An Easy One Day in Calgary Itinerary: 24 Hours in Calgary, Canada!
Only have a day and wondering what to do in Calgary? Read on for the ideal itinerary to explore this city whether you’re stopping before heading to other parts of Alberta or waiting for your flight out of YYC.
This easy Calgary 1 day itinerary highlights food, sports, culture and Calgary main attractions to give you a variety of things to explore here. Please enjoy and use this itinerary to help you for what to do in Calgary Canada.
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About Calgary
- Where is it? Calgary is a city in the province of Alberta in Canada located on the West of the country and the province borders the USA (Montana and Washington).
- The population of Calgary is 1.3 million.
- Closest airport? Calgary International Airport is 19km from the city centre with regular shuttle buses from the airport to downtown, taxis and trains to the action taking only about 20 minutes.
- Airport code? YYC.
- Best time to visit Calgary? Summer is the best time for a Calgary trip but the Fall / Winter months are great because the NHL season will have started so you can catch a Flames game!
- How many days in Calgary? I’ve only ever spent one day at a time in Calgary as I only live in Banff. If you’re visiting I’d allow yourself maybe two days in the city to explore this itinerary, join some tours and take a slower pace before moving on to Alberta’s beautiful nature.
- Where to stay in Calgary? Always pre-book accommodation for cities like this especially if you’re seeing a hockey game. Check availability here:
One Day in Calgary Itinerary
This Calgary trip itinerary will take you on a morning of art-exploring, an afternoon of culture through touring the gastronomy, music, and sports from the city and evening at a Calgary staple and ice hockey game. Follow this itinerary for the perfect things to do with just 24 hours in Calgary.
Join a walking tour to make the most out of this itinerary:
Morning
Breakfast at Holy Grill
How else would I start this Calgary must do list other than coffee and breakfast?! Head to Holy Grill to feel like a Calgarian as this breakfast spot is a family-owned business serving the finest Maple Syrup to satisfy your Canadian taste dreams.
They have multiple locations across town so you can find your branch wherever you are staying.
Climb Calgary Tower
Out of all the Calgary places to visit, this is probably the most famous. An iconic image for the city, you can admire the tower from afar or choose to climb it for epic views over the city. Calgary Tower general admission is not expensive so makes for cheap things to do in Calgary.
It’s considered a Calgary must see so head to downtown for this activity.
What I found crazy though was the fact that this tower, once the tallest in North America, was actually a lot shorter than the other skyscrapers in the city at just 158m.
Take a Photograph with the World’s Tallest Mural
Pinned on Google Maps as the ‘World’s Tallest Mural’, this street art is located on a giant, concrete, flat wall on the East side of ‘First on Tenth’ building right opposite Calgary Tower.
The work is 95 metres high and was done by a German artist named DAIM.
Address: 105 10 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2R 0B8, Canada
See Street Art and Statues
Seeing these statues and street art are free activities Calgary has to offer if you want to walk around the city self-guided. If you’d prefer a guide to take you to the hotspots and learn about the different murals/projects, join this three hour street-art tour of Calgary including a few craft beer tastings and makes for fun Calgary Canada things to do.
Wonderland Sculpture
In front of the Bow Building you’ll find an art project called Wonderland by Jaume Plensa, a Spanish artist. It’s a metal frame of a girl’s head and easily one of the most instagrammable attractions in Calgary.
Address: 110 6 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0G2, Canada
The Alberta Five
The Alberta Five is a name given to five suffragettes from Alberta who advocated for women’s rights in the 1800s. They became a crucial asset to Canada’s history and therefore became known as The Famous Five. They fought for women to become part of ‘persons’ in the law and bills of Canada at that time.
There is now a homage to these women in the form of five statues that you can visit as points of interest Calgary.
Address: Women are persons, 8 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0K7, Canada
You May Want To Know: How to Work in Canada for 2 Years!
Afternoon
Lunch and Live Music at Ship and Anchor
The Ship and Anchor is a great establishment in Calgary with an authentic British pub-vibe from it’s decor, naval themed bar, homage to lots of British football teams and sports showing on the TV.
They have a large menu and serve food right up until closing time. I went for their house burger and poutine which I thoroughly enjoyed with a local craft beer.
