Exploring Calgary with Kids: The Ultimate Family Adventure Guide

Are you thinking of heading on a family trip to Calgary?  It can be a fun adventure for kids of all ages.  We took our 4 kids on a summer trip to Calgary, they were 3,4,8 and 13.  We were looking to enjoy as many sights as we could but also to keep the kids entertained.

Depending on where you are coming from you may choose to drive, in that case check out our post on long car rides with your kids (add post).  Our family flew, check out some tips for flying with your kids here.

We were coming from Southern Ontario and had the opportunity to fly out of Kitchener, Ontario.  It was a great experience and we had a non stop flight right to Calgary!

Getting Around

If this is your first time getting to Calgary you may have a hard time getting around.   The city is quite large and though there are plenty of public transit options, due to the spread out nature of the city it does take a while.  We recommend renting a car to get around in the city.  There are plenty of rental options right at the airport for added convenience.

Before arriving be sure to get the layout of where you are staying and where you are going.  You may be surprised at how long it takes you to get from one end of the city to the other.

Avoid driving in downtown Calgary.  Though it is much less congested than Toronto, it is still not ideal to drive.  The downtown core really caters to those that are taking public transit or walking downtown.

Where to Stay

On our trip we had 4 kids.  So choosing a family friendly hotel was a must.  We chose the Sheraton Cavalier Calgary Hotel (link).  This hotel was an easy trip from the airport and away from all the hustle and bustle of the downtown core.

The rooms were very spacious with a bit of a mini fridge which came in handy for all of the food we needed for our family.  There are a few restaurants on site to enjoy.  However, the are also plenty of other restaurants nearby.  There is a McDonalds nice and close that my family walked to a few times, its great to grab an iced coffee in the summer.

The main reason we chose this hotel was the Waterpark that is at the hotel.  This was perfect for our kids as they are really active and could swim all day.  The pool temperature was really comfortable and the slides were always accessible with a very minimal wait.

Things to Do

Calgary is home to many family friendly attractions, though we did not get to all of them on this particular trip we were able to enjoy some of them.

• The Calgary Science Centre
• Calgary Zoo
• Hiking
• Playgrounds
• The Wave Pool
• Calaway Park
• The Olive Garden

The highlight for our younger kids was Calaway Park.  It is not near as big and thrilling as Canada’s Wonderland but it was a lot of fun for a reasonable price.  We did find the food rather expensive but you can bring food in if you would prefer a picnic lunch in the shade.

The Olive Garden is on our list because we love this restaurant and there are no locations in Ontario.

  So if you are traveling from Ontario be sure to enjoy a delicious meal at the Olive Garden.

If you are considering taking you kids to Calgary be sure to try some of the hiking.  The views of the Rocky Mountains are breathtaking from so many spots within the City.

For more family trip ideas check out Blog – Together We Can Travel.