly used station, and is 1.3 km from the city centre.
Airlines serving Calgary
Where to stay in Calgary
If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Holiday Inn Express Airport-Calgary, An IHG Hotel and Cozy Nest B&B. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Calgary, with prices from $77 to $476 per night. Beltline is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Calgary are about 6% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Where to stay in popular areas of Calgary
Most booked hotels in Calgary
Hiring a car in Calgary
Hiring a car in Calgary costs $114 per day, on average, or $229 if you want to hire it for 2 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Calgary is the Routes Car & Truck Rentals branch at 130-588 Aero Drive NorthEast, Calgary AB, which is 5 km from the city centre.
It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 8% cheaper than airport locations in Calgary.
Expect to pay $2.22 per litre in Calgary (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $26.56 and $35.41. Economy (Kia Rio or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Calgary, while also 33% cheaper than other types, on average.