Travel to Calgary

Travel to Calgary

With the eastern face of the Rockies as its backdrop, the crisp concrete-and-steel skyline of Calgary seems to rise from the plains as if by sheer force of will. All the elements in the great saga of the Canadian West - Mounties, native people, railroads, cowboys, cattle and oil - have converged to create a city with a modern face and a surprisingly traditional soul.

Transportation to Calgary

Calgary is 975kms east of Vancouver, 620kms east of Kamloops in British Columbia and 128kms east of Banff in Alberta, and is serviced by Calgary International Airport, the third largest airport in Canada, which connects the city with destinations all over the country and abroad. Calgary is also covered by an extensive network of primary and secondary highways; however, the only direct passenger service to the city is offered by the privately-run Rocky Mountaineer, which runs through the Canadian Rockies and terminates in the city centre.

What to see

Calgary city attractions include the Calgary Zoo, TELUS World of Science, TELUS Convention Centre, EPCOR Centre for Performing Arts and the Eau Claire Market. The city is also home to several museums, the best-known of which is the Glenbow Museum, the largest in western Canada. Other major museums include the largest Chinese Cultural Centre in North America, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and the Aero Space Museum.

Daytrips

Visit Alberta's Rocky Mountains, or if you want to visit another city nearby to Calgary, head to beautiful Edmonton for the day. A 1-hour, 30-minute drive northeast brings you to Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrel Museum of Paleontology, the world's most extensive display of dinosaurs. Meanwhile, a 2-hour 30-minute drive to the south of Calgary brings you to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a World Heritage site designated to the preservation of buffalo jumps.

A 45-minute car trip west takes you to the Kananaskis Trail, where you can enjoy panoramic views of Albertas ranching country, or head north towards the Canadian Badlands Trail to discover two-billion-year-old rocks and the world's largest collection of dinosaur skeletons.

Activities and leisure

Calgary's downtown area features an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars, cultural venues, shopping and public squares. Throughout the year, shopping, theatre, galleries, symphony, ballet, concerts and dazzling nightlife are close at hand. Few cities offer the range of cultural experiences, recreational activities, seasonal events and festivals, and elaborate park and pathway systems that downtown Calgary can, attracting more than four million visitors a year.

Safety issues

Visitors and holidaymakers are more susceptible to petty theft, especially during the high tourist seasons, when there is a lot of outdoor activity. Minimise the risk of being a victim to crime by taking precautions, and be sure to take out travel insurance when visiting Calgary or any other holiday destination.