OttawaTravel Guide

Canada's seat of government, with a Gothic Revival Centre Block and Peace Tower — free guided tours run when Parliament isn't sitting, and the nightly summer light show is free to watch from the lawn.

Home to the largest collection of Canadian art in the world, alongside a giant spider sculpture ("Maman") guarding its glass entrance — a striking building beside the river.

One of Canada's oldest public markets, running since 1826 — a mix of produce stalls, restaurants, and the birthplace of the BeaverTail pastry.

A UNESCO-listed waterway through the city centre — a boating route in summer and, once frozen, the world's largest skating rink in winter, stretching nearly 8km.

Across the river in Gatineau, this museum holds the world's largest collection of totem poles and traces Canada's human history from Indigenous origins to present day.

A large protected wilderness area minutes from downtown, popular for autumn foliage drives, hiking, and cross-country skiing in winter.

A massive underground Cold War bunker built to shelter the government in case of nuclear attack, now a museum you can tour deep beneath the Ottawa countryside.

A striking building housing Canada's military history from early conflicts through peacekeeping missions, with a genuinely moving Memorial Hall.

The official residence of Canada's Governor General, with free guided tours of the grounds and, seasonally, the state rooms.

Ottawa's winter festival transforms the frozen Rideau Canal into a skating rink lined with food stalls and ice sculptures — a genuinely unique Canadian winter tradition.