Edmonton Mini Guide
Tell me About Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is the 2nd largest city in the province, after
Calgary and stands on the North Saskatchewan River.
How do I get There?
Edmonton International Airport is served by destinations in the
USA and is a major hub for Canada. There is no public transport available from the airport to the city, but you can book a shuttle bus, use your hire car or take a taxi. The Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway offer scenic rail routes to North America and within Canada or you can use the VIA rail service. Long distance coach travel in USA and Canada is possible with Greyhound. If you are driving, the Yellowhead Highway and Queen Elizabeth II Highway connect many cities in Canada. Once you are there, it is easy to get around using the city’s light rail and bus network.
What can I do There?
Lots! Watch an IMAX film or see the planetarium at Telus World of Science or visit the Art Gallery of Alberta – it has over 5,000 works of art. The Royal Alberta Museum will keep you busy as it has over 10 million artefacts! You can also visit the Alberta Railway Museum and the Alberta Aviation Museum for all things transport. Finally, get to know more about how people used to live there in the city at Fort Edmonton Park, it is a living history museum with costumed guides.
What’s the Food Like?
The main gourmet area is around Whyte Street – Italian food is very popular there, try Sicilian Kitchen. There are so many types of cuisine, you can get everything from Ethiopian at Langano Skies to Indonesian vegan food at Padmanadies or just have pizza from Steel Wheels. Java Jive coffee shop has been open for over 30 years and is something of a local institution.
Where Else can I go?
Visit the beautiful North Saskatchewan River Valley and enjoy the views. Take a walking trail and watch out for the wildlife.
After Dark…
Whyte Avenue is where to go after dark, there you will find a plethora of places to eat and drink at or dance. There are 2 cinemas there too and live venues for music and comedy. You can also try your luck at a casino on Bourbon Street or join in one of the downtown pub crawl tours.
Can I Shop There?
Yes, shop till you drop at West Edmonton Mall, it is the largest mall in North America. Browse the independent stores in Old Strathcona for something a little different.
Any Special Events I Should Look out for?
Edmonton is known as ‘The Festival City’ as it plays host to many festivals all year round. Capital EX is a summer festival with a gold rush theme – there are chuckwagon races, a sourdough raft race and a fair and fireworks. The Edmonton International Fringe Festival showcases performing arts and is 2nd only to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Most of these events are held in Churchill Square.
Drive around the capital of the Canada province of Alberta with car hire in Edmonton. Situated on the North Saskatchewan River, more than one million people live in Edmonton. The city is a centre of education and culture in Canada and it also has a strong industrial aspect with oil and diamonds being extracted relatively nearby in the Northwest Territories.
Shopping is another major draw to Edmonton as it has what was at one time the largest mall in the world. Edmonton is part of the Calgary Edmonton Corridor and so is in a very convenient location for drivers in Canada.