How to spend a great winter getaway in Ottawa
Ottawa often gets a bad reputation for being a boring bureaucratic city only worth going to for a day trip. However, for those who like smaller and laid-back cities, visiting Ottawa might just be your perfect weekend getaway to get out of your busy 9-to-5 life.
This article will give you plenty of tips for Things to do in Ottawa in winter. Also, I will give you the best winter activities in Ottawa.
Ottawa is only 2 hours drive from Montreal so it's an easily accessible destination. In fact, the hubby studied at his University there, so he knows the city like the back of his pocket. This is the first time that we have actually spent more than 2 days in the city doing sightseeing, especially in winter!
So tag along with us on this winter wonderland trip!
Things to do in Ottawa in winter
Yes, Canadian winters are cold, but this should not be a reason not to visit during this time, in fact, there are plenty of outdoor and indoor activities. The trick to surviving the cold? Dress in layers!
If you are going during the holidays, I will suggest doing Christmas-y activities. Because who doesn’t like to get into the holiday spirit while travelling? This is the best way to kick-start the winter season!
Outdoor winter activities
Ottawa Christmas market
This year, Ottawa had its first European market type, located at the Casino Lac-Leamy Plaza at Lansdowne. The market is small with only 20 stalls giving it a cozy atmosphere, it feels like a tiny version of German markets. You can read all about the market in my other blog post.
THE MUSEUM’S CHRISTMAS MARKET
The History Museum has a small Christmas market featuring more than 80 exhibitors. It has everything from delicious treats to handmade crafts. The museum is a must-see, I will elaborate more on that later. The market runs on the last weekend of November. This is a great place to buy souvenirs or Christmas ornaments.
Christmas Lights Across Canada
This is a holiday tradition that has been running for more than 35 years. Lights Across Canada is a multimedia show projected on Parliament Hill buildings. The projection runs for the whole month of December. There are short projections, only 15 minutes, so don’t worry about the cold. The projection displays Canada's history and culture. This is a free activity that runs continuously from 6 pm to 11 pm nightly.
Ice Skating
Ice skating is a must activity in any Canadian winter and it sure can be romantic. Ottawa has some great rinks, but none are as great as ice skating on the Rideau Canal skateway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site! In the peak of winter, the Rideau Canal freezes leaving a 7.8 km track of groomed ice. The Guinness World Records designates it as the world’s largest skating rink. You can rent skates, get warm by drinking hot chocolate and of course, eat a classic Beaver Tail. You can glide away in the canal 24 hours a day. You can skate on the canal when it totally freezes, around mid-January to the beginning of March, it all depends on the temperature.
The city has many great ice-skating rinks such as the Sens Rink of Dreams inside the Ottawa city hall, The Governor General’s Skating Rink, and the Skating Rink at Lansdowne Park. There is also a new skating trail in Gatineau Park “Forest at Lac des Loups”.
Hiking
Reconnect with nature in the beautiful Gatineau Park. The park is located only 15 minutes from downtown and it offers more than 165 kilometres of trails. Whether you are hiking, cross-country skiing, fat biking or snowshoeing, you will have a great time out in the snow! The Jack Pine Trail and The Dominion Arboretum are other great parks to go out and enjoy the fun.
Ottawa Winterlude
This is the greatest winter festival held in Ottawa and maybe in Canada. It takes place during almost all of the month of February. Winterlude lasts for three weekends, usually the first three weekends in February.
The tradition has run every year since 1979. This free annual event has everything from ice sculptures, parties, live performances and more! This is the place to be in Winter.
The majority of the events take place along the Rideau Canal Skateway. The second site is the Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau. The park has ice slides and snow sculptures and also hosts numerous events and activities for kids. The third site is Confederation Park, renamed for the festival as the Crystal Garden. The park hosts the ice sculpture competition, the ice lounge and musical concerts. Right beside this place is the Marion Dewar Plaza at City Hall has skating shows, DJ dance parties and interactive art displays.
In conjunction with Winterlude, there are several races in different places. The Gatineau Loppet, an internationally recognized cross-country ski race, there is also the Winterlude Triathlon. And finally, the most popular race is the Ice Dragon Boat Festival.
Pro travel tip: Winterlude is the prime winter activity and hotels hike their prices and may sell out. You have been warned ;)
Indoor activities
Ottawa’s forte is its museums. Yes, I’m a museum lover, so museums are always high on my list of things to do. But Ottawa has some of the best museums in Canada! Here are my favourites. They always have great exhibitions in addition to the permanent ones. Ottawa has a total of seven world-class museums. The other museums are the Canada Science and Technology Museum, Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, and the Canadian War Museum. On top of the museums, the city also has multiple art galleries.
Pro tip: If you are planning to visit several museums, I would suggest buying Canada’s Capital Museums Passport, which allows entry to 3 museums over 3 days for a flat fee. Also, during the second week of January, most museums are closed for cleaning and reorganizing. So keep this in mind when planning your trip!