Unbeknownst to us, they had two bands in that day playing live music and provided a warm, fun and enjoyable atmosphere. If you’re looking for things to do in Calgary Alberta, check out local bars who have live music on an afternoon. Especially the Ship and Anchor!
Address: 534 17 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2S 0B1, Canada
Cross The Peace Bridge
Above the Bow River you’ll find many bridges but none quite like the peace bridge which has been accommodating pedestrians and cyclers since 2012. It has a red and white criss-cross design and resembles a candy-cane-style bullet train as it’s completely covered and more like a tunnel when you pass through.
If there’s one thing what to see in Calgary in one day, crossing this bridge over to the North Side from the centre is it.
It’s called Peace Bridge due to its proximity to Memorial Drive.
Visit WinSport Olympic Park
When visiting Calgary what to do is always the first question. And the Olympic Park is always the first answer. Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics in 1988 and the Olympic Park is still standing which is now run by WinSport and available for you to explore.
In the Summer you can take a guided tour of the park, karting and zip-lining and in the Winter you can skate, ski and snowboard.
Optional: If you’re interested in local craft beer, join a Brewery tour of Calgary. Go to three different breweries and get the inside info from your beer-guide!
Evening – A Must See in Calgary
Have Dinner at Anejo
Anejo is a Calgary home for Mexican food and long list of tequila and providing a unique tequila experience is key for their restaurant.
The food is also delicious from their happy hour tacos, stuffed vegetables, salads and soups. My favourite, however, is the Fundido Tradicional which is a large pot of melted cheese, mushroom, chorizo and salsa served with warm tortillas. Incredible!
You can book an event, take home your own margarita kit and buy gift cards for the next time you’re in town. They also have locations in Banff and Toronto.
Address: 2116 4 St SW #2, Calgary, AB T2S 1W7, Canada
See a Flames Game at Saddleback Stadium
The Scotiabank Saddleback Stadium is the home of Calgary Flames hockey team located in Stampede Park in Calgary and one of the best places to visit in Calgary. This is a huge place with over 8000 seats surrounding the rink, multiple restaurants, bars and information on the history of hockey. It’s not just hockey held here they also have concerts and performances like Shania Twain and Disney on Ice!
When it comes to a must do in Calgary though, a hockey game at Saddleback pretty much tops the list. I had the most fun here from the pre-game build up, the classic North American food and foam fingers you see at sports games, half-time shows, giveaways, anthem, charity, music, lights and of course the brilliant game! If you take nothing else from this Calgary travel blog, please go see a hockey game, you won’t regret it!
Afterwards, you could always check out Cowboys Casino and Nightclub which is always jam-packed after a Flames game and one of the best things to do in Calgary at night to end your sightseeing in Calgary.
Filming Locations Calgary
There are a few TV shows and films that used Calgary as locations for shooting. Take a walk around and see if you can spot filming locations from Cool Runnings, Fargo, The Revenant, Ghostbusters: After Life and Interstellar.
Join a Calgary City Tour
For the best of Calgary organised on your behalf, join one of these walking Calgary day tours to explore Calgary:
More Things to Do Calgary Canada
There are lots more things to do in Calgary Canada so next time you’re in Calgary or if you have longer check out the Glenbow Museum, wander downtown area, do some shopping at the malls, visit Fort Calgary (where Calgary was founded) or tour Heritage Park Historical Village. If you’re lucky enough to be here in July, do not miss the Calgary Stampede, one of the most famous festivals in Canada.
After Calgary
Calgary is an excellent gateway city for bigger and better things. How about the Canadian Rockies?! Yes. In just an hour and a half you can be within the mountains of Banff National Park and a few hours more you can head to Jasper National Park. You can take multiple one day trips from Calgary to these breathtaking places after all the things to do in Calgary CA.
Visiting Banff? Read all my Banff posts here!
Along the way there are so many amazing things to do in Alberta like Red Deer, Drumheller, Edmonton and Lethbridge so be sure to plan longer in this beautiful part of the world (which I’m sure you are).
Read Next:
How to Get from Calgary to Red Deer
How to Get from Calgary to Banff
Hope this Calgary travel guide has helped you have fun.
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