Fantastic Ottawa Staycation for the First Time Visitor

Ottawa has a population of over 1 million people, so you’ll find various unique neighbourhoods across the city. This Ottawa staycation guide is for the first timer, or someone wanting to explore the city with new eyes.

I absolutely adore Ottawa. Historically described as a boring government city, it’s really upped it’s game since I moved here 7 years ago. There are so many wonderful neighbourhoods to explore by foot, amazing trails to explore by bike, canals to explore by boat and awesome day trips galore! Home to the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site (and the world’s largest outdoor skating rink), Ottawa River, Parliament Hill, Ottawa Senators, amazing sunrise and sunset locations, Spark’s Street (pedestrian only street), and more, this is a stop you won’t want to miss in Canada.

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, and is part of the National Capital Region: the Ottawa-Gatineau Metropolitan Area. The National Capital Commission (NCC) is “the Crown corporation responsible for development, urban planning, and conservation in Canada’s Capital Region, including administering most lands and buildings owned by the Government of Canada in the region (source)”. In layman’s terms, the NCC conserves a lot of Ottawa’s natural environment and beauty and maintains fantastic trails within the capital region.

Woman walking towards the camera down a path with West Block in the background

Where to Stay in Ottawa

What time of year is best to visit Ottawa?

Ottawa is absolutely beautiful year round but we do get major temperature swings. Winter is cold but the snow is beautiful. The summer is hot and humid but there are tons of outdoor activities to enjoy. Winterlude is Ottawa’s winter festival in February and you can visit the world’s largest outdoor skating rink while enjoying a beavertail (find out what to pack here). The Tulip Festival is in May where a million tulips are planted around the city and the temperature is much more manageable than winter or summer. July boasts Canada Day (July 1), Fortissimo (the Canadian Army’s annual military musical spectacle on Parliament Hill), and Bluesfest (middle of July) in downtown Ottawa. Fall Rhapsody celebrates the incredible vibrant fall colours in this Canadian capital city in early October. My personal favourite time of year is the fall but you can’t go wrong any time of year.

Best Ottawa Neighbourhoods

There are more neighbourhoods worth visiting than what’s in this guide but these are some of the best for the first timer looking to get the most out of their visit.

Downtown

Bound by the Ottawa River to the north, the Rideau Canal to the west and adjacent neighbourhoods to the west and south is Downtown Ottawa. The area is mostly businesses with a few restaurants and shops on Spark’s Street and Bank Street. It’s also home to the iconic Parliament Hill and Peace Tower and Senate of Canada. Your downtown Ottawa bucketlist should include:

Parliament Hill. Made of three separate buildings and the centennial flame, you can book free tours of the buildings that are open. Currently, you can visit the newly renovated West Block. In the summer, you may be able to catch the light show!
Visit the Bytown Museum and explore how the city has changed over the years.
Walk down Sparks Street. It is Ottawa’s only pedestrian street with patios in the summer and boutiques year round.
Take the Haunted Walk Tour.
The National Arts Centre. Book a ticket to see a show!
Grab coffee/tea at Little Victories in the Chambers of Commerce building or Equator Coffee in the NAC.
Escape Room: best for a group of 4-6 people who love solving puzzles.

Byward Market

The Byward Market is a must-stop neighbourhood for the first timer, or even someone looking to re-explore the city. Located immediately west of downtown, you’ll find local shops, dining, entertainment and more! The market boasts 50,000 visitors per weekend in the summer. The indoor farmer’s market is held 7 days a week/ year round and an outdoor market from May to October. Your Byward Market bucket list should include:

Byward Market Square: it is a building in the centre of the neighbourhood
Major’s Hill Park
Maverick’s Donuts: fresh donuts daily, fritter fridays!
Le Moulin de Provence (famous Obama cookie)
the Grand pizzeria: wood fired pizza
Absolut Lounge drag nights
Ottawa Sign
Andaz rooftop bar Copper Spirits & Sights for the best view of downtown
Moscow Tea Room Afternoon Tea between 2-6 pm
Beavertails pastry
Apothecary Lounge cocktails
Clocktower Brew Pub craft beer
National Gallery of Canada and Maman sculpture
Notre Dame Basilica

View through tulips in the foreground to the Notre Dame Basilica

View of the National Art Gallery in the background, Major's Hill Park and people in the midground and a tulip bed in the foreground

Centretown

Centretown is the area south of Downtown. The busiest part of the neighbourhood is Bank Street, filled with dining, bars and shopping. It is one of the best areas to live in the city with a lot of residential neighbourhoods, fun experiences and just minutes to downtown.

