I’m planning a short getaway with a cousin and we have my eye on Ottawa. Inspired by this thread, I thought I’d survey the board: What shall we do and see in Ottawa? Neither of us have ever been there before.
We’ll be arriving by train, which I understand stops outside of the city. We’re thinking of creating a long weekend, maybe arriving on Saturday and leaving Monday, but we’re also open to weekdays, too. (Is there any reason that we might be better off arriving on, say, a Thursday and leaving on Saturday?)
We’re both older – in our early 50s, so not into clubs. We like to walk (city, not hiking), see museums and shop. I enjoy waterfronts. Is there a parliament tour? What about a guided tour – are those fun?
We were there in March of 2012 and had a great time. There’s plenty to do in the city that doesn’t involve clubbing.
There is a Parliament tour; I did it twice and it was really informative both times. We had a lovely picnic lunch on the waterfront. The National Gallery, Museum of History, and the War Museum were all well worth the time; the Natural History Museum was ok. The ByWard market is big and has great deals… it’s also a nice place to people watch. Everything is within easy walking distance.
When we were there the weather was AMAZING- they literally took the front walls out of the restaurants to open them up to the air, it was so nice.
There are guided tours of Parliament and the Supreme Court. There are also “Ghost Tours” in the evening. Last time I went on one, you signed up at a kiosk at the intersection of Sparks Street and Elgin, just out side Darcy McGee’s pub. McGee features in one of the ghost tours, having been assassinated just down the street from where the pub is now. If you like pub fare, I recommend McGees. Byward Market also has good restaurants.
Laurier House is an interesting site, having been the residence for the Lauriers, who then bequeathed it to Mackenzie King, so two Prime Ministers lived there.
Tea at the Chateau Laurier used to be good, but I’ve not taken tea there for some years.
Even if you don’t like hiking, going to Kingsmere in the Gatineau is well worth it, to see Mackenzie King’s summer home and the fake ruins he created. You would need to rent a car to get there, however.
Forgot to add: the main tourist area is very walkable. The major street is Wellington. The Supreme Court is the anchor at the west end, Parliament is in the middle, and the Chateau Laurier at the east end of Wellington. The Market is down a but if a descent from the Chateau. You can easily walk from the Court to the Chateau in 20 minutes.
If you have an interest in history, walk around the parliamentary grounds, curving behind Parliament. There are about 20 statues of political leaders. It’s a good history quiz.
This time of year, is there still a changing of the Guard on the lawn in front if Parliament?
There’s an elevator to the top of the Peace Tower - magnificent views of Ottawa and the Gatineau.
I think the elevator also stops at the Chapel of Remembrance, part way up the Tower, with the illuminated books listing all the dead who served in the wars from the Great War onwards. They turn a page in the books each day.
Here’s a link to info on tours of Parliament. Centre Block is where the Commons and the Senate sit, but I read somewhere the tours might be limited due to extensive renovations this summer.
East Block is very interesting. It used to be where the PM had his office, and the Cabinet sat. They’ve restored several rooms to show how they looked in Macdonald’s day. http://www.parl.gc.ca/Visitors/index-e.html
Highly recommend the Ghost Tour, it was really cool, you can also stay a night in the old Byward Jail (it’s a hostel now). Love the market and there are a to of great restaurants.
If you like walking and waterfronts, you can walk along pretty much the whole length of the Rideau Canal. You can start at the locks near the Chateau Laurier, and walk south along either side (although the east side is a bit more Pedestrian Friendly at spots). It’s also quite good for biking if you want to rent a bike. There are several spots along the length that come close to bus stops if you get tired of walking.
ETA: you can also walk along the Ottawa river. There’s a nice path that goes around the base of Parliament Hill, that connects to the path along the canal.
Of things not directly mentioned, check out Sparks Street and the Royal Canadian Mint. Sparks street is a fun (if touristy) pedestrian street with shops, and the mint has a really nice tour. Also, not far from the mint is Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, which is very pretty inside.
Others have mentioned Byward Market, which is really awesome, the Rideau Canal, and the Parliament Buildings. The Changing of the Guard is awesome, as is the tour. There’s also a light show on Parliament Hill on summer nights. It’s been going on for at least twenty years (I remember going when I was a kid), but the technology seems to have improved.
Thanks for all the input. I appreciate all the suggestions here.
The parliament, the mint, the market, the basilica, the canal, it all sounds good.
The website says “tours daily”, but I suppose the parliament tours would be a weekday thing rather than a weekend event.
I’m still not entirely sure how we’ll get from the train station to our hotel (which we haven’t booked yet, but I’m thinking we’ll want something downtown).