National Gallery of Canada
This is a must! You can easily recognize the museum with its giant bronze spider sculpture at the entrance. The building itself is an award-winning architecture. The building has interior gardens, spacious galleries, and the luminous Great Hall will make you want to stay there for a while. The Canadian and Indigenous Galleries are some of the must-do galleries along with the photography ones. The whole museum has more than 1,100 art pieces from across the country and the centuries.
Canadian Museum of History
Another museum in which its building is an architectural masterpiece. This is Canada’s largest museum and offers an insight into the country’s history. If you want to understand Canada’s history, this is the perfect place. You will see historical artifacts, art, and everything from the arrival of the Europeans to America to the millennial tradition from First Peoples. Besides the temporary exhibits, there is the CINÉ+ theatre.
While in the museum, don’t forget to step outside for great views of the Ottawa River, Parliament Hill and the Chateau Laurier.
Canadian Museum of Nature
This is another museum that has a beautiful building, unlike a modern architectural piece, this looks like a castle! Like any natural museum, it has great animal skeletons, here you can admire the skeleton of the largest animal, the 19-metre skeleton of a blue whale. The Arctic gallery has projections on Ice depicting life on the great white north.
However, my favourite activity in the museum is the Nature Nocturnes! Every last Friday of every month, the museum turns into a party, I felt like I was spending the night in the movie, A Night at the Museum. Of course, without the T-Rex running around for its bone. This is a great way to visit a museum, with music to dance it off. For that night, the museum set up multiple dance floors and you can visit all exhibits (including special exhibits that you would normally pay extra for).
Each event has a different theme. When we went during the month of November, the theme was Fire and Ice, we were encouraged to dress in those colours.
We were surprised to see that the crowd (mid-twenties, the thirties) put effort into dressing, some looked like they were going to prom. I almost felt underdressed with my regular old jeans and sweater.
The Parliament
If you are political smart pants, then a guided visit to the parliament buildings is a must. Did you know that Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy?
Parliament Hill is a collection of buildings that primarily hold the Canadian Senate as well as the House of Commons. The buildings are built under the Gothic revival style, giving a unique style. I personally think that if the wizarding world of Harry Potter had a Canadian Hogwarts, it would look like this!
The hill, as locals called it, is undergoing a major renovation. The House of Commons is in this “new temporary building” and it looks beautiful. I hope they will keep the new design after their 10-year renovation.
If you want to continue with your political tour, your next stop could be the Rideau Hall. This historic site is home to Canada's Governor-General.
A few minutes from downtown Ottawa, you can visit the Rideau Hall. This is the official residence and workplace of the governor-general. This is a 175-room mansion that is a National Historic Site of Canada, dating back to 1867.
Where to eat and drink in Ottawa?
With all this sightseeing you must be wondering where to go eat. I know this is my number one preoccupation when I travel. If you are looking to splurge, then I would suggest visiting one of the Chateau Laurier restaurants.
Ottawa farmers market
The Ottawa Farmers Market is a must-do! Located next to the Ottawa Christmas market, the farmers market is your foodie stop. You can buy fresh veggies and meat, but you also have handcrafted products and numerous food stands, you have over 100 vendors to choose from. We had falafels from The Falafel Guys and they were delicious! They were made with traditional Syrian bread, and flatbread cooked in their Saj oven. This was a delightful twist from the traditional pita, making it moister, and giving it a whole different taste. I would recommend eating there! You should read their story, it’s the story of Syrian refugees recently resettled in Canada.
Byward market
One of the oldest and largest farmers’ markets in Canada. This is a great place to grab a quick lunch and enjoy an iconic Beaver Tail (no, you are not eating an actual beaver, it's just fried dough). Don’t forget to see the vendors outside for a great find. The market was visited by Obama on his trip to the Canadian capital, you will see his photos eating cookies and other specialties around the market. After grabbing lunch, take a walk around the eclectic neighbourhood that surrounds it, Ottawa’s entertainment district. It has countless restaurants, coffee shops and boutiques.
Pure Kitchen
If you are vegan or vegetarian, this is the place for you. Here, you can enjoy burgers, bowls, salads and more. This is a chain that has four locations across Ottawa, we tried the one on popular Elgin Street. After dinner, go for drinks in the bar upstairs, The Charlotte, which has a tropical flair.
SIDEDOOR restaurant
The restaurant has a great combination of Asian flavours, with its salads, curries, and more. Portions are small and great for sharing; you can order around 5 plates for 2 so you can try as many plates as you wish! I loved the curry beef!
Craft Beer
Sure, the craft beer wave arrived in Ottawa during the last 10 years and it has more than a dozen bars to taste local flavours. We tasted 2, Flora Hall and Lowertown Brewery. Flora Hall is located in Centertown right at the edge of the Glebe neighbourhood. This is a quirky and artsy neighbourhood. The brewery is located in a reconverted garage that kept its original charm. Lowertown Brewery is in the heart of the Byward hood and celebrates its rich history dating back to the logging business in the area.
