Canadian road trip – Ottawa

Despite being the country’s capital, Ottawa is often overlooked on trips to Canada in favour the bigger and more bustling cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

But this is a mistake – with a canal, parks, markets and numerous cultural attractions, Ottawa is a beautiful city and the perfect size, making it safe and easy to explore on foot or by public transport.

We visited Ottawa during August on the first stop of a two-week road trip around eastern Canada. For this trip, we stayed as centrally as possible in hotels due to the time and cost it would be to travel into the city each day should we have stayed further out from the central region.

Our Must Dos For A Trip to Ottawa

Parliament Hill

Home to the Canadian parliament, these beautiful buildings are well worth a look around, whether you go on a tour inside or simply walk around the buildings outside and admire the views.

Rideau Canal

A 202km long canal that links the Ottawa River to the St Lawrence River. The lock section of the canal in the city is a lovely sport to sit and watch the boats and locks in action. In the winter months the canal freezes over and, when the ice is suitable and safe, the canal becomes a skate-way for 7.8km.

Cultural Attractions

The National Gallery of Canada, Canada Science and Technology Museum, and the Canadian Museum of Nature can all be found in Ottawa. Ottawa is also home to Notre-Dame cathedral Basilica, the oldest and largest church in Ottawa.