calgary food tour

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Calgary Food Tour - Secret Food Tours

Calgary's food landscape is diverse and rich. For a rare Cowtown grub perspective, stake your claim to reservations for our Calgary secret food tours.

Of course, Calgary's rodeo culture offers you an array of steak options. Our secret tour will help you discover the best steak in the city. You'll also go where other food enthusiasts cannot. Have you ever peeked into a steakhouse's dry-aging room? Come ready to be impressed!

Next, you will see what's new in local cuisine. Expect to appreciate flavors recent immigrants have brought to Alberta.

Our Calgary food tours are popular, so book your preferred dates while they are still available.

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5 Great Calgary Food Tours

Experience the local food and wine scene with experts who’ll put you on the fast track to foodie-ism

In the Palette to Palate tour, you’ll sample some of chef Duncan Ly’s beautifully plated dishes at Yellow Door Bistro.

One of the most interesting and rewarding aspects of travelling to new cities and countries is exploring new neighbourhoods, sampling new flavours and dishes, and talking to the experts behind the sights, smells and tastes. But the thing is you don’t have to travel a great distance to experience the same kind of adventures in dining. Calgary Food Tours offers a variety of community-based food tours to introduce locals and visitors alike to the best of the city’s food scene. Here are five tours currently being offered.

Chef Guided Tour of the Calgary Farmers’ Market

If you’re interested in eating local, you’ll love this tour and the chance to meet the growers and farmers and talk to them about the bounty of southern Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan. You’ll learn about elk and bison, organic beef and pasture-raised pork, as well as fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese and even fruit wines. And of course, you’ll get to sample the delicious offerings too. Runs Saturday mornings until October from 9 to 11 a.m., $30 per person.

Craving Kensington

This neighbourhood just northwest of downtown is chockablock with great restaurants and food shops. In the span of two blocks, you’ll get to sample authentic Neapolitan pizza, fine cheese, poutine, cupcakes, tea, wine and more, and hear the stories behind how each of the businesses came to be. Runs Thursdays until October from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., $90 per person.

Inglewood’s Edible Enticements

Calgary’s oldest neighbourhood is experiencing a surge of vitality thanks in part to the many new specialty shops and restaurants that have recently opened, nicely complementing existing stores and restaurants. You’ll be treated to a hearty Italian deli lunch, witness a knife-skills demo, learn about spice blending, partake in a chocolate tasting, tour a restaurant garden and take home treats from a bakery. Runs Wednesdays until October from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., $90 per person.

Palette to Palate

This tour celebrates the best in art and food in Calgary’s designer district. You’ll start at the Hotel Arts and discover the gallery inside before feasting on executive chef Duncan Ly’s beautifully prepared and plated dishes. From there, you’ll visit a gallery and design shop to learn about art that’s approachable and useful in daily life before moving on to the culinary hub of Cookbook Co. Cooks , MetroVino wines, Brle Patisserie and finishing with something artfully decadent at Decadent Desserts . Runs Fridays until October from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., $90 per person.

Savouring 17th Avenue

There’s so much to see, do and eat in this hive of activity sometimes called the Red Mile. This tour has pared it down to a five-block stretch that gives you a taste of the rich history, art, culture and great food you can expect to find along this famous road. Your progressive lunch begins with Italian comfort food and continues with cheese, French baking, Mediterranean bistro fare, Spanish tapas and classic Rocky Mountain cuisine. And because it’s a party street, you’ll be treated to artful cocktails, too. Runs Saturdays until October from 12 to 3 p.m.

This story was part of Avenue’s free weekly Food & Drink Newsletter. Sign up now and get fresh dining news in your inbox every Tuesday.

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Related posts, nominate the best restaurants in calgary, vote for your favourite farmers’ market in calgary, where to go for brunch on a patio in calgary.

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Alberta Food Tours

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• Saturdays 3-5:30pm

Iconic Eats of Calgary Food Tour

Taste the iconic eats of Calgary (they aren’t what you think). Visit iconic downtown Calgary places and learn the history of this place known as Canada’s Blue Sky City.

