The Perfect Ottawa Itinerary: 2 and 3 days (2026)

Looking for an Ottawa itinerary for two days or three days? I’ve been to Ottawa many times, and recently returned from a 3-day trip to this beautiful city. Ottawa is underrated, probably one of the most gorgeous cities in Canada with so many pretty heritage buildings. It’s the capital of Canada and has a lot of fascinating history behind it. There is lots to do right in the city centre, which is very compact and easy to walk to most things.

Being familiar with Ottawa and the surrounding area, I’ve crafted an Ottawa itinerary that is perfect for a weekend (2 or 3 days.) We did this itinerary in a way that suited us, being in Ottawa with kids. Of course, this itinerary can be used any time of the week and you can also do the itinerary with all ages. I’ll add extensions and add-ons for people who have more (or less) time or energy from what we did on our most recent trip.

I’ve designed this 2-day Ottawa itinerary, with an optional 3rd day add-on to use if you have the extra time. If you do have at least three full days, then you won’t regret spending them in Ottawa because it is a very pretty city with A LOT to do. There are many free tours of the Canadian federal buildings, great museums, lovely parks and green spaces, and gorgeous heritge buildings that you won’t be able to stop taking photos of. So, let’s walk through a great Ottawa itinerary to show you the best of what Canada’s capital has to offer.

A Few Quick Notes About this 2-Day Ottawa Itinerary

✅ It’s suitable for all ages. This itinerary can be done with young couples, families, and seniors, although there is a lot of walking. But you could easily lessen the walking by taking Ubers or the water taxi. We did this itinerary with kids, and there are lots of modifications you can make in terms of time, or attractions that you choose

✅ It can be used year-round. You’ll see photos from all seasons below, as we live in Ontario and have been to Ottawa multiple times. Its beautiful ALL year round. Ottawa is one of the best places to visit in Ontario in winter, and its gorgeous from spring to fall too.

Ottawa Itinerary Day 1: Exploring the heart of the downtown

The first day is spent just walking through the heart of downtown. You’ll see some of the prettiest, historic buildings in Canada, and many views of the skyline against the Rideau Canal. There are a few optional activities to book in advance for your first day in Ottawa. We will be passing by the these attractions, which give you an option to visit the inside (if you choose.) They are:

• The National Gallery of Canada, which is an art gallery with Canadian, Indigenous, and some international art. The building is really pretty to see from the outside, and it has the Maman spider statue. If you decide to go inside, then tickets can be purchased here.
• The Parliament buildings, which can be viewed from the outside only, and are some of the most inconic buildings in Canada. They are currently under construction, which is an eyesore, but it doesn’t mean you can’t still go see the outside of them. Free private tours can be booked on their website. We did a tour of West Block, which is where laws are currently being based in Canada, it’s only 40 minutes and its free!

1. National Gallery of Canada area

To start off your first day in Ottawa, head to the area in front of the National Gallery of Canada. This is a short walk from the downtown core. Get photos of the gorgeous Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica and the large spider-looking sculpture in front of it. This sculpture is called the Maman, and its a giant spider carrying an egg – it is meant to symbolize fertility and protection.

The beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica is a church from the 1800s. Its not common to see churches like this in Ontario. If you are choosing the visit the inside of the National Gallery (not shown here, but its a glass building beside the Maman sculpture), then it will take about an hour to 90 minutes to see everything inside. There’s lots of beautiful artwork by Canadian and indigenous artists.

After seeing either the inside or just the outside of the National Gallery, head over to the Alexandra Bridge Lookout (its only about 10 minutes from the gallery.)

2. Get amazing views of the Ottawa River

From the Maman sculpture, you’re very close to many parks where you can get lookouts over the Ottawa River. You can see the Ottawa skyline, and Gatineau on the other side of the Ottawa River. We walked over to Major Hill’s Park where there are many lookouts over the river. You can see Ottawa and Gatineau pretty equally from most lookouts from the park.

Another place to go is Alexandra Bridge Lookout, just north of the park. This lookout shows you more of Ottawa.. which doesn’t look as nice right now due to all the construction, but is nice nonetheless. You will only need a few minutes to enjoy this lookout and the great view. After taking your photos, walk over to the ByWard Market. The Byward Market is about 10-15 minute walk from these river lookouts.

3. Explore the ByWard neighbourhood and get lunch

The ByWard Market is one of the oldest markets in Canada, and its in a walkable neighbourhood with lots of restaurants, pubs, cafes, and some adut entertainment. Not only is the ByWard neighhbourhood a foodie area, but its an artsy part of town too. There are statues and public art displays throughout the Byward Market, and the OTTAWA sign which is just outside the market.

