As part of our road trip through the Canadian Rockies, we spent 2 days in Edmonton before heading back to Calgary. All the locals seemed really surprised that we chose to stop into Edmonton, but I’m not sure why. The city is filled with great places to eat and drink and offers some fun activities. If you ever find yourself there, here’s my recommendations:
How to Spend 2 Days in Edmonton
2 Days in Edmonton – Where to Stay in Edmonton
Edmonton has a couple of popular areas. If you’re looking to be where everything is either stay by Roger’s Place (the Oilers hockey stadium), or close to Whyte Avenue. Both locations are near a variety of restaurants and bars. We stayed in an Airbnb downtown that we soon figured out had no air conditioning. If you’re visiting in the summer, definitely try to stay somewhere that has AC as it can get pretty warm in Edmonton.
Find a Hotel in Edmonton
Where to Grab Drinks in Edmonton
If you like pink, you’ll love Wilfred’s. It’s a cute establishment that recently opened in Edmonton that serves coffee, food and drinks. We had some lattes and tried the avocado toast, which was hands down some of the best avo toast I’ve had.
District Cafe is a coffee shop by day and bar by night. It’s located downtown and is a great place to pick up a coffee and a light snack while exploring the area.
Malt & Mortar is a great place to have a casual drink. It has a rotating beer menu which features some of Alberta’s best brews and their cocktails are pretty good too.
El Cortez is a tequila lover’s dream! The restaurant has an extensive tequila and mezcal list with over 30 selections. We didn’t take any shots but the blood orange margarita was great. While sipping on a drink you can try some of their tacos which are served on flour tortillas made in-house. They also have corn tortillas (not homemade) for those who have a gluten intolerance.
Where to Eat in Edmonton
For both mornings we were in Edmonton, we grabbed something light as we’re not big breakfast people. However, based on Yelp reviews and Trip Advisor De Dutch seems to be a popular place to go for breakfast in Edmonton.
You can find Earls throughout Canada and some cities in the US. They have a good happy hour selection with plates and drinks ranging from $3 to $15. The spinach artichoke dip is amazing and if you like margs try the coconut mint, they’re dangerously good.
A good place to grab a drink or have a meal is MKT. They offer daily specials and have a spacious outdoor patio. I recommend trying the mini brat and puled pork sliders, and the Korean barbecue wings.
An Edmonton must! Baijiu serves Asian fusion dishes and unique cocktails. We tried the pork belly boa, pineapple buns and pork and shrimp Lion’s head dumplings, and it was all delicious. Drink wise, try the California Dream (a mezcal and charcoal drink) if you’re looking for something different or the Sakura Smash (fruity spritzer) if you like to play it safe. Stop by early evening for dinner or later in the night for a drink.
2 Days in Edmonton – Things to do
Edmonton High Street Bridge Streetcar
The Edmonton High Street Bridge Streetcar runs from Jasper Ave to Whyte Avenue and has a few stops around town. It’s about $3 CAD one way and $6 CAD return. I recommend hopping on at Jasper Ave and taking it to Whyte Avenue where you’ll find a lot of eateries and bars.
Urban Pedal Tours
Urban Pedal tours are available in Edmonton and Calgary. We did the tour through Old Stratchona for my birthday, and had a lot of fun. The locals on our bike were a lively bunch, and gave us some ideas on what to see and do. If you want to do a tour while in town, I recommend booking in advanced as the tours tend to fill quickly.
Alberta Legislature Building
If you’re into learning a little while on vacation, check out the Alberta Legislature Building. They offer tours which will tell you a little about the history of Alberta’s legislature and the structure itself while you walk through it. The tour was about an hour long and I found it pretty interesting. Outside the building, you’ll find fountains which you can dip your feet into.
Grab Drinks at Beercade
Definitely a younger crowd, but Beercade is a cool place to grab a drink and hang out for a bit. They have a variety of games and offer different daily specials.
Edmonton Neon Museum
Located across the street from Baijui, you’ll find the Edmonton Neon Museum. It’s an installation on the side of a building which features a bunch of old neon signs that used to hang around Edmonton. It’s worth a glance if you’re in the area.
Found Festival
If you’re visiting Edmonton in late June, early July check out Found Festival. It’s a found space arts event which offers plays, musical performances, art installations. Local artist exhibit or perform in various venues around Edmonton (this year was around Whyte Avenue). We saw a play set in a distillery and watched some bands in a makeshift beer garden behind the Old Stratcona Farmers’ Market.
Things we didn’t do but heard good things about
- Fort Edmonton
- West Edmonton Mall
- The Macdonald
Even though we only spent a short while in Edmonton, I had a good time in the city and definitely recommend visiting if you’re ever in the vicinity.
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18 COMMENTS
Candy
6 years agoThose chunks of avocado on that toast looks so yummy. I have a friend who lives in Edmonton and this makes me want to visit her even more!
Timpani
6 years ago AUTHORDo it! I think its one of the most underrated cities out there.
Josy A
6 years agoI cannot WAIT to explore the Rockies. To be honest I am mostly just keen to get out hiking in the mountains, but it is great to see there is plenty to see in Edmonton if we decide to tag on a city day. 🙂
Timpani
6 years ago AUTHORYeah! You can either access the rockies by flying into Calgary or into Edmonton. Both are awesome cities, and I definitely recommend spending a day or two in them before hitting the trails.
Sinjana Ghosh
6 years agoEdmonton looks great. I am quite interested to visit during the found festival. You have captured the city beautifully even in your short stay
Timpani
6 years ago AUTHORIt’s an awesome city! The Found Festival was definitely a cool experience, and I’d love to go back to Edmonton and check it out again.
Zoe
6 years agoGreat post with lots of top places to eat and drink! If I lived close to Edmonton i would totally try them all out.
Timpani
6 years ago AUTHORThanks! The food in Edmonton is pretty spectacular.
Christina
6 years agoWe only think of Edmonton as some place very cold and didn’t think you would ever need AC. Definitely seems like a lot to do there. We want to go there some day for a big hockey trip and we will hang on to this for when we go soon.
Timpani
6 years ago AUTHORA hockey trip would be so fun! Definitely check out Baijiu, its located around the corner from the stadium!
Lyne
6 years agoSuch a nice guide! All the food photos made me hungry aha. Edmonton look like a fun city 🙂
Timpani
6 years ago AUTHORI’m glad you enjoyed the read!
Rosemary
6 years agoWonderful post. Was just talking to friends recently who had been in the Canadian Rockies and they passed through Edmonton. The loved their brief experience there and it is wonderful to read much more about it Wow, the food scene sounds amazing and the Found festival as well. Reading this makes me want to visit so bad. I look forward to doing so soon.
Timpani
6 years ago AUTHORThanks Rosemary! I don’t know what Canada does to its food but its all so delicious haha. I’m glad I could put Edmonton on your radar, and I hope you enjoy your time there when you do visit.
-T
Jas
6 years agoI actually visited Edmonton for the first time a few years ago from a Canadian Rockies road trip too. This is bringing back fond memories and you make me wish I explored the city more. Wilfred’s totally sounds like my jam and how cool you got to check out Found Festival!
Timpani
6 years ago AUTHORYeah, apparently Edmonton isn’t a big tourist city just people passing through for the rockies. But it’s totally worth spending a couple of days there.
Meenakshi J
6 years agoThis is an excellent and a comprehensive guide indeed.Oh and I loved the captures with unique perspective!
Timpani
6 years ago AUTHORThats so much! Glad you liked it 🙂