Parliament Hill and Buildings

Parliament Hill and Buildings

Parliament Hill and Buildings
4.5
About
Three Gothic Revival-style buildings, located on a 170-foot bluff overlooking the Ottawa River, house the offices of the members of Parliament, the House of Commons and the Senate. Free guided tours delve into Canadian history and explain the workings of the political system.
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  • Linda S
    15 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful tours of Parliament Hill!
    We visited the old parliament building, the House of Commons (temporary), and the senate. Our guides, in order, were Matthew, Haley, and Sasha. All three were wonderful. We’re from the U.S., so we don’t totally understand the parliamentary system of government. Our guides changed that! They were so knowledgeable and also patient with everyone who had questions. I recommend these tours to all Ottawa visitors! Another nice part of the visit to Parliament Hill is the 10:00 military band performance. The band wear the bright red uniforms that are very similar to British uniforms. It is a wonderful opportunity to hear great music!
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 21 September 2023
  • nwaynesworld
    2,346 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Parliament Hill
    The Parliament of Canada comprises three buildings, East Block, West Block and Centre Block or Parliament Hill. Centre Block is under construction until 2031. As a result, a temporary Parliament has been constructed within West Block. A free tour of the temporary Parliament is available; however, you must obtain your ticket in advance (online). Arrive before you tour time as you must pass through a security check. The tour lasts just over an hour. Our tour guide, Kennedy, was very knowledgeable. Kennedy was well spoken and very professional. Photographs are permitted inside and around the outside of the buildings. The building has stairs and elevators. In addition, there is a gift shop.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 7 October 2023
  • SonnySY
    Vancouver, Canada33 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good to see where our laws are passed
    Good walking tour of the capital. Parking around the area is rather difficult with lots of one way streets. Overall, a great walk. Parliamentary building is undergoing upgrades. Tour inside the buildings are limited and must be booked ahead
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 October 2023
  • Dimitris L
    Sydney, Australia50,924 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful architecture
    We visited the Parliament buildings and were pleasantly surprised by the lovely architecture. There are several buildings on "the Hill", but pre-booking is required in order to enter and tour any of them. As we were in Ottawa only for one day we missed out!
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 October 2023
  • spud0018
    Mississauga, Canada845 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Parliamentary Tours
    Interesting and very organized tours. There are 3 different free tours. We were able to attend both the Senate and West Block tours. Wish there were better instructions on the website for where you're supposed to go for the tours - ended up asking Parliamentary Security agent. Neat to see the architecture of the spaces where they have now housed the Senate and House of Commons temporarily. Make sure you book tours on-line. You need to show up early for your tours to go through a security checkpoint.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 18 November 2023
  • Bea
    1,295 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spectacular Government buildings of Canada
    Wonderful complex of Gothic revival buildings situated on the southern banks of the Ottawa River. it is a place where Canada's federal government is located. Peace Tower is absolutely amazing. The bronze clock was crafted in its present form in 1879. All is situated on a beautiful, well-taken of ground.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 11 December 2023
  • Helen E
    London, United Kingdom66 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    House of Commons West Block Tour
    We booked a tour of the House of Commons (West Block), online several weeks in advance, but unfortunately had to cancel the day before the tour due to sickness (see my review of Zak’s diner in the Byward market). The cancellation process was very easy- just a phone call. During the call I was told not to worry about rebooking because additional tickets always become available overnight. Sure enough at 8:00 am on the day we decided to go, there were four places available for each time slot. Again, the online booking process was easy. When we finally did the tour we were well-rewarded. It was simple, straightforward, informative and definitely worth the time investment!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 12 March 2024
  • mabellejee
    Mount Vernon, Illinois149 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Ottawa Tour
    Book a tour to see how Canadian Parliament operates. Currently being held in West Block as they complete major renovations on Centre Block, Guide was informative. The newly created structure was beautiful and so many aspects to take in. For free, this tour was appreciated by all of my family. A win!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 31 March 2024
  • dominiquemariscotes
    Hermitage, Tennessee33 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Quick, free tour
    Center Block is under massive construction, so inaccessible. Western and Eastern Blocks are open for tours. Great tour guide, very quick. Some opportunities for photos, but have to hurry. Plenty of time to roam around the campus on the outside for pictures.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 20 April 2024
  • Horace L
    Hamburg, Germany253 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Free Senate Tour
    Booked tickets months ago on-line. Arrive 20 mins early to pass through security checks and take in some of the old railway station's features. Very informative guide (Grace) who spent about 30/40 minutes walking us round the Senate and answering questions. In the afternoon did the immersive Parliament tour on Sparks Street which was OK (and free too)
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 May 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles9,639 reviews
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Freely Adventure
Edmonton, Canada186 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019
Traveling with two younger children, by myself, I opted out in doing the tour. When we went the WEST tower was closed for renovations.

