Going to Calgary, but want to save money? No problem. There are several ways to experience this Alberta city on the cheap and we’re sharing some of the things to see and do that won’t mean reaching too deeply into your wallet.
Ride cheap (or in this case free)
If you’re planning on being downtown for a lot of your stay you can take advantage of free transportation. The C-Train is free along the downtown core. You just hop on at any stop along 7 Ave and as long as you get off the train before leaving downtown you don’t need to pay.
Eat cheap
Eating every meal at a restaurant while you’re away can really add up in terms of spending so it’s important to have a few budget-friendly options that will help keep the cost down.
There are two locations of Holy Grill in Calgary and they’re known for hearty, affordable breakfasts and lunches. Their “nicmuffin” gets you a fried egg, bacon, cheddar and tomato on an English muffin for just $5 and a six ounce burger is only $6.50.
Over at Cibo you can find half price pizza every weekday between 3 and 6 p.m. and during the final hour of service. They also have drink specials like $4 Mill Street beer on Mondays and $5 wine on Wednesdays.
A burger at Clive Burger is just $6.50 and a small poutine will run you $6.
Peppinos has a variety of sandwiches for between $8 and $10 and side salads for less than $5.
A few other wallet-friendly options include Golden Bell, C.B. Drive Inn and Holy Smoke BBQ.
Stay cheap
Hotels can get pricey in cities, but there are other options when you travel. You might want to consider staying in a hostel to save money. Most hostels offer private rooms and some have family rooms. HI-Calgary City Centre has both and offers free breakfast, Wi-Fi, a central location, laundry, a backyard with a barbeque guests can use and a deck. Motels can also be an affordable place to bed down. A couple to check out in Calgary include Canada’s Best Value Inn – Calgary and Centro. Another alternative to potentially pricey hotel rooms is to use Airbnb.
Explore Stephen Avenue Walk
Calgary’s only pedestrian mall is location along 8 Ave SW and runs from 1 St SE to 4 St SW and it’s a fun place to spend a few hours. The vibrant and busy area is free to walk around and it’s where you’ll often find buskers, artists, events and live performances as well as many of Calgary’s best bars and restaurants. Stephen Avenue Walk is also home to nine major shopping centres if you do feel like spending a little money.
Check out Devonian Gardens
Feel like you’re in a tropical oasis in the heart of Calgary with a visit to Devonian Gardens, a large indoor public park filled with greenery. You won’t feel like you’re inside though thanks to the flood of natural light from skylights and large windows. Free to enter, it’s easy to spend an hour meandering along walkways among 550 palm trees, ponds, fountains and a living wall. There’s seating throughout if you want to stay a while as well as a children’s playground.
Spend some time in Fish Creek Provincial Park
Since parks are pretty much free to use no matter where you are they make a good budget-friendly thing to do, weather-permitting. Calgary has a plethora of parks but one of the best to get lost in is Fish Creek Provincial Park. The park has more than 80 kilometres of pathways, picnic areas and fire pits, and a man-made beach area for swimming. The park is also great for bird watching with more than 200 species having been observed there.
Skate on the Olympic oval
No matter the season you can get a chance to feel like an Olympian with a skate around Calgary’s Olympic Oval, a 450-metre oval ice surface. The cost for a skate is just $7 for adults and $4.75 for kids 6-17 and seniors (55+). Or you can go as a family for $18.50 for two adults and one child.
Tour some public art
Public art can be a fascinating part of city and in Calgary you can take yourself on a tour of the Downtown Public Art Circuit via an app you download free (available for iPhone). The app, presented by The City of Calgary Public Art Program, is a way for people to learn more about the city’s downtown art collection. The tour takes about an hour.
Featured image: naserke, Downtown Calgary via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0
