25+ Unique and Fun Ottawa Date Ideas for the Year

If you’re like me, you make lists of things you want to do but when planning a date you can’t think of a single idea and gravitate to the easy “dinner and a movie” idea. There is SO much to do here in the capital, it can be overwhelming. So, for my significant other’s birthday I wrote twelve seasonal Ottawa date ideas and put each idea in an envelope. I then marked each envelope with a month and we open the envelope together on the first of every month to plan a date night. I included a mix of free, cheap and expensive ideas to mix it up throughout the year. Another fun way to spice it up is to plan date nights at home. See here for 7 COVID safe date ideas/date ideas for staying home.

Tips and Notes for Ottawa Date Ideas

Table of Contents:
Winter Dates
Spring Dates
Summer Dates
Fall Dates

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Ottawa Date Ideas in Winter (January/February/March)

The first three months of the year in the capital are cold but there are lots of fun outdoor activities to do, both indoors and outdoors!

Snowshoe Under the Stars or Rent Snowshoes/Cross-county Skis in Ottawa/Gatineau

Snowshoe Under the Stars: This is a bilingual event hosted by NCC in Gatineau Park. You have the option when booking to bring your own snowshoes or rent some at the visitor’s centre. It’s a lot of fun! The guide points out animal footprints and describes the various animals and how they cope with winter.

You can rent snowshoes or cross-country skis at the Gatineau Visitor Centre or at Mooney’s Bay in Ottawa. It’s such a great activity to get outside and there are numerous trails in Ottawa and Gatineau to explore. Note: There is a daily pass fee for trails in Gatineau but the NCC Greenbelt trails are free. Be sure to stay off the cross-country ski grooves when the trail is for both uses.

TIP: You can purchase snowshoes for about $150. At about $30/day rental at the Gatineau Visitor Centre, that means you only have to wear the snowshoes 5 times ever in their life span and they’ve paid for themselves.
TIP 2: I love my crampons (I got mine for $20). I find snowshoes are best after a fresh snow and not great on packed down snow.

Go Skating and get Hot Chocolate and a Beavertail

You can skate at numerous places in Ottawa/Gatineau including: Rideau Canal (free or the cost of renting skates), Rink of Dreams (in front of City Hall, free or the cost of renting skates) and Lac-des-Loups (skating in the forest, purchase tickets online or with cash in person). To make a date out of it, stop for hot chocolate and a beavertail (a Canadian classic).

Tip: You can rent skates at Cyco’s Cycling Shop (Hawthorne Avenue to skate on the Canal), City Hall (to skate on the Rink of Dreams) or the Dow’s Lake Pavilion (to skate on Dow’s Lake).

Winterlude (February)

Winterlude is Ottawa’s winter festival and there are events spread out across Ottawa and Gatineau. Check out their website for the most up-to-date schedule of events. Tubing in Jacques-Cartier Park is such a blast! There are numerous free events across the city which makes this perfect for couples on a budget.

Winterlude tubing down a snow hill in Ottawa Canada

Indoor Rock Climbing/Ninja Course (Year Round)

Try Altitude Gyms for indoor rock climbing or try their Ninja Course! Be prepared to test your strength on the Ninja Course, it was such a fun but difficult course.

Try a new restaurant/bar (Year Round)

Ottawa has so many restaurants and bars in every neighbourhood. There are local restaurants of all varieties no matter what part of the city you’re in. Pick one you’ve never tried before and order in! Some suggestions for some of my favourite restaurants are: Table Sodam (the portions are huge), H&R Pizza, Union Local 613 Speakeasy, El Camino‘s for tacos, and Pure Kitchen (even if you’re not vegetarian, their food is so good). Some cocktail bars/breweries I love are: Charlotte, Bar Lupulus, and Pub Italia (check out their Beer Bible). Desserts that are scrumptious include: Maverick’s Donuts, Cacao 70, and Cinnaholic. Check out the top 5 restaurants for Afternoon Tea here.
TIP 1: to save money, check out Groupon for savings on Ottawa restaurants.

Two drinks on a table. One drink is Egg Nog in a Moose cup and the second is an espresso martini in a coupe glass. The background is bokeh "Candyland".

Level One/Loft Board Game Lounge (Year Round)

If you and your partner enjoy board games, Loft is the way to go! Loft Board Game Lounge has games for 2+ people and you can order food and drinks while testing out new games. If you didn’t think to make a reservation, you can have a drink at Level One Game Pub while waiting for a seat in the Loft.

