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Alberta · Canada
The largest city in Alberta, where the prairies meet the Rockies: gateway to Banff, home of the Stampede in July and, 135 km away, the dinosaur valleys of Drumheller.
In the photo: Peace Bridge, Calgary
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
Calgary is in southern Alberta, at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers, where the prairies begin to rise toward the Rocky Mountains, which appear on the western horizon. It is the province’s largest city and the main air gateway to Banff, about 130 km away.
The city grew from a North-West Mounted Police fort established in 1875 and expanded with ranching and later oil. That farming and cowboy heritage shows up at the Calgary Stampede, a ten‑day festival in July with rodeos, chuckwagon races, a parade and a fair, and at Heritage Park, a historic village beside a reservoir.
Downtown features the Calgary Tower, Stephen Avenue pedestrian street with old sandstone buildings, and Studio Bell, the Canadian music museum. On the banks of the Bow River, Prince’s Island Park and the red Peace Bridge connect downtown to the northside neighbourhoods. Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics.
About 135 km to the northeast, Drumheller sits in the Red Deer River badlands, with striped slopes, hoodoos and the Royal Tyrrell Museum, one of the world’s largest dinosaur museums.
This destination brings together 2 cities: Calgary, Drumheller.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence) / geoBoundaries. Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Calgary International Airport (YYC), in Calgary · 15 km to Calgary
Calgary International Airport is about 15 km from downtown. Calgary is linked to Banff by the Trans‑Canada Highway, about 130 km away, and to Edmonton by Highway 2, around 300 km. There is no regular passenger train service.
Suggested arrival point: Calgary
The largest city in Alberta, at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers, with the Rockies on the horizon. It has the Calgary Tower, Stephen Avenue, Studio Bell, Prince’s Island Park, the zoo and Heritage Park, a historic western village. In July it hosts the Calgary Stampede.
Town in the Red Deer River valley, in the middle of Alberta’s badlands, about 135 km from Calgary. It’s known for dinosaurs: it has the Royal Tyrrell Museum, one of the world’s largest paleontology museums, the Hoodoos sandstone pillars and Horseshoe Canyon, with layered, colorful slopes.
The local experience
A roughly 191‑metre tower in downtown Calgary, built for Canada’s centennial, with a glassed observation deck, a glass floor and views of the Rockies on clear days.
One of the world’s largest paleontology museums, in the badlands valley, with dozens of mounted dinosaur skeletons, Alberta fossils and a visible preparation laboratory.
A historic village on the shore of the Glenmore Reservoir, with houses, shops and a steam train that recreate the Canadian West from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century.
Sandstone chimneys topped by flat stones, sculpted by wind and rain on the Red Deer valley slopes, about 16 km from Drumheller, with walkways and steps.
A horseshoe-shaped canyon in the badlands, about 17 km from Drumheller, with a roadside viewpoint and trails that descend between striped slopes.
Home of the National Music Centre of Canada, in a building of terracotta-clad curves, with instruments, studios, the Canadian music hall of fame and spaces to play.
An island in the Bow River, next to downtown Calgary, with lawns, trails, a pond and pedestrian bridges, including the red Peace Bridge by Santiago Calatrava.
A zoo on St. George Island in the Bow River, with areas for Canadian, African and Asian animals, a life-size dinosaur park and botanical gardens.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
Summer, from June to August, has warm, dry days and the Stampede, usually in the first half of July. Winter is cold, but the chinook wind that descends from the mountains can raise temperatures within a few hours. Spring and autumn are short and changeable.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Two days for downtown, Heritage Park and Studio Bell. One additional day for Drumheller. During the Stampede, allow at least two days for the festival.
Downtown and the Beltline neighbourhood have accommodations near Stephen Avenue, the light rail and restaurants. Kensington, across the river, is quieter. During the Stampede, lodgings near Stampede Park sell out early. Drumheller offers basic accommodation for those staying in the valley.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Two days for the city and one for Drumheller. Many people pass through Calgary on the way to Banff.
Usually in the first half of July, over ten days. Check the dates for the year.
By car, about 130 km via the Trans‑Canada Highway, or by bus and transfers from the airport and downtown.
Not for downtown, which has light rail (C‑Train). For Drumheller and Banff, a car is helpful; there are also buses and tours.
A warm, dry wind that descends from the Rockies in winter and can raise Calgary’s temperature within a few hours.
Alberta uses UTC−6 year‑round; the clock does not change in summer.
