Culinary Adventure Alberta — A Foodie Travel Guide to Alberta, Canada
Culinary Adventure, Alberta — A Recommended Food Travel List for Alberta, Canada
Located in western Canada, Alberta boasts abundant natural resources and spectacular scenery, where the towering Rocky Mountains and vast prairies coexist. Its sweeping grasslands and clean environment are also the foundation of the province’s high-quality local food. Alberta Beef in particular is a signature regional specialty, recognized around the world for its outstanding texture and flavor. In modern cities such as Calgary and Edmonton, a varied food culture adds to the pleasures of travel, with restaurants that use local ingredients in creative ways, along with farm-to-table eateries and craft breweries.
Words Pitch by Pitch
Start the Morning at a Local Calgary Farmers’ Market
Calgary Farmers’ Market West Brunch Tour
Brunch at the Calgary Farmers’ Market West
On a Sunday morning, visit the Calgary Farmers’ Market West, a 15-minute drive from downtown Calgary, and enjoy a leisurely brunch. With a local food guide, you can easily explore the market, which covers roughly 5,000 square meters, sample a wide range of foods, and learn about the local cuisine of Calgary and Alberta as a whole. After brunch, you will taste more than 12 local products, including coffee from a local roastery café, pastries made by residents, handmade cheese, fruit grown by area farmers, and craft tonic from an Alberta brewery. The tour includes a talk on local recipes by a cookbook author, and you can buy fresh Calgary ingredients too, which makes it a two-for-one for travelers interested in cooking.
Schedule: Sundays, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (about 3 hours)
Meeting point: Calgary Farmers’ Market West
Included: Brunch, local food tastings and drink samples
Price: CAD 95
Recommended for: Travelers who love local ingredients and want to explore a neighborhood market from end to end!
Website: albertafoodtours.ca/tours/chef-guided-tourcalgary- farmers-market
From Wine to Whisky, Conquer Calgary’s Libations!
Calgary Mash Up Tour
Calgary Mash up Tour
This is a tour that no lover of drink can pass up! Visit Calgary’s wineries, distilleries, and breweries and sample local beverages in many styles, and you are bound to find at least one that suits your taste. On the Calgary Mash Up Tour, you start at a brewery and move on to a winery and a distillery in turn, picking up knowledge about Calgary’s local drinks along the way. A guide who works in the local brewing industry offers expert commentary, explains how each beverage is made, and even passes on tips for tasting. You can try around 10 different drinks during the tour, and buy any you like on the spot. It is a perfect opportunity for travelers who pick up a local drink everywhere they go. Groups of eight or more can book a private tour, with pickup anywhere in Calgary in a dedicated van.
Schedule: Daily, 11:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. / 3:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. / 7:00 p.m.–10:30 p.m. (about 3 hours 30 minutes)
Meeting point: Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Calgary Downtown
Included: Visits and tastings at a winery, distillery, cidery, and brewery
Price: CAD 125
Recommended for: Drink lovers who want to know everything about Calgary’s hottest local beverages!
Website: canadiancrafttours.ca/products/calgary-brewerydistillery- tour
In Search of Alberta’s First Craft Distillery
Eau Claire Distillery Experience
Eau Claire Distillery Experience
About an hour’s drive south of Calgary, you reach Eau Claire Distillery in Turner Valley. It is the region’s first craft distillery, and it carries the history of bootlegging from the early twentieth century, when Prohibition was in force in Alberta. Since its founding, it has also earned high praise for its farm-to-glass philosophy, growing its own barley by traditional methods on about 8 hectares of fields. A visit to the distillery, which preserves the atmosphere of the 1920s, offers a glimpse of the pioneer era and a taste of its signature spirits. The tour begins in the whiskey lounge, moves through the distillery grounds and several of its spaces to learn about its history and philosophy, and then continues with a guided tasting.
Schedule: Saturdays, 11:00 a.m. / 3:00 p.m. (about 1 hour)
Meeting point: 113 Sunset Boulevard SW, Turner Valley
Included: Guided tour, tasting of a flight of signature spirits, a $5 on-site voucher, and a specially made commemorative pin
Price: CAD 29.99
Recommended for: Travelers curious about a time-travel trip to Alberta’s Prohibition era
Website: eauclairedistillery.ticketspice.com/prohibition-experience
Where Craft Beer Meets Live Music
Calgary Inglewood Local Craft Beer Tour
Inglewood Walking Brewery Tour
Inglewood is known as Calgary’s oldest neighborhood. With historic architecture, small arts and culture venues, and distinctive cafés, restaurants, and shops all coming together, it is regarded as a center of art and food. Pubs and breweries are clustered here as well, so it is well worth a visit for travelers who want to experience local beer culture and craft beer. On this tour, a guide from Inglewood takes you to three popular local breweries, where you can sample each brewery’s signature craft beer. Settle in at an outdoor table, enjoy craft beer and live music in a relaxed atmosphere, and you may get the unusual feeling of being a local. At the same time, you will stroll Calgary’s oldest streets and take in Inglewood’s fascinating history and culture.
