Just got home from our annual friends trip to Calgary with the kids and it was so much fun. Our goal for these getaways is to pack as much fun as we can into a three day trip. Is it easy to travel with four kids, six and under and only two adults? No. Is it worth it? Definitely, yes.
This year we stayed at the Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire in downtown Calgary. We loved the Sheraton Cavalier last year, but this location can’t be beat. It’s walking distance to so much–Stephan Ave, the Calgary Tower, Prince’s Island Park and lots of great restaurants and patios.
I can’t say enough good things about the Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire. The hotel kindly gifted us our stay, but I can confidently say that this hotel is fantastic. I forgot just how good, good service can be. Everyone we encountered at the hotel was so kind, helpful and accommodating. Our rooms included access to the Sheraton Club Lounge, which made our stay so much more comfortable. There was a complementary hot breakfast served daily, including a self-serve, high-end coffee machine that could make any type of coffee. There was also hors d’oeuvres served every evening and a rooftop patio with incredible views.
Our first day in Calgary we drove straight from Edmonton to the Calgary Zoo. We love the zoo in Calgary–there’s an animatronic dinosaur area, playgrounds, butterfly conservatory, and of course, so many animals. A few of my favourite are the gorillas, hippos, giraffes and lemurs.
If you’re headed to the zoo with younger kids I’d definitely recommend bringing a stroller or wagon. The grounds are big and little legs get tired easily. Also a water bottle (there’s places to fill it up throughout the grounds) and snacks to save some money. Also, hot tip–you can use Airmiles to buy zoo passes right now, it cost me 900 miles for three tickets, but hey, that makes for a much more affordable day!
After the zoo we had dinner at our hotel restaurant, Flower & Wolf. Even if you’re not staying at the Sheraton, I 100% recommend checking this place out. The restaurant was gorgeous, it had a huge patio, delicious drinks & food and stellar service.
Day two of our trip we took advantage of the hot breakfast in the Sheraton Club Lounge before hitting the hotel pool with the kids. The kids had a blast at the pool–I think Colton went down the waterslide about 30 times. Did you know it’s the only downtown Calgary hotel with a waterslide? The views were also pretty amazing, there’s a glass dome over the pool area with a view of the downtown skyscrapers. There’s also a great little terrace off of the pool area to relax and have your coffee.
After getting some energy out of the kids we walked over to the Calgary Tower, which was less than a 15 minute walk from our hotel. I haven’t been up the tower since I was a kid. The views were great and the glass floor was a trip. The kids and I loved it, my girlfriend was completely freaked out–so if you’re afraid of heights, this may not be the activity for you.
After going up the Calgary Tower we walked over to Joey’s Eau Claire for happy hour. If you’re ever travelling with kids, happy hours are the best. Cheap food for the kiddos and cheap cocktails for the mamas! Once we refueled we spent our evening walking around Prince’s Island Park, which is just outside the Sheraton Eau Claire. This was such a fun evening with the kids. They followed ducks down the river, we caught a beautiful sunset and just had some fun outside on a warm summer evening.
On our third and final day in Calgary, we checked out of our hotel, but not without hitting Flower & Wolf for one last delicious breakfast. Once again the food was fantastic–I had the Eggs Benny and my girlfriend and I split a smoothie bowl as well, it just sounded so good! We definitely needed all the fuel we could get too, because after we checked out we headed over to Calaway Park.
I’ve never been to Calaway Park, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was so much fun. Even in the 32 degree heat. It was so hot. My friend and I were a little concerned if we’d be able to manage the park with all four kids, and if there would be enough rides for them to go on at their age. The answer is yes, its’ doable and worth it.
Our kids are 3,4,5 & 6 and there were plenty of rides they could go on. Lots they could go on alone and a couple that needed a parent to go on with them. I was so excited that we got to go on the log ride too. If you’re curious, like I was, one parent was able to take both kids on the log ride at the same time.
Calaway Park isn’t the cheapest activity, but I was able to buy our tickets online and save 22% off the price. We did it right in the parking lot too, so it doesn’t have to be in advance.
So, there you have it, three days in Calgary with kids. This was longer than I intended, so if you’re still with me, thanks! Have any questions about our trip or other fun activities to do in Calgary with kids, just ask in the comments. You can also find more details from our trip saved in the Calgary highlight reel on my Instagram page.
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Happy travels,
Alex
