Outdoors · Ottawa · Canada
6 best outdoor things to do in Ottawa
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ajadams94, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Rideau Canal and the Ottawa Locks, Canadian Museum of Nature and Major's Hill Park. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 8–12 hours across 5 areas; 4 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 8–12 hours
- Areas
- Downtown and Parliament Hill, Centretown and ByWard Market and Lowertown
Outdoors in Ottawa
Waterfront · Downtown and Parliament Hill
1.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.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Free
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Museum · Centretown
2.Canadian Museum of Nature
Children love the live-animal gallery and the dinosaur hall; go there first before the school groups.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- Architecture
Park · ByWard Market and Lowertown
3.Major's Hill Park
Bring a picnic from the ByWard Market and watch the sunset behind Parliament.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Couples
Palace · New Edinburgh
4.Rideau Hall
Combine it with Rideau Falls and a walk through New Edinburgh's streets, all within 15 minutes on foot.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Architecture
- Outdoors
Nature · New Edinburgh
5.Rideau Falls
Visit in April or May, when snowmelt makes the falls roar; in winter they freeze into icy curtains.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
Nature · Gatineau
6.Gatineau Park
Visit in late September or early October for autumn colour; parking at popular lots fills by mid-morning at weekends.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Views
- Active
- Photo spot
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown and Parliament Hill | Rideau Canal and the Ottawa Locks | 1–2 hours |
| Centretown | Canadian Museum of Nature | 2–3 hours |
| ByWard Market and Lowertown | Major's Hill Park | 30–60 minutes |
| New Edinburgh | Rideau Hall and Rideau Falls | 1–1.5 hours + 30 minutes |
| Gatineau | Gatineau Park | Half a day |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 4 free, 1 low cost, 1 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Gatineau Park; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Downtown and Parliament Hill and Centretown): Rideau Canal and the Ottawa Locks → Canadian Museum of Nature, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (ByWard Market and Lowertown and New Edinburgh): Major's Hill Park → Rideau Hall → Rideau Falls, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Gatineau): Gatineau Park, at least 3 hours.
The best months to be outside
- August: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 11 rainy days, busy crowds. Warm summer weather and festivals continue; the river beaches and canal paths are busy.
- June: highs of 24°C (75°F), about 12 rainy days, busy crowds. Warm and green, with patios open and the Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill starting late in the month.
- July: highs of 27°C (81°F), about 11 rainy days, very busy crowds. The warmest, busiest month, opening with huge Canada Day crowds; humid days with occasional thunderstorms.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- ByWard Market and Lowertown — Market stalls, restaurants and the city's busiest bar streets beside Parliament
- Downtown and Parliament Hill — Government buildings, hotels and the Sparks Street pedestrian mall
- Centretown — Elgin and Bank Street restaurants, Victorian houses and the Village
More of Ottawa
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Ottawa?
Rideau Canal and the Ottawa Locks. Opened in 1832 and listed by UNESCO, the 202 km canal still runs from Ottawa to Kingston.
+Which of these are free in Ottawa?
Rideau Canal and the Ottawa Locks, Major's Hill Park, Rideau Hall and Rideau Falls.