At the south end is the Canadian Museum of Nature, a beautiful museum that hosts the nighttime event Nature Nocturne once a month (currently not scheduled due to the pandemic).
Wolf Down sandwiches. They only make sandwiches and they are delicious!
Bridgehead Coffee Shop or Happy Goat. Both are fantastic local chain cafes in Ottawa.
Shawarma Palace. Ottawa is the shawarma capital of Canada and you’ll find numerous shawarma restaurants in the city. I highly recommend the platter.
Moo Shu Ice Cream: small batch homemade ice cream to die for!
Wilf and Ada’s brunch (no reservations).
Flora Hall Brewing for craft beer

Golden Triangle

A sub-neighbourhood of Centretown, the main strip of Elgin Street has awesome dining and shopping experiences. The area is just south of downtown and there’s lots to do in this mighty neighbourhood:

Walk, bike or skate along the Rideau Canal.
Grab poutine at the Elgin Street Diner.
Stop for a drink at Sir John A. Pub or Lieutenant’s Pump.
Catch a comedy show at Yuk Yuk’s.
Even if your not vegetarian, stop at Pure Kitchen and try the cauliflower bites!
The best tacos in the city are at El Camino.
Scrim’s Florist for all your plant and plant care needs.
Boogie + Birdie for local shopping.

Glebe/Old Ottawa South

The Glebe and Old Ottawa South are two of Ottawa’s oldest neighbourhoods. Bank Street is one of the best streets to explore in Ottawa for dining, bars/pubs, local vendors, and more. Bank Street travels from Parliament Hill all the way through the city to the south, eventually turning in to County Road 31 ending at the St. Lawrence River. The Glebe starts at the Highway 417/Queensway and ends at the Rideau Canal. Old Ottawa South starts at the Rideau Canal and ends at the Rideau River. Along Bank Street you’ll find some amazing places in Ottawa, including:

Another Clocktower Brew Pub location
The WORKS: a local chain restaurant specializing in burgers that originated in Ottawa
Patterson Creek Park and Patterson Creek. Stop by the new pop-up café from Le Moulin de Provence
Bandito’s Southern California Inspired Street Food with one of the best patios in the city
Little Victories and Wild Oat cafés
The Papery has a wide selection of ornaments, papers (wrapping, arts/crafts, etc.) and gifts for the whole family!
Purple Urchin soaps and nature skincase
The Rowan Gastropub
Kettleman’s Bagels serves Montreal style bagels and bagel sandwiches and spreads!
Lansdowne: a neighbourhood of sorts with the TD Place stadium, local restaurants, a Cineplex Cinema, shopping, farmer’s market and more!
Black Squirrel Books and Octopus Books bookstores
Watch a movie or show at the Mayfair Theatre: Ottawa’s oldest active movie theatre
Framed! has cute homeware in the front of the store and custom framing in the back
Oat Couture Oatmeal Café and Montgomery Scotch Lounge: a healthy oats café during the day turns in to a scotch lounge in the evenings
Patty’s Pub/the Senate Tavern
Yardley’s Antiques
and way, way more!

