The Perfect Ottawa Itinerary: 2 and 3 days (2024)

Looking for an Ottawa itinerary for two days or three days? You’re in the right place. 

Ottawa is a beautiful city, the capital of Canada and has a lot of fascinating history behind it. There is lots to do right city centre, which you can explore most of on foot. The downtown is pedestrian-friendly and very scenic, with year-round changing beauty.

I live about 5 hours away from Ottawa, and have been there a number of times as a tourist, and to visit friends. I’ve spent several weekends in Ottawa. I was also lucky to be selected for a citizenship conference that allowed me to explore all of the government and politic buildings.

Being familiar with Ottawa and the surrounding area, I know how to craft an Ottawa itinerary that is perfect for a weekend (2 or 3 days.) Of course, this itinerary can be used any time of the week.

I’ve designed a 2-day Ottawa itinerary, with an optional 3rd day add-on to use if you have the extra time.

So, let’s walk through a great Ottawa itinerary to show you the best of what Canada’s capital has to offer.

2-Day Ottawa Itinerary

This 2-day Ottawa itinerary is perfect for a weekend getaway in Ottawa.

Here are a few things to know about this Ottawa itinerary:

✅ It’s suitable for all ages

This itinerary can be done with young couples, families, and seniors.

✅ There is quite a bit of walking.

You will need good, comfortable shoes because you will be doing a minimum of 1 hour of walking each day.

If you want to reduce the amount of walking you’re doing, then you can opt for the hop on hop off bus to make it easier.

✅ The itinerary can be used year-round

Ottawa is one of the best places to visit in winter, and its beautiful from spring to fall too. I have been to Ottawa in all seasons, so you will see photos from different times of the year through the photos on the itinerary.

Ottawa

There are a few optional activities to book in advance for your first day in Ottawa:

We will be passing by the following attractions on the first day, which will give you an option to visit the inside (if you choose.) They are:

  • The National Gallery of Canada. If you decide to go inside, then tickets can be purchased here.
  • The Parliament buildings, which can be viewed from the outside only or free private tours can be booked their website.

To start off your first day in Ottawa, head to the National Gallery of Canada. This is a short walk from the downtown core.

Get photos of the building, and the large spider-looking sculpture just outside of it. This sculpture is called the Maman, and its a giant spider carrying an egg – it is meant to symbolize fertility and protection.

You can also see the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica in the background, 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, then you’re in for a treat. I really enjoyed it. It will take about an hour to 90 minutes to see everything inside.

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. Alexandra Bridge Lookout

From the Alexandra Bridge Lookout you can get beautiful views of the Ottawa River, and parliament buildings along the shore.

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 15 minute walk from the Alexandra Bridge lookout.  

3. Byward Market

The Byward market 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. It’s a great place to find local handicrafts and Canadian souvenirs.

Not only is the Byward market 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, this is a great place to grab a bite to eat. You can grab something from the market, or there are ethnic options nearby (Gyupee Japanese Grill or Khao Thai) or a French restaurant called Chez Lucien.

There is a lot to take in at the Byward market; inside and outside, so give yourself at least 30-45 minutes in this area, to take it all in and get something to eat if you choose to.

After having enough of the Byward market, walk off your meal by heading over to Parliament Hill.

Parliament Hill is about a 12 minute walk from the Byward Market.

4. 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 Rideau Canal Locks. At the locks, you will see the Chateau Laurier, 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’ will ‘ll see the National War Memorial. The memorial commemorates Canadians who have died in all the major world wars, from the First World War and beyond.

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.

Ottawa in Winter

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.

Inside Centre Block

Tours of the parliament buildings are offered in English and French, and are free of charge. *Currently, at the time of writing, tours of Centre Block are not available, but will likely be reinstated in the future once the construction is finished.

Tours of East and West Block are currently available and can be booked online.

After touring the inside of the Centre Block, 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

Sparks street, 1 block from Parliament Hill

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.

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 will 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 I recommend doing the Haunted Walk of Ottawa. It’s fun way to see Ottawa by night and hear about some of Canada’s more sinister past.

If not – get some rest, to be ready for the 2nd day of your Ottawa itinerary.

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.)

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.

Although Ottawa is a very walkable city, the walking distance between attractions plus the walking inside attractions can really add up.

So, let’s jump into the 2nd day of your Ottawa itinerary:

1. Cross Portage Bridge into Gatineau

The first thing you’re going to do this morning is take a walk across Portage Bridge over to Gatineau, Quebec. You will get more beautiful views of the river and of Ottawa from a different perspective.

The area is very popular with joggers. After the Portage bridge, turn right onto Rte Verte 1, and follow signs that bring you to Voyageurs Path.

Walking around Ottawa
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 next stop, the Canadian Museum of History.

Good to Know: In total, you should plan for a total of 45 minutes of walking time between downtown Ottawa where you started to the Canadian Museum of History.

2. 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 in my opinion, the CMH is one of the most fascinating and should be at the top of your list. You could spend all day here. (I recommend a bare minimum of 2 hours.)

At the CMH, you learn about human civilization in what is now Canada, dating back to the prehistoric era, up until modern times. You will see artifacts from Canada’s earliest groups of people, and up until more recent times.

A view of Ottawa from Canadian Museum of History
File ID 204913112 | © Rozalina Nenova | Dreamstime.com

There are some Canadian treasures, which any Canadian millennials and Gen Xers will remember seeing on TV when they were young.

While it’s fascinating for those of us who grew up in Canada, its very interesting for international visitors too.

There’s an IMAX theatre on site as well. If you’re in Ottawa with kids, then there’s also a really cool children’s museum attached to the museum that you’ll want to visit.

Pro Tip: From the museum, you can see a beautiful panoramic view of the city of Ottawa. Be sure to leave some time to take pictures before heading back.

2. Walk 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!)

walking from Quebec to Ontario on the Royal Alexandra Bridge
walking from Quebec to Ontario on the Royal Alexandra Bridge

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.

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.

Here are your options:

  • Option # 1: You can do a 45-minute guided tour of the Royal Canadian Mint (which I would recommend) and it can be booked on their website here.
  • Option # 2: Head to back Sparks Street for dinner
  • Option # 3: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) or the Canadian Museum of Nature.

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.

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.

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

Outside of 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.

You can do a 30-minute guided tour the inside (free of charge) if you’re interested.

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.

Pro Tip: If your 3rd day in Ottawa happens to fall on a Thursday, then entrance to the Canadian Museum of Nature is free of charge between 5-8 pm.

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
Sparks Street
File ID 267379096 | © Caubaydon | Dreamstime.com

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.
  • 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 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.)

ottawa

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
  • Visit the Diefenbunker Cold War Museum, which is just 20 minutes outside Ottawa
  • 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 an 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. 

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.