Go Dog Sledding

Book a sprint (2 hours), a half day adventure or an excursion dog sledding adventure at Escapade Huskimo. Located about 1.5 hours north of Ottawa in Quebec, this would be such a fun and unique adventure in the winter to have with your significant other.

Visit a Christmas Tree Farm

A perfect winter activity is to visit a Christmas Tree Farm. Ian’s Christmas Adventure Park and Tree Farm has something for everyone! Watch Christmas Movies under the stars, enjoy a hay ride, cut your own tree, explore the maze and more. They open late November, just in time for the Christmas season.

Visit a Christmas Holiday Pop-up

A holiday pop-up is an excellent way to get in the holiday spirit! There are a few around Ottawa, including the Elf’s Pub at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Nan’s Parlour decked out for the holidays, and Sippin’ Santa at the Standard! They all serve festive drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)!

Candyland Set-up at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. There is an ornate red chair, and lifesize decorations of candy canes, peppermint lollipops and bonbons.

Ottawa Date Ideas in Spring (April/May/June)

Things are starting to warm up around this time but it can still be pretty wet out there, especially in April. The city starts blooming and outdoor activities are much warmer! You’ll be itching to get outside, especially if you’ve been cooped up all winter, and the spring colours are absolutely beautiful.

Cherry Blossoms at the Arboretum (Late April/Early May)

Ottawa’s Tulip Festival (May)

Pack a picnic and head to Major’s Hill Park! Check out Ottawa Tourism’s website for a complete list of activities and where to see the tulips. Commissioner’s Park by Dow’s Lake is beautiful and the National Capital Commission does an excellent job of planting beds of tulips that have different flowering periods so you can be sure to see some tulips in bloom at any time in May.

Woman in a yellow dress and pink rain boots in a field of tulips, holding a basket of tulips

Poutinefest (April/May)

There are actually two different Poutinefest’s in Ottawa: one on Sparks Street and one at City Hall so just double check the location and weekend it’s open before making plans. It’s usually held around the end of April. Try the deep fried cheese curd poutine for a small twist on a classic or go completely different with something like a Shawarma poutine. Admission is free and poutine’s are about $8-15, depending on the size so it makes for a relatively cheap date idea.

NCC Greenbelt Paths (Year Round)

The National Capital Commission (NCC) has over 150 km of walking and hiking trails and they are working on connecting one side of the City to the other (approximately 56 km in total). Some of my favourites are the Mer Bleue Bog and Stony Swamp (bring some sunflower seeds for the chickadees or peanuts for the woodpeckers), Pine Grove Trail and Shirley’s Bay. There are also the multi-use pathways along the Ottawa River, Rideau River and Rideau Canal to walk along if you’re more interested in an urban setting.

Mer Bleue Bog at sunrise and golden hour with fall foliage and the boardwalk

Wander the streets to see Ottawa’s Murals (Year Round)

You can pretty much pick any neighbourhood in Ottawa and wander the streets for a variety of murals. Ottawa Tourism has pulled together a pretty great list, check it out here. This one is free but there are so many amazing coffee/tea shops and bakeries, I’ll suggest stopping at one of them and wandering with a coffee and baked good!

Mural in Chinatown of a shadowed figure on a bridge overlooking rural China

Ottawa Date Ideas in Summer (July/August/September)

Rent a kayak or canoe at Dow’s Lake (May-October)

Rentals at the Dow’s Lake Pavilion are open from May to October. Rates vary, depending on what water activity you want to do but is a reasonably affordable activity for an hour. Lifejackets are included in the rental price and you can rent a dry bag or locker for an additional fee.

Couples kayak on Dow's Lake in rental kayak on water

Luxury Picnic (Year Round)

Book a luxury picnic for two. Choose your theme design, a location, package and add-ons, and let the Runaway Picnic company do the rest! Show up with your partner dressed to the nines and enjoy a fun picnic together. Prices start at $299+ for couples, and they also offer packages for friends, families, girls night out and more.

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Discover Gatineau and pick a new hike to try (Year Round)

The hiking trails in Gatineau Park that are closer to Ottawa are much busier than trails farther from the City. If you are hesitant on which trail to pick, the Gatineau Visitor Centre employees are very knowledgeable. You can ask them for a specific time/length and difficulty and they’ll have a suggestion for you to try and will direct you to parking. Also, Girl Gone Good has a fantastic guide to trails around Ottawa. Some of my favourites are Pink Lake (has two great lookouts and is fairly easy), Wolf Trail (about 2.5-3 hours in the summer and is medium difficulty) and the Luskville Falls Trail (about 2.5 hours with a fairly steep hill and can be difficult for new hikers).

