Sight guide · Ottawa · Canada
Visiting 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.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: – Wladyslaw [Disk.], CC BY-SA 3.0
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Quick answer
National Gallery of Canada is a gallery in ByWard Market and Lowertown, Ottawa. Allow 2–3 hours; it is mid-priced. Booking ahead is not usually needed.
Key facts
- Type
- Gallery
- Area
- ByWard Market and Lowertown
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Not usually needed
- Good for
- art, rainy day and architecture
- Best months
- May and December–January
About 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. Inside is the reconstructed 19th-century Rideau Street Chapel, and Louise Bourgeois's giant spider Maman stands outside.
Tip: Look for the Rideau Street Chapel, a complete chapel interior rebuilt inside the gallery; it is easy to miss.
Plan your visit
- Time needed: 2–3 hours.
- Cost: Mid-priced.
- Book ahead: not usually needed; buy on arrival.
- Where: ByWard Market and Lowertown, market stalls, restaurants and the city's busiest bar streets beside Parliament.
Best time to visit National Gallery of Canada
National Gallery of Canada is indoors, which makes it a good plan for the wettest months:
- December: -3°C (27°F) highs, about 13 rainy days, quiet crowds.
- May: 19°C (66°F) highs, about 13 rainy days, busy crowds.
- January: -6°C (21°F) highs, about 12 rainy days, quiet crowds.
When to visit Ottawa has the full month-by-month picture.
Fit it into your trip
Our 3-day Ottawa itinerary visits National Gallery of Canada on day 2, together with Rideau Canal Skateway, Canadian Museum of History and ByWard Market.
- No. 4 of the 18 sights in our Ottawa things-to-do list.
- Day 2 of the 2-day plan.
- One of the picks in museums in Ottawa.
Near National Gallery of Canada
Also in ByWard Market and Lowertown, so you can walk between them:
- ByWard Market — 1–3 hours, free
- Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica — 30 minutes, free
- Major's Hill Park — 30–60 minutes, free
If you like National Gallery of Canada
- Canadian Museum of History — Old Hull, Gatineau, 3 hours
- Canadian War Museum — LeBreton Flats, 2–3 hours
- Canadian Museum of Nature — Centretown, 2–3 hours
Staying near National Gallery of Canada
Stay in ByWard Market and Lowertown ($$$) to walk here: market stalls, restaurants and the city's busiest bar streets beside Parliament. All areas to stay in Ottawa.
Questions travellers ask
+How long do you need at National Gallery of Canada?
Plan 2–3 hours. With ByWard Market nearby, it fits a half-day in ByWard Market and Lowertown.
+Is National Gallery of Canada free?
No, it is mid-priced. Tickets are usually available on the day.
+When is the best time to visit National Gallery of Canada?
May and December–January, the wettest months, when an indoor sight is most welcome. Look for the Rideau Street Chapel, a complete chapel interior rebuilt inside the gallery; it is easy to miss.
+Do I need to book National Gallery of Canada in advance?
Usually not: you can decide on the day.