Tour Times – January 2024

Winterlude 2024 is nearly here

Celebrate all things winter at Ottawa’s iconic Winterlude festival hosted across three weekends in February. This annual event takes place February 2 to 19 this year. With over 200 activities available (and free admission to most of them) the festival has enchanting programming for every age.

Visitors will discover an astounding mix of indoor and outdoor activities across Ottawa and Gatineau. There are plenty of seasonal activities perfect for the whole family like the Tim Hortons Chinook Super Slide, the Winterlude Maze, winter sports lessons and the chance to zip line across a view of the sparkling Ottawa River. There are even free ice carving demonstrations in the ByWard Market every weekend of Winterlude!

The BeaverTails Ottawa Ice Dragon Boat Festival (IIDBF) also draws a passionate crowd as international competitors take to Dows Lake with beautifully decorated boats and spiked icepicks to compete on the frozen racecourse. The 2nd IIDBF World Club Crew Ice Dragon Boat Championships take place on February 9 and 10.

Kids won’t want to miss out on all the fun at Snowflake Kingdom, a winter wonderland filled with kid-friendly activities like obstacle courses, breakdancing battles and a snowy playground.

Folks interested in the diversity of Canadian arts and culture will love the eclectic exhibits and urban art scattered across the Ottawa region as Canada’s capital transforms into an art gallery. From indoor Indigenous art workshops to gigantic outdoor art installations, every year there are numerous exhibits and performances from different artists.

Groups and FIT can immerse themselves in authentic Indigenous experiences throughout the festival with events such as a mini pow-wow, throat singing performances and Indigenous films projected onto snow.

Attending Winterlude is the chance to discover a true Canadian winter complete with remarkable arts and culture programming. There are group rates and coach parking available onsite. Explore the event calendar for more information on festival offerings.

Escape Bicycle Tours launches new winter offerings

Escape Bicycle Tours has long been a must-do for folks visiting Ottawa. They have a diverse selection of specialty tours, bikes available in all sizes and models (as well as electric scooters) and make use of the city’s safe and charming bike paths for impressive guided and self-guided tours.

The attraction recently introduced Fat Bike Tours on Saturdays and Sundays from January to March, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or upon request for other days. Enjoy a leisurely ride through the city as you witness historic buildings, celebrated landmarks and scenic views — all while an experienced local guide shares stories about Ottawa’s history and culture. Pedaling through a snow-covered city on a fat bike is an adventurous way to appreciate the area during the winter season.

Fat Bikes can also be rented without a tour from Fridays to Sundays for 4 hours, a full day, 2 days or a week.

For more information on the Fat Bike Tour and rentals, visit the Escape Bicycle Tours website.

The Canadian Ski Marathon returns to the national capital region

Every second weekend of February, since 1967, the Outaouais region of Quebec hosts the Canadian Ski Marathon. It's North America’s longest-running cross country ski event and it welcomes skiers of all ages and abilities to register for personal ski adventures. This is not a timed race but rather an opportunity for anyone to explore 12- to 160-kilometre groomed trails through the forests and lakes of the charming Laurentian Mountains.

Ottawa will host the National Tour Association Travel Exchange in 2025

The National Tour Association (NTA) Travel Exchange 2025 is an engaging conference packaged travel professionals anticipate every year, and in 2025, Ottawa will be hosting it. Travel professionals from around the world will be welcomed from November 9 to 12, 2025 as they arrive in the city to share knowledge, build partnerships and elevate the travel trade industry.

NTA Travel Exchange highlights bucket-list experiences throughout 30+ countries and offers eclectic programming. Ottawa’s refreshing mix of exciting attractions, gorgeous natural landscapes and abundant arts and culture scene is the ideal location for celebrating tour operators, travel agents and travel professionals.

Almost showtime for the International Film Festival of Ottawa

The International Film Festival of Ottawa is a blockbuster event every year. Cinephiles of all ages and interests find something to love with the city’s diverse mix of contemporary Canadian and international films. The 2024 program includes feature films that have exploded onto the international film circuit in the past year as well as standout Canadian short films. Get the popcorn ready for March 13-24, 2024.