Andaz Hotel
On the 16th floor of the Andaz Hotel, there is a great bar, the Copper Spirits and Sights. The drinks are only topped with the best views of the Ottawa skyline. After all, the building is one of the tallest buildings in the city. You can take great pictures of the Parliament, the main photographic building of the city.
The hotel has a renowned restaurant, feast+revel, which offers a farm-to-table menu, infused with Canadian cuisine specialties. It's on our list for our next visit!
Where to stay in Ottawa?
We stayed in the modern Andaz hotel. The hotel belongs to the Hyatt chain, but their boutique hotel is modern, and creative and has beautiful rooms and sleek designs. Can the designers redecorate our apartment? The hotel is in the Byward Market which makes it a great location, in the middle of everything. They offer complimentary snacks such as award-winning squares from local chocolatier Hummingbird, delicious!
If you have the budget, you can also eat or stay at the Fairmont Château Laurier.
Winter day trips from Ottawa
NORDIK SPA-NATURE
Who doesn’t love to relax at the spa to forget all job responsibilities? The Nordik spa is located 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa and offers a Scandinavian spa experience. Yes, you will be bathing outside, in the cold, but the very hot pools will make you forget the cold, in fact, you will want to step outside and take a cold bath to reset. The spa is great to do while the snow falls. This is the largest outdoor spa in North America with its 9 saunas, 4 cold baths, and numerous pools and chalets. This is the perfect half-day trip to finish your weekend getaway in Ottawa.
Parc Omega
For those who have been following my trips, you know that I absolutely love wildlife watching. If you are like me, Parc Omega might just be the place for you! Parc Omega lets you see Canadian Wildlife from the comfort of your car. It's like a safari. The animals are well taken care of. To read more about it, head to my other blog post. the park is open year-round, and each season is a different experience.
Practical tips
How to dress?
This is a KEY component to enjoying a good time in the city in winter. These tips will save your butt, you can thank me later!
You MUST pack the following items:
Tank top will be your initial layer, you will tuck it into your pants so no wind can go through your waist.
Sweaters, big or thin. Whatever you prefer, you are better off dressing in layers than having a very thick sweater that will make you sweat instantly. Think that you will need to peel off layers inside.
Tights or leggings, you will use these underneath your pants. I will recommend wearing think jeans.
Jacket, a cute fall jacket won’t do the trick. You need a heavy waterproof coat that will protect you from the wind, snow and rain. If you don’t have an appropriate winter jacket, GO BUY ONE!
Insulated and water-resistant shoes are a must. There is nothing worse than having your feet wet when it's -15°C. I like my boots to go mid-calf. Feeling cold at your ankles is a real feeling that you might have never experienced. #thestuggleisreal Good shoes are a must!
Tuques (winter hats) scarves and mittens are a must! Mittens are warmer than gloves since all your fingers are together and you will generate heat.
Get lip balm and cream, your lips and hands will thank me.
GETTING AROUND OTTAWA
Ottawa is a very walkable city; I would recommend walking to all your activities.
Public transportation is also available, there are buses and the brand-new Light
The Rail Transit system is known as the Confederation Line. I would recommend buying the OC Transpo DayPass for $10.75 CDN which gives you unlimited travel on the city’s transit system for a whole day.
You can take taxis, Uber and Lyft to go around. Ottawa is a city that is VERY close to Gatineau, a town in Quebec, so you cannot go from one province to another in Uber. So, keep this in mind
Getting in and out of the city
Ottawa is easily accessible from other major Canadian cities like Toronto and Montreal. You can arrive by car, train or bus from the U.S. as well.
The city has an international airport, Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier and two smaller regional airports Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport, and Ottawa/Carp Airport. One last tip, if you are taking a plane to leave the city, you might have a chance that your flight might be delayed because of the snow. Take this into consideration for your travel planning.
CURRENCY
The currency is the Canadian Dollar, the sign is $. The dollar can be easily found abroad at any currency exchange office. Credit and debit cards are accepted everywhere.
TIPPING
It is customary to tip around 15% of the final price. If you are horrible at math like me, you can sum the 2 taxes and it will give you a ballpark amount of what you have to tip. Not mandatory but tipping house cleaners at the hotel is a nice gesture.
POWER
The voltage in Canada is 110 Volt, the same as in the U.S.
Are you looking for other Canadian travel guides? Then head over here.
BRB acknowledges that Ottawa is built on un-ceded Anishinabe Algonquin territory. The peoples of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation have lived on this territory for millennia. Their culture and presence have nurtured and continue to nurture this land. The City of Ottawa honours the peoples and land of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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Disclaimer: This was a press trip organized by Ottawa Tourism Board. As always, all opinions are our own.
The photo credits of the Rideau Canal and the Gatineau Park belong to the Ottawa Tourism Board. All rights reserved.
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