Printable View
hey everyone in ottawa-i am taking a road trip in the summer with my hubby have never been to ottawa -any tips on what i should see other than the war museum ,science tech musuem,parliment buildings -any trails -waterfalls to see or nice restaraunts -doesnt have to be fancy -remember i am a smart canuck too-any tips much appreciated-thanks in advance
There are lots of hiking and cycling trails around if you're into that kind of stuff. Check out the NCC website (canadascapital.gc.ca) for maps and directions... There is, for example, a fabulous trail running along the bottom of the cliff at Parliament Hill. Also, you may want to take some time to head over to Gatineau Park on the Quebec side... lots of fabulous trails and stuff there!
For waterfalls, there is Rideau Falls and also Hog's Back Falls, both of which should be searchable on the NCC site. The Governor General's residence is also supposed to be neat to see... I went once during winterlude, but don't know what regular activities are on there.
I hope you have an awesome time :) Feel free to message me if you have any questions
Actually, unless you have specific interests (hobbies, foods, activities) in why you're travelling, it's difficult to give you any specific advice. Having said that, if you don't mind not having all the amenities of a fancier hotel like gyms and attached restaurants, I'd suggests you look at the cheaper motels that aren't in the downtown core. Ottawa isn't that big a town and driving anywhere doesn't take that long, especially if you're on vacation and don't get caught up in rush-hour traffic.
To save on parking if you want to go downtown, you can park your car at a transit park & ride and take the bus downtown, but that's only available on weekends, as the park & rides get full early in the morning with commuters getting to work. If you'll be staying in Ottawa in the week, some of the motels have bus routes that go downtown so you can leave your car at the hotel and jump on the bus. Street parking downtown is free on Sundays, but the popular areas, as you'd expect, you might search a long time before you find a spot.
As for restaurants, well, just like anywhere, the trendy ones are expensive and you need a reservation. Having said that, I would suggest you try Cora's for breakfast (there are several in Ottawa). The more expensive options in their menu can make you last until supper time. Try The Works for hamburgers. The menu for toppings alone makes for a great souvenir (over 100). It's also open for lunch. Then you have areas that cater to specific cuisine like Little Italy for italian food. Close by is Chinatown, where vietnamese restaurants are starting to predominate. My favourite is New Mee Fung on Booth Street. The decor is really awful, but it makes up in the quality of the food and it's not expensive. For seafood, Lapointes have 4 locations in the area and the meals can be expensive or cheaper depending on what you have. The fish & chip starts at $12 and goes all the way to fish plates at $30.
Apart from that, outside the downtown core, you'll find the same chain restaurants as other cities, everything from McDonalds and diners like Denny's, to more expensive places like Red Lobster, Kelsey's, and Montanas.
Do you know which timeframe yet? Hands down BEST restaurant I have been to is the Wellington Gastropub. Amazing food, it is pub style decor and informal, but the food is definitely five star.
War museum has recently been re-done and encompasses everything to do with Canada's involvement in war. I would highly recomend seeing it. Changing of the guard at parliment I think happens on the weekends at 10, but I haven't been in a long time. That is worth seeing too.
Chateau Laurier was created by of Charles Hays (in the paper this week because he died on the Titanic). You can go to have tea, or lunch there. I didn't find it too expensive, and the history in that building is insane. They have pictures along the halls of all the famous people who stayed there. A neat piece of history if you like that.
Museum of Nature also has been redone, it's beautiful, but I find small in comparision to other nature museums. The walking trails are great, if you have bikes you can literally tour the city on bike paths.
Museum of Civilization is pretty cool, but look to make sure you are interested in the exhibits before going. The I-max is fun.
Leave the car at the hotel. :) If you have a more specific timeframe, there are concerts, festivals, events...Ottawa is great.
The ByWard Market has lots of stores , vendors and restaurants. There is an online website for the ByWard Market on whats there and whats happening. Also stores like supermarkets have free books by the front with things to do in Ottawa.
