Self-Guided Walking Tour of Ottawa’s Top Attractions
Walking Around Ottawa - Why Visit Ottawa?
In addition to being Canada’s capital, Ottawa, Ontario, is a beautiful city that is well-designed for walking. During a summer 2022 trip to Ontario, I decided to spend a full day taking a self-guided walking tour of Ottawa.
I chose to go on a self-guided walking tour after doing some research about Ottawa’s main attractions. Since almost all of the top sights are located within a few square kilometers of each other, it seemed like a marathon day walking around Ottawa was the right choice.
Being a global studies teacher, Ottawa had always interested me. Ottawa has a lot of British influence, and walking around Parliament Hill feels very similar to walking around the Westminster area of London.
I feel like I made a good choice not hiring a guide and instead taking a self-guided walking tour of Ottawa. Below, I will break down my entire route for anyone who would like to recreate it.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Ottawa - Table of Contents
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Getting Around Ottawa
Taking the O-Train is the easiest way to get around Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. During my visit, I did not want to stay in downtown Ottawa as the hotels were priced extremely high. I opted to stay with walking distance of St. Laurent Station and take the O-Train into the downtown area.
A single ticket for the O-Train costs C$3.70. For visitors who are taking multiple rides, a day pass can be purchased for C$11.25.
During my visit, I typically took the O-Train from St. Laurent to either Lyon or Parliament station. From there, I was able to walk and see the sights of Ottawa. To get back to my hotel, I would get back on the O-Train at Rideau Station.
I highly recommend using the O-Train to get around Ottawa instead of dealing with trying to park a car in the downtown area of the city.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Ottawa - Ottawa River Pathway
The Ottawa River Pathway is over 20 miles of trails that follow the shoreline of the Ottawa River. I figured this trail was the perfect place to start my self-guided walking tour of Ottawa. The Ottawa River Pathway is part of the Trans-Canada Trail, which connects the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans by a pedestrian path.
After getting off the O-Train at Lyon Station, I walked straight towards the Ottawa River until I met up with the Ottawa River Pathway.
It was about a mile hike to Parliament Hill, and I stopped to get a good photo from the Portage Bridge. Unfortunately, the Ottawa River Pathway was under major construction, and I had to take a detour that brought me onto Wellington Street. I chose to stay on Wellington Street and walk towards Parliament Hill instead of heading back to the Ottawa River Pathway after the detour.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Ottawa - Wellington Street
The Ottawa River Pathway’s detour took me around from the river towards Wellington Street. Wellington Street is the main road that passes by Parliament Hill. Rather than following the somewhat confusing detour, I chose to continue my self-guided walking tour of Ottawa on Wellington Street.
The first important building I walked past on Wellington Street was the Library and Archives of Canada, which is the 5th largest library in the world.
Just past the Library and Archives of Canada is St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. This church is the oldest presbyterian church in Canada and opened its doors in 1828.
As I walked down Wellington Street, I stopped to look at a 3-D model of Downtown Ottawa and enjoyed looking at the 13 banners that represented Canada’s ten provinces and three territories. My favorite banner was the Northwest Territories Banner.
As my self-guided walking tour of Ottawa headed towards Parliament Hill, I stopped to photograph the Supreme Court of Canada.
Next to the Supreme Court of Canada is the Confederation Building. In my opinion, this building is one of the most beautiful in Ottawa. Although the building once housed important departments of the Canadian Government, today, the Confederation Building is mostly used for offices for Canadian government officials.
Just past the Confederation Building, I caught my first good glimpse of Ottawa’s Parliament Hill.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Ottawa - Parliament Hill
Wellington Street is blocked off to motorized traffic in front of Parliament Hill. Instead of continuing down Wellington Street, I chose to turn left on Bank Street and enter the Parliament Hill Complex.
I entered the Parliament Hill Complex through the gate at the corner of Bank and Wellington. Although a large metal gate blocked cars from entering, pedestrians could walk into the complex on either side of the gate.