Woman in grey t shirt and blue baseball cap standing on the side of a lake with trees reflecting in the water

Hike then stop in Old Chelsea for food (Year Round)

After you’re hiking in Gatineau Park, you HAVE to stop in Old Chelsea. La Cigale has delicious ice cream, Pub Chelsea has amazing food and a great beer selection, and Biscotti has my favourite loft and the best tea lattes.

Tea latte in a glass cup in the foreground and a loft with soft pillows and tables in the background

Salsa Dancing at City Hall

A free weekly Latin Dance event on Wednesday evenings at Ottawa City Hall (on Laurier Avenue) is offered in July and August. The event is typically held outdoors but on rainy or really hot days it’s held inside. What’s great is you do not need to have experience. Every lesson starts with a beginner-friendly dance lesson (changes every week) so grab your partner and try something new!

Apple Picking and Baking

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away so is that also true if I eat the apple crisp I made every day?? Even if you’re not a fan of eating apples, buy a bushel and bake with them as an additional date idea. After spending an hour or two picking the best apples with your partner, find a few recipes to try at home. I suggest apple and cinnamon muffins, apple crisp, applesauce or apple pie. The muffins and applesauce are easy to freeze to enjoy later if you find you have too many baked goods to eat (but really, that isn’t a problem, right?).

Woman in yellow sweater and brown corduroy pants picking apples from a ladder

Go Bungee Jumping or Skydiving

The Great Canadian Bungee in Quebec or GO Skydive tandem skydiving in Ottawa are adrenaline pumping activities and SO much fun! This one is definitely on the pricier side but it is such a rush!

Skydiving with tandem jumpers and aerial view

Drive in Movie Theatre

With the COVID-19 shutdown, there were a lot of pop-up drive-in theatres and concerts but I’ve been to the Port Elmsley drive-in theatre a few times and it is a smooth operation. They have double features or, sometimes, triple features with bathrooms and snacks available on site.

TIP: Bring mosquito nets to put on your doors to roll down your window. The bugs can get pretty bad in the middle of the summer.
TIP 2: Stop at Jersey Joe’s in Smith Falls for pizza and snacks.

Fireworks at the Museum

The Grands Feux du Casino hosts 6 shows in the month of August at the Museum of History every year. They are fantastic shows! I definitely recommend purchasing tickets to attend the event at the museum, but you can watch the fireworks for free around the city! Set up a chair or blanket at Major’s Hill Park, or grab a drink at Le Terrasse for a fantastic night out.

Fall Date Ideas in Ottawa (October/November/December)

The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler but there are still so many fun activities to be done! Fall is my absolute favourite time of year: the temperature is just to my liking and the fall foliage in October is gorgeous. I have two posts dedicated to Fall: Where to See Fall Foliage in Ottawa; and Day Trips from Ottawa for Fall Foliage.

Check out Parc Omega (Year Round)

Parc Omega is open year round and sometimes you can find Groupon discounts (the first time I went was in the winter with a Groupon). Carrots to feed the animals are available to purchase at the main hut or you can purchase your own bags at a grocery store and bring them along. Make sure to bring lots because it’s so much fun to feed the animals!

Woman sitting in car feeding a carrot to an elk at Parc Omega

Feed the chickadees in the NCC Greenbelt (Year Round)

Woman in winter with sunflower seeds in her hand feeding a chickadee that is sitting on her hand

Go Pumpkin Picking and Carve Them

To be fair, I had the most fun taking photos of the pumpkins. However, eyeing up all the pumpkins in the patch to pick the perfect one is a great date idea. You can turn this into TWO date ideas by picking another evening to carve them!

Take a flight over Ottawa to see the fall colours

I did the Ottawa Biplane adventure last year and saw some spectacular views of Ottawa and the Gatineau Park hills. You could also take a helicopter ride over the city! Watch the Fall Foliage Map in Ontario and Quebec to plan the best time to fly above the city.

Aerial view of fall foliage in Gatineau Park

Nature Nocturne at the Canadian Museum of Nature

The Museum of Nature puts on a monthly event where they open the museum as a night club with fun themed activities in the exhibits. There’s multiple dance floors, a bar, interactive activities (we made bath bombs last time), and you get to see the full exhibits!

Surprise Itinerary (Year Round)

Guess Where Trips and Unexpected Journeys offer surprise itineraries, with a “Before you go” envelope to open before your road trip and what to bring to be prepared. Both companies offer unique experiences to discover places you may not have heard of or visited before. Some offer quirky stops, like an abandoned barn “motel” and longhorn cows, or outdoor adventures including walks through a forest. You can order a computer version or hard copy version to give as a gift!