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Ottawa City Highlights 3 Hour Walking Tour | Gratuity-Based

Recommended by 92% of travelers
Ottawa, Canada
Popular pick
Booked 10+ times last week!
  • 3 hours (approx.)
  • Group discounts
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.6
·
· Esperanza_E ·
Aug 2025
Our guide was wonderful, he gave us the exact amount of information about the places we visited, the history of the City, heroes, etc. He suggested some museum and landmarks we should visit. He was very kind and gave us a little break when we needed in the right place. Thank you very much!
· Raphael_E ·
Dec 2025
Lucky for me I was the only participant during my tour, so I got to ask a lot of questions and learn about Ottawa and Canada! Tro was a great guide - he told me a lot of history about Ottawa and the locations we went through. I liked how he pointed out his personal favourites (murals and sculptures) during the tour. Overall great experience.

Overview

    What's Included

    • Personable English, French or Spanish-speaking tour guide
    • Passionately researched local history
    • Recommendations for the best food, entertainment and nightlife
    • Introductions and discounts on must do experiences
    • Easy and direct route throughout Ottawa
    • Gratuities
      Our tour guides work for gratuities, and the fees paid here are booking fees

    Meeting and Pickup

    Meeting point

    • The National War Memorial
      Wellington St, Ottawa, ON K1P 5A4, Canada

      Meet at Confederation Square (The National War Memorial). Your guide will be holding a red umbrella by the War Memorial.

    End point

    • ByWard Market, Ottawa, ON K1N, Canada

      We end at the Ottawa city sign for a photo op, and a great place to shop, eat, and explore.

    Itinerary

    1

    Confederation Square

    15 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    2

    Confederation Park

    15 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    3

    Rideau Canal National Historic Site

    30 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    4

    Centretown

    15 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    5

    Centennial Flame

    15 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    6

    Fairmont Château Laurier

    15 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    Ottawa River (Pass By)

    7

    Major's Hill Park

    30 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    8

    ByWard Market

    30 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    Additional Info

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Stroller accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • Near public transportation
    • Most travelers can participate
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

    Cancellation Policy

    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

    Traveler Photos

    Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

    Reviews

    4.6
    based on 91 reviews
    Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

    Lovely walk

    Surabhi_S, Mar 2026
    Had a lovely tour this morning in Ottawa with Lee. He was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about the different historical sites in downtown. A few of his novice colleagues joined as well and it was a larger group of people, about 14 I think. We’ve done the free walking tours before as well in other cities and countries, it’s always a good time walking 3ish hours getting to know the place. Highly recommended!

    Response from Host, Mar 2026

    Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re glad you found the tour interesting and a great introduction to the city. Lee will be happy to hear you appreciated the curious details and hidden spots they shared with you. Hope to see you again soon!

    Brrr on parliament hill

    Sandra_D, Jan 2026
    probably not the best idea to walk around Ottawa on one of the coldest days in several years but ...it worked out for the best. Got to see the sights and experience the full complement of Canadian weather and friendliness

    Response from Host, Jan 2026

    Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your tour and found our guide friendly and knowledgeable. It's great that they could provide you with interesting anecdotes. We appreciate your support and look forward to welcoming you again soon!

    It was an amazing...

    Sunayana_S, Jan 2026
    It was an amazing experience. Lee, my tour guide was so knowledgeable and kept on telling bits and pieces of the history of this beautiful place, Ottawa. The best part was that he not only focused on the monuments and parks and installations on our tour, but really got us to know the person and the reason behind their existence... I loved my tour and would recommend it to people new to the city or even to those who live here.

    Response from Host, Jan 2026

    Thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that Lee made your experience so enjoyable with their professionalism, enthusiasm, and knowledge. It’s great to know you enjoyed exploring Ottawa and learning all the fascinating history and fun facts. Comfortable shoes are definitely a must for all that walking! We truly appreciate your recommendation and wish you safe and exciting travels ahead!

    Lucky for me I was the...

