Where to stay in Ottawa

See

The primary attraction for most visitors is Parliament Hill Parliament Hill is in the middle of downtown Ottawa, overlooking the Ottawa River. Not only is the building a fine example of the Gothic revival style, it makes an excellent starting point to visit all other points of interest in the area.

• Parliament Hill
• Bank of Canada Currency Museum
• Bytown Museum
• Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
• Canada Aviation and Space Museum
• Canadian Museum of Nature
• Canadian War Museum
• Carleton University Art Gallery
• Cumberland Heritage Village Museum
• Diefenbunker — Canada's Cold War Museum
• Laurier House National Historic Site
• National Gallery

Do

• The National Arts Centre
• The Great Canadian Theatre Company
• Ottawa Little Theatre
• GigSpace
• Rideau Skateway
• Mooney's Bay Ski Centre
• Winterlude
• Maple Syrup
• Vanier Museopark Sugar Shack
• The Tulip Festival
• International Film Festival of Ottawa
• Ottawa Black Film Festival

Drink

The most popular bar areas are in the Byward Market, along Wellington Street in Westboro, along both Elgin Street and Bank Street between Somerset and Gladstone in the Centretown area, and further south on Bank. There are pubs and bars scattered throughout the city as well. You can also take a small trip over the Ottawa river to Gatineau. Bars in both Ottawa and Gatineau close at 2AM (even though the rest of Quebec has a last call of 3AM). Quebec has a lower minimum age to purchase alcohol (18, vs. 19 in Ontario) and sells beer in corner stores. Ottawa police often set up checkpoints near the bridges to catch drunk drivers returning from Quebec after closing time.

Stay safe

Ottawa is a very safe place to live and visit, so if you use common sense it is at least as safe as any other city. There are many tourists in the city, especially in summer months, and there are very few incidents of robbery or assault. Exercise caution and common sense after dark or when traveling alone; instances of harassment and (very rarely) unprovoked violence have occurred to locals and travellers alike. There have been incidents on buses and at transit stations of violence and swarmings/robberies, even during daytime hours. OC Transpo has hired new constables and placed plainclothes security and cameras on select buses and trains to counter the problem.