Parliament Hill is one of Canada’s most iconic sites and a must-see when visiting Canada’s capital. The historic, neo-Gothic Parliament Buildings stand tall on a hill overlooking the majestic Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa. And although the buildings are home to the country’s federal government (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau works there), visitors are welcome on-site for free tours and programming all year-long. Whether you visit Parliament Hill for a selfie, for a tour, or to experience one of the many free events, you’ll never run out of things to discover!
Free tours
Visitors can take free guided tours the Parliament Buildings.
- House of Commons (West Block on Parliament Hill): From 2010 to 2018, traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technologies were used to create a greener, fully accessible and barrier-free West Block. One of the spectacular new spaces is the glass-roofed structure built into the courtyard. The new state-of-the-art, underground Visitor Welcome Centre (located between West Block and Centre Block) is the tour starting point, and also houses the Parliamentary Boutique.
- Senate (Senate of Canada Building): This Beaux-Arts-style building has a storied past and beautiful architecture: Originally built as Ottawa’s train station in 1912 (the same year as the Fairmont Château Laurier which is located directly across the street), it later became the Government Conference Centre. It was rehabilitated to temporarily house the Senate in part due to its convenient location just one block from Parliament Hill.
- Parliament - The Immersive Experience: This innovative experience allows you to explore the main Parliament Building, also known as Centre Block. This is a 360 degree multimedia self-guided exhibition that lasts approximately 45 minutes.
Tours of these new locations are subject to Parliamentary activity and all tour participants must go through security screening, similar to an airport.
Online reservations system
You can reserve tickets online for guided tours of the House of Commons and the Senate. The online booking system shows real-time availability and allows advanced reservations. Reservations are also available on a first-come-first-serve basis at the door of each location, dependent on ticket availability.
