Visit Parliament Hill
Gothic towers, green copper roofs and free guided tours of where the country actually gets run. In summer, catch the Changing of the Guard on the lawn: bearskin hats, marching bands, the works.
👋 Bonjour! Hi! Welcome!
Ottawa is secretly a lot of fun.
Shh, don't tell Toronto. Here are the things you absolutely have to do in Canada's capital, from world-class museums to fried dough shaped like a rodent's tail.
⭐ Start here
The Big Five
Only have a weekend? Do these five things and you can honestly tell everyone back home you've "done" Ottawa.
Skate (or stroll) the Rideau Canal
A UNESCO World Heritage Site running right through downtown. In winter it becomes a 7.8 km skateway, and yes, locals really do skate to work.
Eat your way through the ByWard Market
One of Canada's oldest markets, packed with patios, produce stands and the BeaverTails stand that started it all.
Meet the giant spider
A three-storey bronze spider guards the National Gallery of Canada. Take the photo, then go inside for one of the country's best art collections.
Escape to Gatineau Park
Fifteen minutes from Parliament, you're in the wilderness. Hike to the impossibly green Pink Lake (it's not pink) and the Champlain Lookout.
🍽️ Eat & Drink
Come hungry. Leave happy.
From late-night shawarma to a tasting menu worth dressing up for, here's what you have to eat while you're here.
Eat a BeaverTail
Hand-stretched fried dough, shaped like a beaver's tail and buried in cinnamon sugar. The ByWard Market stand is the original, and even Barack Obama stopped for one in 2009.
Pro tip: Go classic cinnamon sugar first. You can get fancy on the second one.
Join the shawarma cult
Ottawa takes its shawarma very seriously, with a shop on seemingly every corner. Order it "all dressed" with extra garlic sauce and don't make plans to kiss anyone.
Pro tip: It's the official after-midnight meal of the city.
Cross a province for poutine
Fries, squeaky cheese curds, hot gravy. Hop the bridge to Gatineau and eat it in Quebec, where it was born.
Pro tip: If the curds don't squeak, it doesn't count.
Go big with a tasting menu
For one unforgettable night, book Atelier or Antheia. Both are run by winners of the Canadian Culinary Championships, and both are worth planning a trip around.
Pro tip: Book a few weeks ahead, especially for Friday and Saturday.
Wander Little Italy
Preston Street is lined with trattorias, espresso bars and patios. Come hungry and pace yourself.
Pro tip: Save room for gelato. You'll want it.
Sip the local craft beer
The Ottawa–Gatineau region is full of small breweries and taprooms. Grab a flight and get chatting with the locals, who are nicer than you'd think for a city full of politicians.
Pro tip: Many taprooms have a food truck parked out front.
🏛️ Sights
Stuff you'll want a photo of
The capital does grand buildings and big views very well. Bring a charged phone.
Parliament Hill tours
Free guided tours of the House of Commons and the Senate, plus a lawn that fills up with picnics, yoga and protests (sometimes all at once).
Pro tip: Grab tour tickets early in the day. They go fast in summer.
Watch the Ottawa Locks
A staircase of eight locks between Parliament and the Château Laurier, still cranked open by hand. Watching a boat climb the hill is weirdly hypnotic.
Pro tip: Summer afternoons are the busiest for boats.
Major's Hill Park at sunset
The best view of Parliament in the city. Then walk across the Alexandra Bridge and look back from Quebec.
Pro tip: Golden hour here beats any postcard.
Rideau Hall
The Governor General's official residence, with huge grounds you can wander for free and trees planted by visiting royals and world leaders.
Pro tip: Play "spot the famous tree" on the grounds.
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica
Silver spires outside and a ceiling of deep blue and stars inside. It's the oldest church in Ottawa and genuinely jaw-dropping.
Pro tip: It's right by the National Gallery, so do both together.
Rideau Falls
A waterfall that pours straight into the Ottawa River, a short walk from downtown. Loud, misty and free.
Pro tip: Spring melt makes it roar.
🦕 Museums
So. Many. Museums.
Being the capital means getting the national museums. Rain in the forecast? Lucky you.
Canadian Museum of History
Just across the river in Gatineau. The Grand Hall of towering totem poles alone is worth the trip, and the view of Parliament from outside is a bonus.
Canadian Museum of Nature
A castle full of dinosaurs, a blue whale skeleton and live creepy-crawlies. Kids lose their minds. So do adults.
Canadian War Museum
Moving, beautifully designed and full of tanks. Give it at least a couple of hours.
Science & Tech Museum
Giant locomotives, hands-on everything and a crazy kitchen that tilts under your feet. Built for touching.