Ottawa Tourism attended the American Bus Association’s Marketplace 2024

Ottawa Tourism’s Juan Pablo Suarez (Manager, Travel Trade) attended the American Bus Association’s (ABA) annual Marketplace from January 13 to 16, 2024. The appointment-based show for motorcoach operators, tour operators and travel industry suppliers was hosted in Nashville, Tennesse. This landmark event for the group travel industry offered invaluable business appointments, educational sessions by industry experts and plenty of opportunities to network with peers.

Skate through Canada’s capital region

Visitors must treat themselves to the premier Canadian winter experience with a skating adventure. Skaters of all abilities can glide throughout the city on a multitude of skating rinks. Discover all the rinks here.

Get wild at Parc Omega

Parc Omega is a bucket-list activity in any season. It’s open all year round, including the winter months, and offers enchanting opportunities to see Canadian wildlife up close and personal. The nature park is an hour’s drive east of Ottawa and boasts a 12-kilometre self-drive safari within a 2,200-acre wildlife preserve. You will be mesmerized by deer, elk, bison, caribou and more. There’s also the opportunity to feed carrots to some of the animals.

Top off a magical winter safari by hiking or snowshoeing a one-kilometre trail bordering Indigenous totems. You can also extend your stay overnight with a once-in-a-lifetime sleepover in a wolf cabin (or a chalet or lodge) with panoramic windows facing directly into a wolf den.

You can now take advantage of Parc Omega’s latest immersive accommodations and sleep closer to the cervids (fallow deer, white-tailed deer and European mouflon) in 14 new nature suites. These accommodations have just been unveiled and feature contemporary design seamlessly integrated into the mountainous natural environment, making them perfect sites for witnessing these incredible animals. The European mouflon is a species recently welcomed to the park as part of the Parc Omega Makwa Foundation’s mandate to protect endangered species. Visit the Parc Omega website for more information on the luxuries offered in these various accommodations.

Sweeten any visit with local sugar bushes

Looking for the quintessential Canadian experience while visiting Ottawa? Groups and FIT have to add visiting a sugar bush to their itinerary. Maple season starts around February until April, depending on temperatures, and this enchanting experience offers a breath of fresh air and plenty of sweet maple syrup goodness. Several sugar bushes provide knowledge on the syrup-making process, offer walking trails and hayrides and, of course, serve delicious maple treats.

Make memories at a national museum (or two)

Ottawa is home to seven of Canada’s nine national museums visitors won’t want to miss. The awe-inspiring sites are known for their stunning and symbolic architecture, interactive presentations and plenty of captivating exhibitions.

Witness Canada's military legacy at the Canadian War Museum from Sunday to Saturday and journey into the past through extraordinary Canadian military history.

Uncover natural wonders at the Canadian Museum of Nature from coast to coast with six exhibits (and more special exhibits) that engage all ages. The museum is closed on Tuesdays, making this an ideal activity to add to a Monday itinerary. You can watch the Virtually Ottawa Coffee Break FAM tour here.

Rest and recharge with a nordic spa experience

Ease into 2024 with memorable wellness experiences at North America’s largest spa, the award-winning Nordik Spa-Nature. You can pop over the Quebec border in less than 10 minutes from downtown Ottawa to arrive at this Scandinavian-inspired spa in Chelsea, Quebec. Your experience will focus on thermotherapy, a 2000-year-old Nordic tradition that uses alternating hot and cold pools for ultimate tranquillity. There are also different saunas, various relaxation areas and restaurants available. Additional spa treatments include massages, body care treatments and exceptional experiences like indulging in the only saltwater floating pool in America or experiencing Aufguss, a German ritual focused on heightened thermotherapy led by a Rituals Artisan using water (and snow) enhanced with essential oils.

The wellness centre is open all year and offers luxurious accommodations too.

Planning a new tour to Ottawa but can’t get here just yet? Explore Canada’s capital through our many virtual guided tours and FAMs.

To discover more winter activities in the region, check out this winter itinerary curated for groups and FIT. You can also get in touch with the Ottawa Tourism Travel Trade team here or explore the Travel Trade toolbox.

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