Best of Ottawa in One Day Bike Tour

Forget the car, get on a bicycle and hit the trails to experience the beauty and history of Canada’s Capital city! 

Your Best of Ottawa tour allows you to see many of the top attractions while enjoying the natural bike pathways and waterways of this beautiful city in a 5-hour tour. 

This is your tour if you are a visitor who wants to see more of Ottawa and spend a day outdoors or if you are new to the city.  

This is a fun tour for locals who want to show their out-of-town visitors the very best of Ottawa.

The Ottawa bike route is flat, relatively easy, with only a few inclines easily managed when riding multi-geared quality bikes. 

You will bike on one of our comfortable, top-quality bikes, or you can opt for an electric bike and set off on your journey to discover beautiful Ottawa.

By the end of this fun tour, you’ll feel like an ‘insider’!

Starting at the Escape Tours and Rentals shop (65 Sparks Street), complete your safety briefing and bike and helmet fitting.

Cycle along the Rideau Canal—the famous Canadian UNESCO World Heritage Site—and witness much of Ottawa’s natural beauty and charm.

Ride through one of Ottawa’s most exciting neighbourhoods—the Glebe—and stop at Lansdowne Park, a world-class event and activity park.

Ride through another charming neighbourhood of Ottawa—Old Ottawa South—then continue along the renowned Rideau Canal Pathway. The end of the pathway will bring you to the refreshing Hog’s Back Falls.

Witness the locks in operation and continue your journey to the Dominion Arboretum—a spectacular garden of trees and shrubs.
Head to Fletcher Wildlife Garden, then see the impressive Experimental Farm featuring the Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum, home of the world’s only working farm in the heart of an urban city.

Take a break for 45-60 minutes to enjoy lunch at one of the local cafes in trendy Little Italy.

Bike on the Trillium pathway and arrive at John A. MacDonald Parkway beside the magnificent Ottawa River. Visit the unique rock sculptures at Remic Rapids Park, and the Canadian War Museum and Chaudière Falls.
Cross the bridge into the province of Quebec to enjoy a spectacular view of the downtown Ottawa skyline from the Museum of History terrace. 
Cycle back to Ottawa through the scenic Alexandria bridge and see the National Gallery of Canada, and Maman, the giant spider.

Bicycle alongside Sussex Drive—the famous street of the Prime Minister’s residence. 

Visit Rideau Falls and Rideau Hall—two of Ottawa’s must-see historical landmarks. 

Before your journey is over, ride through another quaint neighbourhood of Ottawa—New Edinburgh. 

Reach the famous Byward Market, one of the oldest outdoor farmer’s markets in Canada and the location of many specialty food merchants.

In the stretch, see Parliament Hill, one of the most symbolic buildings of our nation.

End your tour with a ride back to the Escape Tours & Rentals shop. There you can ask your guide more questions about where to eat and drink or what to see.

See the best of Ottawa in this jam-packed tour of historic sites, neighbourhoods, and nature, including: 

For your bike and helmet fitting and safety review, please arrive 20 minutes prior to your tour start time!

Your tour starts and ends at Escape Bicycle Tours and Rentals at 65 Sparks St.

Parking: We highly recommend leaving your car at your hotel. Street parking in our neighbourhood is difficult and the meters/time restrictions can be confusing. But if you must drive, here are a few underground parking lots: National Art Centre Parkade (99 Elgin St.), World Exchange Plaza (Metcalfe and Albert entrance), City Hall (110 Laurier Ave W). 

Flexible Booking – Book with confidence! For public tours, you will be fully refunded if you give us 24 hours’ notice before your tour starts.

No refunds for any cancellations within 24 hours prior to the activity start date and time. 

Bad weather? Don’t worry, If your reservation must be cancelled due to the bad weather, you will be fully refunded.

What is your cancellation policy?
You will be fully refunded if you give us 24 hours’ notice. There will be no refunds for any cancellations within 24 hours prior to the activity start date and time. Please inquire about the private tour cancellation policy.

Are there any hills?
Ottawa is a flat city, so most of the ride will be on flat bike paths. There might be a few inclines that can be easily managed when riding our multi-geared quality bikes.

What if it rains?
Your ride will continue in light rain. We supply you with rain ponchos. 

In case of heavy rain or storm forecast, your trip will be cancelled — the final call will be made two hours before the start time of your tour, and we’ll contact you by phone and email. 

If your tour is cancelled due to the weather, you will be fully refunded or can choose to keep your credit for an alternative date or time.

Is biking in Ottawa safe?  
Ottawa is an extremely bike-friendly city. Almost all of your ride will be on Ottawa’s well-maintained cycle paths. In a few exceptions, we will be riding on backroads in neighbourhoods or crossing streets with traffic lights. As well, we start all our tours with a safety briefing and proper fitting for your bike and safety helmet.

Can I bring my own bicycle?
Yes. Please ensure that your bicycle is in good working condition and you have spare parts (e.g., proper tube size) in case. You will receive a $10 discount for bringing your own bicycle.

Have more questions? Visit our detailed FAQs page or contact us!

“Great way to see Ottawa. Escape Bike Tours is exceptional. The five hour tour was well organized and covered many of the must see highlights in Ottawa. Our tour leader, Sparky, was extremely knowledgeable, a lot of fun and interacted well with everyone. I highly recommend Escape Bike Tours!”

“As we had never visited Ottawa before, we booked the 5 hour guided cycle tour. The tour was excellent and we felt we got a great overview of the city. Our guide, Denis, was informative and very personable. On our second day we rented bikes again and did a self guided tour along the river to Aylmer, a picturesque little town in Quebec. We would highly recommend Escape Bicycle Tours to anyone who loves to cycle.”

“Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! This 5 hour tour was perfect we are in our 60’s used to a bit road biking and had our 23 year old son an athlete but rarely rides a bike. This ride was a good pace for all of us and a fantastic way to see Ottawa and learn it’s history! We are now hooked and on future vacations will look for bike tours were ever we go! You can always rent a bike but having a tour guide is really the BEST! We highly recommend!!”

“We did the 5 hour best of Ottawa tour, we only arrived in Ottawa late on Friday evening and did tour on Sunday, it was really excellent way to get flavor of the city. Lucie our guide was very knowledgeable and was great at navigating us through the city. Most of the tour is on quiet canal paths (on Sunday there is bonus of some roads being closed to cars in the city). The ride is very easy and as you stop often to look at the sights you never feel it is difficult ride. We had two teens with us and good way for them to see a bit of the city. I would highly recommend this as great way to see the city rather than usual old bus tours you get in other places. Also liked they took some pictures and took time to email them on.”