Ottawa Travel Guide
Buy Canadian DollarsOttawa at a glance
Ottawa, Canada's capital, is compact and walkable: Parliament Hill, the ByWard Market, the Rideau Canal and the national museums are close together, with Gatineau and its park across the river in Quebec. Two or three days is enough. There is no direct flight from India; connect through Toronto or Montreal, or take VIA Rail, which averages 4 hours 32 minutes from Toronto and 2 hours 4 minutes from Montreal.
Centre Block and the Peace Tower are closed for rehabilitation until about 2032, but free guided tours run at the House of Commons in West Block (bring your passport and arrive 30 minutes early), the Senate of Canada Building and, in summer, East Block, each with its own ticket. The National Gallery costs CAD 22 (CAD 3 less online), the War Museum CAD 23 plus tax and the Canadian Museum of History CAD 25 plus tax; all three are free on Thursday evenings with a timed ticket.
Since 2025 the O-Train has run to the airport: one CAD 4.10 fare reaches downtown, changing at South Keys and Bayview, and route 105 buses run around the clock. Ottawa's tap-to-pay system refuses prepaid cards, which includes forex cards, as well as Amex: pay CAD 4.15 in cash on the bus, or buy a DayPass (CAD 12.25) or a Presto card at a ticket machine.
Winterlude runs from 29 January to 15 February 2027, and the Rideau Canal Skateway, 7.8 km of free skating, usually opens between January and early March. Ottawa hotels add 13% HST and a 6% municipal accommodation tax. Indian passport holders need a visitor visa, applied for online: CAD 100 plus CAD 85 for biometrics at one of ten VFS centres in India, with a posted processing time of about 30 days. The eTA is not open to Indians, even with a US visa.
What to see and do
Parliament, the ByWard Market and the canal are a short walk apart; Gatineau's museum and park are across the river.
Parliament Hill
Free guided tours of the House of Commons in West Block (40 minutes; passport needed) and the Senate of Canada Building. Centre Block is closed until about 2032, and each tour needs its own ticket.
The ByWard Market
Food stalls, shops and patios a short walk from Parliament, free to wander. The National Gallery of Canada is close by on Sussex Drive.
The Canadian Museum of History
Across the river in Gatineau, with Indigenous and Canadian history: CAD 25 plus Quebec's 14.975% tax, 10% off online, and free on Thursdays from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Gatineau Park
Lookouts, lakes and autumn colour on the Quebec side, reached until 25 October 2026 on the free NCC shuttle, every 30 minutes except on Wednesdays.
Paying in Ottawa
For the dollar itself, entry rules for Indians, sales tax and tipping, see the Canada travel guide, and the CAD to INR page for today's rate. Canadian dollars load on the Matrix Forex Card, so most travellers carry the card plus a small cash float.
Shops and restaurants take cards almost everywhere. The one place cards fail is the transit gates, where prepaid and Amex cards are refused, so carry CAD 20 to 40 a day in cash, with coins for the bus. Ontario adds 13% HST at the till; across the river in Gatineau, Quebec's 14.975% applies and shops may not add card fees.
What Ottawa actually costs
Set the length and style of your trip to see what to budget, in Canadian dollars and Indian rupees.
Indicative, excluding international flights and accommodation, per person per day. Converted at the verified mid-market rate on 12 October 2026, C$1 ≈ ₹67.18, not a Matrix board rate.
Budget roughly ₹4,370 to ₹14,780 per person per day on the ground, excluding flights and accommodation.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| O-Train or bus fare: tap / cash | CAD 4.10 / 4.15 |
| OC Transpo DayPass | CAD 12.25 |
| National Gallery of Canada | CAD 22 |
| Canadian War Museum | CAD 23 + tax |
| Canadian Museum of History | CAD 25 + tax |
| Parliament tours and the Skateway | Free |
Getting around
OC Transpo's O-Train and buses cost CAD 4.10 with Presto or a tapped card and CAD 4.15 in cash, with at least 90 minutes to transfer. A DayPass costs CAD 12.25 and covers two people at weekends; a 3-day pass costs CAD 30.75. Presto in Apple or Google Wallet does not work in Ottawa, and O-Payment does not work on STO buses to Gatineau.
Common mistakes in Ottawa
Expecting an eTA
Indians cannot use Canada's eTA, even with a US visa. Apply for a visitor visa online and give biometrics within 30 days of your instruction letter.
Tapping a forex card at an O-Train gate
Ottawa's O-Payment refuses prepaid cards. Carry cash, or buy a pass at a ticket machine first.
Arriving at Parliament without tickets or a passport
Each building needs its own free ticket, and West Block checks photo ID.
Counting on the Skateway in any cold week
It opens only when the ice is safe, usually between January and early March.
Ottawa FAQs
Take O-Train Line 4 from Airport Station to South Keys, Line 2 to Bayview and Line 1 downtown, all on one CAD 4.10 fare. Route 105 buses run 24 hours a day, every 30 minutes.
Yes. Indian passport holders need a visitor visa, applied for online: CAD 100 plus CAD 85 for biometrics, given at one of ten VFS Global centres in India. IRCC's posted processing time for applications from India was 30 days in October 2026. The eTA is not open to Indians, even with a US visa.
No. Ottawa's O-Payment does not accept prepaid cards, gift cards or American Express. Pay CAD 4.15 in cash on the bus, or buy a DayPass (CAD 12.25) or a Presto card at a ticket machine.
Yes, but not Centre Block, which is closed until about 2032. Free tours run at the House of Commons in West Block and the Senate of Canada Building, and East Block opens in summer. Each needs its own ticket, and West Block requires photo ID.
From 29 January to 15 February 2027, across Ottawa and Gatineau. Skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway is free and depends on the ice.
Yes, on Thursday evenings: the National Gallery from 5 pm to 8 pm, and the War Museum and the Museum of History from 5 pm to 7 pm. You still need a free timed ticket.
On 12 October 2026 one Canadian dollar was ₹67.18 at the mid-market rate, so CAD 100 is about ₹6,720.
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