Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise
Ottawa, Canada
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
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.
- Cruise along the UNESCO–listed Rideau Canal with your guide
- Uninterrupted views over canal-side sites of interest including Château Laurier and Dow’s Lake
- Gain insight into Ottawa’s rich history and heritage
- The world's-largest, certified, 100%-electric, passenger vessel.
What's Included
- Guide
- All Fees and Taxes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K1P 5W1, Canada
Departures are on the National Art Center side of the canal We are located behind the National Art Center (1 Elgin Street). Right beside the 1 Elgin St Cafe. Directions: Below the Plaza Bridge (Rideau Street Bridge)
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Your adventure begins when you board your fully-electric passenger boat and set sail along the Rideau Canal.
Admire the sights of Dow's Lake and the Château Laurier as you cruise by. Discover amazing facts and untold tales as your guide takes you through centuries of vivid Canadian history.
Then, learn the tales of thirty historical locations that have influenced this city, such as the German and Armenian embassies, the University of Ottawa campus, and more. This voyage promises to be both a fascinating journey and a lot of fun. Take in the final view of the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Admire the sights of Dow's Lake and the Château Laurier as you cruise by. Discover amazing facts and untold tales as your guide takes you through centuries of vivid Canadian history.
Then, learn the tales of thirty historical locations that have influenced this city, such as the German and Armenian embassies, the University of Ottawa campus, and more. This voyage promises to be both a fascinating journey and a lot of fun. Take in the final view of the Canadian Museum of Nature.
1
Rideau Canal Cruises
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Canadian Museum Of Nature (Pass By)
National Arts Centre (Pass By)
2
Rideau Canal National Historic Site
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Lansdowne Park (Pass By)
Dows Lake Pavilion (Pass By)
Ottawa City hall (Pass By)
Rogers Centre Ottawa (Pass By)
Ottawa Locks (Pass By)
University of Ottawa (Pass By)
TD Place (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Please note- there is no rescheduling
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 95 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
SophiaGibbs_K
This was a highlight of our family vacation to Ottawa! Melody, our guide, was extremely engaging, friendly, and knowledgeable. The weather was beautiful but good to note is that since the boat has a covering, we would have been fine even if it had rained. Since we took the boat ride on our first day here, we were able to feel informed about the area for the rest of the trip.
Reviews
4.3
based on 1,127 reviews
Michele_R, Oct 2025
We had a wonderful time on the river cruise. Lily, our guide, did a great job. She was informative and personable.
It was a picture perfect day!
mccandlesm, Oct 2025
Great way to get background info on Ottawa, on the canal that brought it into existence. Restful as well.
Brandi_M, Oct 2025
Wonderful tour. Would recommend. Guide was knowledgeable and friendly. The tour was on time both leaving and arriving back. The location wasn't too bad to find despite others' feedback - we arrived early to make sure. The tour does let you off across the canal from where you board - but you just have to walk across the bridge to get back to where you started. We did sunset tour and it was lovely. Neat facts and a great explanation of canal and surrounding buildings. Our party of 5 all really enjoyed it.
Joseph_S, Oct 2025
The narrator was informative, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We had beautiful weather. Boat was quiet so we could have great conversations.
Amanda_S, Sep 2025
Saw a completely different side to Ottawa, beautiful, peaceful canal. Brillant commentary and comfortable journey
Eileen_A, Sep 2025
A nice way to spend an hour and a half. Tour guide very personable and helpful. Washroom and snacks available on board.
Janina_d, Sep 2025
It was a very nice trip and the guide Wendy was excellent, but I think it was a little expensive for what it was. Nevertheless, definitely a nice way to spend 90 mins and I appreciated the electric boat which was nice and quiet. I went back and walked part of the route along the canal the next day which was fun and I had new appreciation for the canal and bridges - never would have done that if I had not done the canal boat trip first.
Adam_S, Sep 2025
It was good enough. Tour guide was great but there wasn’t a lot to see. Just a cool ride on the canal
David_M, Sep 2025
Wasn’t very well identified for the start point due to lack of information on e- tickets. Name of the excursion wasn’t obvious A diagram of where to meet would be easier to understand as the street was so divided and finding number one was a mission.
kevin_n, Sep 2025
Tour guide provided lots of interesting information about the canal origins and the sites you see along the trip.
Ewen_M, Sep 2025
Well organized but the passengers should know in advance that they will be let off on the opposite side of the canal.
Julie_L, Sep 2025
Nice gentle ride on the Canal with good commentary. Electric boat cruise so very environmentally friendly! Shame that some people talked all the way through, made it difficult to hear at times!
Brenda_H, Sep 2025
Relaxing, informative....fun trip...prices right.
Thank you to Theo for his tour guiding....so friendly.
Kathryn_W, Sep 2025
Booking is straightforward and it is easy to find on Elgin Street. The guide is knowledgeable and gave information in English and French
Elizabeth_G, Sep 2025
We enjoyed the canal cruise! Beautiful weather and a wonderful guide. He took the time to meet every single passenger on the boat with a personal conversation.
Olga_V, Sep 2025
Fun trip with a lot of great information. We actually booked a different tour that leaves from a different location but missed that one. This company was willing to exchange our previous tickets from the other tour and use the them for this tour wo charging extra. This was both very surprising and extremely appreciated.