Ottawa Sunset from Bank Street Bridge overlooking Rideau Canal at sunset

Best Ottawa Eats

You definitely want to enjoy some of Canada’s national dishes while you’re here. For the first timer, stick to the Byward Market, Downtown, Centretown and the Golden Triangle. You’ll find a plethora of restaurants all within walking distance from your hotel. There are tons of locations to enjoy across the city if you have a car, too! Locations to try within the downtown core:

Poutine is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy and is amazing. Originally invented in Quebec, Canada in the late 1950s, you’ll find poutine at almost every restaurant (but make sure it’s made with St. Albert’s cheese curds and not shredded cheese). Make sure to stop at Elgin Street Dinner for one of the best poutine’s in the city.
Maple syrup is one of the most popular products in Canada and you can enjoy maple taffy in the winter (maple syrup poured on fresh, clean snow and served on a popsicle stick). You can find maple syrup in every restaurant that serves breakfast foods
Le Moulin de Provence cookie made national news when Barak Obama visited. You can find the decorated shortbread cookies in the Byward Market. They also have pop-up cafes in the summer along the Rideau Canal!
Beavertails and hot chocolate is a must in the winter.
Union Local 613 is a great spot for lunch or dinner on Somerset. You do have to make reservations for dinner, but if you get there early enough you can get a spot in the speakeasy. Let them know you want to be seated downstairs. If there’s room, they’ll give you a table in a hidden room with a customized speakeasy cocktail menu.
The SconeWitch has amazing scones and sandwiches.
One of the best kept secrets is the Bottega Nicastro restaurant and sandwich bar inside this local grocer. You will not regret this one!
Stop by one of the Taverns: Tavern on the Hill, Tavern by the Falls and Tavern at the Gallery. They have some of the best views in the city and their gourmet hot dogs are scrumptious.
Pure Kitchen is a fantastic vegetarian and vegan restaurant, even for those who aren’t vegetarian.

Locations outside the downtown core to visit if you have a car:

A smoked meat sandwich, typically served on wholemead bread with mustard, is found in many street stalls, cafes and restaurants. Try Markie’s Montreal Smoked Meat on Carling Avenue.
Enjoy a decadent dipped ice cream cone at Chocolats Favoris. They make their chocolate and soft serve ice cream in house and the flavours are amazing and so fresh. Their dipped ice cream cones are thick chocolate and you can now get toppings! I recommend Nanaimo Kooky cone (so Canadian and delicious).
The best loaded sandwiches are Wolf Down and Frank’s.
The Vanitea Room offers decadent brunch and a drag dinner you don’t want to miss!
Make a day of drinking cocktails in Little Italy!
Do this self-guided bar crawl to enjoy craft beer in Hintonburg/Westboro.

Woman in white dress cheering drinks with someone on a patio

Parliament Hill Tour

Parliament Hill is made up of Centre Block (including the library and the Peace Tower), West Block, East Block, a path behind Centre Block, a new lookout, a gazebo, the Escarpment Stairway, the Centennial Flame and an archaeological dig site. Unfortunately Centre Block is closed for the next 10-15 years for renovations, but you can still book free tours to see West Block and the Senate, click here. The Changing of the Guard is a free event in the summer. Another free event in the summer is the Northern Lights show, projected on the side of Centre Block.

Centennial Flame and Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa

Visit a Museum

There are seven national museums in Ottawa, five of which are free after 5 pm on Thursdays: the Bytown Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, the Museum of Nature and the Canadian War Museum. You can easily spend hours in the Museum of History, Museum of Nature or the War Museum so either plan to spend a few hours at the museum or pick one or two exhibits to explore in depth. My personal favourite is the Museum of History which includes the Canadian Children’s Museum – collect stamps for a passport to travel the world with your kids!

Cherry blossom tree and the Museum of History

Museum of History on Ottawa River during golden hour

National Capital Commission Hiking Trails

Ottawa is an incredibly green city. The National Capital Commission is a federal organization tasked with protecting the natural environment and historic elements in the capital city. There are a few beautiful trails within the city limits you are going to want to visit.

Mer Bleue Bog is in the west end. It is a 3,500-hectare Mer Bleue conservation area. You can park at P22 and complete the short boardwalk trail or park at P21 for a longer in-out loop to the boardwalk trail and back. It’s a beautiful place to catch a sunrise.

