Where to Play, Eat, and Stay in Alberta, Canada, From Calgary to the Badlands

It was somewhere between fly-fishing with Quinn Soonias, who ties each fly by hand and moves with an almost meditative calm, and diving into a glacier-fed lake that I realized Alberta, Canada, wasn’t going to let me stay on autopilot.

Alberta is a province in western Canada that’s sandwiched between British Columbia and Saskatchewan. There’s a wildness there — not just in the landscapes, which shift from wind-scrubbed prairie to towering Rockies without warning — but in its people, too. Most I met while touring southern parts of the province had a story that veered off-course and landed somewhere unexpected. Alberta did the same.

Here’s how to tap into southern Alberta’s wilder side, without losing your footing.

Things to do in Alberta

Find a fresh perspective from Calgary Tower

Photo: Katherine Moffat

In downtown Calgary, Alberta’s largest city, Calgary Tower is a popular and prominent landmark crowned by an observation deck and a sky-high restaurant. Standing 626 feet above Calgary, my stomach flipped a little as I looked down at the busy intersection below, which surprised me as I’m a climber. The group I was traveling with had ascended Calgary Tower to see the best panoramic views in the city and step out into space — literally. The tower’s glass panes are 36 feet long and more than four feet wide. What lies beyond the glass is a perfect introduction not only to the city’s layout but also to the province’s geography, with the Rocky Mountains to the west and rolling prairies extending to the east.

Calgary Tower: 101 9 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 1J9, Canada

Go fly-fishing with Drift Out West

Photos: Katherine Moffat

Quinn Soonias of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation transformed my understanding of fly-fishing and water’s sacred significance during my group’s morning on the Bow River. Soonias is the expert guide behind Drift Out West, a charter company that organizes fly-fishing excursions near Calgary. Beyond casting techniques and fly selection, he shared Indigenous perspectives on water as a life source connecting all beings. The Bow River offers year-round fishing, with spring through fall being the prime season, especially when strong, dry chinook winds warm the water.

Drift Out West: 656 Confluence Way SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0G3

Tour Calgary by vintage sidecar motorcycle

Photos: Katherine Moffat

As someone who likes to move rather than sit still, I didn’t expect to enjoy riding in a sidecar this much. Rocky Mountain Sidecar Adventures presents the most exhilarating way to see Calgary without having to drive. In vintage-style sidecars, we cruised downtown with the wind in our faces and helmets protecting our increasingly disheveled hair. Warren, Nicole, and the rest of the Rocky Mountain Sidecar Adventures team include plenty of photo stops and storytelling about Calgary’s history and architecture. It’s a perfect activity for anyone interested in a motorcycle adventure without having to operate one.

Rocky Mountain Sidecar Adventures: 64 Cantrell Bay SW, Calgary, AB T2W 2C2, Canada

Get prehistoric at the Royal Tyrrell Museum

Photo: Katherine Moffat

If you think dinosaurs are just for children (or Ross Geller from Friends), try walking under a T. rex skull the size of a Fiat. That’s one of many draws at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Canada’s only museum dedicated exclusively to ancient life, featuring one of the world’s largest dinosaur displays. Exhibits chronicle the ages from the Paleozoic Era to the Mesozoic Era (Age of Reptiles) to the Cenozoic Era (Age of Mammals), including a spotlight on Cretaceous Alberta. The museum’s paleontology lab has real scientists working in a glass-walled lab, which is either inspiring or a terrifying look into your childhood dreams derailed.

Royal Tyrrell Museum: 1500 N Dinosaur Trail, Drumheller, AB T0J 0Y0, Canada

Explore the Canadian Badlands by e-bike

Photos: Katherine Moffat

About 90 minutes outside of Calgary, there’s a town in the Canadian Badlands called Drumheller that’s known as the “Dinosaur Capital of the World.” I got to know the town’s layers — coal mining ghosts, Indigenous art installations, and a spirited community keen to tell its story — on a muddy e-bike ride through Drumheller’s hoodoos during a break in the rain.

Once home to 139 coal mines, Drumheller preserves its past at the Atlas Coal Mine, a National Historic Site. Newer layers include a metal tipi installation near Centennial Park with bilingual Blackfoot signage acknowledging Treaty 7 territory. Taken together — hoodoos, coal heritage, and Indigenous art — it’s a ride through Drumheller’s multi-dimensional story. During our tour through Midland Provincial Park, I could choose how much or little to pedal while taking in the dramatic landscape. I opted to go full manual initially but swiftly changed my mind after my attempt at the first hill.

