Ottawa Hotels

Ottawa Rundown

The tidy and laconic capital of Canada may never eclipse Montreal for culture and cuisine, the urban wallop and wealth of Toronto or the epic vistas of Vancouver but Ottawa is good with that. The city of 1.1 million people cajoles ample kudos from the usual global livability index gurus and makes up for a patent lack of a wild and crazy side with excellent museums, parks and festivals.

Ottawa is easy to essay for first-time visitors too, with a compact bunch of superb points of interest all within close distance of each other. The obvious place to start is Parliament Hill. The heart of the federal government of Canada lures more than 3 million visitors a year. The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which, in genuine Canadian style, turns into the most prodigious ice rink on the planet when the mercury plummets. The ByWard Market and iconic Château Laurier frame a collection of magnificent museums, from the National Gallery of Canada to the Canadian Museum of Civilization, while in the distance, Gatineau Park beckons. To top it off, annual events in Ottawa like Winterlude, Bluesfest, Canada Day and the Canadian Tulip Festival lure hundreds of thousands to the eminent city.

Ottawa’s Top 10

Ottawa Events

The Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League play at Scotiabank Place in the suburb of Kanata.

Bluesfest is one of Canada’s top outdoor music festivals and takes place every July on the grounds of the Canadian War Museum.

The Canadian Tulip Festival celebrates the end of winter and is arguably the largest flower fest on the planet, with annual attendance well over the half million mark.

The Rideau Canal transforms into the world’s biggest ice rink every winter. The Skateway runs for 4.35 mi (7 km), from downtown to the National Arts Centre. Skate rental sites, change huts and snack bars span the canal.

Winterlude is another way to warm up in Canada’s capital. The premier winter bash takes place over three weekends in February.

Canada Day on Parliament Hill is a must for anyone in or close to Ottawa on July 1. Over 100,000 people gather to celebrate the foremost national holiday with concerts and fireworks.

Ottawa Jazz Festival takes place over ten days in late June and early July.

The National Arts Centre is a premier showcase of the arts. The house orchestra has a world class conductor in Pinchas Zukerman.

Gatineau Park is massive. The de facto national park covers 89,000 acres (361 square kilometres) of wilderness, nature trails, forest, lakes and lookouts.

When To Go

Like much of the rest of urban Canada, Ottawa enjoys a four seasons humid continental climate. Quite predictably, the divergence between July and January in the city is chasmic.

The winter season, from December to March, sees temperatures dip between 4.5°F (-15°C) and 36°F (2°C) and heavy blankets of snow.

Summer, on the other hand, from June to September, generates temperatures as high as 80°F (26.5°C) and often well beyond, as well as 12 days of rain per month on average.

Getting Around

Ottawa is 124 mi (200 km) from Montreal, 280 mi (450 km) from Toronto and 447 mi (720 km) from New York City. Coach bus fleets and Via Rail inter-city trains serve the city well.

Macdonald-Cartier International Airport is usually the first place a foreign dignitary sees when he or she lands in the capital. Outside of Canada from Newfoundland to B.C., the hub serves the likes of Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Frankfurt and London.

Within metropolitan Ottawa, visitors can rely on a very good light rail and bus system, in addition to taxis. Thankfully, the compact core of the city is remarkably easy to navigate on foot.

General Information

Attractions&Activities

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