Stony Swamp is in the southwest end. You’ll find over 40 km of trails in this conservation area. Some of the more popular loops are Jack Pine, Sarsaparilla Trail, and the Lime Kiln Trail. Bring sunflower seeds to feed chickadees from the palm of your hand!

Pine Grove Trail is in the south end. It is the largest forest in the Greenbelt with approximately 20 km of trail networks. The tall pine trees offer amazing opportunities for photos.

Shirleys Bay Trails are in the west end. You’ll find approximately 7 km of trails and two recreational paths along with a beach and canoes/kayaks.

Downtown Ottawa Walking Tour

You can book a walking tour downtown, or take this self-guided tour yourself! Make sure to find Parliament Hill, the Senate of Canada, the Museum of History and walk along the Ottawa River Pathway. You can also take a by-donation walking tour. Walking tours are great for people visiting the city for the first time, to gain insight to the history of the city and some of the best places to go when you’re done the tour.

Other things to do in Ottawa

Rideau Hall

Rideau Hall is the Governor General’s house. It is a National Historic Site of Canada and is a 79 acre property. You can book a free tour and see the stunning interior on a guided tour or visit the grounds. There is a skating rink open in the winter and trails around the property in the summer!

Canal Cruise

The Rideau Canal Cruise takes you from downtown, to Dow’s Lake, and back with a tour guide. It is located on North America’s largest 100% electric passenger vessel!

Lansdowne

Lansdowne is home to the TD Place (sports stadium), restaurants, farmer’s market, shops and more! Stop by TD Place to watch the Red Blacks football team in the summer or the Ontario 67’s hockey team in the winter. Check out one of the many restaurants like CRAFT, Joey, or Local. CRAFT is a craft beer restaurant, Joey is an upscale restaurant and Local is a great night lift restaurant. Stop by the Aberdeen Pavilion for a farmer’s market or local events throughout the year. Skate on the free rink in the winter or shoot some hoops in the summer. Bring the family to the outdoor playground. Visit during the winter for the Christmas Market and giant Christmas Tree. See Moving Surfaces, an illuminated art installation. Watch a movie at the VIP Lounge at Cineplex Cinemas.

Arboretum and Ornamental Gardens

Ottawa is in no shortage of green space and the Arboretum and Ornamental Gardens are two of the best outdoor areas in the city. The Arboretum is 64 acres of over 4000 specimen of trees. Walk or bike along the edge of Dow’s Lake and through the paths to experience this wonderful area! The Ornamental Gardens are across the street and is an 8 acre garden in the Experimental Farm. It’s a fantastic location for portrait photos and often wedding photos!

Pink cherry blossom tree in the Dominion Arboretum Ottawa

Lilies in the Ornamental Gardens in Ottawa

Tulip Fest

Typically held early to mid-May, the Canadian Tulip Fest reminds us of the beautiful Dutch gift as a sign of international friendship. Hundreds of thousands of tulips are planted around the city. You’ll find the biggest best at the Commissioner’s Park, Major’s Hill Park or at Lansdowne by the Rideau Canal.

Chase Waterfalls

There are 3 waterfalls within the city you can visit, and five more you can visit within about a 30 minute drive. Pack a picnic and head to a waterfall to enjoy a sunny afternoon.

Cherry Blossom Season

The spring brings cherry blossoms and tulips to bloom and it’s one of the most colourful times of the year. There are cherry blossom and apple blossom trees scattered around the city but the best place to find a cluster of them is at the Arboretum.

Beaches and Parks

There are a number of beaches and parts in the city including: Major’s Hill Park (downtown); Westboro Beach; Britannia Beach (also a fantastic neighbourhood in Ottawa); Andrew Haydon Park (west end); Mooney’s Bay Park and Beach (south end and near Hog’s Back Falls); and Petrie Island Beach (east end).

Rideau Canal

In the summer, rent a bike and bike along the Rideau Canal pathways. In the winter, rent a pair of skates to skate on the world’s largest outdoor skating rink!