Ottawa

Ottawa trip ideas

Ottawa Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour

Ottawa, Canada

1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
Offered in: English

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Overview

See the best of Ottawa without the stress of public transit and taxis on this hop-on hop-off guided bus tour. With your 1-day pass, hop aboard the double-decker, open-top bus for a panoramic sightseeing excursion. Great for kids and adults, your ticket offers the chance to see over 75 sites at more than a dozen strategically placed stops. Hop off at every stop, or just take in views on the full city loop.

Guided Ottawa bus tour
Enjoy a photo stop at the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Stop in the Ottawa's oldest and largest public market, known as Byward Market
Pass Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor General of Canada
Enjoy spectacular views of the southern banks of the Ottawa River with a drive through Parliament Hill

What's Included

Professional driver and guide
Transport by double decker bus or trolley
Local taxes

Gratuities
Food and drinks
Admissions to attractions and sites
Hotel pickup are before 9:30-9:45am ($5 payable to driver). Reservation must be done 24 hours prior

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

44 Sparks St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5A5, Canada
We are at the corner of Elgin and Sparks. Look for a red kiosk.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

A mecca of cultural diversity and verdant public spaces, the capital city of Ottawa offers excitement for visitors of all ages. With your 1-day pass, see the best of this global hotspot aboard an open-top, double-decker bus or trolley. Hop on the bus at the Gray Line kiosk at the corner of Sparks and Elgin Street, then enjoy the flexibility of choosing your own schedule and tour duration, as well as lively commentary from an onboard guide. Grab a seat inside or on the open-top deck for panoramic views as you zip through town, hop on and off any of the 14 stops (see itinerary below for full stop list), or just sit back for the 50-minute city loop.

Get a feel for Ottawa as you pass museums, galleries, public parks, state buildings and more. Cruise up Confederation Boulevard on the city trolley, and along Sussex Drive to check out the famous homes of the Prime Minister and the Governor General. When you’re finished touring, just hop off. Easy!

Sparks Street (Pass By)

Canadian Museum of Nature (Pass By)

Lansdowne Park (Pass By)

Dow's Lake (Pass By)

Canada Agriculture and Food Museum (Pass By)

ByWard Market (Pass By)

Rideau Hall (Pass By)

RCMP Stables (Pass By)

Canada Aviation and Space Museum (Pass By)

National Gallery of Canada (Pass By)

Canadian Museum of History (Pass By)

Canadian War Museum (Pass By)

Elgin Street Market (Pass By)

Sparks Street (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
If you require hotel pickup (before 9:30-9:45am), please contact the supplier 24 hours prior to your reservation. Please note: this service is $5, payable to the driver at time of pick-up
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.0

298 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 298 reviews

Tour

William_D, May 2024

Nice tour, great guide, good driver. All that we wanted. Enough said. Why do I have to make up additional things to satisfy a computer?

Response from Host, May 2024

We're glad you enjoyed the tour and took the time to leave a review! (even if you did have to satisfy the computer to post it haha)

Want to see more, meet more people and have a chance to do more!

Anne_W, Dec 2023

Sharing a new city in a different country with my granddaughter and boyfriend was wonderful. The look in her eyes when she saw certain things made me smile. Having her experience things with us, things we hadn't experienced will live in my heart forever. It rained the day we went to Ottawa so we did not get to get around like we generally would like but we made the best of it!

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Aw, thank you for the heart warming review, it truly made us smile. We're glad to see the rain didn't dampen your mood too much!

I love it 💕

EvaEmilia_M, Oct 2023

We had a Very Nice experience ,we see al Ottawa city , And we learn about the story about the city , That Guy Narrative history really Nice . I recommend Hop- on Hop ,

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Thank you for the 5 stars!

Great way to see specific sights

Linda_G, Oct 2023

Awesome experience, tour guide knowledgeable and great sense of humour. Highly recommend to see different parts of Ottawa. The hop on hop off is a great part of the tour

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Thank you for the review!

Bilingual tour of Ottawa

Gloria_R, Oct 2023

Beautiful sightseeing tour of Ottawa !! The tour guide made several jokes, it was very entertaining !! Worth every penny EVEN though it's not your first time in Ottawa.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Love to hear it! Thank you for the wonderful review!

Learning about Ottawa from a tour

Alfred_C, Oct 2023

Tour guides were knowledgeable, interesting and added to the experience. Buses were on schedule! I enjoyed the facts and sites pointed out along the route as well as the light humor! Thank you!

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Love to hear it! Thank you for the kind comments!

Ottawa

Leanne_S, Sep 2023

Guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. Hop on is a great way to explore the city and helps in planning where you would like to explore.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Thank you for the review!

