Under 45 minutes
Old Hull and Gatineau
Five minutes across the river: the Canadian Museum of History, Jacques-Cartier Park and the bars of Vieux-Hull.
Gatineau Park
Pink Lake, King Mountain, Lusk Cave and the Meech Lake beaches, 20–45 minutes away.
Carp and the Diefenbunker
A four-storey Cold War bunker under a farm field, about 35 minutes west.
About an hour
Merrickville
Hand-operated Rideau Canal locks and the biggest blockhouse on the canal.
Montebello and Parc Omega
A drive-through wildlife park and the world's largest log hotel.
Upper Canada Village
An 1860s living-history village with light festivals in fall and winter.
90 minutes and up
Bonnechere Caves and the Ottawa Valley
Guided tours of 500-million-year-old caves, plus whitewater rafting on the Ottawa River.
Best picks by type of trip
- With kids: Parc Omega, the Bonnechere Caves, the Diefenbunker and Upper Canada Village.
- Romantic: Nordik Spa in Chelsea, a night at Château Montebello, or dinner by the falls in Almonte.
- Fall colours: Gatineau Park, Calabogie's Eagle's Nest, Almonte and Wakefield.
- Winter: Parc Omega (the wolves are most active), skating through the forest at Lac-des-Loups, and Alight at Night at Upper Canada Village. See the winter guide.
- Without a car: Old Hull is a walk or a short bus ride. For most other trips you'll need a car or a guided tour.
Small towns near Ottawa worth a stop
Almonte, Merrickville, Perth, Manotick, Wakefield and Chelsea are the easy wins. Westport, near Perth, and Eganville, by the Bonnechere Caves, fit into longer loops.
Drive times are from downtown Ottawa with normal traffic. Hours and seasons change, so check the venue's own site before you go.
FAQ
What are the best day trips from Ottawa?
Gatineau Park, Wakefield, Almonte, Merrickville, Perth, Parc Omega in Montebello, Upper Canada Village and the Bonnechere Caves are the most popular, all within about 90 minutes.
What day trips from Ottawa can you do without a car?
Old Hull and the Canadian Museum of History are a walk or short bus ride across the river. For most other destinations you'll need a car or a guided tour.
What small towns are near Ottawa?
Manotick (30 minutes), Almonte (45 minutes), Wakefield (35 minutes), Merrickville (about an hour) and Perth (just over an hour) are the most visited.
The weekend, sorted
One short email on Thursdays: what's worth doing in Ottawa and the Gatineau Hills this weekend, and nothing you'll skip.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, hours and seasons change, so confirm with the venue before you go.