If you are willing to drive an hour south of Ottawa, there is Upper Canada Village which is always a nice sight to see :)
thank you every one for all the tips- i am making a list of places and restarants i wish to see or visit
Hi,
A few dining tips:
1. One of the best restaurants in Ottawa is Play Food and Wine. This restaurant is the affordable sister restaurant to Beckta Dining and Wine and these are two of the best Ottawa has to offer. Play serves "small plates" which is like large tapas.
At lunch time, Play offers 2 dishes for $20 per person..a very great deal for the delicious food. Sharing 4 plates gives you the variety to taste the various dishes for an affordable price. Check out the reviews on Urbanspoon--you won't be disappointed. Reservations are usually required..located at 1 York Street.
2. Best Vietnamese restaurant is Houng's Vietnamese Bistro at 343 Booth Street. Very affordable, fresh, quality food.
3. For a treat, Art-Is-In Bakery located at 250 City Center Drive Bay114 has the best breads and baked goods in Ottawa. The jalpeno/chive/cheddar loaf is 5 dollars and is about 2.5 feet long, 5-6 inches wide and is to die for! You will be addicted. There are other flavours as well...the dynamite one is amazing too and its just a plain white loaf. All the croissants are soo good.They have the best butter crossants in the city. I love the almond chocolate one myself. Check out pics and reviews on Urbanspoon! Chocolate walnut cookie is the best cookie I have ever had.
4. Gelato--oh my--you must go to Stella Luna Gelato Cafe located at 1103 Bank street. (on Urbanspoon, picture 11 is of me!) Favourite flavours: pistachio, ferrero rocher, mango, tiramisu, cafe, roasted almond...you can't go wrong and they let you taste as many flavours as you want before you make up your mind. You can get 3-4 different flavours depending on the size you get.
5. For All-you-can eat, there is a newish restaurant called Fusion House..it serves all you can eat dim sum and sushi among other dishes! Food is very fresh and tasty, the ambiance is nice, the service is hit or miss. Its $23.99 per person at dinner but includes softdrinks and dessert too. (not sure how much it is at lunch)
6. YKO Barbecue Charcoal BBQ Chicken is a hole in the wall that serves the best chicken in Ottawa. We usually order a whole chicken $15, and fried plantains $6, and couscous $6 for the two of us. there are a few other things on the menu such as goat and tilapia, salad, couscous etc. You can get the chicken spicy or medium and they cook it to order. It is mainly a take out place but there are about 6 tables. People come here for the chicken, not the ambiance. Finger lickin good !
7. For All you can eat fajitas, go to Lone Star Texas Grill on Mondays. It`s $19.99 per person. No where else serves such amazing fajitas! Free homemade chips and salsa.
Cheap places to visit:
1. Rideau Canal area, dow's lake...take a walk, rent a kayak or paddleboat... just beautiful outdoorsy fun
2. Experimental Farm gardens--free and the flowers are beautiful when in bloom. Nice to go for a walk and take pictures...there is a pond and a cute trail.
3. There are many art galleries in Ottawa, especially in the Westboroa area...you can spend an afternoon visiting a few of them and its free. Cube gallery, Orange, SAW, Wall Space. Obviously, if you like art then a visit to the National Art Gallery is a must.
4. If you like museums, there is pass for 9 museums that can be visited over 7 days for a very affordable price . $35 per person or $85 per family. Check the link here:
http://www.museumspassport.ca/museums
Best value for a hotel:
The Albert at Bay Suite Hotel is very close to downtown, close to the main bus routes. Best of all is the size of the suites. They are HUGE. Prices are usually from $105-$130 a night depending on the suite chosen. (march break was the priciest at $145) They all have a full kitchen so you can cook your meals and save a lot of money. Some of the suites even have 2 full bathrooms. Its like an apartment. This is amazing value for your money. When my BF and I want to get away but stay in the city, we always stay here. Suites are nicely furnished. Staff is nice.The hallways require updating. There`s 2 flat screen tvs..one in the living room and one in the bedroom. Highly rated on Tripadvisor. There is a breakfast place that is a 2 min walk across the street called The Scone Witch and it has an amazing weekend brunch (tip:get half devonshire cream and half of the spread) Restaurant is small so I usually call ahead and order, walk over and pick it up and bring it back to the hotel and plate it beautifully on the dishes.
Enjoy your visit!