However, we did watch Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill – Northern Lights show, which was spectacular to see.

I would suggest bringing a blanket to sit on and some snacks to keep the kids occupied.The hill gets pretty packed, so I recommend arriving before hand to get a good seat. We sat in the far back and could see and hear everything perfect. The show is about 35-45 minutes long, kids kinda got restless 30 minutes in. They were amazed with the light show and I found the history very interesting.

Parking isn't available at the Parliament, I suggest taking public transportation or taxi. We did manage to find parking a couple blocks down which costed us about $15.

I will definitely do this again. There is no cost, so for us frugal mommy travellers, this is a perfect stop to make. #homeschoolingwin
Written 21 January 2020
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.

Geminican
San Jose, CA2,103 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
The Canadian Parliament Building is one of "must visits" for Ottawa. The exterior architecture is eye-catching and is the landmark of Ottawa, you can't miss it.

Better to reserve tickets online in advance.

Unlike most parliaments in the world where both the Senate and House of Commons are located in the same building.
The Senate is inside the Government Conference Center across street from Fairmont Chateau Laurier. About 10 minutes non-stop walk from the Parliament Building Entrance. Only the House of Commons is inside the Parliament Building.

In Canada, it's located in two separate buildings. You need two separate tickets to enter both. One for the Senate and another one for the House of Commons. Both are worth visiting, so do both if you have time.

AND, taking the guided tour is the ONLY way to enter both buildings.

The tour offers two languages: English and French. Canada is a bilingual country. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. All curators for the House of Commons are well trained and provided similar or not identical information. That shows high quality of the curators, though the curator quality at the Senate varies. Jacklyn, for example, was average, did not go into many details or share about activities and things that took place in the Senate.

If you don't have advanced reservations, visit the visitor center inside of the Parliament Building will allow you to obtain entry tickets; and that's the ONLY way. If you don't have the ticket and showing up at the Senate, you can't enter. They will send you over to the Parliament Building and go back, which can be another 30-60 minute round trip assuming no long lines for ticket purchase.

Be on time. Because it's so popular, if you are late, they may not be able to let you in because they want to control # of visitors inside of the building at any given time for security purpose.

Most staff were helpful and courteous except for a staff called Gregg at the Parliament Visitor Center Entrance that was inflexible. When I arrived a bit late, he immediately told me I must queue in line and waited, perhaps catching the last 5 minutes of the tour if I was lucky. And if they couldn't clear the security, I would not be able to enter nor go for a later tour even if there were spots available. I asked him what I could see and couldn't see the last five minutes, he couldn't provide any specifics either, and tried to send me away.

There were other staff who practiced active listening by providing specifics and helped me get a ticket for a later tour. I don't appreciate Gregg, but I am thankful for other staff who helped me work this out.

When visiting the Parliament in UK, the curator talks about how Queen Elizabeth and members of the Senate and House of Commons would do on the day of opening the session each year. The Canadian parliament tours did not provide similar type of information, which I wish they had done it.
Written 30 October 2022
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.

Katie H
Milton, Canada54 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
My family of children (age 5 and 8), parents and grandparents really enjoyed this tour. We had booked our House of Commons Tour online ahead of time about a month in advance. The ticket said proof of vaccination is required, but no one asked on either tour for it. Masks were required and provided. While I booked the house of commons tour well in advance, I booked the senate tour only 2 days in advance.
We really enjoyed our tour guide for both tours, once you pass the security check in, there is a washroom and waiting area while you wait for your tour. You can only enter the security check 30 mins before your tour.
If you can only choose one, I recommend the house of commons, but the senate was a cool experience too, as it is built inside a former train station.
Written 3 August 2022
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.

adirondakjak
Toronto, Canada6 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
My wife has mentioned to me that she had never seen the government buildings in Ottawa, so I had reserve tickets a month in advance. We drove to Ottawa from New Brunswick, booked a room at the Ottawa Marriott so that we would be within walking distance of the House of Commons and the Senate, both for which I had tickets to visit.

We went to the entrance to the House of Commons at the appointed time, and were told that there were no tours that day due to the stat holiday, which seem to be sprouting up like weeds for government workers. The following week, I called the parliamentary tour office to discuss this tremendous waste of time and money that was caused for me and they said that the tours were cancelled because they had no tour guides. They said that they notified all the ticketholders on the 28th of September, but on the day of the scheduled tour, I checked my email and spam, and there was nothing. What a waste of time and money. Yet again, the Government of Canada, fails to deliver to its citizens. Stuff happens, but TELL US!. Look what we put up with under this Trudeau government... inability to issue passports, inability to get people through security at airports, poor management of health care, inability to manage the border efficiently. And in this case, the inability to even honour a tour date which was scheduled and for which I have tickets, or to even properly notify me that the tour was cancelled. So simple, but not for the government of Canada. Yet, I send in my taxes on time. At least I am dependable.

