Top Activities on the Ground in Ottawa

The Rideau Canal links Canada’s capital—Ottawa—with majestic Lake Ontario. On this tour, cruise in comfort along the UNESCO World Heritage–listed waterway and admire sweeping views over top attractions including the Canadian Museum of Nature, Château Laurier, Dow’s Lake, and the National Arts Centre. Along the way, listen as your guide sheds light on centuries of colorful Canadian history.

See a new perspective on the Canadian capital—and enjoy a relaxed, hassle-free sightseeing experience—during this narrated boat tour along the Ottawa River. Choose a departure point and tour time that work best for you, find your preferred seat on the two viewing decks, and get comfortable. You can look out for sights ranging from Parliament Hill to Nepean Point, all while learning more from the bilingual commentary.

Explore Ottawa like a local on this guided biking tour. See the major landmarks of the country's capital and learn about its history. Travel safely along pathways, so you won't have to worry about traffic or traversing busy roads. Plus, you can upgrade to an e-bike to navigate even easier.

This small-group bike tour is perfect for families and those wanting a safe and leisurely way to see Ottawa. Most of the route is on designated bike paths or quaint backroads that take you to some of Ottawa’s cultural and natural highlights. See Rideau Hall, cycle the Rideau Canal path, plus see the War Memorial, Byward Market and more. Stop along the way to learn more about certain locations and get local tips from your guide.

Enjoy a role-playing scavenger hunt experience that encourages people to step outside, solve the murder mystery and build connections with long-lasting memories. The Murder Mystery in Ottawa is an interactive game/activity where you are guided by the Questo mobile app through a set of locations in Ottawa, while stepping in the shoes of the story's main character. At each location, you will follow directions and solve very fun puzzles, riddles, and cryptic codes that will unfold the story and guide you to the next location. Designed to be enjoyed on foot, this experience is ideal for exploring the city on a romantic date, a family outing, or as a team-building activity. During the activity, you will also visit popular and hidden places in Ottawa while learning fun stories about them. This is a storytelling experience just as much as it is a role-playing scavenger hunt.

Take full advantage of winter with this unique experience in the second most visited park in Canada. Join Aventure Outaouais for an awesome starlight guided snowshoeing adventure in the Gatineau Park to an charming wood shelter in the heart of the park where a nice warm dinner will be prepared by your guide on the wood stove and served in the warmth and the tranquility of this beautiful and historical shelter. The journey itself is considered moderate in difficulty with 6.5 km (round-trip) in length. But don't let that bother you. With the help of a trained and experienced guide, you will be assisted through this fun adventure and given lots of pro tips. We provide all the training and equipment (snowshoes or crampons, hiking poles, and head lamps) to make it to the shelter and back. This round-trip trail should take around 3 hours to complete, including 1 hour to rest and eat at the shelter. This really is once a must do winter activity in the National Capital Region.

The Best Way to Discover Ottawa: Scavenger Hunt & Self-Guided Tour. Play, learn, and walk! Explore at your own pace with a 100% self-guided activity. Start anytime (24/7) with no guides or schedules. Pause for a photo with the giant spider statue at the National Gallery or a stroll by the National War Memorial and resume whenever you're ready—even the next day. This unique team-building activity is perfect for couples, families, and groups. The "Complete City" Package - Everything you need in one app: Interactive Game: Solve puzzles and discover 10+ major attractions, plus hidden gems revealed along the way. Learn the history/legends of each site. Insider Tips: Access hand-picked local restaurant and shop recommendations. What you will visit: Parliament, Centennial Flame, The National War Memorial, The Famous Five, Rideau Canal, Major’s Hill Park, Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, Royal Mint, National Gallery, and the Champlain Statue.

Choose your own itinerary during this self-guided tour of Ottawa via bicycle. Pedal your way through the city like a local, using the provided map to reach the sites that most interest you. Safe and scenic bike paths keep you away from car traffic and let you see the green areas of the region.

Experience the beauty and history of Ottawa on a half-day bike tour in and around the city. See the major attractions and must-see sites while enjoying the natural pathways and waterways of Canada’s capital city.

Explore Ottawa— your way—on this self-guided half-day bike tour. Consult the provided map to discover where you want to explore and then spend the day biking along the paths of your choice. Choose from a variety of bike models (including the option to upgrade to a version with electric assistance) and get professionally fitted for your bike to ensure you get the experience you want.