If you’re hungry, the Byward Market is a great place to grab a bite to eat. You can grab something from the market, or there are ethnic options nearby, such as Japanese, Thai or a French restaurant called Chez Lucien. We ate dinner at an authentic Korean BBQ place which was amazing. (You can always come back to this area for dinner as there are so many places to eat, and get ice cream afterwards)

The market itself is open 7 days a week, every day of the year except for Christmas – so its likely to be open when you’re there. In the summer at the Byward Market, there will be outdoor stalls, but in the cold months it will be mostly indoor. I definitely recommend taking a stroll through the Market. If you go inside the market building, it’s a great place to find local handicrafts and Canadian souvenirs.

After having enough of the ByWard Market, walk off your meal by heading over to Parliament Hill, which is about a 12 minute walk from the ByWard Market.

4. Walk from ByWard Market to Parliament Hill 

During your 12 minute walk over to Parliament Hill, you will be passing a few interesting things to see. (So, it may take longer than 12 minutes, as you’ll want to stop, take photos and admire the landscape.) First, you will be able to see Rideau Canal Locks. At the locks, you will see the Château Laurier in the background, Ottawa’s most luxurious hotel which has been open for over 100 years.

Be sure to stop here, take in the views and take some photos. If you’re in Ottawa in winter (and if its cold enough) you can skate on the Rideau canal for free. In the warm months, you can simply admire the views from the lock.

You will then pass through Confederation Park, where you can go up close to the National War Memorial if you choose. The memorial commemorates Canadians who have died in all the major world wars, from the First World War and beyond. It is usually guarded by the Canadian Armed Forces, so you will likely see uniformed officials standing in front of it.

Snap some photos of the war memorial, and then continue on to Parliament Hill (only another 2 minute walk from the war memorial.)

5. Parliament Hill 

You’ve now reached Parliament Hill! You can see three buildings in front of you (known as the parliament buildings.) The tallest building in the centre is known as the Peace Tower, also known as Centre Block. The ones beside it are East Block and West Block.

You can spend a good half an hour at the Parliament buildings, or more, depending on your preferences. You can walk right up close to the Parliament buildings, or admire them from a distance. Most tourists simply view the Parliament buildings from the outside, but I would highly recommend booking a tour to see the inside.

Tours of the Parliament buildings are offered in English and French, and are free of charge. It’s definitely worth it and very interesting to see where laws are passed in Canada, and where all the Members of Parliament sit when legislation is passed. They also explain a bit about how law in Canada works, and what everyone’s role is.

You can take some time to walk around Parliament Hill, as there are some interesting monuments to look at: The Lester B. Pearson Monument, and the Victoria Bell Monument. Don’t miss the view of West Block from the side of it (closest to the river), it looks like a castle from that angle, and a lot of people miss that!

If you still have some energy to walk around after seeing the parliament buildings, then I recommend heading over to Sparks’ street for dinner (one block away from Parliament Hill.) Sparks street is a pedestrian-only street lined with lots of restaurants and shops, and is a really nice place to stroll through.

7. Day 1 Wrap up:

Your first day in Ottawa has been a busy, but hopefully a fun day. You’ve been able to tour the downtown core and enjoy a lot of the old town views.  You would have done quite a bit of walking, so be sure to grab a hearty meal and rest your feet. If you still have some energy left later on, then an evening option for Ottawa is the Haunted Walk of Ottawa.

Ottawa Itinerary: Day 2

There will be quite a bit of walking today – probably about double the amount of yesterday, (depending on how much time you spent touring the National Gallery and Parliament Hill.) Although Ottawa is a very walkable city, the walking distance between attractions plus the walking inside attractions can really add up. If you want a break from walking, then I recommend grabbing tickets for the hop-on-hop-off bus tour for your 2nd day in Ottawa. It costs $39.99 for adults, and $27.00 for kids.

If you’re doing the 3-day Ottawa itinerary, then buy a 2-day pass. If today is your last day (and you don’t want to go on a long walk, then buy a 1-day pass.) In addition, booking tickets to the Canadian Museum of History online in advance will save you time. So, let’s jump into the 2nd day of your Ottawa itinerary:

1. Make your way over to Gatineau

There are a few ways to get across the River to Gatineau. During our most recent trip, we took an Uber which only took 10 minutes. In the summer, water taxis are offered, which are a bit expensive but are a unique experience and they leave from the Rideau Canal Locks.