PaulHill, Sep 2025
Excellent guide and we thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Would recommend it to anyone visiting Ottawa in the near future
Igor_K, Sep 2025
Cold, rainy ... such tours should be taken in late Jun, Jul and early in Aug considering inclement weather in Ottawa.
With that said, the tour guide was very knowledgable and able to convey his knowledge to those who listened despite being a fairly young person without prior tour guiding experience.
Patel_S, Sep 2025
“A magical Rideau Canal cruise with my family—peaceful waters, breathtaking scenery, and unforgettable memories we’ll cherish forever.”
ryan_c, Aug 2025
Kind of a boring cruise, the boat is nice and comfortable. But the cruise is not entertaining and you really don’t get to see much going down the canal. Very expensive for what it is really. The value is just not there, kids will likely be bored (adults too)
Susan_P, Aug 2025
This was a very long ride for kids especially; wish it was shorter and not so costly. The guide was funny so that helped…didn’t appreciate expecting tip.
JJ_W, Aug 2025
Wendy was an amazing guide. Knowledgeable about all things Ottawa. She has a great sense of humor and she is patient with all questions.
Tina_C, Aug 2025
Wendy is an excellent tour guide. Very relaxing and informative 90-minute cruise on the Rideau Canal.
Luanne_T, Aug 2025
Relaxing! I needed this after a day of 13,000 steps. I sat in the front so as not to be distracted by other passengers. The tour guide could have interacted with the guests a bit besides scolding them. For example, she could ask where everyone was from.
Debra_G, Aug 2025
Confirmation from Viator had important details deep in the confirmation. Read all the fine print. Viator also changed the cruise time 5 min after the confirmation was received. Change sent via email & moved tour to 30 min earlier.
Jodi_B, Aug 2025
Our tour guide was very friendly and informative. It was a great way to get on the Rideau Canal. I was a little disappointed in what you actually see on the tour, but it was fun.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear costumer,
Thank you for your kind review, we truly appreciate you taking the time to do so! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed your experience with us. Feedback like yours means a lot and helps us keep improving.
We hope to welcome you back on board soon! If there’s ever anything we can do to make your next cruise even better, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
Thank you once again for choosing us!
Best regards,
Team Ottawa Boat Cruise
MarieJosee_S, Aug 2025
We had a great time and Lily the tour guide was awesome!!!! The captain Tyler and the bartender, which I forgot her name were the best!!!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear costumer,
Thank you for your kind review, we truly appreciate you taking the time to do so! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed your experience with us. Feedback like yours means a lot and helps us keep improving.
We hope to welcome you back on board soon! If there’s ever anything we can do to make your next cruise even better, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
Thank you once again for choosing us!
Best regards,
Team Ottawa Boat Cruise
Denice_D, Aug 2025
The ride through the canal was informative. The guide was knowledgeable and fun. The tour is in both English and French at the same time.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear costumer,
Thank you for your kind review, we truly appreciate you taking the time to do so! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed your experience with us. Feedback like yours means a lot and helps us keep improving.
We hope to welcome you back on board soon! If there’s ever anything we can do to make your next cruise even better, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
Thank you once again for choosing us!
Best regards,
Team Ottawa Boat Cruise
Rupa_N, Aug 2025
Great experience. We had a visitor who was lost and was afraid she was going to be late. When I asked the staff on shore, she was very helpful and told me how to lead her to the lineup. It was only later that I realised she had her husband in a wheelchair. Either way, it all worked out.
The tour guide, Ellen was amazing and knowledgeable. The ride was smooth and the scenery was beautiful.
Tyler was a great captain - smooth sailing.
Opportunity for improvement : we sat right near the bar. Emma wasn't very customer friendly. I asked for a drink - no cups. She quickly found a solution and gave me a coffee cup which was great. No smile, no etiquette - had her feet up on the table scrolling on the phone. They ran out of coke. Perhaps a bit more training.
Washroom was clean. Great experience overall. Bucket list checked off.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear Client,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us, we truly appreciate it. We're glad to hear that parts of your experience were enjoyable, and your kind words mean a lot to our team.
At the same time, we're sorry to learn that certain aspects did not fully meet your expectations. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. Your comments are important to us and help us continue to improve the quality of our service.
If you’d like to discuss your experience further, feel free to reach out to us directly at administration@ottawaboatcruise.com.
Thank you once again for choosing Ottawa Boat Cruise. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back on board in the future.
Best regards,
Team Ottawa Boat Cruise
Aved_B, Aug 2025
The boat tour was a relaxing cruise on the Rideau Canal. The highlight of the tour was Caleb (sic). He was very informative with a great sense of humour. The all electric boat was very quiet so we had no problems hearing Caleb.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear costumer,
Thank you for your kind review, we truly appreciate you taking the time to do so! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed your experience with us. Feedback like yours means a lot and helps us keep improving.
We hope to welcome you back on board soon! If there’s ever anything we can do to make your next cruise even better, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
Thank you once again for choosing us!
Best regards,
Team Ottawa Boat Cruise
From $41.97
per person-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
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