Bikes and Bites: Badlands Community Facility, 80 Veterans Way, Drumheller, AB T0J 3R0, Canada

Hike Bear’s Hump for Waterton’s iconic view

Photo: Katherine Moffat

Equipped with a single can of bear spray and a pact to stick together, which we quickly broke, my group set off to tackle Bear’s Hump — a moderate 1.7-mile hike that climbs about 738 feet up Crandell Mountain. The mountain’s silhouette resembles a grizzly bear when seen from a distance, which is why the Blackfoot people call it Bear Mountain. The trail winds through rugged terrain before opening up to one of Waterton Valley’s most iconic views: a sweeping vista of jagged Rocky Mountain peaks and rolling northern prairies. Expect wind and bring layers.

Bear’s Hump: Waterton Park, AB T0K 0C3, Canada

Have high tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel

Photo: Katherine Moffat

For a refined experience in Alberta, the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Park organizes an afternoon tea service inspired by British tradition. It features quality teas, classic sandwiches like egg salad and Coronation chicken, pastries, and other delicious bites that my dairy intolerance didn’t love. From the hotel’s Royal Steward Dining Room where afternoon tea is served, we dined while overlooking Waterton Lake, surrounded by spectacular mountain and lake views.

Overlooking Upper Waterton Lake, the deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies, the chateau-like Prince of Wales Hotel (opened in 1927) is said to be haunted and a must-visit for anyone who appreciates a good ghost story or wants to take a step back in time.

Prince of Wales Hotel: AB-5, Waterton Park, AB T0K 2M0, Canada

Paddle (and take an icy dip) at Cameron Lake

Photos: Katherine Moffat

The drive to Cameron Lake took us through a haunting landscape of burnt trees from the 2017 fire, making the glacier-fed lake feel even more hidden when we arrived. The lake is nestled in a basin near the Montana border, and it’s possible to kayak to the international boundary. My group paddled out from Cameron Lake Boat Rentals — and, of course, I felt the need to jump in. The water was frigid, and I tried my best to act like it hadn’t taken my breath away. I can safely vouch for the dopamine hit, though. There are also scenic walks surrounding the lake, should you prefer to stay on dry land.

Cameron Lake Boat Rentals: Waterton Park, AB T0K 0C3, Canada

Where to eat and drink in Alberta

Orchard Restaurant, Calgary

Photos: Katherine Moffat

The vibe at Orchard Restaurant is somewhere between a greenhouse and a prairie, and clearly, it works — the restaurant took the 18th spot on the “Canada’s 100 Best” new restaurants list in 2022. Dishing up menu items like gochujang rosé ragout lasagna and chili-panko-crusted halibut with edamame, potato, miso buttercream, and snap peas, Chef Jenny Kang serves elevated modern Asian-Mediterranean cuisine that stands out within Calgary’s food scene. Stop by Orchard Restaurant for lunch after fishing.

Orchard Restaurant: 620 10 Ave SW #134, Calgary, AB T2R 1C3, Canada

Fortuna’s Row, Calgary

Photos: Katherine Moffat

Housed in a sprawling warehouse by the Bow River, Fortuna’s Row surprised me with its moody lighting, soaring ceilings, and experimental yet familiar dishes. The menu draws from across Latin America: Mexico, Peru, Brazil, and beyond. My table enjoyed a tapas-style order that allowed us to try a variety of dishes — a highly recommended dining experience. Fortuna’s Row is great for groups, but it’s just as satisfying solo from a good people-watching spot at the bar with a mezcal cocktail in hand.

Fortuna’s Row: 421 Riverfront Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0C2, Canada

Major Tom Bar, Calgary

Photo: Katherine Moffat

Major Tom Bar occupies a rooftop perch on the 40th floor of Stephen Avenue Place in the Scotia Centre. My cocktail was served sky-high (literally) on a gold plate and poured in front of me for a splash of flair. I was instantly sold. Regional Bar Manager Makina Labrecque doesn’t drink alcohol, which explains why the mocktail selection is so thoughtful — it expanded in 2025 and is genuinely excellent. The wine list is just as creative, especially the tasting notes. Order the martini and the flaming dessert, and stay for the skyline views.

Major Tom: 700 2 St SW #4000, Calgary, AB T2P 2W2, Canada

Drum Distilling Co., Drumheller

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After ending our e-bike ride in Drumheller, we were pretty filthy and very hungry. Cue a quick hot shower and an order of BertaBurritos delivered straight to the distillery across the street, where we’d parked ourselves for a cocktail. Berta’s mobile trailer is known around Drumheller for authentic, made-fresh street food — think loaded burritos and tacos that locals (and now me) rave about. Drum Distilling hand-crafts local gin, vodka, and rum, as well as cocktails. I had the Negroni — five stars.

