Canada · OTTAWA & THE CAPITAL REGION
14 reviewed
Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal and a museum quarter you could lose a day in. Below are the 14 best Ottawa tours, the amphibious bus everybody photographs included, with prices, languages, and which ones keep running once the canal freezes.
Ottawa amphibious bus tour with bilingual guide, 40 minutes on land and 20 on the Ottawa River. Parliament Hill, Gatineau views.
“All experience was wonderful. Great option to boat ride. I had hop on off bus tour day earlier and amphibious bus next day. Great combination”
Ride the Ottawa River in 90 minutes with live English-French narration, Parliament Hill views, and Rideau Canal stops for $39 per person.
“I loved the tour guide. Her name is Elodie she’s very sweet and funny. We were able to take great pictures of the city and got to learn about the city. I’m very content with the tour 😊”
A 90-minute 100% electric Rideau Canal cruise in Ottawa, with live bilingual commentary and views of major landmarks from downtown.
“Everything was excellent. Guide Jose was excellent. The other crew members were also very good at their job, very pleasant and polite.”
Hop on Ottawa’s open-top double-decker bus with a bilingual guide. See Parliament and ByWard Market, hop off anytime, ride again.
“So fun! Had 2 different guides, but they both did a great job! We learned a lot!!”
Sail the UNESCO Rideau Canal on a 100% electric boat from Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, with guide-led stories and big views for 90 minutes.
“Confirmation from Viator had important details deep in the confirmation. Read all the fine print. Viator also changed the cruise time 5 min after the confirmation was received. Change sent via email & moved tour to 30 min earlier.”
Ottawa Boat Cruise on Paul’s Boat Line with bilingual narration, prime river views of Parliament and Rideau Falls, about 1.5 hours.
“We were lucky enough to book this almost last minute on our trip to Ottawa. The location from our hotel was a short and enjoyable walk along the canal. Once aboard Andy and the crew were great. Andy is an awesome guide and provides a lot of information and fun facts. I would definitely recommend this cruise to visitors and locals too!!”
A 1-hour land-and-water Ottawa tour that shows Parliament Hill, Gatineau, and key sights from both road and river.
“Great scenic tour. The captain and Gabriella the tour guide were enthusiastic and knowledgeable. It was a warm weather sunny day which was awesome.”
Ottawa hop-on hop-off buses with live bilingual guide, 14 stops, Byward Market, Rideau Hall, and major museums, plus river and Parliament views.
“Hop on-off or stay-on bus ride. We chose to stay on the upper deck for the full route. The drive and tour guide were good! We would prefer less talk about pubs and parting and more information about the city.”
Lantern-lit downtown Ottawa ghost stories in 75 minutes, led by cloaked storytellers. See Grant House and Château Laurier from Sparks Street.
“Excellent tour! Very well organized and our tour guide Dominique was amazing, knowledgeable and interacted with the group! Highly recommend - A MUST DO!!”
2-hour guided bike tour of Ottawa’s highlights. Helmet, bike, and water included, with small-group stops from the Rideau Canal to Parliament Hill.
“It was a great experience! We only had one day to see Ottawa and this was fun and a great way to know more about the city .”
Haunted Walk of Ottawa is a 75-minute lantern-lit story walk to historic spots like Rideau Canal and Château Laurier for $25.45.
“Great stories and funny puns! Our tour guide, Nart, was really knowledgeable and friendly! He even said some random fun facts about the places we visited.”
Ottawa’s Canadian War Museum admission for $18, featuring Moriyama’s regeneration architecture, Memorial Hall, tanks, and powerful Canadian military stories.
“Make sure you plan 6 to 8 hours to be able to read and look at everything.”
Spend a day at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, with totem poles, 15,000 years of stories, and family exhibits included.
“j’avais deux heures devant moi, ce qui m’a permis de voir l’exposition sur l’histoire du Canada.”
Ottawa’s Canadian Museum of Nature makes a rainy day educational and fun, with a whale skeleton, Arctic ice-touching, and live butterflies.
“i liked the whole experience! so much to see and learn. We spent almoat 4hrs there taking everything in. was a great time”
