lional143

Hi All!

I will be in Ottawa tomorrow and the day after. Could you please tell some of the best places to see and things to do in Ottawa? I understand that the Tulip Festival and Parliament Hill tours are a few must-do's. But I dont know how the tulip festival works and if there are any particular gardens which need to be seen or are there tulips all over the city?

Also any suggestions about off-the-beaten-path things/places in Ottawa are highly appreciated!

Thanks so much!

umpalumpa

Tulips are in most of the well kept parks downtown and also Dows lake,byward Market is great for restaurants,deli's and fresh produce,and the famous beaver tail!
shopping at the Rideau centre and again Byward market is good

Souvy

I think the tulip festival finished a week ago.

The Byward market is always good for a poke-around, for an hour or two. I can't comment on the Parliament tour, having never done it. You could take a river cruise (not canal cruise) from down by the locks (next to the Chateau Laurier). I think the Museum of Civilisation is also pretty good but I've only seen bits of it. If you have wheels, cross the river and explore Gatineau Park. Maybe also follow the Gatineau River up to Wakefield. Gorgeous countryside and very different to the Ontario side.

Bear in mind that it is meant to piss down tomorrow and Friday.

JB0591

Do you have wheels?

I like the Aviation museum. There is lots of museums, the Diefenbunker is also out on the West side.

Atlantic Xpat

We were there two weeks ago and the tulips were about done then. I suspect there is little to see now.

+1 for Byward market and the river cruise.

I also wanted to go to the War Museum but that was less practical with a 3 year old and a 4 month old.

Souvy

The War Museum is good, although the unwary would not know that there are two bits to it. There is the main bit and another section where they have the tanks etc. I went there a couple of years with my son and realised that we hadn't seen the tanks. I knew they were there somewhere because that section is also used for receptions and I'd been to one. You could quite easily miss the best bit of the museum, if you didn't pay attention.

I've been talking with the museum. My family has something they want, badly.

Tangram

Parliament tour, 'History' museum, City tour bus, Natural History museum ??

I think that's what we did in a couple of days there ( and found a decent chinese restaurant too ).

We liked Ottawa.

umpalumpa

If you have young kids the science and tech museum is great but you will need wheels as its 15 mins drive from downtown Ottawa

Souvy

A bit off-topic but the background to the tulip festival is quite interesting. It's an ongoing thank-you from the Dutch. Canadians, particularly Canadian soldiers, are more than slightly popular in the Netherlands.

It's a bit like the Trafalgar Square Xmas tree (gift from Norway).

Atlantic Xpat

Yes, read some of that at the tulip festival t'other week.

ultrarunner

Also to add to the loot....museum of civilization, currency museum, gatineau park (I know it's across the river), calypso waterpark

Tangram

That was the one I was trying to think of.