Aviation & Space Museum
A hangar full of planes from wooden biplanes to jets. Aviation nerds, this is your happy place.
The Diefenbunker
A four-storey Cold War bunker buried in a hill in Carp, built to keep the government running through a nuclear war. Delightfully creepy.
Pro tip: About 30 minutes west of downtown, so you'll need a car.
🌲 Outdoors
Get outside, eh
Rivers, falls, forests and hundreds of kilometres of paths, most of them within a few minutes of downtown.
Bike the canal & river paths
Rent a bike and follow the Rideau Canal and Ottawa River pathways. It's flat, scenic and hard to get lost.
Paddle Dow's Lake
Rent a canoe, kayak or paddleboat and float around. It's also the heart of the Tulip Festival in May.
Hog's Back Falls
Churning rapids and rocky lookouts right in the city. Pack a picnic.
Nordik Spa-Nature
An enormous Nordic spa in Chelsea: hot pools, cold plunges, saunas and a forest view. The ultimate reset, especially in winter.
Raft the Ottawa River
Some of the best whitewater in North America is a short drive upriver. Scream, get soaked, repeat.
Beach day at Mooney's Bay
A sandy city beach on the Rideau River, with volleyball, lifeguards and ice cream. Nobody expects Ottawa to have beaches. It does.
🌷 Seasons
Ottawa does all four seasons
And it does them loudly. Here's the must-do for every time of year.
Winter
Dec – Mar
- Skate the Rideau Canal Skateway
- Winterlude in February: ice sculptures and snow slides
- Beavertail on the ice (mandatory)
- Thaw out at a Nordic spa
Spring
Apr – Jun
- Canadian Tulip Festival in May, with a million blooms
- Maple taffy at a sugar shack
- Patios reopen and the city exhales
- Rideau Falls at full roar
Summer
Jun – Aug
- Canada Day on July 1 (wear red!)
- Bluesfest in July
- Changing of the Guard on the Hill
- Paddle, bike and beach everything
Fall
Sep – Nov
- Gatineau Park's fall colours, peaking late Sept to mid-Oct
- Apple picking just outside the city
- Museum days when it's chilly
- Cozy dinners, big red wines
Fun fact: The tulips are a thank-you gift from the Netherlands. The Dutch royal family sheltered in Ottawa during WWII, and Princess Margriet was born here in a hospital room temporarily declared Dutch territory. Wild, right?
🚗 Day Trips
Worth the drive
Got a spare day and a car? These are all an easy trip from downtown.
Parc Omega
A drive-through safari park near Montebello where elk and deer stick their heads in your car window for carrots. Pure chaos. Pure joy.
Pro tip: Buy the big bag of carrots. Trust us.
Wakefield
An artsy riverside village in the Gatineau Hills with a red covered bridge, cafés and serious small-town charm.
Merrickville
A storybook village on the Rideau Canal, full of stone buildings, shops and working locks. Great for a lazy afternoon.
Almonte
A pretty mill town with waterfalls in the middle of downtown. It's also the hometown of James Naismith, the guy who invented basketball.
🌙 Nights Out
After dark
Ottawa has a reputation for going to bed early. It's not deserved.
A show at the NAC
The National Arts Centre hosts orchestra, theatre, dance and comedy. Check what's on before you arrive.
Catch a Senators game
It's Canada. You have to see hockey. The NHL's Senators play out in Kanata, and the atmosphere is electric.
Lansdowne & the Glebe
Catch a Redblacks CFL game at TD Place, then bar-hop down Bank Street through the Glebe.
ByWard Market after dark
The market turns into the city's busiest bar district after sunset: patios, pubs and cocktail bars all within a few blocks.
Casino du Lac-Leamy
Just across the river in Gatineau: games, shows and a very fancy lake view. Feeling lucky?
End with shawarma
Every great Ottawa night ends the same way: garlic sauce, a warm wrap and zero regrets.
🎯 Challenge
Ottawa Bingo
Tap a square every time you do the thing. Get four in a row and you're officially an honorary Ottawan. Get all sixteen and you might as well move here.
0 / 16 done
🧭 Know Before You Go
The quick survival guide
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Bonjour, hi!
Ottawa is officially bilingual. Cross a bridge into Gatineau and you're in Quebec, where French comes first. A "merci" goes a long way.
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Getting around
Downtown, the Market and most museums are walkable. The O-Train and buses cover the rest, and bike paths are everywhere in summer.
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Dress for it
Summers are hot and sticky; winters are properly cold. Pack layers, and in winter a real hat. Locals will judge.
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Two cities, one trip
Ottawa (Ontario) and Gatineau (Quebec) sit on opposite banks of the river. Many highlights are on the Quebec side, so don't skip it.