OT - Please help with my Ottawa visit

[PinkMagnolia]

I am headed to Ottawa for a couple of nights during March Break (weekday) to see a Senators game with my twin 12-year olds We will be staying at a hotel in Kanata, but are planning on going to the Parliament Buildings for a guided tour. Who better to ask than Disney fans to make the most of our time there!

I'm wondering:
1. Where would you suggest parking downtown? Or would it be easier to take transit? There will be 4 of us, but we are not opposed to transit if it's just as quick and convenient.
2. Any tips for making the most of our guided tour of the Parliament Bldg? Anything else you'd suggest doing that is nearby?
3. Any suggestions for lunch nearby?

Thanks! It's my kids' first trip to Ottawa, and their first NHL game, so we are looking forward to our time there!

 

[Gigi22]

lop.parl.gc.ca

I am headed to Ottawa for a couple of nights during March Break (weekday) to see a Senators game with my twin 12-year olds We will be staying at a hotel in Kanata, but are planning on going to the Parliament Buildings for a guided tour. Who better to ask than Disney fans to make the most of our time there!

I'm wondering:
1. Where would you suggest parking downtown? Or would it be easier to take transit? There will be 4 of us, but we are not opposed to transit if it's just as quick and convenient.
2. Any tips for making the most of our guided tour of the Parliament Bldg? Anything else you'd suggest doing that is nearby?
3. Any suggestions for lunch nearby?

Thanks! It's my kids' first trip to Ottawa, and their first NHL game, so we are looking forward to our time there![/QUOTE
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This is a good news/bad news kind of reply.

Ottawa is gearing up for Canada's 150th birthday party this year. There's a lot of construction, particularly downtown, some of which is in preparation for the birthday, the rest is due to some ongoing projects.

The Parliament Buildings themselves are undergoing a multi-year major refurbishment. Have you checked to see whether the Parliament Buildings will be open for tours during your visit? Their website is lop.parl.gc.ca There are currently closures scheduled for Mar. 8, Mar 24 from noon on, and Mar. 25. You need to get down to the ticket office at 9 a.m. to get same-day tickets on a first come, first served basis. There are also added layers of security in place on Parliament Hill. I haven't visited the Hill since the refurbishment started, so all I can do is suggest you check their website.

The ongoing construction for the expansion of rapid transit has exacerbated the traffic and parking situation downtown. I strongly suggest you take public transportation. Our local transit company is octranspo.com check their website to plan your bus trips. Ottawa public transit is many things, "fast and convenient" might be some of the more rarely used descriptions; you should expect a trip from Kanata downtown to take at least an hour. When I put in a random trip from one of the timed stops in Kanata to Parliament Hill, the website estimated the trip would take 49-56 minutes, which is a best case scenario.

Close to Parliament you will be in a very good area to get lunch. My suggestion would be to walk east past the Chateau Laurier on Wellington St. until you get to Sussex Dr. Turn left on Sussex, walk for another block. Turn right. You will be on the southwest edge of the Byward Market area of town. Old, historic area. Lots of dining opportunities. For something local, I suggest you try Beaver Tails at their stand at 69 George St.

 

[kuhltiffany]

Welcome to the Capital! We moved to Ottawa last summer so are still figuring it out. When we go downtown we usually park at the Byward Market and walk to the Parliament Buildings (5-10 minutes). The market has lots of restaurants to choose from (my daughter likes the chocolate one https://cacao70.ca/en/, my son likes Tuckers Buffet http://tuckers.ca). We find it easier to drive there and walk around, it's about 25-30 minutes from Kanata (where we live) depending on traffic.

Ottawa has a lot of great museums, we ended up buying a membership to the Canadian Museum of Nature (my kids are 11 and 12) http://www.nature.ca/en/home. Depending on what your kids are into, there's also a War Museum, History, Aviation & Space, etc. We went to the Mint last PD Day, they have a cool tour where you see how coins are made. A lot of the museums are free Thursday nights https://www.ottawatourism.ca/media/story-ideas/free-or-nearly-free-ottawa/

 

[ottawamom]

Definitely drive in from Kanata. Avoid the 8am-9:30am time frame or you'll be sitting in a parking lot. For a trip to Parliament Hill I like to park at the World Exchange Plaza parking lot. It's underground and just a block from the Hill.(Google it) I agree with kultiffany about the Byward Market (during the day) and you can't go wrong with one of the Museums mentioned.

Double check whether or not you need to make an advance reservation for the tour of Parliament Hill. It's been years since I've done it and I know the rules have changed in the last few years.

 

[PinkMagnolia]

Thanks for these helpful suggestions! We will be there on a day that offers tours, and it looks like tix are first-come-first served unless you are a group of 10+. We will allow for traffic and security checks. Looks like there is a bag restriction as well.

Thanks again for the tips!

 

[ottjdub]

I agree with Ottawamom. WEP has easy access to Parliament Hill and walking distance to the Market along with Rideau Center. (Disney Store)

 

[lorenni]

We just did Ottawa for Family day weekend. Can't help on the parking or transit as we did an Airbnb that had parking downtown, but can certainly recommend Byward Market for lunch - lots to choose from.

We did the Museum of civilization as well as the Museum of Nature and can recommend both. Parking sucks at the Museum of Nature.