A helicopter whirrs immediately overhead, heightening the sense of anticipation. “Shall we see if it’s open? See how close we can get?” says Mike Robinson, my guide from Escape Bicycle Tours.
Butlers dressed in crisp white shirts and bow ties are laying refreshments on a trestle table under the trees surrounding Rideau Hall. The stately grey stone building, set in acres of public parkland, has been home to the governor-generals of Canada – the monarch’s representative – since 1867. Security guards huddle for a meeting as a gaggle of spectators patiently wait. It’s a big day to be in Ottawa. King Charles III is in town.
My e-bike cycle tour through Canada’s capital has taken me past the grand Parliamentary buildings. We followed the Rideau Canal, the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, then along the Ottawa River over the tumbling Rideau Falls, beating His Majesty to Rideau Hall, where’s he due to plant a tree.
“If you stay until 2.30pm, you’d be welcome to watch!” an attendant tells us as we pedal past. This may be Canada but, today in particular perhaps, strong links to the UK remain.
And that link just got closer. Air Canada’s new direct route from Heathrow connects the two capitals four times weekly. On my way over, the flight is completely full.
As a regular visitor to Canada, I have to admit, I know far more about its “sexier” cities such as Vancouver and Toronto. On my first visit to Ottawa, well, it’s a bit of a blank canvas.
“What I love about living here is that this is a big city with a small-town feel,” says Mike as we pedal past a sign saying “Ottawa – Canada in one city”. “You’re not surrounded by skyscrapers. We’re essentially lots of villages, separated by green spaces, rivers and bike lanes.”
Looking out from Kiweki Point – a brand-new lookout opened the week before my arrival that takes in the Ottawa River, the Rideau Canal locks and all of Parliament Hill’s historic buildings – I see his point. Nature is everywhere.
PARANORMAL ENCOUNTERS
I’m craving a little culture too so, jet-lagged and a little giddy from being in a new city, I take a ghost tour to ingest some history.
Caroline, our guide from Haunted Walks of Ottawa, swishes her cape dramatically as we follow her down the canal to the city’s oldest building, the Bytown Museum. Are there many ghosts here? “Oh, yes,” says Caroline as she lights her face in the gloom with a battery-powered lantern.
“This used to be a very lawless city. These lands have been travelled through by the Anishinaabe Algonquin People since time immemorial. But in the early 1800s, European settlers began to arrive. When Queen Victoria chose us to be the capital in 1857, it was something of a frozen lumber village.”
Another quirky – and quick – way to get to know the city is a Lady Dive Amphibus Tour. The one-hour tour takes in landmarks as a bus, before driving into the river, becoming a boat for glorious views of Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal locks and waterfalls. When we drive into the water, everyone squeals.
From my hotel – the boutique Metcalfe, just 15 minutes from Parliament Hill – everywhere is walkable. There’s no need for a car. I pop to the ByWard Market neighbourhood, an arty, bohemian hub just beyond the Chateau Laurier, for its craft market and limitless restaurants. A sandwich from famed deli La Bottega is worth the 20-minute queue.
STORYTELLING THROUGH ART
Touring the National Gallery of Canada the next day, we see displays of old European masters and works by the Group of Seven (painters from the 1910s who created a uniquely Canadian style), as well as ancient and new Indigenous pieces. Our guide, Maria, says: “The intention of this gallery is to give space to Indigenous First Nations and Metis populations in Canada – to try to mend some of the mistakes, to be better.”
Passing oil paintings by early European settlers, I pause by intricate beadwork, a canoe, and a bright pink and blue painting of a shaman by Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau. The story of Canada sits across these walls.
Heading to the airport, 20 minutes out of town, I stop at Madahoki Farm. Meaning “to share the land” in the Anishinaabe language, Madahoki was founded to share authentic Indigenous culture. New tours include trail walks, family farm visits, tea and Bannock (bread) making, and more. However, the big draw is the Indigenous Ojibwe Spirit Horses.
“They used to be wild across North America and lived in partnership with our communities,” explains founder and chief executive Trina Simard.
“There’s debate over whether they were here pre-colonisation. But our elders say they were. Their numbers went down to only four. It’s been a very slow and careful process, rebuilding the breed.”
The farm is home to 11 of the now 180-90 total horses left. “I’m so inspired by what we get to teach our visitors through the ponies,” adds Trina, “about our connection to the land. We’re still here, we’re resilient and we’re carrying these teachings forward.”
Book it: Premier Holidays offers an Ottawa Art and Culture Autumn Escape, from £1,239pp, including four nights at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, admission to National Gallery of Canada, and direct return flights from Heathrow with Air Canada, for travel on 2 October 2025; premierholidays.co.uk
Air Canada flies direct and return flights from Heathrow to Ottawa every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday; aircanada.com
