Fairmont Château Laurier with Rideau Canal locks in foreground, Ottawa, Ontario

🇨🇦Ontario, Ottawa & Lakes

Ottawa and Ontario's lake country offer families world-class museums, Indigenous heritage, freshwater wilderness, and a food scene that ranges from BeaverTails to maple syrup tours.

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Your family guide

Ottawa and the Lakes with kids: capital city and wilderness

“Parliament Hill, pristine lakes and BeaverTails. This corner of Canada does capital city and wilderness equally well.”

— San & Jo

Ontario's Ottawa and Lakes region is one of those rare places where your family can eat BeaverTails by a historic market in the morning and be paddling a glassy lake by afternoon. Ottawa sits at the heart of it all, Canada's bilingual capital, buzzing with museums, monuments, and multicultural food markets, while the surrounding valleys and Great Lakes shoreline offer some of the most spectacular freshwater wilderness on the planet.

What makes this region so good for families is the sheer variety. You can spend a few days exploring Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal, and Ottawa's incredible collection of free and low-cost museums, then head out into the Ottawa Valley for hiking, canoeing, and wildlife spotting in Algonquin Provincial Park. The pace shifts naturally from city energy to forest calm, and kids of all ages find something to get genuinely excited about.

The food scene alone is worth the trip. Ottawa's multicultural roots mean your family eats well whether you are after comforting poutine, sizzling shawarma from a street stall, or fresh maple syrup straight from a sugar bush. This region rewards curious families who love exploring with their taste buds as much as their hiking boots.

Ontario, CanadaEastern Canada

Up to 30°C in summerFour-season destination

250,000+ lakes and riversFreshwater wilderness

Cities and places in Ontario, Ottawa & Lakes

4 places

Algonquin Provincial Park

Algonquin Provincial Park offers Ontario families world-class wildlife watching, canoeing, guided programs, and stargazing across 7,635 km of Canadian Shield wilderness.

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Ottawa

Ottawa with kids offers world-class museums, the Rideau Canal, ByWard Market, and iconic Canadian food. Here's everything your family needs to plan the perfect visit.

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Parliament Hill

Parliament Hill in Ottawa offers free guided tours, the Changing of the Guard, the Peace Tower, and open grounds the whole family can explore together.

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Thousand Islands

The Thousand Islands in Ontario offers families boat cruises, Boldt Castle, national park camping, and scenic river drives along the St. Lawrence.

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What makes it special

What makes Ottawa and the Lakes work for families

A capital city built for curious kids

Ottawa packs in over nine museums and galleries, free guided tours of Parliament Hill, the iconic Rideau Canal, and the moving Canadian War Museum. It is one of Canada's most walkable and family-friendly cities, and many of its biggest attractions cost very little to visit.

Freshwater wilderness on an epic scale

Ontario touches four of the five Great Lakes and is home to over 250,000 lakes and rivers. For your family, that means endless opportunities for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and boating in some of the cleanest freshwater on earth. Algonquin Provincial Park is a particular highlight for wilderness adventures.

Wildlife encounters for children

Moose, black bears, beavers, wolves, and hundreds of bird species live in the forests and waterways of the Ottawa Valley. Algonquin Provincial Park is one of the best places in Canada to spot moose in the wild, and even a short canoe trip can turn into a memorable wildlife encounter.

Trails for every kind of family

The Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail stretches 200 km through forests and river valleys, offering cycling, hiking, and winter snowmobiling. Whether your family prefers a gentle lakeside walk or a full-day backcountry paddle, the region has a trail or waterway that fits.

Food and culture woven into every corner

From BeaverTails at ByWard Market to maple syrup tours at local sugar bushes, food is a genuine part of the adventure here. Ottawa's multicultural food scene means your family eats boldly and well, and the region's Indigenous heritage adds a rich layer of history and meaning to every visit.

Your kind of holiday

The great outdoors family trip

Base yourself in the Ottawa Valley or near Algonquin Provincial Park and fill your days with canoeing, hiking through boreal forest, and evenings around a campfire. The 200 km Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail is perfect for multi-day cycling adventures, and the lakes offer world-class paddling for families who want to unplug completely.

The city and culture break

Spend your days in Ottawa exploring Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal, and a lineup of genuinely world-class museums. The Canadian War Museum, the National Gallery, and the Museum of Nature all deliver big experiences for curious families. ByWard Market is the perfect spot to fuel up between sights with great food from around the world.

The road trip and mix-it-up adventure

This region is made for families who cannot choose between city and nature. Start with a few days in Ottawa, then follow the Ottawa River into the Valley, stopping at heritage towns, maple farms, and the Petroglyphs Provincial Park to see Canada's largest collection of Indigenous rock art. The Great Lakes shoreline adds a dramatic final chapter.

Fun facts

Things to know about Ontario, Ottawa & Lakes

The world's biggest skating rink is right here

The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site stretching 202 km with 47 locks. Every winter it freezes naturally and becomes the world's largest skating rink. Families lace up and glide through the heart of Ottawa with a BeaverTail in hand. It does not get more Canadian than that.

Ontario is four times the size of Great Britain

The province is enormous, and the Great Lakes shoreline within Ontario alone is equivalent to roughly 45% of Earth's entire circumference. The five Great Lakes together hold one-fifth of all the fresh surface water on the planet. That is a lot of lake for one family road trip.

Canada's most ancient rock art is hiding in the forest

Petroglyphs Provincial Park is home to the largest concentration of Indigenous rock art in all of Canada. Thousands of carvings etched into white crystalline limestone tell stories that are thousands of years old. It is one of those places that quietly stops everyone, kids included, in their tracks.

Taste Ottawa and the Lakes

What to eat with your family in Ottawa and the Lakes

BeaverTails

Fried dough stretched and shaped like a beaver tail, then topped with cinnamon sugar, Nutella, or fresh fruit. These are the ultimate Ottawa street food and a non-negotiable stop at ByWard Market. Kids absolutely love them, and honestly so will you.

Kids love it

Poutine

Crispy fries loaded with squeaky cheese curds and rich gravy. Ottawa sits right on the edge of Quebec, so the poutine here is taken seriously. It is hearty, warming, and one of those dishes that converts the whole family on the first bite.

Must try

Maple syrup everything

The Ottawa Valley takes maple syrup seriously. Visit a local sugar bush like Sugarbush Hill Maple Farm in Huntsville to see how it is made, then taste it on pancakes, pastries, and local treats. It is a genuinely fun and delicious family experience, especially in early spring during maple season.

Local favourite

Shawarma

Ottawa has a beloved shawarma culture unlike anywhere else in Canada. Stuffed into warm pita with grilled meat, pickled turnips, hummus, and a punchy garlic sauce, it is fast, filling, and full of flavour. A great option when your family is hungry after a long day of sightseeing.

Safe choice

ByWard Market bites

One of Canada's oldest and most vibrant public markets, ByWard Market is where Ottawa's multicultural food scene comes alive. Grab fresh produce, artisan pastries, international street food, and local specialities all in one place. It is a brilliant morning stop before a day of exploring the city.

Daily treat