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Ontario · Quebec · Canada
The capital of Canada, on the border between Ontario and Quebec: Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the national museums on both sides of the river.
In the photo: Rideau Canal locks, Ottawa
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
Ottawa is Canada’s capital and is located in Ontario on the banks of the Ottawa River, which marks the border with Quebec. On the opposite bank is Gatineau, a predominantly French-speaking city; the two form the National Capital Region and are connected by bridges you can walk across.
Parliament Hill, atop a cliff by the river, houses the federal government’s neo-Gothic buildings, surrounded by lawns open to the public. Beside it begins the Rideau Canal, built in the 19th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site; in winter, a frozen section becomes an ice-skating rink. The ByWard Market, a few blocks away, is the city’s oldest neighborhood, with stalls, cafés and restaurants.
Ottawa is home to national museums: the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Museum of Nature and, in Gatineau, the Canadian Museum of History, which looks out toward Parliament. North of Gatineau, Gatineau Park has lakes, forests and trails.
The city is bilingual, with signs and federal services in English and French. The year has regular events: the Canadian Tulip Festival in May, Canada Day on July 1, and Winterlude, a winter festival, in February.
This destination brings together 2 cities: Ottawa, Gatineau.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence) / geoBoundaries. Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) · 12 km to Ottawa
Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport is about 12 km from downtown. From Montreal it’s about 200 km; from Toronto about 450 km. VIA Rail trains connect the three cities to Ottawa station.
Suggested arrival point: Ottawa
Capital of Canada, on the Ottawa River, facing Gatineau. Parliament Hill dominates the centre, beside the lock staircase of the Rideau Canal. Nearby are the ByWard Market, the National Gallery of Canada and the national War and Nature museums. The city is bilingual, in English and French.
A French-speaking city on the Quebec bank of the Ottawa River, opposite Canada’s Parliament. It has the Canadian Museum of History, which faces Parliament Hill, and is the gateway to Gatineau Park, with lakes, forests and viewpoints a few kilometers from downtown.
The local experience
The group of neogothic Parliament buildings of Canada on a cliff above the Ottawa River, with lawns open to the public, the Centennial Flame and guided tours.
Canada’s most-visited museum, on the riverbank opposite Parliament, with the world’s largest covered collection of totem poles and galleries about the country’s history.
An 1832 canal that links Ottawa to Kingston, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a flight of eight locks beside Parliament and, in winter, an ice skating rink.
Large area of forests, lakes and hills a few kilometers from downtown, with viewpoints over the Ottawa River valley, trails, lake beaches and the summer home of a former prime minister.
Ottawa’s oldest neighbourhood, with a farmers’ market, streets of restaurants, cafés and bars and one of the BeaverTails bakeries, the fried dough typical of Canada.
The country’s main art museum, in a glass-and-granite building by Moshe Safdie, with Canadian and Indigenous art, European masters and the giant spider sculpture Maman at the entrance.
National military history museum on the banks of the Ottawa River, with vehicles, weapons, war art and Canada’s participation in conflicts from the colonial period to recent missions.
Natural history museum in a 1912 stone castle, with blue whale and dinosaur skeletons, galleries of minerals, birds, mammals and the Arctic.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
From May to September, with the Canadian Tulip Festival, Canada Day and rides on the canal. Autumn brings foliage in Gatineau Park, usually from late September to mid-October. Winter is very cold; typically in January and February, depending on the ice, the canal becomes an ice-skating rink.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Two or three days for Parliament Hill, the canal, the ByWard Market and two or three museums. An extra day allows for Gatineau Park.
Downtown, between Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal, is within walking distance of the main attractions. The ByWard Market has accommodations near restaurants and nightlife. On the Gatineau side, there are options near the Canadian Museum of History and the bridges to Ottawa.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Two or three days for Parliament, the canal and the museums; add one more day for Gatineau Park.
By train, about 2 hours; by bus or car, roughly 200 km.
Yes, in winter when the canal freezes sufficiently. The skating surface usually opens between January and February, depending on ice conditions; check conditions before you go.
No for downtown and the museums, which are within walking distance or reachable by bus and light rail. A car is helpful for Gatineau Park.
Usually in May, when thousands of tulips bloom in parks and along the canal. Check the dates for the current year.
Eastern Time, UTC−5, with daylight saving time (UTC−4) from March to November.
