Ottawa: Come for the Capital, Stay for the BeaverTails
Ottawa: Come for the Capital, Stay for the BeaverTails
Canals, patios, museums and fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar. Canada’s capital is way more fun than you think.
When you hear Ottawa, you probably think of one thing first. Government. Well, there definitely are politicians here, but don't hold that against us. Beyond Parliament Hill, Canada's capital is actually a gorgeous, walkable city filled with historic neighbourhoods, waterfront pathways, museums, patios, festivals, great food and enough things to do to easily fill a long weekend.
Oh, and BeaverTails. We’ll get to those.
First, Ottawa Is Really Pretty
Ottawa doesn't always get the attention of Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, but put it on your Canadian travel list and you might be surprised. You definitely need to visit the capital of Canada.
The downtown core sits where the Ottawa River and Rideau Canal meet, with Parliament Hill rising above the water and the castle-like Fairmont Château Laurier sitting nearby. The great thing about this city is the best things to do in Ottawa are close enough together that you can explore them on foot. You can walk Parliament Hill and head down to the Ottawa Locks then cross over to Major's Hill Park and wander into the ByWard Market. It's super easy to cover a lot of territory in a short time.
Parliament Hill Is Actually Worth Seeing
Even if politics isn't remotely your thing, Parliament Hill is. These Gothic Revival buildings overlooking the Ottawa River are some of Canada's most recognizable landmarks, and this is the centre of Canadian democracy. You can take a tour, explore the grounds and monuments, and walk around the surrounding parliamentary district and then head toward the river. One of the nicest things about Ottawa is how quickly you can go from grand government buildings to parks, pathways and water.
There's a UNESCO World Heritage Site Running Right Through the City
The city's UNESCO site you don't want to miss is the Rideau Canal. In warmer months, boats travel along it while walkers, runners and cyclists use the pathways beside it.
However, when winter arrives, Ottawa does something very Canadian: they skate on it. The Rideau Canal Skateway is a 7.8 km (4.8 miles) long skating rink in the winter, running through the heart of Ottawa. Guinness World Records recognizes it as the world's largest naturally frozen ice rink. During festival season in the peak of winter, Ottawa's "Winterlude" event offers ice sculptures and activities all along the canal that you can visit by skate - a truly amazing way to spend a wintery day.
It's Time to Talk About BeaverTails
You cannot come to Ottawa and not have a BeaverTail. Despite the name, no beavers are involved. A BeaverTail is a warm, hand-stretched piece of fried pastry covered with delicious things. The classic is cinnamon and sugar, but you'll also find versions involving chocolate, hazelnut spread, maple and other combinations that make absolutely no attempt to pretend they're healthy.
The original BeaverTails location is in Ottawa's ByWard Market. So add eating fried dough can legitimately be included on your Ottawa sightseeing itinerary while you visit this area of town
The ByWard Market Is Made for Wandering
Just steps from Parliament Hill, the ByWard Market is one of Ottawa's oldest and liveliest neighbourhoods. Come during the day for shops, cafés, food and market vendors and stay into the evening for restaurants, pubs, patios and nightlife. This is another place where we recommend leaving a little empty space in your schedule so you can wander, grab a coffee, find something good to eat, have a drink on a patio or visit the lively nightlife in the evenings. There are plenty of dance clubs, pubs and places to grab a drink or entertainment.
Ottawa Takes Museums Very Seriously
If you love museums, you could build an entire Ottawa weekend getaway around them. There's the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the National Gallery of Canada, the Canada Aviation Museum and the Canada Science and Technology Museum.
And just across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, you'll find the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Pick the ones you're genuinely interested in and actually enjoy them because it will be hard to fit them all into one weekend as this is a vacation, not a museum endurance competition.
You Can Walk to Quebec
One of the coolest things about Ottawa is that another province is literally on the other side of the river. You can cross into Gatineau and suddenly you're in Quebec, looking back at one of the best views of Parliament Hill and the Ottawa skyline. So technically, you can visit Ontario and Quebec on the same afternoon without getting into a car. Not bad for a weekend away!
Ottawa Is Surprisingly Outdoorsy
This might be one of the city's best-kept secrets. Ottawa has an extensive network of recreational pathways along its rivers and canal, making it a fantastic city for walking and cycling. In summer, you can bike beside the Rideau Canal or Ottawa River, kayak or paddle or cruise the canal. You really don't have to travel very far from downtown before the city starts feeling remarkably green.
Then the seasons change and Ottawa simply finds different reasons to go outside. You can go skating in winter, visit the Tulips in spring, hang out on the patios and visit festivals in summer. Don't forget to visit for all the colours in autumn.
Ottawa has the full scope of the seasons and something different to do with each change of weather.
Ottawa Might Surprise You
People arrive expecting government buildings but they leave remembering the canal, the architecture, the museums, the canal and quite possibly that warm cinnamon-sugar BeaverTail they ate while telling themselves they'd only have a bite.
So how do you fit the best of Canada's capital into one trip without spending your entire vacation figuring out where to go next?
We've already done that part for you.
Explore our complete Ottawa itinerary and start planning your trip to Canada's capital:
