- BeaverTails on the canal: the fried-dough pastry invented in Ottawa in 1978.
- ByWard Market for lunch: shawarma, cheese, and the market stalls.
- Elgin Street and the Glebe for dinner; Gatineau across the river for Quebec plates.
Ottawa City Guide
The Centre Block and Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, Ottawa. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Ottawa is the national capital: Parliament Hill above the river, the national museums, and the Rideau Canal threading through it all. It is calmer than Toronto or Montreal, and in winter it earns it with the world's largest skating rink.
The Hill's Centre Block, the National Gallery's spider, the ByWard Market's food stalls: the capital packs a lot into a walkable core. Summer brings the tulips and Canada Day; winter brings Winterlude.
What to do in Ottawa
The capital core
- 1
Parliament Hill The Gothic Revival parliament: tours, the Changing of the Guard, the light show. - 2
Rideau Canal The UNESCO canal; the 7.8-km skateway in winter. - 3
National Gallery of Canada The glass gallery with Maman the spider and the Canadian collection. - 4
ByWard Market The 1826 market district: stalls by day, patios by night.
Museums
- 1
Canadian Museum of History Across the river in Gatineau: the Grand Hall and totem poles. - 2
Canadian War Museum The sombre, powerful military history museum. - 3
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica The 1846 basilica, the oldest church in Ottawa.
Ottawa Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Ottawa. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Luxury
Fairmont Château Laurier
The 1912 railway hotel by the canal locks, Ottawa's grand address.
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Budget-friendly
HI Ottawa Jail Hostel
Sleep in a cell in the 1862 former county jail.
View on Booking.comWhere to eat
Getting there and around
Ottawa International (YOW) is 10 km south. VIA Rail links Ottawa with Toronto (4.5 hours) and Montreal (2 hours). The O-Train light rail serves downtown; the city is flat and bikeable.