• Wed-Fri in summer
• Book early to avoid dissappointment

Eat the Castle at The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Designated a Signature Experience, enjoy luxurious food and beverage pairings at a relaxing pace at the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs.

Savoury and Sweet Strathcona

Sleep in and let us feed and entertain you on a relaxing Sunday morning in Edmonton’s historic Old Strathcona.

• Most Popular

Brunch at the Calgary Farmers’ Market West

Relax and enjoy a light brunch in the new Calgary Farmers Market WEST. Get to know farmers and ranchers while you enjoy over a dozen tastings.

• Self-Guided

Alberta Food Finder Game: Kensington

A Self-Guided food tour that helps you eat like a local – on your own schedule, without a group, and at your own pace. You get away from the mainstream and enjoy our local’s picks and the stories behind them. The route is revealed as you solve clues and complete fun challenges with our easy to use app. Eat life to the fullest as you explore with special discounts and tasting samples at carefully chosen partners.

Alberta Food Finder Self-Guided Food Tour: Downtown Canmore

Want to learn all of the best food stops in this charming mountain town? Get away from the tourist-y eaten track and discover our hidden gems as you solve clues and complete fun activities to reveal a food tour only local’s like us can share.

• self-guided
• in either direction between Jasper and Edmonton
• 7 days/week, May to October

Alberta Food Finder: Edmonton to Jasper Road Trip

Turn your road trip between Edmonton and Jasper into a fun, tasty, and interactive experience. This Yellowhead self-guided food tour does double duty. You can use it before you leave to plan the best food, art, history and museums, shopping, and nature stops. And, you can make getting there fun!

Private Food Tours

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Corporate Food Tours

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Give the taste of Alberta with a care package filled with curated goods from the very best of Alberta’s food artisans.

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TripAdvisor's #1 Food & Drink Tours in Alberta

We recently participated in the "Eat the Castle" tour at Banff Springs Hotel. The location is iconic and Karen did a wonderful job bringing the history of the hotel to life. The food was delicious and impeccably presented. Meeting some of the chefs, who explained the ingredients and techniques used for their signature dishes, added to the overall experience.

...As a frequent traveller and visitor of the Banff Springs I thought I knew a lot about it already, but I was so wrong... there were so many interesting things I didn't know. It was fun, engaging, delicious and unique and I can't wait to host people on this tour in the future. Karen is great and a good judge of the group. The CoVid precautions made us all feel safe. This calibre of this tour is par with some of the best we've ever done while travelling the world. HIGHLY recommend!

I absolutely LOVE the concept of giving and receiving an Alberta Cares Package! Supporting amazing food artisans of Alberta and discovering their unique stories. Today, I was thrilled to be a recipient and I was blown away by the carefully selected items in my gift box. The products are delicious, unique and the best quality! I highly recommend the Alberta Cares Package from Alberta Food Tours! A+++

I booked an Edmonton food tour for a work team-building activity and what a joy this tour was! Alberta Food Tours CEO Karen Anderson came up from Calgary to guide us and we had the pleasure of listening to her great stories about Alberta food, the restaurateurs, and downtown Edmonton's history. Every restaurant on the trip served great food and our team walked away in a cloud of satisfaction. We're already recommending the places we tried to our colleagues. Would definitely book with Alberta Food Tours again!

Kerry was our tour guide for Eat the Castle and we couldn’t imagine anyone better! She gave us great history of the hotel, told us all about the amazing food, and introduced us to the awesome chefs! You truly feel as though you’re with an old friend throughout the tour. The food is AMAZING!

Kerry was our tour guide for eat the castle and we couldn’t imagine anyone better! She gave us great history of the hotel, told us all about the amazing food, and introduced us to the awesome chefs! You truly feel as though you’re with an old friend throughout the tour.

Every now and then it's fun to be a tourist in your own town. The Canmore walking tour is an excellent way to try new restaurants or visit some you have forgotten about. Very informative also, I learned a thing or two and I've lived in Canmore for a long time.

