Ottawa ★

May–September for mild weather and the Tulip Festival (May); February for skating the frozen canal (the world's longest natural skating rink) despite the biting cold.

• Parliament Hill and the summer changing of the guard
• The Rideau Canal (UNESCO site, the world's longest natural skating rink in winter)
• The historic ByWard Market
• The Canadian Museum of History and National Gallery of Canada
• The May Tulip Festival

Downtown near ByWard Market and the canal — all major sights walk from there.

Book the Parliament tour in advance via the official site (free but limited seats). Winters bite (-15°C and colder), so layered clothing is essential for canal skating.

Getting around: OC Transpo buses and the O-Train light-rail line cover downtown well; a single fare is $4.10 (Presto card or direct contactless tap), and after 34 rides in a month the rest of that month is free. Ottawa International Airport is roughly 20 minutes from downtown by taxi or the 97 bus. Parliament Hill, ByWard Market and the Rideau Canal are all walkable from one another.

Halal & prayer places: A strong, well-documented halal scene — 186 halal restaurants and 22 mosques/prayer spaces per Zabihah. Merivale Road in Nepean is locally nicknamed 'Shawarma Alley' for its density of shops, and Vanier and Orléans hold further halal clusters. Even the official tourism board publishes a halal-options guide.

Local safety: Same as country →

Cost figures: 2026 prices: single OC Transpo fare $4.10, casual meal $10–18, mid-range restaurant $20–35, Parliament Hill guided tours are free with advance booking, winter skating on the Rideau Canal is free.

2-3 days

Suggested plan:

1. Parliament Hill + the canal
2. ByWard Market + museums
3. The Canadian Museum of History (across the river in Gatineau)