Sight guide · Ottawa · Canada
Visiting Royal Canadian Mint
The Mint's castle-like 1908 building on Sussex Drive produces collector coins, medals and gold bullion.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Arctic.gnome assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5
Quick answer
Royal Canadian Mint is a historic site in ByWard Market and Lowertown, Ottawa. Allow 45 minutes; it is low cost. Tours are small and fill up in summer; reserve ahead online.
Key facts
- Type
- Historic site
- Area
- ByWard Market and Lowertown
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Recommended
- Good for
- history, rainy day and kids
- Best months
- May and December–January
About Royal Canadian Mint
The Mint's castle-like 1908 building on Sussex Drive produces collector coins, medals and gold bullion. Guided tours look down on the production floor, and the boutique sells commemorative coins.
Tip: Book a tour on a weekday to see the production floor in operation.
Plan your visit
- Time needed: 45 minutes.
- Cost: Low cost.
- Book ahead: Tours are small and fill up in summer; reserve ahead online.
- Where: ByWard Market and Lowertown, market stalls, restaurants and the city's busiest bar streets beside Parliament.
Best time to visit Royal Canadian Mint
Royal Canadian Mint 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
Royal Canadian Mint is not on our short itineraries, so plan it as an extra once you have seen Parliament Hill and Rideau Canal and the Ottawa Locks.
- No. 16 of the 18 sights in our Ottawa things-to-do list.
- Day 2 of the 2-day plan.
- A family favourite in Ottawa with kids.
Near Royal Canadian Mint
Also in ByWard Market and Lowertown, so you can walk between them:
- Major's Hill Park — 30–60 minutes, free
- Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica — 30 minutes, free
- National Gallery of Canada — 2–3 hours, mid-priced
If you like Royal Canadian Mint
- 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
- Canada Aviation and Space Museum — Rockcliffe, 2 hours
Staying near Royal Canadian Mint
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 Royal Canadian Mint?
Plan 45 minutes. With Major's Hill Park nearby, it fits a half-day in ByWard Market and Lowertown.
+Is Royal Canadian Mint free?
No, it is low cost. Booking ahead is advised.
+When is the best time to visit Royal Canadian Mint?
May and December–January, the wettest months, when an indoor sight is most welcome. Book a tour on a weekday to see the production floor in operation.
+Do I need to book Royal Canadian Mint in advance?
Tours are small and fill up in summer; reserve ahead online.
+Is Royal Canadian Mint good for kids?
Yes, it is one of our family picks in Ottawa. Ottawa is excellent for families: hands-on national museums, a Children's Museum inside the Museum of History, canal skating and Winterlude snow slides, and big parks.