Ottawa

The capital of Canada, Ottawa has a plethora of attractions for tourists. The Parliament buildings and grounds are a popular site. The National Gallery of Canada houses many works of art in a building that is also an art piece. During winter, join the skaters on the frozen Rideau Canal. Professional sports can be attended in Ottawa as the NHL’s Ottawa Senators play their home games there in Scotiabank Place. The Fairmont Chateau Laurier is a historic building built a century ago. Museums in Ottawa to visit include the Canadian War Museum, Canadian Postal Museum, Canada Aviation Museum and Canada Agriculture Museum.

Popular attractions in Ottawa

Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal connects Ottawa on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston on Lake Ontario, 202 km away through a series of locks. In winter a section of the canal is turned into the world’s largest skating rink at 7.38 km (4.8 miles). Winterlude, an outdoors festival, takes place on the canal in February. If you’re visiting in the summer rent a canoe and paddle the canal for a beautiful view of the natural environment.

Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill is a symbol of national pride as the seat of the government of Canada. Take a tour of the “Hill” including three offices that have been restored to their 1872 form, when the country Canada was being created. Today, you can listen in on question period, Canada’s boisterous parliamentary debatie, or meet a real Mountie (a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police). During the summer months, the front lawn is the setting of the daily Changing of the Guards or stay in the evening for the Sound and Light Show.

Royal Canadian Mint
The Canadian Mint in Ottawa occupies the location where the Mint was founded in 1908. Master tooling for dies are created at this location and as one of the world’s most respected manufacturers for collector coins, the Canadian Mint produced coins for international locales such as the Czech Republic and Zambia.Your bestt bet is to reserve your spot in their tour ahead of time and be sure to pick up a souvenir coin, ranging in cost from $2.50 to $60,000!

Calypso Theme Waterpark
The Calypso Water Park is frequently cited as the best waterpark in the world! It has Canada’s largest wave pool and the highest free-standing waterslide tower in North America. There are over thirty five waterslides and one hundred water games, as well as a licensed bar, several restaurants and locations to picnic. The innovative “Money at Your Fingertips” service allows you to use your fingerprint to pay for anything you purchase at the park to keep your wallet dry. All pool water is heated so get ready to get wet!

National Gallery of Canada
Located steps from Parliament Hill, the National Gallery of Canada focuses on Canadian artwork, for example the Group of Seven and indigenous art, but has works by international artists as well, such as Andy Warhol, Rembrandt, van Gogh, Monet and Picasso. Artwork ranges from painting and photography to sculpture and silver pieces. Several different tours are available but we recommend booking ahead as they are often filled quickly.

The Diefenbunker
A former secret underground nuclear bunker for emergency government headquarters during the Cold War, the Diefenbunker is now a National Historic Site of Canada. It has been developed into a museum of Canada’s Cold War history and includes guided tours every hour.. Souvenirs available are military toys, model aircraft, nuclear protest buttons and gas masks.

ByWard Market
Established in 1826 as an outgrowth of the development of the Rideau Canal, the ByWard Market is one of Canada’s oldest and largest public markets, averaging 50 000 visitors per weekend in the summer. A year-round changing schedule of events includes films, visual art, music, seminars, and a Stew Cook-Off make it a different place each time you visit. Pick up your picnic food here and stroll to the canal to eat.

Laurier House
Laurier House was the home of two of Canada’s notable Prime Ministers – Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King and is now a National Historic Site. Many of their personal possessions and artwork are on display in the home, including King’s crystal ball. A separate area is dedicated to Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Reservations are required for the candlelit tour led by the butler and other domestic staff members.

The Canadian Museum of Civilization
Directly across the river from Ottawa is the city of Hull, Quebec where the Canadian Museum of Civilization is housed. The museum features a permanent gallery exploring twenty thousand years of human history from a Canadian perspective and is home to the world’s largest indoor collection of totem poles. It shares its space with the Canadian Children’s Museum, the Canadian Postal Museum and an Imax 3D Theatre. Audio tours are available in English, French, German and Mandarin. Traveling exhibitions regularly stop at the Museum so every visit there is something new.

Gatineau Park
Gatineau Park is 361 square kilometres of park land within the city of Gatineau, just minutes north of Ottawa. Explore the park on the 165 km (103 miles) of hiking trails and 90 km (56.25 miles) of mountain bike trails, parts of which are quite steep and give you a good workout. Beach swimming, canoeing and camping are available at the park as well as the added thrill of ziplines in the summer. The lookouts offer an amazing view of the Ottawa Valley and there are several historical buildings within the park. Be on the watch for birds and animals – woodpeckers, loons, beavers, deer, black bears and wolves have all been spotted.

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