Escape the city and soak up the summer vibes with our ultimate lazy river adventure from Ottawa and Gatineau. Drift along the gentle Coulonge River for relaxing fun, with plenty of time to swim, sunbathe, and enjoy the ride. End your day with a delicious barbecue lunch on a white sand beach and channel your inner lumberjack with outdoor axe throwing.

Experience the beauty and history of Ottawa on a bike tour in and around the city. Explore some of the city's trendiest and most vibrant neighborhoods and get a sense of local life as you travel through Centretown, the Glebe, and Hintonburg among others. On route, see all the major sites while enjoying the natural pathways and waterways of Canada’s capital city, and enjoy a snack as you travel.

The Canadian Tulip Festival celebrates the return of spring, with over a million displays of tulips planted throughout our city in May. Capture spectacular views of the tulips and discover their colorful beauty along with other hidden gems and the history of the city on a bike tour. In addition to the Tulip site at Dow's Lake, you will visit Rideau Canal, Landsdowne Park, the Glebe, Little Italy and much more.

Zombie Scavengers in Ottawa challenges your team to survive a zombie apocalypse! The game instructs you to find a variety of items to survive the apocalypse anywhere in the city you'd like via an app. Get points for finding survival items (in any order you want) and participating in exciting zombie themed tasks. Plan your survival adventure carefully in order to get the most points to survive! A remote host will be following along (virtually) and help if you need it via chat. Come survive with us in Ottawa today!

Add some excitement to your Ottawa trip with this bar crawl scavenger hunt. An easy app-led adventure, this experience takes you on a journey to explore landmarks and hidden gems, tackle trivia questions, and complete challenges with your team or in a friendly competition. Immerse yourself in learning new facts and creating memories. Plus, each player selects an interactive role with personalized challenges, so everyone can feel engaged during the journey.

Celebrate the magic of the season this year with Holly Jolly Hunt. Holly Jolly Hunt is an app based scavenger hunt that you can play anywhere of your choosing. Explore the city and look for holiday related items, both traditional and not so traditional. Take a photo through the app to score points for your scavenger hunt team. Perform fun, holiday challenges that will bring laughter to your team. See your score on the leaderboard compared to other teams from all over. Holly Jolly Hunt is guaranteed to provide lasting holiday memories. Whether you play with friends, family, or even co-workers, Holly Jolly will put a smile on your face for the rest of the year!

Explore the best of Ottawa without the structure of a guided tour when you embark on this scavenger hunt led by a smartphone app. Solve clues, complete challenges, and answer trivia questions to gain points and complete the game, all while discovering the top landmarks of the Canadian capital.

Let Let’s Roam lead the way as the premier app-driven adventure squad! Wander through iconic landmarks and discover hidden gems while tackling trivia questions and overcoming challenges. Whether you’re collaborating with your crew or igniting some friendly competition, every moment brings fresh knowledge and unforgettable adventures. Let’s Roam Adventure Hunts are the ultimate in everyday excitement, perfect for bachelorette bashes, birthday blowouts, corporate team-building extravaganzas, and beyond! Each participant selects a dynamic role, with personalized challenges ensuring thrills for everyone involved.

Using your smartphone, you'll be given an app to download and a starting location. Once you arrive at the starting location, you'll send a text to check in and get your game setup on the app. From your starting location, also known as your Home Base, the app will lead you from checkpoint to checkpoint around the city to collect clues and solve puzzles. Once you've completed all 3 quests, you'll come back to your Home Base and solve a final puzzle. The objective is to have fun, score the most points, and correctly solve the final puzzle! You are not alone. You will have a remote guide that is just a call or text away that can help throughout your adventure!

Operation City Quest of Ottawa lets your team discover the city in a fun and different way. Our app will instruct you to find a variety of items throughout the city in any order you'd like, and do funny challenges, for points! See your points stack up to others during the game on the app's ranking feature. All scavenger hunts come with a remote guide to help you via chat. Come compete with us in Ottawa.

Whether you’re a first time visitor to Ottawa or a regular, this scavenger hunt is a fun and active way to spend a few hours. You’ll be sent a series of clues and challenges to complete via an app. Run around the city trying to gather points and seeing the sights while you’re at it. Gather your friends or family for a few hours of fun.