Experience Ottawa!

Every country has a city where its stories are told. This is Canada’s. Rising on the shores of three rivers and straddling two provinces, Ottawa is a cosmopolitan G8 capital where you can be welcomed in English, French and myriad other languages.

This is where we celebrate great national occasions, gather for exuberant festivals and events, and discover Canadian cultural and artistic accomplishment at national museums, galleries and attractions.

There are many impressive sites to see, and many ways to see them: double-deckers and trolley tours, cruises on the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal—a UNESCO World Heritage Site, amphibus, biplane and helicopter, cycling and walking. Networks of paved recreation trails, waterways and parkland make Ottawa a dream destination for cyclists, runners, kayakers—and skaters and skiers in winter!

And the city’s community of talented chefs, its thriving performing arts scene, and its unique districts and neighbourhoods provide visitors a diversity of ways to cap off their days in the Capital.

For itineraries, presentations, videos and images, visit our online travel trade toolkit.

A FEW MUSTS

PARLIAMENT HILL and RIDEAU HALL

Enjoy a guided or self-guided tour of the Parliament Buildings, the center of Canadian politics, or the grounds of Parliament Hill. Or visit Rideau Hall, the official residence and workplace of every governor general since 1867, a heritage site and the largest official residence in Canada’s Capital Region as well as the only one open to the public.

www.parl.gc.ca/visitors/index-e.html; www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1379606735531; www.gg.ca

DISCOVER THE CAPITAL ON WHEELS, ON WATER, OR ON FOOT

There are many ways to explore the Capital: on a bicycle, on the 600 km of recreational paths, on a double-decker or amphibious bus, on foot with a guided tour, or with a cruise on the Ottawa River or the Rideau Canal.

www.rentabike.ca; www.ottawacyclingtours.com; www.escapebicycletours.ca; www.ladydive.ca;

www.grayline.com/ottawa; www.ottawawalkingtours.com; www.hauntedwalks.com;

www.paulsboatline.com; www.rideaucanalcruises.ca

NATURE AT YOUR DOORSTEP

Gatineau Park, only 15 minutes from downtown Ottawa, is the National Capital Region's Conservation Park, with 165 kilometres of hiking trails along with hiking, camping, swimming, skiing, and cycling. While in the park, visit MacKenzie King Estate, the former summer residence of Canada’s 10th Prime Minister, relax at Nordik Spa - Nature featuring Nordic baths nestled in the forest.

www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit; www.lenordik.ca

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

Up for adventure? Ottawa is situated in a perfect spot for many types of adventure all throughout the year. In winter, you can skate on the largest outdoor skating rink, the Rideau Canal, and enjoy skiing and snowboarding. Looking for adventure the rest of the year? Ottawa has aerial experiences, ziplines and skydiving - an outdoor sports wonderland.

http://rcs.ncc-ccn.ca; www.campfortune.com; www.calabogie.com;

www.arbraska.com/en/lafleche/; www.goskydive.ca

WHITEWATER CAPITAL OF CANADA

The Ottawa River is recognized worldwide as one of the best white-water destinations in the world. For urban adventure right in the city, MKC in the City offers entry level whitewater kayak instruction just below the Parliament Buildings, and Wilderness Tours offers soft adventure rafting in Ottawa proper, ending downtown.(May to Sept)

www.ottawakayak.com; www.owlrafting.com; http://owl-mkc.ca/mkc/event/mkc-city;

www.riverrunners.com; www.wildernesstours.com; www.raftingmomentum.com

SPECIAL EXHIBITS

NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA www.gallery.ca

See Canada’s visual arts treasures in the reinvented Canadian and Indigenous galleries with works from over 2,000 years ago through today. The National Collection impresses with works by masters such as Klimt, Monet, the Group of Seven and Lemieux, and contemporaries such as Burtynsky and Morrisseau. Anthropocene (Sept 28, 2018 – February 24, 2019); Halifax Harbour 1918 (October 12, 2018 – March 17, 2019); Gauguin: Portraits (May 24 – September 8, 2019); Indigenous Quinquennial (November 2019 – April 2020)

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF HISTORY www.historymuseum.ca

Discover the events, personalities and historical currents that have shaped Canada — from time immemorial to the present day. Through authentic artifacts and compelling stories, the Canadian History Hall offers a new take on Canada’s ever-evolving history. By sharing stories through multiple perspectives, the Hall celebrates Canadian achievements, while also exploring darker chapters of the past. Medieval Europe – Power and Splendour (June 7 – October 14, 2018); Notman (November 23, 2018 to April 14, 2019; Neanderthal (June 17, 2019 to January 26, 2020); Queens of Egypt (April to September 2020)

CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM www.warmuseum.ca

Canada's rich military history is showcased through personal stories, artwork, photographs and interactive presentations. Last 100 Days (October 2018 to March 2019); Highland Warriors (May to September 2019); War and Media (October 2019 to March 2020); Canada and the Second World War (May to December 2020)

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF NATURE www.nature.ca

Canada’s natural history museum located in a gothic “castle” in downtown Ottawa. Featuring giant dinosaurs, a blue whale skeleton, dazzling minerals and gemstones, and the new Canada Goose Arctic Gallery with its unique, year-round ice sculpture. Survival of the Slowest (live animals) (Dec 19, 2018 – March 31, 2019); Pterosaurs (June 15 - September 2, 2019).