    Raphael_E, Dec 2025
    Lucky for me I was the only participant during my tour, so I got to ask a lot of questions and learn about Ottawa and Canada! Tro was a great guide - he told me a lot of history about Ottawa and the locations we went through. I liked how he pointed out his personal favourites (murals and sculptures) during the tour. Overall great experience.

    Response from Host, Dec 2025

    Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Tro. They're always happy to share their knowledge and help visitors make the most of their time in Ottawa. We truly appreciate your kind words!

    Wasted money and time booking this

    Sumitha_V, Sep 2025
    Wouldn’t waste money next time The guide was reading from her notes. I could have done this with google search instead very poor. Wouldn’t recommend

    Response from Host, Oct 2025

    Thank you for your review. We do care deeply about our customers time and experience, and we're sorry that the tour that you had received was less than what we had offered. Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your review, and we will take it into consideration moving forward.

    Wonderful walking tour!

    Esperanza_E, Aug 2025
    Our guide was wonderful, he gave us the exact amount of information about the places we visited, the history of the City, heroes, etc. He suggested some museum and landmarks we should visit. He was very kind and gave us a little break when we needed in the right place. Thank you very much!

    Response from Host, Sep 2025

    Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your tour and found our guide friendly and knowledgeable. It's great that they could provide you with interesting anecdotes about Ottawa. We appreciate your support and look forward to welcoming you again soon!

    Demeter was a fantastic...

    Angele_M, Aug 2025
    Demeter was a fantastic guide. The tour was perfect. Ottawa was a great city. We recommend to do the tour at the beginning of your trip.

    Response from Host, Sep 2025

    Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Demeter. They're always happy to share their knowledge and help visitors make the most of their time in Ottawa. We truly appreciate your kind words!

    Walking group

    Angela_C, Jul 2025
    A lovely walk through the city with highlights on landmarks , the young person was good and spoke Spanish, English and French, It was advertised as gratitude but we paid $30 CA not dure why then later we gave a tip !

    Response from Host, Sep 2025

    Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re happy to hear that you enjoyed your tour. We appreciate your support and feedback, and look forward to welcoming you again soon!

    Ibrahim does a really...

    Anna_S, Jul 2025
    Ibrahim does a really great job. taking you through the downtown streets of Ottawa. For someone who has only lived in Ottawa four years (2025), he has expanded his knowledge to include some interesting details about the city and Canada. I suspect he will only get better with time

    Response from Host, Sep 2025

    Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Ibrahim. They're always happy to share their knowledge and help visitors make the most of their time in Ottawa. We truly appreciate your kind words!

    Great walking tour of Ottawa

    Heike_R, Jul 2025
    Great tour guide (Ibo or Abrim) - pointed out all of the interesting stuff and was personable and knowledgeable.

    Response from Host, Sep 2025

    Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re glad you found the tour interesting and a great introduction to Ottawa. Ibrahim will be happy to hear you appreciated the curious details and hidden spots they shared with you. Hope to see you again soon!

    Very good center city tour.

    Anna_S, May 2025
    Nice walking. It was good. Depending on weather of course 😉 meeting near the soldier. Come a bit earlier so you can see the changing of the guard at 10 sharp.

    Response from Host, Jun 2025

    Thanks you kindly for the 5-star review! We're glad that you've enjoyed it!

    Disappointed by the customer service

    SNEZHANA_S, Apr 2025
    We booked this tour sorting our short visit to Ottawa. We had hard time finding the meeting place and I tried to contact the tour operator for help. 20 min later someone called and told me they will contact the tour guide and will call us back. Nobody called us anymore. We walked to all places listed in the itinerary and we didn’t see anyone. We lost our money but more important our time since this was our first visit to Ottawa and we were only visiting for the weekend.

    Response from Host, May 2025

    We’re very sorry to hear about your experience and truly understand your frustration—especially given it was your first visit to Ottawa and your time was limited. This is certainly not the standard we aim to provide. We sincerely apologize for the confusion around the meeting point and the lack of follow-up after your call.

    From $5.00

    per person

    up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

    Book ahead!
    On average, this is booked 26 days in advance.

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