Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise
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Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise
By Paul's Boat Lines
About
Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the perfect place to get great views of Ottawa’s top monuments. With this tour, save time studying a map, and enjoy stress-free sightseeing adventure with live commentary along the way. Glide along the Rideau Canal, and admire views of city attractions, including Chateau Laurier, the Canadian Museum of Nature, and the National Arts Center.
from per adult
C$47.01
Lowest price guarantee
Ages 0-99, max of 95 per group
Duration: 1h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
German, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Japanese, English, Italian, French, Spanish
Highlights
- Sail past many top Ottawa attractions on this Rideau Canal Cruise
- Learn as you travel through live on-board commentary
- Choose from multiple departure times throughout the day
- Access fantastic photo opportunities of canal-side sites of interest
- The world's-largest, certified, 100%-electric, passenger vessel.
- Guide
- All Fees and Taxes
- Entry/Admission - Rideau Canal Cruises
What's not included- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Departure details
- 1 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K1P, Canada Departures are on the National Art Center side of the canal We are located behind the National Art Center (1 Elgin Street). Right beside the 1 Elgin St Cafe. Directions: Below the Plaza Bridge (Rideau Street Bridge)
Return details- Returns to original departure point
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 60236P2- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Audio guide available for download in Chinese (simplified), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish
- Most travellers can participate
- Please note- there is no rescheduling
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 95 travellers
- All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.
- Which attractions will I visit with Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise?
- During this experience, places you will visit include:Discover and book Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise on Tripadvisor
- How much is Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise?
- Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise price starts from C$47.63. Discover and book Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise on Tripadvisor
- What is the Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise cancellation policy?
- Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise cancellation policy: All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties. Discover and book Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise?
- Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise is hosted by Paul's Boat Lines. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Paul's Boat Lines on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Ottawa Boat Cruise - Rideau Canal Cruise on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 60236P2
Reserve your spot
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- You'll start at1 Elgin St1 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K1P, CanadaDepartures are on the National Art Center side of the canal We are located behind the National Art Center (1 Elgin Street). Right beside the 1 Elgin St Cafe. Directions: Below the Plaza Bridge (Rideau Street Bridge)See address & details
- 1Rideau Canal CruisesStop: 90 minutes - Admission includedSee detailsPass byCanadian Museum of NatureNational Arts Centre
- 2Rideau Canal National Historic SiteStop: 90 minutesSee detailsPass byLansdowne ParkDows Lake PavilionOttawa City hallShaw CentreOttawa LocksUniversity of OttawaTD Place
- You'll return to the starting point
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About the operator
Paul's Boat Lines
890
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Joined in August 2011
#2 of 28 Boat Tours & Water Sports in Ottawa
- rick007201600A Fabulous Boat Tour of the Ottawa RiverThe scenery was beautiful, and the guide (Sabrine) was fluently bilingual and absolutely delightful!
- Quest4575651216200Great tourEnjoyed a different way to see Ottawa. See things from the water that you will never see otherwise. Highly recommend!!!
- jasminedN9968TS00Fabulous DayFantastic tour. Had mediocre ice cream and drinks while watching the sun slowly go down over the Ottawa River. We followed up our tour with a dinner off the river. It made for a fabulous day. We greatly underestimated the 20 minute walk down to the dock from where we found parking. It's a bit rough for the mobility limited, but absolutely do-able. Stairs from parliament and ramps down from elgin.
- FarAway0131444348000Wonderful and executed.The experience was much more than we expected. The scenery and views of the city were exceptional. This was brought to life by a wonderful commentary by Angie who mixed fact with humour whilst also encouraging participation by the guests. Well done. C&S
- wendyrH4059BT00Overall 10/10!! A must do for Ottawa TouristsTook a lovely evening cruise this evening our tour guide Elodie was absolutely phenomenal, Very knowledgeable about the different sites seen on the tour and even asked if we had questions. I would definitely recommend taking the latest cruise possible to have a view of the beginning of sunset as it is absolutely beautiful.
- seejaymcleod00Lovely family experiences.Fun tour. Very pretty. The falls were lovely as well. Family loved it. Lived in Ottawa for 15 years and didn't even know we had waterfalls.
- julierF6375EM00Really great River CruiseWe did a river cruise and enjoyed every minute of the 90 mins. The guide Terri was great and considering he done it in French and English it was really interesting and humorous. We were told about the buildings and all about the canal being constructed.
- 875debn00Relaxing River CruiseInformative and relaxing cruise. Melody our guide gave fun and interesting information about the sights. We then had time to have a glass of wine and enjoy the views on the return journey.
