Calgary: Brewery Tours at Award Winning Venues

Three breweries, one easy ride. I love how this YYCTOURS tour taps into Calgary’s best award-winning breweries, and how guides such as Shawn keep the mood light and the beer talk practical. One thing to plan for, though: the price covers tastings and flights, but food is not included.

You’ll start at 101 9 Ave SW near the Calgary Tower and then spend the next 210 minutes bouncing between brewery areas, with time for flights at each stop, plus a VIP tour and beer-evaluation tips so you can taste with more confidence.

Key things you’ll notice on this Calgary brewery tour

• Locally owned vibe with real brewery relationships, not just a standard van-and-brochure stop
• Guides with judging or cicerone-style training, so your tastings come with actual evaluation advice
• Flights at three breweries across different districts, built for variety in styles and flavors
• Beer flights plus time for other craft products, so you are not stuck on beer only
• One stop that can include great food, but you will want to budget since food is not included

Calgary’s Brewery Districts, Without the Driving Stress

Calgary beer lovers have a simple problem: the breweries are spread out. That is where this tour earns its keep. You get transportation included, so you can focus on tasting and learning instead of figuring out parking, traffic, or which district is quickest to hop between.

What I also like is the clear local angle. YYCTOURS is described as Calgary’s only locally owned brewery tour, and that local ownership shows in the way the tour is set up around relationships with top breweries in town. In practical terms, that matters because it often means you are not just being herded in and out. You get a guided experience, and the plan is built around award winning venues and a brewery map approach that aims to cover the good options across the city.

If you are the kind of person who thinks beer is more than just something cold, you’ll appreciate the education piece. This tour includes tutorials on how to evaluate beer, and it pairs that with a VIP brewery tour format, where you learn how beer is made and what to pay attention to in the glass.

Meeting Point at Calgary Tower and the Ride Between Stops

You meet outside the Calgary Tower in the loading area for public tours, which is handy if you are already sightseeing downtown. The address is 101 9 Ave SW, and if your group is bigger (more than 4 guests), they can come pick you up, which saves you the hassle of wrangling everyone at the same spot.

Once you’re on the van, the rest of the experience moves like this: you are transported to award winning breweries in different brewery districts, and you get guided tasting time at each stop. The ride time is part of the experience, not wasted time. It is what lets you hit three breweries within about 210 minutes without turning your day into a logistics project.

One small consideration: this is a beer-focused program. You might be tempted to treat it like a casual snack tour, but it is built around beer flights and structured tastings. If you go in hungry, just know food is not included, even if one stop may include a location with great food.

Your 210 Minutes: How the Brewery Stops Work

The tour runs 210 minutes, which is a nice sweet spot. Long enough to get real variety, short enough that you are not exhausted when you’re done.

Here’s how the flow typically feels, step by step:

First, you get moving from the meeting point to the brewery areas by van. After that, you get brewery time in blocks. The schedule includes one guided component described as Beer, Wine, Guided tour for about an hour, followed by two more tasting blocks (each about an hour) focused on beer and wine.

At each brewery stop, you get:

• Beer flights (so you can sample multiple styles)
• Time to enjoy other craft products and selections
• Guide-led education and tasting guidance

Two details from the tour notes stand out. One is that the stops are only at award winning or industry leading breweries. That helps when you are trying to decide which city tour to do, because you are not wasting time at places that are still figuring out their craft identity. The other is that the plan includes help tailoring to tastes, so you are not just stuck with a one-size-fits-all lineup.

A fun extra is that the tasting experience can include a wide range of styles and flavor ideas. In one example, a group sampled beers with unusual ingredients like beets, flowers, and coffee, and they found they liked dark beer more than expected. That is the kind of variety beer flights are great for, because you get to experiment without committing to one full pint.

Three Breweries Across Different Districts

Variety is the point here. This tour is designed to take you to three Calgary breweries in three different brewery districts, so your tasting day does not feel like the same street repeat three times.

Why that matters: Calgary brewery districts each have a different feel. Even if you do not know the area well, moving between districts helps you understand how the craft scene spreads across the city, not just clustered around one corner. It also helps break the experience up visually, so the day feels like an actual tour, not a single venue with extra steps.

At each brewery, the flights are your main event. You taste multiple beers, then have time with the guide and the venue staff to talk through what you’re seeing. The tour also includes a VIP style brewery tour segment during one of the brewery blocks, focused on beer history, manufacturing, and ingredients.

One more practical detail: the tour includes gratuity to the brewery staff on all your stops. That is a nice piece of value, because it means you do not have to mentally calculate tips mid-tour.