FOR GROUPS & FIT

RECEPTIVE OPERATORS – Receptive Operators for Ottawa at Your Service

TransCanada Receptive Tours and Concord International Group are receptive companies covering Ottawa and the rest of Canada. They can help you with Tour Planning needs. www.transcanadatours.com; www.concordtours.ca

ABORIGINAL CULTURE - Long before French explorer Samuel de Champlain

Discovered what is now Ottawa in the early 1600’s, the region was inhabited by different Aboriginal tribes. The important stories of these native tribes are told throughout Ottawa; through its museums, galleries, monuments, cultural attractions, guided walking, an authentic pow wow, or a trip down the Rideau Canal in a voyageur canoe.

www.aboriginalexperiences.com; www.indigenouswalks.com; www.gallery.ca;

www.historymuseum.ca; www.parcomega.ca; www.wabano.com; www.ottawasummersolstice.ca;

www.odawa.on.ca/powwow.html

ALONG THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER – Upper Canada Village is a historic treat. Enjoy daily life re-enactments of an 1860’s village. Then, enjoy the “Lost Ships Cruise” (A Destination Canada Signature Experience) aboard Gananoque Boat Lines along the 1000 Islands, or a Bolt Castle Tour with 1000 Islands Cruises Rockport Boat Line.

www.parks.on.ca; www.ganboatline.com; www.rockportcruises.com

THE GREAT GHOST ADVENTURE

Calling all junior ghost investigators! The Great Ghost Adventure is a new interactive quest offered by the Haunted Walk of Ottawa. Collect clues and investigate while learning some of Ottawa's favourite ghost stories! www.hauntedwalk.com/ottawa-tours

LOCKED IN

Escape Manor's Mystery Motel is home to the hottest new form of immersive and interactive entertainment on the globe, known as escape rooms. Guests are welcomed into warm and rich lounges, told stories of precarious situations they are now in, and then locked into thematic rooms, where they must use logic, work as a team, and solve puzzles to escape before time runs out. www.escapemanor.ca

CLICK! PHOTO TREASURE HUNT

With this semi-self-guided program, students discover Canada’s Capital by taking photos and discover some of the social, historical and artistic treasures of the Capital’s downtown. The introduction and conclusion are led by the Bytown Museum.

http://www.canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1447169764281; www.bytownmuseum.com

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF HISTORY / CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM

Early-bird breakfast & guided tour or CINÉ+ before the Museum opens. Great meal options for breakfasts, lunch and dinners. CINÉ+ on demand at night. Now your group can package a visit and guided tour of the museum with an experience in a Voyageur Canoe on the Ottawa River, with The Canadian Odyssey .

www.historymuseum.ca; www.warmuseum.ca

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF NATURE

Learn about the majestic polar bear in an engaging, new guided activity: Hands-On Polar Bear Tour. Visit the Museum after-hours on a Tues or Weds night for Night at the Museum. www.nature.ca

CANADA AGRICULTURE & FOOD MUSEUM

An historic building at the Central Experimental Farm has been transformed into a new, dynamic Learning Centre. The Learning Centre includes an exhibition gallery, learning labs, lecture hall, and improved visitor and group amenities.

wwwingeniumcanada.org/agriculture

CANADA AVIATION & SPACE MUSEUM

How about a fun night with a Flight Night Sleepover? Or learn what it’s like to live in space with Life In Orbit: The International Space Station. Enjoy actual flight experiences in an open cockpit Biplane or a Helicopter ride over Canada’s Capital.

www.ingeniumcanada.org/aviation

CANADA SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM

Celebrate Canada’s rich history of scientific and technological achievements by exploring Ottawa’s brand-new, state-of-the-art museum! www.ingeniumcanada.org/scitech

BANK OF CANADA MUSEUM (FORMERLY THE CURRENCY MUSEUM)

Located in the heart of Canada’s central bank, the Museum went through a complete reimagining, bringring the economy front and centre where visitors can see it, touch it, walk through it and experience it as never before. www.bankofcanadamuseum.ca