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Top Tours In and Around Calgary

Tours are a great way to experience a destination and the perfect way to get a local’s perspective on the history, food, and culture of a city. Enjoy the convenience of a tour bus, the freedom of a bicycle, or the adventure of motorcycle sidecars on these guided tours in and around Calgary. Let experienced guides and tour operators do the planning and explore everywhere from downtown Calgary and Banff to Dinosaur Provincial Park and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. Find the tour that is right for you as you explore Calgary and beyond.

Top Bus & Motorcycle Tours of Calgary

There is currently no hop-on hop-off bus services available in Calgary but plenty of guided bus tours to help you explore the city.

• Alberta Blue Sky Tours is a bus tour company with a city tour for everyone. Take the City Highlights tour and see everything from the Calgary Tower and Studio Bell to The Confluence Historic Site (formerly Fort Calgary) and views from Scotsman's Hill. Private tours can be customized to take you to requested attractions, neighbourhoods, or even breweries.
• Learn about important landmarks and public spaces on the CalgaryWalks & Bus Tours city bus tour with engaging guides. Tours leave from the base of the Calgary Tower and return to the same location at the end of the day.
• Hammerhead Scenic Tours offers year-round bus tours of Calgary with key stops at WinSport, Heritage Park, and Scotsman's Hill. Each tour lasts approximately 3 hours on a comfortable air-conditioned tour bus.
• Rocky Mountain Sidecar Adventures offers guided sidecar motorcycle tours in and around Calgary. Experienced drivers let you enjoy the view from the sidecar on a 90 minute tour of Calgary, featuring key stops for photo ops throughout each tour.
• RTB Tours & Shuttles  offers a Calgary Evening Tour with incredible views of the downtown Calgary skyline from Crescent Heights and Scotsman’s Hill. This tour is a great choice for visitors who are only in Calgary for a short time who are looking for the city's best viewpoints.

Top Walking Tours of Downtown Calgary

• BUMP Festival Mural Tours guide you through Calgary’s open air street art gallery! See 20+ murals in the heart of the Beltline, marvel at record breaking artworks, celebrate local history, and learn about the most iconic murals in the city. 
• CalgaryWalks & Bus Tours tells the story of downtown Calgary from its early beginnings to the lively urban centre it is today. Tours guides lead a historical walking tour to major landmarks at a comfortable pace, through Stephen Avenue and along the Bow River Pathway.
• History Wrangler Tours offers tours of Downtown Calgary and a special "Haunted Cowtown" tour that gives unique perspectives into the history of the city on guided walking tours. Tours last between 2 and 3 hours and begin at the Calgary Tower.
• Toonie Tours provides a first-hand introduction to the city with local experts through a variety of tours including a Free Walking Tour, their one-of-a-kind Street Art and Craft Beer Tour, a classic Bike Tour, or a Scootsee City Highlights Tour. 

See Calgary from a unique perspective with Rocky Mountain Sidecar Adventutes

Toonie Tours offers a number of unique experiences, including a Craft Beer tour

Top Ways to Tour Banff National Park

Explore the beauty and wonder of Banff National Park with a guided tour company that will provide transportation and helpful information along the way. These tours depart from Calgary and provide transportation to and from Banff.

• Alberta Blue Sky Tours offers full or half-day tours of Banff Jasper, and/or Lake Louise.
• Discover Banff Tours guides small groups to the major highlights in Banff along with custom experiences at Lake Louise, and Grotto Canyon, and Johnston Canyon. Looking for adventure? Try hiking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, snowshoeing, dogsledding, skiing, or snowmobiling with Discover Banff Tours.
• Canadian Scenery Travel  provides tours of the Canadian Rockies and Banff National Park in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
• Hammerhead Scenic Tours provides a full day tour through the Alberta foothills and the Canadian Rockies, with stops at Two Jack Lake, Lake Minnewanka, Mount Norquay, Cave & Basin Historic Site, and the Town of Banff. This full day tour lasts approximately 10 hours.
• RTB Tours & Shuttles offers guided tours to Banff National Park with key stops at the Town of Banff, Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, and the Victoria Glacier. This year-round tour departs Calgary at 7:30 a.m. from the base of the Calgary Tower.
• Brewster Sightseeing gives you the opportunity explore Banff and the charming shops, galleries, cafes, and restaurants of this mountain town. Finish it all off with a ride up the Banff Gondola and a tour of Lake Minnewanka . Tours depart from Calgary, Canmore, and Banff.

