The 15 Best Ottawa Tours & Canal Cruises

Ottawa: Bilingual Guided City Tour by Amphibious Bus - Where you’ll start at 44 Sparks St. and how to find the red kiosk

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,089 reviews · 1 hour · from $43Our pick

Ride an amphibious bus on Ottawa streets and the Ottawa River, with live bilingual commentary, great photo stops, and a quick 1-hour hit.

“The tour was excellent! We went because our 3 year old son loves busses and boats, so this was beyond ideal! We had an excellent time! Sara, our tour guide was exceptional, extremely knowledgeable and most importantly friendly and happy! I highly recommend this tour to anyone who is looking for a fun and quick way to see the highlights of Ottawa!”

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Ottawa: Sightseeing River Cruise

2.Sightseeing River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,585 reviews · 1h 30m · from $39

A 90-minute Ottawa River cruise on Paula D with live bilingual guide, big landmarks like Parliament and the Rideau Canal Locks, plus great photo angles.

“The sightseeing cruise was terrific with the very energetic and enthusiastic tour guide who did an excellent job of explaining key historical places along the Ottawa River.”

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Ottawa: Rideau Canal Cruise

3.Rideau Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,303 reviews · 1h 30m · from $41

Ottawa Rideau Canal 90-minute electric cruise from downtown for $41. Bilingual live narration and UNESCO views from Château Laurier to Dow’s Lake.

“I believe our guides name was Caleb although (if it’s a bad review my name is Greg) stuck in my head lol so I had trouble remembering if his real name was Caleb or Craig or something else. Hopefully if he reads this he knows it’s him! He was a lot of fun and very knowledgeable of the area. We really enjoyed the trip. It was a nice cruise along the canals with some fun stories. You don’t even feel the heat with that light breeze.”

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Ottawa: Hop-On Hop-Off Guided City Tour Pass

4.Hop-On Hop-Off Guided City Tour Pass

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,194 reviews · 1 day · from $33

Hop on Ottawa’s guided double-decker tour from Sparks St, see Parliament and ByWard Market, and hop off for museums and views.

“All of the tour guides were very informative. The bus was comfortable, a little breezy on the top deck!”

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Ottawa Boat Cruise – Rideau Canal Cruise

5.Ottawa Boat Cruise – Rideau Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,127 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $42

A 90 minute electric boat cruise on the Rideau Canal with live guide stories, big Ottawa landmarks, and calm, quiet views.

“Wendy is an excellent tour guide. Very relaxing and informative 90-minute cruise on the Rideau Canal.”

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Ottawa Boat Cruise – Paul’s Boat Line

6.Ottawa Boat Cruise – Paul’s Boat Line

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 918 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $40

A 90-minute Ottawa River cruise with bilingual narration, big-deck views, and special takes on Parliament Hill, Sussex Drive, and more.

“The trip duration listed on the website is 1 1/2hrs but this is a little deceiving as the boat runs over to Gatineau to pick up more passengers which takes time off the cruise so in duration the scenic tour is only 1 hr.”

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Ottawa City Tour by Land and Water

7.Ottawa City Tour by Land and Water

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 598 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $44

Ride a bus that turns into a boat on Ottawa and Gatineau. In one hour, see Parliament Hill, museums, markets, and river views.

“Excellent bi-lingual tour guide! Very informative and knowledgeable about the country’s history and places we saw.”

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Ottawa Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour

8.Ottawa Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 447 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $40

A guided Ottawa hop-on hop-off loop with 14 stops, big-window views, and photo stops at key landmarks like Rideau Hall and the Museum of Civilization.

“Simply a fun way to see the highlights without the responsibility of driving. Wendy was our guide ... she was fun and upbeat.”

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Ottawa: Haunted Night Walking Tour

9.Haunted Night Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 341 reviews · 1h 15m · from $23

Lantern-lit ghost stories in downtown Ottawa with cloaked guides. Hear Grant House and Château Laurier tales on a 75-minute walk.

“Nathan was a very engaging tour guide. Great stories and a different look at this beautiful city.”

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2-Hour Ottawa Express City Bike Tour

10.2-Hour Ottawa Express City Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 296 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $59Top rated

2-hour Ottawa Express city bike tour from 65 Sparks. Bikes, helmet, water, and a local guide to Rideau Canal, War Memorial, Parliament.

“We loved the tour!!!! Our guide Sparky was awesome! She made it interesting, easy, fun and enjoyable for my teenagers, daughters and husband. I fully recommend it!!!”

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Original Haunted Walk of Ottawa

11.Original Haunted Walk of Ottawa

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 284 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $25

Haunted Walk of Ottawa (1h15) near Parliament Hill. Lantern-lit ghost storytelling, stops at Rideau Canal, Château Laurier, and Bytown.

“Excellent tour. Very interesting and informative. Monica, our guide was an enthusiastic storyteller. Highly recommended.”

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Adventure Rafting on the Ottawa River

12.Adventure Rafting on the Ottawa River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 251 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $162

Whitewater rafting on the Ottawa River with OWL Rafting, small groups, included gear and BBQ lunch, plus a video of your ride.

“Just an all around great day , the trail mix was a little stale though lol 😂 but seriously the entire team was just fantastic. I’ll do it again but I will do the smaller raft and get the full experience now that I know what to expect.”

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