Once inside the Parliament Hill Complex, I walked up towards the West Block Building at stopped to take a photograph of a statue of Sir Robert Borden, who served as the Prime Minister of Canada during World War I.
Just past the statue, there was a great photo opportunity of the western facade of West Block. West Block is one of the three main buildings that make up Parliament Hill and is home of to the Canadian House of Commons.
At this point, I had a choice in which direction to continue my self-guided walking tour of Ottawa. I could either turn towards Centre Block or walk towards the Ottawa River.
I chose to walk towards the Ottawa River and, after walking up some steps, was provided with a great photo opportunity.
After taking a beautiful photo of the Ottawa River from the above-mentioned viewpoint, I retraced my steps and walked towards Centre Block.
Centre Block is the main building in the Parliament Hill Complex and is the most recognizable building in Canada. Inside this building is the Canadian Senate, as well as the offices of many of Canada’s most important government officials. During my visit, Centre Block was under a massive renovation project, which made it difficult to get a good photograph.
Located in front of Centre Block, almost to Wellington Street, is the Centennial Flame. This flame was originally intended to be a temporary monument but became permanent due to its massive popularity. The flame was originally designed to celebrate Canada’s 100th anniversary. Although the Centennial Flame burns most of the time, it is not an eternal flame as it has been shut down for maintenance and safety concerns.
From the Centennial Flame, I continued walking east towards East Block. East Block is the third main building in the Parliament Hill Complex and is home to the offices of many of the Canadian Parliamentarians.
To continue my self-guided walking tour of Ottawa, I exited the complex and walked up the street toward the Rideau Canal.
Before visiting the Rideau Canal, I stopped at the National War Memorial. The National War Memorial was dedicated in 1939 to those that died in World War I. The memorial was later changed to memorialize all Canadians that died fighting on behalf of Canada.
In 2000, the tomb of the Canadian Unknown Soldier was moved in front of the National War Memorial.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Ottawa - Rideau Canal
After leaving Parliament Hill, I continued walking toward the Rideau Canal. The Rideau Canal was built in 1832 to connect the Ottawa River to Lake Ontario after there was a threat of invasion by the United States. Today, the canal is mostly used for recreation and, in the winter, becomes the world’s longest ice skating rink.
Due to the extreme difference in elevation between the Rideau Canal and Ottawa River, it was necessary to build a series of locks to raise or lower boats that wanted to enter or exit the canal.
One of the best places to photograph the Rideau Canal’s locks is the top of Wellington Street. As I took the photo below, I was thrilled to see that a boat was using the locks.
As I walked down the steps to get a closer view of the locks, I could see a group of people had formed to watch the boat be slowly raised by the multiple locks. I asked one of the employees how much the locks cost, and his reply was a minimum of C$1 per each ten centimeters in length.
Opening and closing the locks are quite strenuous as they require the staff to open and close them by hand.
As I walked towards the Ottawa River and looked up towards the canal, I could clearly see why the locks were necessary. If the locks weren’t there, all of the water from the Rideau Canal would flow into the Ottawa River.
I continued walking down towards the Ottawa River until I reached the Ottawa River Pathway. After taking a photo of the Ottawa River, I retraced my steps and was back on Wellington Street.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Ottawa - Everything Else
Canada has a proud history of people who were indigenous to the area and honors them as Canada’s members of Canada’s First Nations. Below is a statue of Joseph Brant, a famous Mohawk Leader, and Warrior. This statue is located on Wellington Street near the viewing point for the Rideau Canal.
As I continued my self-guided walking tour of Ottawa, I photographed this First Nations Totem Pole near the Rideau Centre.
The Rideau Centre is a shopping complex that, in addition to lots of shopping, has a food court and access to the O-Train. It was quite hot during my visit to Ottawa, and I enjoyed taking a break sitting in the air-conditioned food court.