The VIP Brewery Tour and Beer Evaluation Tips

This is not only about drinking. The best part is the education that comes with it, especially if you want to get better at tasting.

The tour includes:

• Education about beer history, manufacturing, and ingredients
• A VIP tour of a brewery during the guided block
• Tutorials on how to evaluate beer
• A guide who is a beer judging student or cicerone student, or a certified member

What you gain from that, in plain terms, is a better way to taste. Instead of going by taste alone, you learn what to notice: how beer looks, smells, and finishes, and how those traits connect back to ingredients and brewing choices.

And yes, the guide role matters. One name that pops up in the experience is Shawn, praised for being funny and knowledgeable, and for making sure the group’s preferences are considered. Even if you do not know your beer style in advance, a guide who asks questions can steer you toward beers that make sense for what you already like.

If you’re a wine or mixed craft fan, you are also covered. The blocks are listed as beer and wine, so you’re likely to find options beyond straight beer. Still, it remains a beer-forward program with beer flights at each brewery.

Discounts, Merchandise, and the Included Extras

Beer is the headline, but the tour adds a few touches that make it feel like a real partnership with the local scene.

Included extras can include:

• Exclusive merchandise and product discounts at some venues, only available to YYCTOURS guests
• Time to enjoy other craft products and selections at each stop
• The handling of logistics and planning, with a focus on fitting your tastes
• Optional inclusion of a stop with great food (food itself is not included)

That discount and merchandise detail is small, but it is the sort of thing that can turn a good tour into a memorable one. If you like collecting brewery swag or trying a bottle to take home, you might find these small perks useful.

Price and Value: Why $83 Can Make Sense

The price is $83 per person for a tour lasting about 210 minutes. On paper, that can look like a lot if you are only thinking of it as a tasting session.

But when you break down what is included, the value starts to look clearer:

• Transportation included, so you do not pay for rides or deal with logistics
• Beer flights at three breweries, meaning multiple tastings instead of a single stop
• Education and a VIP brewery tour portion
• Guide support from beer judging or cicerone-style training
• Gratuity to brewery staff included
• Logistics and planning handled for you
• Discounts and merchandise perks at some venues

Also, because the stops are restricted to award winning or industry leading breweries, you’re not rolling the dice on lesser-known stops. That is part of the value calculation too. You are paying for a curated structure around quality venues, plus the time saved from building a plan yourself.

Where the price can feel less worth it is if you already know exactly which breweries you want to visit and you plan to drink slowly enough to drive yourself. If that is your style, you might skip a tour. But if you want a guided, multi-stop tasting day with transportation handled and beer education built in, $83 starts to look fair for what you get.

Who This Tour Fits Best (and Who Might Prefer Something Else)

This tour is a strong match if you want:

• A guided beer tasting across multiple Calgary brewery districts
• An easy way to drink and learn without driving
• A guide who can explain brewing choices and how to evaluate beer
• Variety, including flights rather than committing to one style at a time

It may not be the best fit if:

• You want food included in the price. Food is listed as not included, even though one stop can include a location with great food.
• You are traveling with kids. The tour is not suitable for children under 18.
• You prefer to bring your own alcohol. Bringing alcohol is not allowed on this tour.

Also, it is an English language experience, and you’ll want a photo ID or passport because waivers are required and ID is mentioned as required to bring.

Should You Book This Calgary Brewery Tour?

If your idea of a good afternoon in Calgary includes tasting award winning beer, learning how beer works, and letting someone else handle the driving, I think this is a very solid booking choice. The three brewery structure, the transportation included piece, and the beer evaluation tutorials are the combo that makes the day feel more than just drinking.

Book it if you want variety fast, and you like being guided through styles. Skip it if you only want one brewery, you hate guided tasting formats, or you’re expecting food to be included like a full meal tour.

If you want a Calgary beer plan that is simple, social, and focused on quality stops, YYCTOURS is a practical way to get there.

FAQ

How long is the Calgary brewery tour?

The tour duration is 210 minutes.

Where do I meet for the tour?

You meet outside the Calgary Tower in the loading area for public tours, at 101 9 Ave SW. If you have more than 4 guests, pickup may be available.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Transportation is included for the tour.

What is included in the price?

The tour includes beer flights at each brewery, a VIP brewery tour education component, tutorials on how to evaluate beer, logistics planning, and gratuity to brewery staff on your stops. It also includes stops at award winning or industry leading breweries.

Is food included?

Food is not included. However, tour stops can include one location that has great food.

Are children allowed?

No. The tour is not suitable for children under 18.

What do I need to bring?

Bring a passport or ID card.

Is alcohol allowed during the tour?

Alcohol and drugs are not allowed.