The buildings are beautiful, but unfortunately the government issues tickets for a tour that did nor that they planned to conduct. Another Government of Canada let down.
Written 7 October 2022
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.

MikeHolowitch
3 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
Tour of West Block was unfortunately quite boring and short- the tour guide seemed uninterested and tells you that every guide "makes their tour unique", but what we got was just a generic look around the House of Commons. All we got was a view of the Sitting Chamber and of a look at an unused conference room. You could hear another tour guide presenting to another group, and that group actually got to go into the Sitting Chamber ! (behind a metal barrier, but still....).

I understand that a government building can be quite secretive, but why have a tour at all if the tour guides are not interested and they can't show you much of anything?
Written 30 September 2021
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.

Vincent R
Edmonton, Canada5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
Arrived in Ottawa for a mini getaway for the long weekend! Fist night we took in the light show at the Parliament Buildings. Watch the 150 years of Canadian History - using the parliament buildings as the movie screen and the synced audio was truly amazing! Best of all it was FREE. We read an earlier review that advised showing up early and to bringing lawn chairs -- which was helpful! and we were able to get a few travel lawn chairs online on sale (less than 2lbs each with their own travel case) to bring along)
We got there about 1/2 hour before the show started and setup on the back lawn. We estimated that there were about 5,000 other people on the lawn and on the curbs across the street, including a number of families with small children. The entire show was about 30 minutes or so. It was truly such a great thing to experience and well put together! Made you proud to be a Canadian. Kudos to the organizers! Definitely worth the time!
Written 4 September 2022
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.

Ruby V
Toronto, Canada131 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021 • Solo
This is a long overdue review.

This year I visited Ottawa during the labor day weekend for 2 nights. I booked via snap travel a text based booking portal. My booking was confirmed and I received confirmation email.

The drive to Ottawa after work was great. It seemed everything was going as per plan until I got to hotel reception desk and find out I wasn’t booked. I was totally perplexed and shocked to find it. Front desk agent couldn’t do much as there were no rooms available it turns out Labour day weekend is the busiest weekends of the year.

Anyhow at this point I tried calling snap travel company and they kept telling me they are trying to resolve this problem on emergency basis but no resolution.

I was stuck in the reception waiting area wondering what l to do next. Finally the General Manager xxxxxxxx stepped in. He was very kind and courteous. I believe at that time they found out they had one cancellation that came in he offered me that room complimentary for one night with a promise to try and find a solution next day morning. Next day when I bumped into him during breakfast he informed that I could stay the 2nd night complementary as well.

I am extremely thankful to xxxxxxx for accommodating me… next time I come to Ottawa this is the place I will be staying and yes lesson learnt will not be booking through a 3rd party will book directly though IHG website
Written 14 November 2021
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.

Victor S
Kirkland, Canada219 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021 • Couples
Not review for parliament building but only eternal flame structure. Always beautiful to see, but this time it was hard scene. Very unease scene, makes ones stomach turn. And it’s good, that one feels this, feel the empathy and pain/suffering of our fellow aboriginal Canadians. All those kids toys and shoes strewn about is very impactful and visceral. I hope things will move forward and something good can come out of something horrible. Peace everyone
Written 31 August 2021
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.

MrsDonnaW
Blairgowrie, UK120 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023
We didn't do the guided tours of the buildings. We watched the light show, which was spectacular, taking the audience through Canada's history and not shying away from the more negative aspects.

We went back the following morning to view the changing of the guard - as we were aware - but essentially it was a military band playing tunes, narrated so you knew what was playing and who wrote it. The Star Wars theme was the highlight for me.

How the personnel didn't melt in the heat in their military outfits amazes me. It was around 10am in the morning and it was rather hot.
Written 8 August 2023
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.

toddlerpants
Droitwich, UK946 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
Some majestic buildings to be seen here, and spectacular at night. Shame there seems to be construction all over the place.
The Parliament building echos of the English Houses of Parliament with its clock tower looking almost like Big Ben, it is known as the Peace tower. Hidden behind the main building is the Parliament library.
Then you also have majestic buildings either side facing into the (almost) square. One is the legislative seat and the other administrative building.
the Centennial flame sits to the front of the buildings and central in the grassed area.
Off to the right hand side of the buildings and opposite the National War Memorial (across a very busy road) is the 1812 War Memorial. All of this is to the right of a section of the Rideau Canal.
So you can see loads within short distances.
Enjoyed seeing all this but do not have any strong desire to return.
Written 11 July 2020
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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Parliament Hill and Buildings, Ottawa

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