Alternatively, you can walk across. There are two bridges: the Alexandria Bridge and the Portage Bridge. The Alexandria Bridge will be much closer and more convenient for you. If you take the Portage Bridge, you can get some really unique lookouts and a chance to walk along Voyagers Path. After the Portage bridge, turn right onto Rte Verte 1, and follow signs that bring you to Voyageurs Path.

Voyageurs path (Sent des Voyages) is a beautiful walkway along the river, that will give you scenic views of the city. Voyageur’s Path paved and a very easy walk, and it soon turns back into Rte Verte 1 again. Once you’re on the Gatineau side of the Portage Bridge, it will take 15 minutes to walk to the Canadian Museum of History. (Overall, going this way could be quite a bit of walking.)

2. Visit the Canadian Museum of History

The next stop on your 2nd day in Ottawa is to visit the Canadian Museum of History (CMH), which is on the other side of the Ottawa River, in Gatineau, Quebec.  Ottawa has many great museums, but the CMH is one of the most ‘Canadian.’ It’s all thing history, including indigenous, early settlers and multiculturalism. You could spend all day here. (I recommend a bare minimum of 2 hours.)

If you’re doing this trip to Ottawa with kids, then there’s also a really amazing children’s museum attached to the museum that you’ll want to visit. Just that children’s museum can take hours to visit (my friend was there for 3 hours with her kids and they still didn’t want to leave!)

Whether or not you actually go inside the museum, you can see many beautiful panoramic view of the city of Ottawa. There are lots of lookouts here. Be sure to leave some time to take pictures before heading back.

2. Walk (or drive) back to Ontario

After visiting the museum and enjoying the views of Ottawa from the other side of the river, it’s time to head back to Ottawa. You can either walk, or take the hop on hop-off bus back to Ottawa. If you choose to walk, then you can walk across the Royal Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge. (And then be able to say that you walked from Quebec to Ontario!)

The Alexandra bridge is long and wide, and you can see beautiful views of the river and the parliament buildings. As you cross back into Ontario, you will also pass the Royal Mint, which looks like a mini castle. If you’re interested in doing a tour at the Royal Mint, be sure to book in advance as they fill up.

To wrap up your 2nd day in Ottawa, you have a few options. Your choice will depend on how long you spent at the museum, and how much energy you still have.

• Option # 1: You can do a 45-minute guided tour of the Royal Canadian Mint as I mentioned above, and it can be booked on their website here.
• Option # 2: Head back to Sparks Street for a stroll and dinner
• Option # 3: Do a free tour of the Supreme Court, the Parliament buildings, or Rideau Hall. The tours run until 4 or 5pm. We took an Uber directly from the Canadian Museum of History to the Parliament buildings, and it only takes 10 minutes.
• Option # 4:If you opted to buy the hop-on hop-off bus pass, then you could have the bus take you to some other attractions, such as Rideau Hall (residence of the Governor General in Canada, which also does free tours) or the Canadian Museum of Nature which is an amazing museum to visit

If day 2 is your last day in Ottawa, then you can select one of the above options to conclude your Ottawa itinerary. If you’re opting for a 3-day Ottawa itinerary, then you’ll have time tomorrow to do some of the above, plus more!

Ottawa Itinerary: Day 3

If you’re staying in Ottawa for a 3rd day, then you have a bit more time to see more of what makes Ottawa unique, and get to know some of Canada’s history. If you didn’t use the hop-on hop-off bus tour today, then I recommend getting it today unless you prefer to get around via foot or driving. You have seen the circle of the downtown core, but there’s so much to see just outside of that, that it would be hard to do all on foot and still have time to appreciate each attraction.

1. Get on the Hop on Hop off Bus

After grabbing breakfast, head to Sparks Street to grab the Hop on Hop Off Bus. You can find it at 44 Sparks St, at the corner of Elgin and Sparks. It takes 50 minutes for the bus to loop around all the landmarks in Ottawa, so if you hop off, then you can catch it 50 minutes later when it comes back around. Here are some of the stops I recommend making, (or at least taking a look at) while you’re on the bus:

• Rideau Hall – Rideau Hall is the residence of the Governor General. It has beautifully landscaped grounds. You can do a tour of the inside, or you could take a walk around the green spaces surrounding it, which include Stanley Park or Rideau Falls Park which has a little waterfall.

• Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is where decisions are made about the most controversial cases where agreements couldn’t be reached elsewhere. If you’re interested in law or court proceedings, its really interesting. You can do a 30-minute guided tour inside (free of charge) if you’re interested. These tours are not as popular for visitors to Ottawa as the Parliament buildings. I went with my husband and kids, and we got a private tour as we were the only ones there!