Top Tours of Drumheller and the Badlands 

Explore Drumheller and the Badlands with expert tour guides and comfortable transportation. These tours depart from Calgary and provide transportation to and from Drumheller and the Badlands.

• Experience the Canadian Badlands with Alberta Blue Sky Tours and visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum and Horsethief Canyon east of Calgary.
• Calgary Tours departs from the Coast Calgary Downtown hotel for a one day tour of the Badlands, with Horseshoe Canyon, hoodoos, and a visit to the Royal Tyrrell Museum on the itinerary.
• Hammerhead Scenic Tours provides a full day tour from Calgary that includes stops along Horseshoe Canyon and the North Dinosaur Trail, a visit to the World’s Largest Dinosaur, and a key stop at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. This full day tour lasts approximately 10 hours.
• Explore Drumheller and the Badlands with RTB Tours & Shuttles , with key stops along Horseshoe Canyon, the Hoodoos, Atlas Coal Mine, Rosedale Suspension Bridge, and the world famous Royal Tyrrell Museum. Tours begin in May each year and departs Calgary at 7:30 a.m. from the base of the Calgary Tower.

Visit the Canadian Rockies with Discover Banff Tours 

Tour the Canadian Badlands to explore the lands where dinosaurs roamed (photo credit: Travel Alverta/Katie Goldie)

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Tours

• Hammerhead Scenic Tours offers a full day tour of this historic site with a scenic drive along the Legendary Cowboy Trail and admission to the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre . This full day tour lasts approximately 10 hours.

Waterton Lakes National Park Tours

• Calgary Tours provides a guided tour to Waterton Lakes National Park in English, Mandarin, and Japanese. Explore the Alberta Foothills with stops at the Buffalo Paddock, Prince of Wales hotel, the Town of Waterton, Cameron Falls, and Red Rock Canyon.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (photo credit: Travel Alberta/Jeremy Fokkens)

Scenic Waterton Lakes National Parks is near the Canada/USA border (photo credit: Travel Alberta/Celestine Aerden

Calgary's Top Food Tours

• Let your appetite lead the way with Alberta Food Tours and meet the farmers and chefs behind the food. Enjoy Sunday Brunch at the Calgary Farmers’ Market or follow a self-guided culinary tour through Kensington with Alberta Food Finder.
• Calgary's Food Bike Tours combines the joy of biking and cooking. Master the culinary arts and sample fun dishes from exciting venues as you cycle through the city's central neighborhoods. This casual tour takes around three hours, rain or shine, from June to September.
• Taste the City offers a self-guided tasting experience where you book online, receive a code, and enjoy curated plates and mocktails at three to five surprise restaurants all within walking distance. No need to worry about menus or payments! Simply choose your neighbourhood and date, then relax and savour the evening.
• Ready to discover the best brews in Calgary? Canadian Craft Tours offers a Calgary Brewery Tour that will take you behind the scenes of the local craft beer scene. Round trip transportation, tours, and tasting flights are included in each tour.
• YYC Tours  provides bookable brewery, distillery and wine tours, with 'Jump On' tours offered one Saturday every month.
• Toonie Tours' Street Art & Craft Beer Tour  showcases some of Calgary's favourite brewpubs while introducing you to Calgary's vibrant public art scene.

Float Along Calgary's Bow River on a Self-Guided Tour

• Self guided river rafting from Lazy Day Raft Rentals and The Paddle Station start in the northwest with greats views of downtown Calgary. These floats last between 2-4 hours. 

Taste the City offers a tasting experience where menu selections are payments are taken care of ahead time.