Schedule: Daily, afternoon or evening (about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours)
Meeting Point: Fort Calgary
Includes: Visits and tastings at three breweries
Price: CAD 69
Recommended for: Anyone who wants to enjoy the city’s relaxed atmosphere with craft beer!
Website: calgarysipandstroll.com/copy-of-tours
From Luxury Hotels to the Lively Downtown Core, Exploring Calgary’s Food Scene
Iconic Eats of Calgary Food Tour
Iconic Eats of Calgary Food Tour
A one-of-a-kind food tour that samples the city’s signature flavors at two landmark spots in the heart of downtown Calgary. The tastings include two savory dishes and two desserts, and you’ll hear in-depth stories about Calgary’s history, art, and culture while enjoying luxury hotel cuisine and handmade chocolates from a master chocolatier. Part of the tour’s appeal is the tasting of three dishes at the luxurious Fairmont Palliser, paired with a chef’s cooking demonstration and a recipe talk on dishes you can make at home. After the talk, the tour wraps up with a chocolatier’s desserts on Stephen Avenue, Calgary’s signature shopping street.
Schedule: Saturdays 3:00–5:30 p.m., about 2 hours 30 minutes
Meeting Point: 133 9 Ave. SW
Includes: Food and drinks featuring local Calgary flavors, plus a recipe talk
Price: CAD 159
Website: albertafoodtours.ca/tours/iconic-eats-of-calgary- -food-tour
A Food Adventure in Canmore at Your Own Pace
Alberta Food Finder Self-Guided Food Tour
Alberta Food Finder Self-Guided Food Tour
A self-guided food tour built around an interactive, GPS-based game. This mission-style game offers a fresh way to explore Canmore’s food, history, and culture. Follow the clues in the game to visit the locations marked on the map one by one, complete quests, and enjoy special tasting items prepared by local eateries. The app also provides useful information such as restaurant details, menu descriptions, and directions. The tour’s biggest advantage is that there is no fixed schedule, so you can go whenever you like. It offers a walking route optimized to take you through the city’s charming corners that are hard to find unless you’re a local, and because families, couples, and groups of friends can enjoy it together, it is also ideal for travelers who want a private tour.
Schedule: Available anytime, 2 hours 30 minutes (*Recommended: Wednesday–Sunday, 12:00–6:00 p.m.)
Meeting Point: Downtown Canmore
Includes: Tastings of local food
Price: CAD 50 per group (up to 4 people)
Recommended for: Travelers who want to take on a new challenge on their own schedule!
Website: albertafoodtours.ca/alberta-food-finder-canmore
Breathtaking Mountain Scenery as a Bonus! A Food Adventure by Bike
Canmore Food Bike Tours
Canmore Food Bike Tours
For travelers who love outdoor activities as much as good food, nothing beats the Canmore Food Bike Tour. It’s an exciting program that has you cycling along the Bow River, taking in Canmore’s spectacular mountain scenery, and visiting three food spots. At local restaurants you can enjoy meals specially prepared by the chef, and VIP experiences include visiting kitchens closed to the public and peeking at how dishes are made. The ride between each stop on the itinerary takes about 30 minutes, and the difficulty is moderate. Anyone aged 12 or older who can ride a bike can take part without trouble. For an additional fee (CAD 40, helmet included), you can also choose an e-bike option. Food bike tours are also offered in Calgary, Banff, and Edmonton.
