Ottawa River
Ottawa River
4.5
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4.5
34 reviews
Excellent
22
Very good
11
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
1
cynnerz
Ottawa, Canada149 contributions
Aug 2012 • Friends
Art along the river. At the Remic Rapids along the Ottawa River Parkway you can see the balancing rocks. It is different every year. A wonder along the parkway.
Visit near sunset for some great photos.
A must see a little off the beaten path, 5 minutes from the War Museum.
Visit near sunset for some great photos.
A must see a little off the beaten path, 5 minutes from the War Museum.
Written 7 September 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SeenByMyEyes
Whistler, Canada1,727 contributions
Most people take only the Rideau Canal tour. But the one on the Ottawa River can be combined with the other, and is a lot of fun. The boat will take you for about 2 hours along a magnificent coast with the greenest vegetation and bordered by charming docks and cottages. You will also appreciate great views of the city and Parliament.
Written 27 October 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul C
2 contributions
Jul 2015 • Solo
There's a new marina on the Ottawa River called the Ottawa River Club, They have gas, a private beach, restrooms and the service is incredible. They're located near the Cumberland/Masson ferry, or between Rockland and Petrie Island marinas. Definitely worth it to stop and refuel and say hi.
Written 21 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GreatLakesroadster
Hamilton, Canada174 contributions
Sept 2012 • Business
Took a mid-week package at Pinecrest Lodge overlooking the river. Nice well equipped, clean cabins, friendly reception and good launch facilities. There are some good spots within two minutes ride.
Good launch ramp about 5km away.
Good launch ramp about 5km away.
Written 25 September 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
finsth
Ottawa145 contributions
Sept 2013 • Solo
One of the best walks in Ottawa (before the snow flies) is a circle walk along the two sides of the river. The walk takes about an hour (non-stop, depending on your pace), crosses two bridges and you get to see many of the highlights of the city. You can pick it up anywhere along the route. I start on Wellington Street near the National Library/Archives. Walking west you can see the War Museum (worth a visit) and the lovely old building housing the Mill St Brew Pub. Cross the Portage Bridge over the river to Hull (Gatineau) enjoying the views. At the end of the bridge on the right side is a pathway which follows the river towards the Museum of Civilization. You get great views of the river and the Parliament Buildings. You arrive at the Museum of Civilization (definitely worth visiting). Enjoy the beautiful architecture by native architect Douglas Cardinal. Find your way up the stairs to Rue Laurier and walk towards the Alexandra Bridge. The bridge has a separate pedestrian/ bikeway. While crossing the bridge enjoy the lovely views. At the end of the bridge and up the hill on the opposite side is the National Gallery (definitely worth visiting) designed by Moishe Safdie. Walking towards Mackenzie Ave., you have several options. You can visit the Gallery, head to the Market, walk through Major's Hill Park with its views of the East Block, the Library of Parliament and the canal, head to the Rideau Centre, Sparks St. or the Parliament Buildings, or, if you want to continue walking along the river (recommended), take the path/road down to the canal, cross the locks, and there is a walkway to your right which allows you to continue along the river on the Ottawa side. Again, great views of the river, the Museum of Civilization and Hull (Gatineau). You are actually walking below the Parliament Buildings, the Supreme Court and the Library and Archives. The walkway finishes back at the Portage Bridge. You can pick up this walk at any point although I prefer going in the direction I indicate to get the best views. You can also do it on a bike (rent one of the Bixi Bikes). You can finish your walk at Mill Street for a beer and a good meal.
Written 21 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JoBoto
Hong Kong, China6 contributions
Aug 2012 • Couples
Run by a couple, very nice and friendly. Linking sites along the Ottawa and Gatineau Rivers. It is a pollution-free electric boat that can hold up to 12 passengers, 2 wheelchairs and 4 bicycles.
More schedule details on their site and here:
http://letsgoottawa.ca/2011/09/16/new-water-taxi-service-links-ottawa-gatineau-casino/
They are nice to talk to and they are well traveled people. We took it from the Civilization Museum to Gatineau, cost CAD 5, very reasonable and it is a very nice way to see the city from the river.
This is their face book page http://www.facebook.com/aufeeldeleau
More schedule details on their site and here:
http://letsgoottawa.ca/2011/09/16/new-water-taxi-service-links-ottawa-gatineau-casino/
They are nice to talk to and they are well traveled people. We took it from the Civilization Museum to Gatineau, cost CAD 5, very reasonable and it is a very nice way to see the city from the river.
This is their face book page http://www.facebook.com/aufeeldeleau
Written 28 October 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ina_31
St. Catharines, Canada532 contributions
Sept 2019 • Couples
We enjoyed the Ottawa river cruise. Well done presentation, friendly staff, nice views of important buildings in the area, great opportunities for photographs.