Before taking the O-Train back to my hotel, I wanted to see a few other sights that were within walking distance of the Rideau Centre. The first one was Ottawa’s Notre Dame Basilica. I have been inside both Paris’ Notre Dame (pre-fire) and Notre Dame – Montreal and wanted to go inside Notre Dame – Ottawa as well. Unfortunately, there was an event being held inside at the time of my visit, and I was unable to go inside the church.
Within viewing distance of Notre Dame – Ottawa is the National Gallary of Canada. Although I did not go inside, I did enjoy photographing the giant spider statue outside of the national gallery.
Before heading back to the Rideau Centre, I took one more photo of Notre Dame.
On the way back to Rideau Centre, I came across an interesting sculpture entitled “Our Shepards.” The sculpture was designed by Canadian artist Patrick Bérubé
Before arriving at Rideau Centre, I came across the Embassy of the United States of America. Being a US Citizen, I couldn’t help but take a photograph.
I then got on the O-Train and headed back to my hotel. In total, my self-guided walking tour of Ottawa took about six hours, and I felt like I was able to see everything that I wanted to.
Ottawa Tours and Packages
During my visit, I did not take any tours. I felt that I was able to see everything that I wanted to on my own without the help of a local guide. That being said, I know many people prefer to be led around by a local. Below are some tours of Ottawa that caught my eye. Please note that I am an affiliate of Viator, and if you purchase a tour using one of my links, I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
Prices are accurate as of June 2023.
 2-Hour Ottawa Express City Bike Tour - $60.28 Join our small-group, fun and leisurely bike tour that shows you the best of Ottawa in less time. Pedal your way around with our super comfortable bikes on scenic and safe waterfront bicycle pathways and on backroads of quaint neighbourhoods |
 Ottawa Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour - $34.28 Perfect for first-time visitors, this city tour is a well-rounded introduction to Ottawa's attractions, leaving you with time in the day free to explore the city on your own. |
 Ottawa City & Cruise VIP Day Tour - $107.77 * A historic sightseeing cruise aboard the Empress of Ottawa |
 Ottawa City Tour by Land and Water - $34.86 Experience the thrills of Ottawa and Gatineau from both land and water on an amphibious vehicle tour of Canada’s capital city. Board an “amphibus” to see Ottawa’s picturesque sites, including Parliament Hill (Colline du Parlement), the National Gallery of Canada (Musée des beaux-arts du Canada), ByWard Market (Marché By) and Sparks Street's National War Memorial Monument (Monument commémorative de guere du Canada). To get a comprehensive feel for the area on your one-hour tour, your bilingual guide will share humorous anecdotes as you cross the streets of Ottawa and Gatineau and float atop the waters of Ottawa River. |
 Adventure Rafting on the Ottawa River - $141.37 Medium intensity requires active paddling within your 10-person raft. Your guide is at the back of the raft steering with 9 foot oars. The oars provide increased precision and power for choosing the best line down the rapids. |
 Exploring the Heart of Ottawa - $133.67 We are the founders and curators of loveOttawa, a photographic social media project that celebrates Ottawa, along with its rich and dynamic community. |
 Ottawa Like a Local: Customized Private Tour - $46.24 Get to know the city through the eyes of a passionate local. With no set itinerary, you can customize the tour or leave it up to the local for an insightful introduction to the city. Make travel about the people you meet not just the places you see. With our walking tours, you’ll skip the mundane historical tours and discover the city through a local’s eyes. Experience a tour that will transform the way you travel to make it as much about the people you meet, as it is the places you see. Our local guides (Lokafyers) are passionate about their city and eager to share their knowledge and perspective. Since Lokafyers are not professional guides and tour occasionally, they provide an experience that’s authentic and personal, like a friend showing you around their city. By the end of the tour, you'll feel comfortable navigating the city and confident that you have all the information you need to make the most of your stay |
 Best of Ottawa Neighbourhoods & Nature Bike Tour - $68.24 This tour is a perfect blend of biking through Ottawa’s beautiful waterfront pathways and green scenery, visiting some of the city’s trendiest and vibrant neighbourhoods and stopping to capture some of the street and public arts. |
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