During my visit to Canada, I stayed in Ottawa for two days. Ottawa is the federal capital of Canada, and is a cultural and historical hub of Canada. Ottawa is bordered by Quebec province and a few KM away from United States border. Ottawa is a city on the Ottawa river with a flat landmass in Ontario province. it’s home to many historical sites and museums such as; Parliament Hill, National Gallery of Canada and Canadian Museum of Wars.
How did I get to Ottawa?
I traveled to Ottawa by road from Toronto, the bus journey was around 6 hours and the ticket was at $60 CAD. I booked the ticket online using Greyhound bus service. The bus station was on Bay Street in Toronto. On the way from Toronto to Ottawa, I saw the beautiful countryside of Canada and Ontario province. I passed by many small cities and towns which really appealed to me in the month of July with beautiful sunshine.
There are many flights from/to Ottawa, from Toronto the flight time is one hour, and you can check online for the ticket price using Skyscanner.com which will give you the cheapest flight possible.
How expensive is Ottawa?
Ottawa is cheaper than Toronto and other cities of Canada in terms of accommodation. I got a hostel bed space for $30 CAD a day in Ottawa. The hostel I stayed in Ottawa was “Ottawa Backpackers Inn” which was located on York street in Ottawa east. my stay in that hostel for two days was a pleasant time. the main tourist attractions were by walking distance from my hostel. therefore, I didn’t have to use train or taxi to reach the attractions. I always use Agoda.com for finding nice and cheap hotel rooms and hostels.
Food is available everywhere in Ottawa. I ate Subway and then found an Arabic guy selling “Shawarma” which was very tasty and cost only $5 CAD. so the main point is that you can stay for $50 CAD a day in Ottawa if you want. However, this doesn’t include any city tour which you’ll take. it’s just for basic expenses such as, accommodation, food and water etc.
Top attractions in Ottawa?
Ottawa has a variety of options. many of the attractions are within the downtown area starting from Parliament hill. If you want to read and see Canadian history then just walk around downtown, and you’ll find the following amazing places waiting for your landmark visit in the beautiful capital of Canada;
- Parliament Hill
- Canadian Museum of History
- National Gallery of Canada
- Canadian War Museum
- Rideau Hall
- National War Memorial
- Canadian Aviation & Space Museum
- Ottawa River
- Rideau Waterfall
- Rideau Canal
The above mentioned attractions are just by walking distance in downtown Ottawa, so you don’t really need anyone to guide you. you can simply use Google Map to locate the places one by one. However, if you want to see most of Ottawa then simply take the Bus tour which cost only $30 to $50 depending on which package you choose. you can buy from this website here: http://www.grayline.com/things-to-do/canada/ottawa/
You can watch my Ottawa Travel VLOG to see most of the attractions in Ottawa which I visited during my trip. I really enjoyed my stay in Ottawa, because it’s a quite, clean and beautiful city. and the people are very chilled out.
Is Ottawa the most beautiful capital?
I think so, if it’s not the most beautiful capital in the world then it’s obviously one of the most beautiful. it’s also very safe city and affordable to live for many reasons. I talked to a cab driver, and he told me that he was living in Montreal and then moved here a few months ago. He said, he’s going to stay here for a long time, because this city is a great place where he earns more and spends less.
Please watch my Ottawa travel vlog below, and let me know if you have any questions. have you ever been to Ottawa, if yes then do share your experience in comments. Happy Traveling!