• Canadian Museum of Nature. The Canadian Museum of Nature is a fascinating science museum that could keep you for several hours. I would definitely recommend getting off the bus to explore the Canadian Museum of Nature and giving yourself at least a couple hours. Even 2 hours won’t be enough to see everything, but you’ll see a lot of it. You can buy tickets in advance to the museum here.

3. Have a leisurely afternoon or evening

The Hop on Hop off Bus Tour is likely to give you a full day of things to visit, so I don’t imagine that you’ll have too much time left over (if any.) If you do didn’t get off at any of the stops and you have some time left over, then here are your options for the last day of your 3-day Ottawa itinerary:

• Do an Ottawa River cruise, if you’re visiting between May and October. They can be booked here.
• Walk along the pedestrian-only Sparks street (especially if you didn’t do so yesterday or the day before) and grab dinner

Where to Stay In Ottawa

• Budget: Byward Inn -Located right downtown, and offers a delicious free breakfast
• Mid-Range: Novotel Ottawa City Centre -Trendy 4-star hotel with an indoor pool in downtown Ottawa, steps from the ByWard Market and Rideau Canal.
• Upper Mid-Range: Lord Elgin – this is where we stayed last time in Ottawa and we loved it, it was so close to everything!
• Luxury: Fairmont Chateau Laurier Right next to the Ottawa River, and Parliament Hill and steps away from the Byward Market.

How to Get Around Ottawa

The downtown area of Ottawa is very pedestrian friendly and walkable, but there are a few ways to get around both the downtown core and the outer neighbourhoods

On Foot – The downtown of Ottawa is very walkable, and you can see quite a bit on foot. However, when you total up everything to see, it adds up to quite a bit of walking, especially if you’re going to be walking around museums too – be sure to wear good, comfortable shoes for exploring Ottawa.

Hop-on Hop-off Bus – There is a hop-on-hop-off bus tour which can make it easy to get around to different popular attractions around the city.

Bus – Ottawa has a bus system called OC Transport.  It’s easy to use their map and set the destinations you want to find bus routes that can take you there.

Driving or Uber – You don’t need a car to get around most of the attractions in the downtown core of Ottawa. However, if you want to see anything that is beyond the heart of the city, then a car might be useful (especially if you aren’t booking the hop on hop off bus.)

Additional Things to Do in Ottawa

Besides what was mentioned above, there are a lot of things to do in Ottawa, and the surrounding areas. You may wish to add them to your 2 or 3-day Ottawa itinerary, but I think you will need more time in the area if you want to include any of these things. Here are more things to do in Ottawa and the surrounding area:

• Do a tour of Ottawa’s breweries, if you enjoy beer, then there are many breweries in Ottawa to visit
• Visit the Diefenbunker Cold War Museum, which is just 20 minutes outside Ottawa. This was one of the most amazing museums we ever went to and I definitely recommend it
• In winter, go skiing at Calabogie Peaks (tallest hill in eastern Ontario) or ice skating at the Lac De Loops Forest Trail
• The town of Arnprior is one of the cutest small towns in Ontario, and located along the Ottawa river, just 45 mins from Ottawa

Ottawa Itinerary FAQ

Here are the most commonly asked questions about visiting Ottawa, and how much time to spend there

How many days in Ottawa is enough?

You need about two days in Ottawa to really enjoy the downtown core, with the parliament buildings, Byward Market and riverfront views of the Rideau Canal and Ottawa skyline. Two days also gives you enough time for a few museums, tours and experiences.

How to spend 3 days in Ottawa?

For three days in Ottawa, you can spend the first few days in the downtown core visiting most of the attractions on foot. (There may be one or two where the hop on hop off bus will come in handy.) For the third day, use the bus system or a car to take you to attractions beyond the city limits.

Is it easy to get around Ottawa without a car?

It’s very easy to get around downtown Ottawa without a car. The city is very walkable, and small; especially compared to Toronto.

Final Thoughts on this Ottawa Itinerary

There is quite a lot to see in Ottawa in terms of museums, but its also a beautiful walkable city with a lot of scenic beauty. From historical sites, famous landmarks, interesting museums and outdoor activities, Ottawa has a lot to offer, whether you’re visiting in summer, winter or in between.  We go back to Ottawa every few years, its a nice city to visit and should be at the top of most Canada itineraries. I hope that you enjoy our beautiful capital city, and are able to take in the picturesque scenery of the historic buildings along the Ottawa river, and learn some fascinating details about Canadian history.