Rideau Canal Sightseeing Cruise Ottawa

The Rideau Canal: a UNESCO World Heritage Waterway

The Rideau Canal was built between 1826 and 1832 under Lieutenant Colonel John By to link Ottawa with Kingston on Lake Ontario, after the War of 1812 showed how exposed the St. Lawrence route was. It is the oldest continuously operated canal in North America and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2007. Our Rideau Canal cruise gives you the story in the place where it happened.

The canal runs about 200 kilometres in total, and this cruise covers a scenic stretch within the city. Many visitors ask whether the Rideau Canal boat tour is worth it, and the answer is yes if you want a quiet hour of history, trees and architecture in the middle of the capital.

Dow's Lake and the Tulip Festival

Dow's Lake is a wide basin on the canal, ringed by parkland, paths and the pavilion on the shore. It is also the heart of the Canadian Tulip Festival every May, a tradition that began when the Dutch royal family thanked Canada for sheltering Princess Juliana during the Second World War and for the liberation of the Netherlands. If you are planning a trip for the best time to visit Dow's Lake, spring is hard to beat.

Our cruise starts from this end of the canal, and the guide points out the lake's story and the wildlife you might notice, from ducks and herons to turtles on warm days. The tulips bloom on their own schedule, so the best weeks vary from year to year.

Through the City: Bridges, Parks and the Glebe

The canal winds through the heart of Ottawa, and from the water you see neighbourhoods and parks in a very different way from the road. Low stone and steel bridges cross the water, cyclists and joggers share the paths on each bank, and the trees on both sides give shade in summer and colour in autumn.

In winter the same waterway freezes to form the Rideau Canal Skateway, one of the largest naturally frozen skating surfaces in the world and a highlight of Winterlude. The cruise season ends before that, but the guide explains how the canal changes with the seasons so you know what to expect on a return visit.

Toward the Ottawa River and Parliament Hill

As the cruise follows the canal toward the Ottawa River, the city gets denser. The route brings you near the National Arts Centre, the grand Château Laurier and the cliffs below Parliament Hill, where the canal drops toward the river through its flight of historic locks, still worked by hand.

It is a good chance to see the capital's most famous skyline from below, then continue by yourself on foot to Parliament Hill, ByWard Market or the nearby museums. Details of the route can change with water levels and lock operation, and the guide adapts the commentary to what you can see.