🇨🇦 Calgary 5 Days & 4 Nights Travel Guide (Part 1)

I originally planned a 4-day solo trip to Calgary, hoping to spend one day exploring nearby parks… but that didn’t happen 😅 So I ended up exploring downtown Calgary for four full days — to the point where I probably know DT better than some locals now lol. If you’re only visiting Calgary, I doubt you’ll find a more detailed guide than this on Xiaohongshu… 😂 If you’re also going to Banff, check out my previous guides! 📍 Itinerary ▫️ Day 01: Chinatown → The Bow → Olympic Plaza → Zcrew Cafe → Studio Bell → Central Library → 17 Ave → Happy Lamb Hotpot Landed early thanks to the time difference flying from Eastern Canada. Started from the north and wandered south through DT. Saw the iconic facial sculpture outside The Bow and the chill geese at Olympic Plaza 🦆. Main goal: brunch at Zcrew! It’s a popular spot — pretty good but not mind-blowing? Though tbh, Calgary’s food scene is a bit… limited 🏜️ lol. Spent the afternoon exploring nearby Studio Bell and Central Library. The library is stunning — modern architecture with great spaces 📚✨. But the highlight was Studio Bell — the music museum is a must-visit! I’ll write more about it later (word limit lol). Evening headed to 17 Ave for a city walk and dinner… but honestly? That street is an introvert’s nightmare — every place was too loud and crowded 😆. Ended up at Happy Lamb Hotpot 🍲, partly because Oomomo was next door and I needed stationery supplies 🗒️. ▫️ Day 02: 9 Ave → St Patrick's Island → Contemporary Calgary → Seoul Cafe → Peace Bridge → Core → Stephen Avenue Walk → CF Chinook Centre Folks, 9th Ave (especially around Inglewood) is SO worth exploring! Plant shops, home decor, bookstores, cafes… perfect for a relaxed weekend vibe 🌿☕. St Patrick's Island offers a nice view of DT from the north, but late April was still too bald for good scenery 🍂. Headed to Contemporary Calgary — a small gallery with a cool plant-themed exhibit featuring hyper-realistic composite plants 🎨. In the afternoon, visited the Peace Bridge and stopped by a 2D comic-style cafe — cute but crowded, food was meh. Walked back south for some mall time: Core Shopping Centre has a lovely indoor garden on the 4th floor 🌴. Then went to CF Chinook for dinner (tried Shang Shang Qian — slightly disappointing 😬) but loved the “Mirror Mirror” exhibit there — fun with lights and reflections! The next two days are still to come — but for most visitors, the spots above already cover Calgary’s main attractions. Part 2 will include some more offbeat recommendations 😉. #Calgary #CalgaryTravel #51Vlog #TravelGuide ✈️📸