Drum Distilling Co.: 180 3 Ave W, Drumheller, AB T0J 0Y6, Canada

Lakeside Chophouse, Waterton

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Perched right on Waterton Lake with an unbeatable view of mountains and water, Lakeside Chophouse is a nice reward after a day of exploring. The menu is built around West Coast comfort food, seafood, steaks, and fresh salads. It’s refreshingly approachable but fancy enough to feel special. Order the Nashville chicken and pickles, baked brie, lobster and tiger prawn linguine, or a 10-ounce New York striploin for a mid-trip splurge, and get your money’s worth with the view (and perhaps even a deer sighting).

Lakeside Chophouse: 111 Waterton Ave Suite 101, Waterton Park, AB T0K 0C3, Canada

Where to stay in Alberta

The Dorian, Calgary

Photos: Katherine Moffat

Part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, The Dorian is a premier boutique hotel and the city’s only One Michelin Key recipient. The property riffs on Oscar Wilde’s legacy with playful, literary touches (hence the name, a nod to Dorian Gray). During my stay, I was invited to anonymously confess something for others to vote on: forgivable or not. If unforgivable, the hotel’s portrait of Wilde withers and ages. He retained his youth until the day I left.

The Dorian: 525 5 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 1P7, Canada

Thanksgiving Ranch, Pincher Creek

Photo: Katherine Moffat

Thanksgiving Ranch might be Alberta’s best-kept secret: a working cattle ranch that’s spacious, quiet, and restorative. At The Lodge at Thanksgiving Ranch, I found a retreat nestled on the edge of the Canadian Rockies. The bed was the most comfortable I’ve slept in for ages, and everything you eat is from the ranch — homemade mustard from a family recipe included.

Thanksgiving Ranch is also a place to live out your cowboy or cowgirl dreams. At one point during my stay, I was paired with a horse, Scout, who was a girl after my own heart and grazed the whole way round the trail. The ranch’s hosts — Brad, Christi, and their boys, Isaac and Aiden — create an environment that makes everyone feel like family. Brad used to work in the corporate world and now trains cows to come to him when he calls. Tex, their cattle dog, doesn’t like cows or cowboy boots but seemed to take bear patrol very seriously. You can feel how much the whole family cares about the ranch, and the site gives off a charm that reminded me of the summers I spent on my own family farm in Scotland.

While at the ranch, I highly recommend setting time aside for the beautiful indoor pool and sauna, housed in a log building with hand-laid local rock walls. Travelers will also be delighted to thumb through the property’s stash of yellow-spined National Geographics — I found one from the month and year I was born.

Thanksgiving Ranch: SE 26-4-1-W5M, Pincher Creek, AB T0K 1W0, Canada

Bayshore Inn & Spa, Waterton

Set on the edge of Upper Waterton Lake in the heart of Waterton Lakes National Park, the Bayshore Inn combines mountain charm with unbeatable lakeside access. It’s one of the few waterfront accommodations in the village, making it an ideal base for both relaxing and exploring. My room overlooked the lake, and as a sunrise person, I was treated to the sun rising directly across from my balcony — lighting up the Prince of Wales Hotel and the peaks it faces. Everything in Waterton is walkable, and Bayshore Inn’s central location means trailheads, the marina, restaurants, and cafés are all easily accessible on foot.

Bayshore Inn & Spa: 111 Waterton Ave, Waterton Park, AB T0K 2M0, Canada

Getting to and around Alberta

Photos: Katherine Moffat

Fly into Calgary International Airport (YYC), which has direct flights to most major North American cities. From there, getting around involves a mix of shuttles, scenic drives, and friendly strangers. If you’re lucky, you’ll have Safety Steve — my group’s private driver for the week from the Canadian Scenery Travel tour operator — who values a slower exit from the van as much as good conversation. He’s an Albertan treasure.

Rental cars are essential for accessing Alberta’s wild side beyond Calgary, where public transport between smaller towns is limited. The drives themselves become part of the adventure: 1.5 hours northeast to Drumheller through increasingly dramatic badlands, then 3.5 hours southwest to Thanksgiving Ranch through foothills that become mountainous as you approach, and finally just 30 minutes south to Waterton Lakes National Park.

Calgary offers decent walkability downtown with extensive urban pathways, reliable taxis, and rideshare services (though Uber and Lyft availability drops significantly in rural areas). Gas stations become sparse between towns but also provide a reminder of how friendly Albertans are — kudos to the gent who gave me my cuppa on the house. Cell service can be spotty in remote areas, making downloaded maps essential.

Author’s note: This trip took place on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Cree, Dene, Nakota Sioux, Saulteaux, Stoney Nakoda, Tsuut’ina, Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota peoples, as well as the homeland of the Métis Nation. Their presence continues to shape the land and stories shared here.

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