3 days in Ottawa

Day by day

1. Day 1: Parliament Hill and Rideau Canal and the Ottawa Locks

   Parliament Hill, Rideau Canal and the Ottawa Locks and National War Memorial and Confederation Square, then ByWard Market in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Parliament Hill

      The Gothic Revival parliament buildings stand on a bluff above the Ottawa River.

   2. Late morning

      Rideau Canal and the Ottawa Locks

      Watch boats being lifted through the eight locks by hand on a summer afternoon; Parks Canada staff operate them.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: BeaverTails

      The George Street stand in the ByWard Market and kiosks along the Rideau Canal Skateway in winter.

   4. Afternoon

      National War Memorial and Confederation Square

      The granite arch and bronze figures of The Response stand in Confederation Square, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at their base.

   5. Evening

      ByWard Market

      Come in the morning for the outdoor vendors, and return in the evening for patios and bars.

2. Day 2: Rideau Canal Skateway and National Gallery of Canada

   Rideau Canal Skateway, National Gallery of Canada and Canadian Museum of History, then ByWard Market in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Rideau Canal Skateway

      Check the National Capital Commission's ice status before you plan around it; the best conditions are usually from mid-January to mid-February.

   2. Late morning

      National Gallery of Canada

      Moshe Safdie's glass-and-granite gallery, with a tower echoing the Library of Parliament, holds Canada's national collection: Group of Seven landscapes, Emily Carr, extensive Indigenous art and European masters.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Shawarma

      Dozens of shawarma shops across the city, especially on Bank Street, Elgin Street and in the suburbs.

   4. Afternoon

      Canadian Museum of History

      Walk across the Alexandra Bridge from the National Gallery; the view of Parliament from the bridge is one of the city's best.

   5. Evening

      ByWard Market

      The densest cluster of pubs, cocktail bars and clubs, with summer patios.

3. Day 3: Canadian War Museum and Canadian Museum of Nature

   Canadian War Museum, Canadian Museum of Nature and Canada Aviation and Space Museum, then Elgin Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Canadian War Museum

      The museum's angular building on LeBreton Flats traces Canada's military history from early conflicts through both world wars to peacekeeping, with tanks, artillery and personal stories.

   2. Late morning

      Canadian Museum of Nature

      Children love the live-animal gallery and the dinosaur hall; go there first before the school groups.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Poutine

      Diners and casse-croûtes (snack bars) in Ottawa and especially across the river in Gatineau.

   4. Afternoon

      Canada Aviation and Space Museum

      On the old Rockcliffe airfield east of downtown, a huge hangar displays one of the world's largest collections of civil and military aircraft, from bush planes to a Lancaster bomber and surviving pieces of the cancelled Avro Arrow jet.

   5. Evening

      Elgin Street

      Pubs, restaurants and sports bars popular with locals.

Before you go

• Parliament Hill: Free tour tickets are limited; reserve online or collect them early in the day in summer.

If it rains

• Swap in Ingenium – Canada Science and Technology Museum (Alta Vista): Do the Crazy Kitchen early before queues form; younger children enjoy the Wonder Lab most.
• Swap in Royal Canadian Mint (ByWard Market and Lowertown): Book a tour on a weekday to see the production floor in operation.
• Swap in Diefenbunker (Carp): Take the guided tour if you can; the guides bring the Cold War emergency plans to life.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, ByWard Market and Lowertown keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Downtown and Parliament Hill ($$$) suits first-timers, families and solo travellers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 16–25 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.6 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Ottawa
• 2 days in Ottawa

Questions travellers ask