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Tourists from around the world are coming to Calgary to get a glimpse of the mountains and experience the spirit of our energetic city.

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Whether visitors are drawn to the annual Calgary Stampede, are in town to attend a convention or simply want to take in Calgary’s famously friendly atmosphere, every corner of the city is full of award-worthy experiences. It can be hard to narrow down what to do, but our readers’ votes in the 2025/26 Readers’ Choice Awards help provide a handy list of top spots to entertain and impress out-of-town guests.

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Play tourist in your own city

Most Calgarians are more than used to looking at the skyline and seeing the grandeur of the Bow (both the river and the building) or the iconic Calgary Tower, but visitors to the city will thrill at seeing our downtown core, inner-city neighbourhoods and all of their eclectic architecture for the very first time.

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Where should you stop in on your urban explorations? The Calgary Zoo, Heritage Park and Telus Spark Science Centre are all ideal for families with kids in tow, or even groups of adults looking to learn something new. Guests in need of a hotel can’t go wrong with the Fairmount Palliser, or for something a little funkier, either of the Hotel Arts locations. Of course, the pull of the mountains is always strong, so visitors can’t be faulted if they head west to The Malcolm Hotel in Canmore or Sunshine Mountain Lodge in Banff National Park for an opportunity to hit the slopes, take a hike or just drink in the scenery up close.

Enjoy a local taste of place

The first questions many people have when landing in a new city focus on what they’re going to eat. As Calgary continues to grow, so does our vibrant food scene. Visitors can get a taste of local flavour at favourites such as Red’s Diner, Village Ice Cream, Good Earth Coffee House or the vegetable-forward Ten Foot Henry or enjoy a juicy steak at a family favourite like The Keg.

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Food is also an ideal way to celebrate our city’s incredible diversity, with our readers choosing the best of the best in categories representing a variety of global cuisine. Going for dim sum at Silver Dragon, curries at Karma Fine Indian Cuisine, or spicy table cooking at Seoul Korean BBQ will showcase the depth of Calgary’s communities for those interested in digging deeper into what makes the city tick.

Having out of town guests is also the perfect excuse to go out for a drink. Burwood Distillery offers a full slate of interesting cocktails made with spirits produced onsite, or, if you’re up for a quick road trip down to Diamond Valley, Eau Claire Distillery offers a similar grain-to-glass experience with its award-winning gins, whiskies and vodka. For imbibers who prefer beer to cocktails, you can’t beat a hang-out at Calgary’s legendary Ship and Anchor pub or a craft beer at Village Brewery.

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Hit the shops

Who doesn’t want to come home from vacation with a souvenir or two? Calgary is full of cool and quirky shops for both locals and visitors to explore. Book lovers can peruse the shelves at Fair’s Fair Books or look for hard-to-find graphic novels at Phoenix Comics. There’s plenty of stores to keep fashionistas busy, too, with spots like Kismet Clothing for women and Thomas Jeffrey’s for menswear. For something a little quirkier, Iron Crow remains our readers’ favourite vintage shop.

For treats to bring back home, visiting shoppers may want to hit Lina’s Italian Market or the massive Calgary Farmers’ Market South. Wine is always a nice take-home gift and Willow Park Wines & Spirits stocks many great Canadian wines from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley and beyond.

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That’s entertainment!

Sightseeing is fun, but out-of-town guests may need a little extra entertainment to complete a Calgary vacation. There is always a wide range of concerts, plays and other types of shows going on in and around Calgary. Music fans should make a reservation at the Ironwood Stage and Grill in Inglewood — not only does the venue host more than 400 shows a year, but it doubles as a chic restaurant. For a different take on dinner and a show, Stage West is one of Calgary’s most enduring theatre experiences and, over 40 years after it first opened, the dinner theatre company remains a local favourite.

For something with a bit more flash, the Grey Eagle Casino and Events Centre is one of the city’s premier venues for big-name concerts and comedy shows. Cap off a visit to Calgary with some casino games and dinner at the on-site buffet or Indigenous-inspired sit-down restaurant.

This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division.

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