Written 14 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
legiang0109
Hanoi, Vietnam18 contributions
May 2015
I went there in the sunset and it was so beautiful to view the bridge from Rideau Canal. It memorized me about my mother country with Long Bien bridge.
Written 7 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GuidoLocattelli
Cuyahoga Falls, OH6,792 contributions
May 2014 • Friends
I was privileged to have walked through part of the Gattineau Provincial park on my first visit to this part of Quebec. I also was privileged to have been a passenger riding in a car driven by a relative at the about the same time. This was my first chance to admire the wilderness beauty of this part of Quebec. More recently I was privileged to be a passenger in a single engine plane piloted by another relative during a visit to Ottawa. Either way I was pleased to have been a tourist in this part of Canada with a great way to experience part of the Ottawa River valley. From the plane I was able to see much more of the Ottawa River valley and it is an immense body of water. "Simply amazing" was my reaction in a unique place that many more people should know about without spoiling it. From Gattineau I explored the river valley as it flows from up north into Hull and downward to Ottawa. I am not a tree hugger but I imagine that those of you who are would consider a visit here to be as important as a visit to the Sistine Chapel in The Vatican. If you study trees and are a botany major from college with one or two degrees you easily should consider a visit here as important as a visit a to national park with Sequoias. I did not take the aqua taxi but instead I wanted to walk through part of the park and the river valley. I suggest that you do the same and visit the small tourist shop on the corner in Gattineau - opposite from the Museum of Canadian History - just before crossing the Alexandre III bridge into Ottawa on foot. That small tourist shop has many reading assignments and maps for you to look at and purchase. Many materials about this park and river valley are free. Ia to knowledgeable about fish in the river but perhaps there are many varieties to keep fishermen happy. If you need a lesson about how to manage and care for a park of this size here it is. It seems that Canadians know how to do this well as if it were another former an ice hockey championship game. Looking at the map showed me many things - that this river is one of the longest in Canada and that it extend far into the wilderness of eastern Ontario and Western Quebec- with a large amount of fresh water to dump in the St. Lawrence. The valley forms the border between the two provinces for a long stretch of of wilderness land. If you are a wilderness-type person with camping as a second part of your personality then there is ample reason to explore the upper reaches of this river valley. If you need a reason to avoid returning to living in New York City, Detroit, Chicago, Buffalo or Philadelphia here it is in all its abundance and beauty. I will gladly exchange living in Detroit any day for a chance to live in this park and river valley. I do recommend that you walk through the Gattineau Park to understand an important part of this country's heritage and contribution to world culture. If you need a reason to forget Manhattan or Las Angeles need I say more than encourage you to relocate here. Yes, it does get busy and crowded when you approach the rapids and locks in down town Ottawa near Chateau Laurier and the Parliament building but stay up river and enjoy more of the natural beauty. Eating lunch on the grounds of this provincial park can make your visit to Canada as complete as watching an ice hockey game in 3D from Winnipeg or Alberta on a cloudy night while wearing sun glasses. I imagine that a visit to the park along the river valley is a full-time occupation taking at least four hours to enjoy and complete. You should plan to spend time and view the place slowly with much reverence and admiration for what it is. Do not consider this as less important than drinking coffee at Star bucks on Halloween or any other time. I did not travel to Ville-Marie or the upper reaches of the Ottawa river valley, but I suggest that you join a group of travelers with dedication to see the same wilderness and see the hinterland of Quebec or Ontario far beyond the cities that do attract people in the first place to this many parts of country. Highly recommended and it might be enough to cancel or postpone your fascination for Chinese or Italian food consumed on a side walk veranda along George Street in Ottawa. If you want to learn the meaning of brown bagging it to work here it is. The museum called Mc Michaels located north of Toronto near Vaughn might bring you an appreciation of the importance of this river valley. It is a small museum dedicated to the wilderness of Canada and I suggest that you visit it as part of your stay in the Gattineau Provincial Park and the Ottawa River valley. Go there too, but see the valley. Do not miss it!
Written 23 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ToTravelIsBrilliant
Wolfville, Canada1,636 contributions
Jun 2014 • Couples
Taking the Aqua Taxi to and from Ottawa and Gatineau was not only an efficient way to get to the Canadian Museum of History, but it also afforded wonderful views of the Chateau Laurier and Parliament (as well as other buildings). It was a way to experience the Ottawa River, and a very inexpensive way to travel. The operator was very friendly and helpful and encouraged us to sit where we could take the best pictures.
Written 22 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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