Ottawa is home to the 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship taking place from December 26, 2024, to January 5, 2025! For the most up-to-date World Juniors information, head to the official Hockey Canada website.
Here’s what to do in Canada’s capital city when you’re not at the TD Place or Canadian Tire Centre catching one of the evening games.
Morning:
Get your caffeine fix and find your new favourite coffee shop! Ottawa is dotted with numerous cafes perfect for a grab-and-go or sit-down experience. Check out Bridgehead in Little Italy, which doubles as an industrial café! Or head to Equator Coffee Roasters, located inside the National Arts Centre.
Brunch in style at one of Ottawa’s many must-try spots. Both Wilf & Ada’s and Chesterfield’s Gastro Diner offer an unbeatable brunch you won’t want to miss out on. However, you can’t make reservations and there’s often a line. So, if you’re looking for a solid bet, book your spot at Soca Kitchen, where you’ll find a Spanish and Latino fusion of flavours. Or check out The Third in Ottawa’s Hintonburg neighbourhood.
Afternoon: Outdoor activities, museums & more
Take some time during the day to get outside and enjoy the winter wonderland that is Ottawa! With hundreds of kilometres of groomed trails, Canada’s capital city is a cross-country skier’s haven. Slow things down with a snowshoe trek through the forest or head to Camp Fortune for some downhill skiing and snowboarding.
Mother nature pending, you may even be able to skate along the world’s largest outdoor skating rink — the historic Rideau Canal Skateway! If the conditions aren’t right, you can still skate at one of the many outdoor rinks that weave through a forest! Check out RiverOak Skating Trail or Icelynd Skating Trails. For other ice skating experiences in the city, click here.
Winter is the perfect time for a spa experience, and luckily, there are plenty of spas to choose from in the area! Just 10-minutes from downtown Ottawa is Nordik Spa-Nature, North America’s largest spa. Or check out Koena Spa, another thermal escape close to downtown Ottawa!
Prefer to stay inside during the colder months? Ottawa is home to not one but seven of Canada’s nine national museums, as well as 11 other museums. Head here for more indoor winter activity inspiration.
Enjoy a pre-game lunch at one of Ottawa’s six restaurants that made the “100 Best Restaurants in Canada” list in 2024. North & Navy serves up Northern Italian cuisine in a converted home-turned-restaurant. And Supply & Demand is known for its decadent small plates and raw bar menu. Or keep things more casual and grab pizza from one of the many local hotspots.
Evening: Getting to and from the big game
There are plenty of ways to get to and from the big game — no matter where in Ottawa you’re staying. Avoid paying for parking by taking OC Transpo. To learn more about fares, bus routes and schedules, check the OC transpo website. You can also pre-schedule an Uber or Lyft to the TD Place in Lansdowne Park and the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata.
There are evening games scheduled at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. EST throughout the two week championships. Plan ahead to avoid traffic!
Late night:
Whether you’re looking to celebrate a big win or drown your sorrows over a loss, Ottawa’s nightlife scene has the perfect late-night outing for you.
Head to the historic ByWard Market neighbourhood, where you’ll find a number of pubs, clubs and bars to choose from. Find your preferred cocktail, or a new creation, at one of these cocktail spots. Click here for a list of Ottawa’s best bars and nightclubs.
To get more inspiration on what to do while in Ottawa for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, check out the Top 10 things to do in Ottawa. Have an afternoon game to attend as well? Here’s the evening game day itinerary.