Worth it

Ashleigh_K, Sep 2023

Great driver, great tour guide. Thank you! Was a wonderful way to see the city. Got to see a lot of the architecture.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Love to hear it! Thank you for the 5 stars!

The tour guide was great!...

Karen_A, Sep 2023

The tour guide was great! He shared a lot of information and was succinct about doing it in both languages and in a humorous way.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Thank you for the review!

Too rushed

Richard_S, Sep 2023

Not memorable. By the time the guide got through the English and French explanations, you missed the sites. The tour needs to slow down so you see and observe the pointed out sites.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

There is a lot to see during the tour but fortunately, that is why we have our Hop-Off stops: so you could really see and explore all the great sites!

Very poor, waste of money

Mark_S, Sep 2023

Bus broke down so had to get off. Asked for a refund as we didn’t have time to wait for the next bus. Was told, absolutely not, no refunds. I do not recommend.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

We understand your frustration, which is why our staff refunded your order. We hope you got a chance to see Ottawa nonetheless.

Girl’s weekend

Irene_P, Sep 2023

The tour was great… the guide was very informative.. Driver was great also… lots of stops and easy to get back on… great time

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Love to hear it! Thank you for the five stars.

Great Tour!

Sandy_H, Sep 2023

Great Tour Guide and driver. Was fun to hear the history of the area. Christina the guide had to speak really fast as she was speaking in English and French. It’s too bad that some of the main attractions in Ottawa, like the Aerospace Museum and the Parliament Buildings, were closed for renovations. Will have to visit again. Beautiful weather to sit up top. Highly recommend!!!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

It is a shame that those two spots are closed at the moment, but in the long run it is for a more beautiful and interesting Ottawa.... and all the more reason to come back! Thank you for the great review.

Jerks don't get tips

Anita_B, Sep 2023

We got lucky with the weather for the day of our tour because it can go either way in Ottawa in September but it was a lovely, sunny warm afternoon, perfect for sight-seeing. The only drawback was the tourguide was a little snarky. When I requested (towards the end of the tour) to be left off at the market, he said it was not possible since we had already stopped there previously. The reason we asked was because that's where we had parked and it would have saved us a good long walk. It turned out there was a stop just before the market which he didn't bother to mention and when I pointed this out, he gave a sarcastic reply. His loss - we didn't tip him.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

We're sorry you had such trouble with the guide, that is certainly not the attitude we strive to foster in our guides and management will be looking into it. Nonetheless, we are glad you got to enjoy a beautiful September afternoon with us.

Fun trip

Robert_S, Sep 2023

Fantastic tour guide, knowledgeable, entertaining, a delight to spend the time with. Blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Love to hear it hahaha, we appreciate the five stars!

Great intro to Ottawa

PAUL_C, Sep 2023

Interesting way to see the city parallels both the boat trips I did in the most part. Cold breeze in Sept coat or jumper advised. Good guide in both English and French. Did this on a Monday - most sites closed and as it was a 10am tour so we're most of the restaurants and cafes ( opening 12?) More info prior to booking May have made this a better tour on a different day?

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Ottawa is certainly much quieter in September but we're glad you got to enjoy the your nonetheless!

Great tour of the main spots in Ottawa

jose_d, Sep 2023

We had a great time cruising around Ottawa. The guide was knowledgeable and funny and the route was confortable. I'll do this tour again and take advantage of the hop on, hop off feature.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

We can't wait to have you on board again! Thank you for the 5 stars.

Great Tour

Emily_G, Sep 2023

We took the Hop on and off tour 2 times in a row because the tour guide Ruddy (sorry if I am spelling your name wrong), was so funny and charming. He made the ride a 10/10!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

He's going to love hearing that! Thank you for the great review.

Nice and useful tour

DANA_G, Aug 2023

It was a very nice (and useful) experience. Our guide, Samuel, was very joyful and profesional, providing us with interesting facts about the town. The driver, Luc, was on time, giving us a nice ride along the city’s main attractions. It was useful to be able to ride a bus to a certain destination and get another one after the attraction visit.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

We'll certainly be letting Sam and Luc know that their hard work was appreciated! Thank you for the wonderful review.

a must see and great for 1st time visitors!

Maria_L, Aug 2023

We came earlier but our tour is not until another 2 hrs. but the tour guide allowed us to join the tour already which was better for our trip!:) the driver was very good and careful as well, the tour guide was informative as well. I will recommend this hop on hop off tour:)😍👍

Response from Host, Sep 2023

We loved hearing about your lovely experience :) Thank you for the five stars!

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