Schedule: Wednesday–Sunday, 12:30–4:30 p.m., 4 hours
Meeting Point: 1 Industrial Pl #109B
Includes: Chef-curated menu, VIP behind-the-scenes tour, restaurant tips
Price: CAD 149
Recommended for: Anyone who wants more than just a full stomach, and prefers a trip that delights both the palate and the eyes
Website: foodbiketour.com/products/canmore-food-e-bike-tours
The Secrets of Spirits Made with Rocky Mountain Glacier Water
Gin Blending Workshop & Distillery Tour
Blend Your Own Gin
What if there were a distillery in the heart of the Rockies where you could make your own gin? At Park Distillery, the only distillery in Banff National Park, that special experience is possible. It makes original craft spirits, such as gin and vodka, using grains grown on local farms and glacier water from the Alberta Rockies. You can tour the distillery, get a glimpse of the entire spirit-making process, and taste a variety of spirits. Making your own gin is a must-do as well. Choose botanicals to add, such as juniper berries, rose petals, and citrus, then create and attach a custom label to the finished spirit, and you have a gin that is one of a kind. After the tour, don’t forget to look around the restaurant and gift shop inside the distillery.
Schedule: Daily, 3:15–4:45 p.m., about 1 hour 30 minutes
Meeting Point: 219 Banff Ave.
Includes: Distillery tour and gin blending workshop
Price: CAD 75
Recommended for: Spirits lovers and travelers looking for a special souvenir!
Website: parkdistillery.com/pages/distillery-tours
A Luxury Culinary Experience in an Elegant Castle
Eat the Castle at The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
Eat the Castle at The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
This private luxury culinary tour takes place at The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, nicknamed the “Castle in the Rockies.” As you hear the fascinating stories of the hotel, which has been a storied Banff landmark since it first opened in 1888, you will visit five bars and restaurants, from Rundle Bar to Grapes, 1888 Chop House, Vermillion Room and STOCK Food & Drink, enjoying delicious food and drinks along the way. The beautiful views of Banff from indoors are a bonus. The course begins with a signature cocktail at Rundle Bar, continues with dishes made from Alberta’s finest produce at 1888 Chop House, and finishes with house-roasted coffee and dessert at STOCK Food & Drink. It is a small-group tour of up to 12 people, and because the itinerary is entirely indoors, you can enjoy a comfortable and delicious time whatever the weather.
Schedule: Fridays 3:00–6:00 p.m. (Wednesdays and Thursdays in summer season), about 3 hours
Meeting Point: 405 Spray Ave.
Includes: Visits to five premium restaurants and bars in the hotel, food and drink pairings
Price: CAD 195
Recommended For: Travelers who want a special experience that blends luxury dining, culture and art
Website: albertafoodtours.ca/tours/eat-the-castle-atfairmont- banff-springs-hotel
A Local Tasting Stroll Through Downtown Jasper
Downtown Foodie Tour
Downtown Foodie Tour
With its beautiful nature and small-town charm, Jasper is a little mountain town popular with those who love outdoor activities such as hiking and mountain biking. If you want a multidimensional culinary experience in Jasper that combines local food, drinks, and storytelling about history and culture, this tour is a perfect fit. You will visit four local restaurants downtown in turn, tasting signature dishes and local drinks to savor the town’s food scene. Between meals, you will walk to hidden spots and learn about the town’s history. What sets this tour apart is that the stories told by a local guide add cultural depth to the dining experience. Anyone 18 or older can join.
Schedule: Daily 2:30–5:30 p.m., about 3 hours
Meeting Point: Visitor Information Center, 500 Connaught Drive
Includes: Visits to four local restaurants, tasting and sampling course
Price: CAD 25
Recommended For: Travelers who want to learn about Jasper’s culture and history through local food
Website: jasperfoodtours.com/downtown-foodie-tour-1
How to Enjoy a Trendy City Vibe to the Fullest
Strathcona Food Tour
Savour Strathcona Food Tour
Edmonton’s Old Strathcona is a neighborhood built on a lively arts community, home to galleries, theaters, and plenty of trendy restaurants and cafés. A food tour in search of distinctive local fare is probably the most efficient way to take in the charm and atmosphere of Strathcona in a short time. An expert local guide accompanies you, sharing Edmonton’s many facets, from food culture to history, art and architecture, and at each restaurant and café you stop at, tells behind-the-scenes stories of local businesses you won’t hear anywhere else. Tasting local food, such as Texas-style barbecue sandwiches, freshly baked cookies and doughnuts, and organic Alberta ice cream, is the tour’s main attraction. It runs as a small-group tour once a month on a Saturday, with up to 12 participants.
Schedule: Once a month, Saturday 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., about 3 hours
Meeting Point: MEAT Restaurant
Includes: Visits to five restaurants and tastings
Price: CAD 125
Recommended For: Travelers who want to sample local food and hear the intriguing stories behind local businesses
Website: Valbertafoodtours.ca/tours/savouryandsweetstrathcona/