See the best of Ottawa without the stress of public transit and taxis on this hop-on hop-off guided bus tour. With your 1-day pass, hop aboard the double-decker, open-top bus for a panoramic sightseeing excursion. Great for kids and adults, your ticket offers the chance to see over 75 sites at more than a dozen strategically placed stops. Hop off at every stop, or just take in views on the full city loop.

Guided Ottawa bus tour
Enjoy a photo stop at the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Stop in the Ottawa's oldest and largest public market, known as Byward Market
Pass Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor General of Canada
Enjoy spectacular views of the southern banks of the Ottawa River with a drive through Parliament Hill

What's Included

Professional driver and guide
Transport by double decker bus or trolley
Local taxes

Gratuities
Food and drinks
Admissions to attractions and sites
Hotel pickup and drop off ($5 payable to supplier)

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

44 Sparks St.
44 Sparks St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5A5, Canada
We are at the corner of Elgin and Sparks. Look for a red kiosk.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

A mecca of cultural diversity and verdant public spaces, the capital city of Ottawa offers excitement for visitors of all ages. With your 1-day pass, see the best of this global hotspot aboard an open-top, double-decker bus or trolley. Hop on the bus at the Gray Line kiosk at the corner of Sparks and Elgin Street, then enjoy the flexibility of choosing your own schedule and tour duration, as well as lively commentary from an onboard guide. Grab a seat inside or on the open-top deck for panoramic views as you zip through town, hop on and off any of the 14 stops (see itinerary below for full stop list), or just sit back for the 50-minute city loop.

Get a feel for Ottawa as you pass museums, galleries, public parks, state buildings and more. Cruise up Confederation Boulevard on the city trolley, and along Sussex Drive to check out the famous homes of the Prime Minister and the Governor General. When you’re finished touring, just hop off. Easy!

Sparks Street Mall (Pass By)

Canadian Museum of Nature (Pass By)

Lansdowne Park (Pass By)

Dow's Lake (Pass By)

Canada Agriculture and Food Museum (Pass By)

ByWard Market (Pass By)

Rideau Hall (Pass By)

RCMP Stables (Pass By)

Canada Aviation and Space Museum (Pass By)

National Gallery of Canada (Pass By)

Canadian Museum of History (Pass By)

Canadian War Museum (Pass By)

Elgin Street Market (Pass By)

Sparks Street Mall (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
If you require hotel pickup and drop-off, please contact the supplier after booking to make reservations. Please note: this service is $5, payable to supplier at time of departure
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Most travellers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travellers

Cancellation Policy

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

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Reviews

4.0

183 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 183 reviews

Too loud

Greta_G, May 2023

Tour guide was screaming in the microphone the entire time after the 2nd stop we had to get off as my family and I all got a headache from the noise. We were sitting in the lower level and the noise was unbearable and we could not enjoy the tour. Feels like we wasted our money as we couldn’t finish the tour.

All of Ottawa and a peak at Quebec

Lisa_S, May 2023

Easy to find pickup spot and bus was there when we arrived 15 mins to start. Had to get armband from kiosk for prepaid tickets. Sunny, 15 degrees when started. Sat near back of open, upper level. The tour guide used microphone and was very engaging and informative but was hard to hear when it became very chilly and windy. Comprehensive tour. Saw all the city and over to Gatineau for a look. Lots of options to stop and get picked up. Thank you so much.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you so much for your review! The weather is definitely unpredictable in Ottawa, but we're glad you liked the tour nonetheless.

Pleasant intro to Ottawa

Susan_H, Oct 2022

Informative tour guide with a good sense of humor. Nice to hear from a native Ottawan about his experiences.

Lacked qualified tour guide

Russell_T, Oct 2022

Have taken Hop on Hop off in many cities to orient to major attractions and learn about the area and things to do. We requested the English language tour, but limited commentary dominated using the French language. The female guide was very perfunctory in noting attractions we went by, and nil commentary on other useful information. Clearly a part timer, and just putting in time. Driver was driving fast trying to get back on posted schedule. One couple seated ahead of me asked to get off at the next stop planned but she never advised the driver and blew by, ignoring their request to let them off anywhere near their stop. Did however ask that any gratuity would be appreciated as she was a student. We exited the bus early and made our way to other tourist sites as a result.

I enjoyed the trip but...

Mariefaythe_F, Sept 2022

I enjoyed the trip but had a hard time understanding what the tour yuide was saying. He talks so fast and the confusion of talking french & english one after the other language made it difficult to keep up with what he’s saying . Due to that problem we just enjoyed the view

Great Tour of Ottawa. Excellent route and outstanding tour guide. We highly recommend it.

Juan_M, Aug 2022

The tour guide was not only knowledgeable, but entertaining, which made the tour interesting and fun. The route chosen was great; it gave us a great overview of beautiful Ottawa.

A day to remember !

Haifa_T, Aug 2022

Learning about Canada’s history, buildings, monuments. Taking the bus with my mom and my daughter. Having a French guide.

It was a great tour, I...

Simone_C, Aug 2022

It was a great tour, I learnt and see a lot. I like the idea of hoping on and off to see and do other attractions things around the city. The mic was the only issue, it chips in and out a few time. We missed out on what the tour guide was saying. Otherwise it was Great.

Not an enjoyable experience

Allan_B, Aug 2022

Not understanding the commentary. She talked too fast and it was like she read from a book. We were both unhappy with the experience.

I like seeing the city...

Afrah_Z, Aug 2022

I like seeing the city the buildings and museum and I like the history of the city the lady was taking about

Fun experience!

Concetta_R, Aug 2022

We loved the whole experience! We had family visiting from Portugal and they loved the bus and tour. Some of them have issues with arthritis making it hard to walk for long time, so this was a really nice way for them to experience the city

Loved it ❤️

Gurpreet_K, Aug 2022

Visited OTTAWA for the first time. Absolutely loved the experience if getting to know history while sightseeing. Beautiful City with monuments and trees.

It was great way to get...

Kim_S, Aug 2022

It was great way to get a round-the-city...however it did feel like a bit of rush at points of interest

Excellent

Oluwatoyin_A, Aug 2022

I enjoyed my trip. I had the best view of Ottawa. The host wasn’t only knowledgeable but witty, Will definitely recommend.

Great one day experience in Ottawa

Patricia_G, Aug 2022

Good tour guide . Efficient schedule. Saw most of Ottawas historic sites, with the opportunity to get off and spend time .

It was a great...

RudabaSarwat, Aug 2022

It was a great experience. And I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to see all the good places in a short time.