The Ultimate Calgary Pre/Post Itinerary - Western Luxury Edition

Make the most of your Calgary experience and take some time before or after your event to explore the city and its surroundings. If you’re looking for a top-drawer, A-list experience where luxury is the order of the day, this three-day tour will surpass your expectations, no matter the season. Explore the best of what Calgary and the Rocky Mountains have to offer.

Start the day with some shopping at CF Chinook Centre , with hundreds of brand name stores, including Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co., or schedule an exclusive personal shopping experience at Calgary’s premier luxury retailer, Holt Renfrew .

Break for lunch at Major Tom . Located on the 40th floor above bustling Stephen Ave, the highest dining venue in Calgary, you’ll find a 200-seat restaurant with not only extraordinary views but a menu and wine list to match. Pair your $320 Kagyu 8-ounce filet with a thousand-dollar bottle of Napa Valley, Dalle Valle Cabernet. But first, sip on a unique Old Fashioned laced with peach and Angostura bitters, flamed at your table, as you share bite-sized appetizers.

Next, venture to the legendary Smithbilt Hats . Found in a retrofitted grain elevator in Calgary’s trendy Inglewood neighbourhood, Smithbilt has outfitted cowboys and cowgirls right through to CEOs and movie stars. The company has been making their legendary custom-made hats for over 100 years. The beautifully appointed retail space is filled with every type of hat, in every colour of the rainbow.  Book a custom private tour and go behind the scenes to learn how the hats are made. After the tour, get fitted for one of your own. You can make a booking any time of the year, except from mid-June to the end of July, when the shop is bustling with Stampede activity.

For dinner, book a reservation at River Café . Located on Prince’s Island Park, just a short stroll over the bridge from the downtown core, this extraordinary restaurant was recently ranked as one of La Liste’s World’s Best Restaurants for 2023 . From its humble beginnings in 1991, today’s reimagined space features tall wood-framed windows that open outward to a large outdoor terrace in summer, and a fieldstone fireplace to keep you cozy in winter. It was one of the first in the city committed to sourcing local and regional produce and organic ingredients. One glance at the dinner menu and you’ll see the results. 

Journey to your hotel for the night, the Fairmont Palliser Hotel . Learn about the hotel’s 108-year history while sipping a night cap before calling it a night.

If your second day in the city falls on a Saturday or Sunday, start the morning off with brunch at the historic Deane House . The ambiance in this historic riverside home sets the tone for a sumptuous weekend brunch. Begin with a cold-pressed Okanagan cherry or apple mimosa. Pastries are made in-house, and a trio are offered to start. Try the BC Side Stripe Shrimp omelette, with Fogo Island crab and tarragon. And if you’re an Eggs Benedict lover, you can choose to add smoked mushrooms or smoked salmon to perfectly soft poached eggs on a house-made red fife biscuit with a brown butter hollandaise, and crisp potato rösti.

From here, hop into your rented extended luxury vehicle from Enterprise and drive west to Kananaskis. In the summer or fall, book a private guided hike with Kananaskis Outfitters or get in a round of golf at the world-renowned Kananaskis Country Golf Club , where you’ll enjoy some of the most striking views of the Rocky Mountains.

Year-round you can indulge yourself at the Kananaskis Nordic Spa . The only spa of its kind in Alberta presents the perfect scenario for rest and relaxation. On offer are massage and hydrotherapy. Once you have paid your entry fee, you can spend the entire day here, from 9 am to 9 pm, making the outdoor circuit of “hot, cold, rest.” Near the exfoliation hut, an outdoor fire pit is kept crackling. You’ll find a number of enclosed saunas to break up the routine. A crowd pleaser is the eucalyptus steam room. Repeat the process as often as you like. 

At day’s end, head to your hotel for the evening, the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge and dine at the onsite Cedar Room . Or, venture further west to the infamous “Castle in the Rockies”, the Fairmont Banff Springs . Nestled in the heart of Banff National Park, this superb mountain resort offers picturesque views and all the amenities.

After brunch at your hotel, head back into the city. 

Spend the afternoon immersed in Calgary’s premier western boutique, Alberta Boot Company . These experts have been hand-crafting western boots for more than 40 years. Every pair is made in the workshop on site, using the finest bull hides, calfskin, and suede, locally sourced as well as imported from Italy, Spain and Mexico. Exotics like ostrich and horn-backed gator hides are farm certified.  Book a private immersive tour and learn how these world-famous boots are built, you can even make leather coasters to take home, then head over to their gorgeous showroom for a custom boot-fitting experience. 

Finish at your hotel for the night, The Dorian , in downtown Calgary and dine onsite at the enclosed rooftop bar and restaurant, The Wilde on 27 . Named after Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, the upper half of this Marriott brand hotel features 100+ themed Autograph Collection rooms. The Dorian devotes the top floor to its signature restaurant, a glass-enclosed rooftop with wonderful views of the downtown core, especially at night. Menus disguised as hardcover books offer up starters and appetizers as the Foreword, and main courses fall under The Prose.