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19 ratings
4.5

Free tour of Ottawa's historic sites in small groups!

Ottawa
Duration: 2h
Languages: English
Guru: Annette
Registered on August 01, 2023

Hi! I'm Annette an experienced tour guide living in Ottawa Canada. Travel, meeting new people along with showing our beautiful walkable downtown Ottawa!

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  • No minimum number of attendees
    No minimum number of attendees is required for the tour
  • Free booking and cancellation
    Free payment tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free

Tour description

Enjoy a pleasant walk through downtown Ottawa!
 We will start in front of the National Gallery next to the large sculpture of the Maman spider. From there we headed to the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, then to the beautiful Major's Hill Park , home of the tulip festivals, then up Parliament Hill, past the historic Chateau Laurier Hotel, and to our center of democracy , Parliament Hill (a former military camp). ), as well as a special viewpoint over the Ottawa River.
Next is the National War Memorial , to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rideau Canal, and ending at the lively Byward Market, a place full of restaurants and shops.

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Highlights

What will we visit on this tour?

  • Meeting point:
    380 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, ON K1N 9N4, Ca...
    380 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, ON K1N 9N4, Canada
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    In front of the National Gallery next to the large sculpture of the Maman spider. I usually wear a baseball cap!

  • 1
    Outside visit
    National Gallery of Canada

    We'll be meeting at the Maman spider sculpture outside the National Gallery.

  • 2
    Outside visit
    Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica

    Part of our walking tour includes an inside visit of the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica

  • 3
    Outside visit
    Major's Hill Park

    Beautiful and scenic park overlooking the Rideau Canal area. We'll be walking through this city park.

  • 4
    Outside visit
    Parliament Hill

    The seat of democracy which was once a military encampment during the building of the Rideau Canal. This historic area is on our walking tour.

  • 5
    Outside visit
    Rideau Canal

    Once used for Steamships in the 1800's, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular summer destination for private boats cruising from Ottawa to Kingston and beyond.

  • 6
    Outside visit
    Sparks Street

    Popular destination for food festivals, pedestrian friendly street, restaurants, pubs, coffee shops.

  • 7
    Outside visit
    National War Memorial of Canada

    Site of Remembrance Day Ceremony each November 11. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Honoring veterans and those serving in the armed forces.

  • 8
    Outside visit
    ByWard Market

    Historic marketplace originally set up by Colonel John By for the people helping build the Rideau Canal. Many restaurants, cafes, shops. Popular tourist destination.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).

Tour opinions

19 ratings
4.5
By category
Professionalism
4.89
Fun
4.33
Expression
4.61
Quality
4.53
Route
4.82
Generic
5 stars
14
4 stars
3
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
1
Steven 11 May 2024
Ottawa

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - May 2024
Annette was very welcoming and answered all the questions along. We had bad weather but it didn’t stop her for the commitment. I really enjoyed the places visited and more likely come again
Anita 11 May 2024
Lethbridge

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - May 2024
Annette was friendly and very informative. She established a comfortable pace for experiencing a range of iconic sites in downtown Ottawa. She made many recommendations of other experiences that we might enjoy. She listened to our questions and gave thoughtful answers. We really enjoyed the 2-hour tour and highly recommend Annette as a host.
LETICIA 14 Apr 2024
Alicante

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Apr 2024
Annette was amazing, she make the tour only for me, raining and windy, that's great and I appreciate as I didn't have more days to reschedule it, she took me to everyplace and explained all in details and I can say she is 200% recommended! Thank you so much for a amazing tour
Ines 13 Oct 2023

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Oct 2023
Annette is a really nice and knowledgeable tour guide. She made it easy to ask her questions, and we had a nice conversation. I highly recommend her to visit Ottawa city center!! 😊
Douglas 28 Sep 2023

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Sep 2023
We were disappointed. A lot of the information was anecdotal, and of little relevance. For example, the Queen Victoria statue, the main comment was that there's a big lion, to which the guru said: "I guess she wanted to look powerful"; no mention of her relevance to Ottawa/Canada, or that the lion is the national animal of England. We mentioned the statue of Terry Fox as there were non-Canadians in the tour. The guru downplayed his efforts saying "he ran what he could, as he was disable". To which we had to point that he ran the equivalent to a marathon a day for about 3 months. Then we mentioned the Terry Fox run, and the guru didn't know this was a national event, she asked if this was something that Calgary schools did. What the guru mentioned several (too many) times was that she had done those tours with Ukrainian new comers. We wanted more info on the Rideau Canal, the guru stuck to basics, "it's used by rich people with boats in the summer", "it goes all the way to Kingston", so after three tries we gave up asking. We have done more than a dozen cities with Guruwalk, this is the first one we consider less than extraordinary.
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Who is this tour for?

Accessibility
Non suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Groups
Does not accept large group reservations.
Pets
Not suitable for pets.

What should you know?

Minimum of attendees
There is no minimum number of people required for the tour.
Additional costs:
The tour does not require the payment of entrance fees or additional expenses.
Free cancellation
If you will not be able to attend the tour, please cancel your booking, otherwise the guide will be waiting for you.
Payment methods
Only cash payment is accepted.
Free tours
Canada
Free walking tours in Ottawa
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