Floating the Bow River typically takes between 2-4 hours (photo credit: Travel Alberta)

Day Trips from Calgary

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5 Questions with Karen Anderson of Calgary Food Tours

Karen Anderson started Calgary Food Tours Inc. in 2006. She is a journalist with regular columns for print and radio and served on the board of Slow Food Calgary for many years. Anderson’s cutting-edge journalistic research, passion for food and cooking and community connectivity have given Calgary Food Tours Inc. an outstanding reputation for quality in the industry. Calgary Food Tours Inc. offers tours May through October. We asked Karen a few questions...

1. What dishes is Calgary known for?

Calgary is famous for the Calgary Stampede , which is the world’s largest outdoor rodeo and celebration of our western heritage and cowboy culture. Alberta beef is famous the world over because of its taste and flavour and for that we have been “branded” as cowtown. This is great and we love that but we are also Canada’s chowtown. Bison and elk are native to the Great Plains and Canadian Rocky Mountains. We are the world’s leading growers of wheat, lentils and mustard and the 5th largest producer of honey. We’ve got sweet fruits and vegetables because of our long days of sun and cool nights. So many wonderful chefs have come here and opened fabulous restaurants because they love the quality of our local produce.

2. What happens on a food tour?

Calgary Food Tours Inc. is about food, fun and adventure. Our guests taste the very best food our city has to offer at six to eight great restaurants, markets or food artisans; they have the fun of meeting chefs and owners of businesses and they enjoy the adventure of strolling through a neighbourhood and learning about its art, architecture and history. The whole things feels like a mini-break spent with a local who will feed the best food and “insider” information that travelers revel in.

3. If it is our first trip to Calgary, which food tour do you recommend?

Inglewood’s Edible Enticements would be great for a first time visitor to Calgary as Inglewood is the cradle of our history and is the site where our city was founded. The partners we visit on this tour really exemplify the maverick spirit of the west and we love to tell their stories. It’s a delicious Wild West tale with immigrants, rebels, importers and lots of homegrown great tasting success.

4. Who are some of the notable Calgary chefs we should keep our eyes on?

Each of our tours has a line up of chefs that could be considered rising stars but I’m most impressed with their more senior peers, as they are chefs that act as mentors. My friend Paul Rogalski of Rouge Restaurant has brought many young chefs up through the ranks and they’ve gone onto open stellar places of their own. We feature J.P. Pedhirney at Muse Restaurant and J.P. honed his skills under Paul’s tutelage. Cam Dobranski of Brasserie Kensington is another chef influencer. Chef Duncan Ly of The Hotel Arts group is a Gold Medal Plates gold medal winner and many up and coming chefs try to emulate the beauty and taste of his food. Many of the city’s great chefs did time on the line at River Café with Dwayne Ennest, Scott Pohorelic or Andrew Winfield so if you can trace a chef back to there you know they’ve got rock solid skills and their food is going to be outstanding. Michael Noble and Catch is another great example of leaders leaving a legacy of fabulous food for our city.

5. Tell us some trivia about the Calgary food scene

Canada’s most famous cocktail is called “ The Bloody Caesar ” and it was invented in Calgary by a bartender named Walter Chell in 1969. It’s tomato and clam juices with a spicy kick. It might be an acquired taste but it’s loved nation-wide.

Calgary has had a chapter of Slow Food International since 2002 and celebrates our connection to local producers annually at a huge event called Feast of Fields.

There are approximately 200 community gardens, 13 urban farms, 400 backyard beekeepers, several restaurants with rooftop gardens, and an amazing 11 acre garden, seed bank and apiary called Grow Calgary that keeps 500 volunteers busy growing food for the city’s food bank.

During the 10 days of The Calgary Stampede there are dozens of free Pancake Breakfasts throughout the city each morning that are a part of our amazing western hospitality. Just put on a cowboy hat and come on out and you’ll get fed.

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Food Bike Tour

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Food Tours Adventure

Our Food Tour Adventures are a fun way to explore your favourite city's culinary scene, parks, festivals, markets, art venues, outdoors and urban life. Get the wheels in motion with a delicious food bike tour. We also have the option of effortless riding with our eBike rentals! Our tours are perfect for date night, a bachelorette, family outing, or just a casual hangout session with friends! Private & corporate Food Tours are available!! Contact us at [email protected]

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