- Nicholas A00Relaxing and Educational Tour of Ottawa by BoatA great tour on the Ottawa River to see the major landmarks that the city offers while learning fun and historical facts along the way. Highly recommend.
- colinpJ8928PG00GREAT.Another great water trip, this time the river. Again, it was a very professional set up our guide was Melody, very very good, always had everybody's attention!
- Adventurer76529000Beautiful Ottawa river tourIt was a nice tour. Pascale is a great guide friendly enthusiastic and informative. Boat is spacious with a canteen for drinks and little snacks.
- BoardingPass29237700Family funGreat ride with Paul's Boat Line. The young lady that was the commentator was very good. She spoke in both English and French she was very knowledgeable and interacted with the guests very well. I would take the tour again so that tells me it was a good experience and I would recommend it to others.
- bradhT8322IP00A river cruise worth taking!!We did this river cruise in Ottawa. The entire experience was wonderful. Getting to and onto the ship was easy. The entire crew was very welcoming. The ship was clean and ready to set sail. Pascal was our tour guide for the trip. She did an amazing job of pointing out the important points of interest on shore. She did this in both French and English. After the narrated portion of the cruise she went around to everyone and asked if we had any questions. She gave us several recommendations for places to eat and the one we tried for dinner proved to be a great recommendation. I would recommend this river cruise as a great way to see Ottawa from a different point of view!!
- Lloyd D00Super tour - great guideAn informative and picturesque tour. Pascale was an exceptionally good guide in both French and English.
- 654mitrat00Not the best experienceIt was nice. But I really expected the voat to be in a better condition. Plastic chairs were very uncomfortable. One more thing was long waiting times to onboard passengers from the other side of the river. It was supposed to be 90 minute cruise 45 minutes of which we spent waiting on the side!
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
353 reviews
Excellent
213
Very good
71
Average
26
Poor
20
Terrible
23
Louis C
Gatineau, Canada2 contributions
Aug. 2020
We are from across the Ottawa river (Gatineau) and decided to play tourist on a beautiful summer day. The Rideau Canal is a highlight of the city, the cruise is highly enjoyable, and Brennan's informative and humorous commentary (in both official languages) made the experience a delight. Capped it off with lunch at the NAC waterside restaurant.
Whether you are a tourist or a local, a great way to spend your morning!
Whether you are a tourist or a local, a great way to spend your morning!
Written August 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George C
1 contribution
May 2022
Please be extremely cautious while paying. They have no mercy, they easy charge double amount (one ticket about $39.75 CAD, $79.10 on debit card!!!! wow, huge unearned income, congratulation for new, improved method). Next time? You wish. And I will tell everybody. Like it or not, but I know a lot of people. And I expect you to go bankrupt. The sooner the better.
.
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Written May 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julia O
Hello! this was not done on purpose it was a glitch and I believe you have received the money back. It was taken care of right away.
Written May 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
KahylaNoosaHeads
Noosa Heads118 contributions
I disliked the fact that we were jammed in very close together no distancing possible. The guide switched between French and English so quickly most of the narration was incomprehensible. The guide also talked very loudly, but this was because of the passengers talking and there were a number of small children so the general level was high anyway. It rained quite heavily during our cruise and the boat is definitely not suited to this kind of weather, floor was very wet and dangerously slippery. It was also very hard to actually see anything due to the design of the boat. Finally the 80’s music at high volume on the return was awful.
Written August 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Norma D
Collingwood, Canada63 contributions
Sep. 2021
We took the cruise last weekend from the Hull dock. The cruise itself was good, the guide was hilarious and this was perfect for a party which included small children. I would mention though that the walking tour we took in downtown Ottawa the day before was possibly more informative. A word of advise - we were unable to download the parking app, and the machine to pay for parking was not working. Our car, and another family member's car each received a ticket for $95 which we felt was outrageous. We are trying to appeal this at the moment. The lot was virtually empty.
Written September 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nishat Mannan
Toronto, Canada22 contributions
Our cruising time was booked for 12pm initially. But we had a baby with us and couldn’t make on time. We were two min late. But we started calling them at the number provided on the trip advisor. The women who picked up my call didn’t allow me to reschedule my visit or didn’t try to do any help. She strictly told me that I can’t reschedule it and it’s non refundable. I know it’s non refundable ticket.
Anyway! Later I talked to a tour guide and told her about my situation. She immediately reschedule me for 5.30 pm cruising. The tour guide during the cruising was really great.
I would recommend it. But please, know that if if you are late for some reasons, you can reschedule it easily at the kiosk talking to a tour guide.
Anyway! Later I talked to a tour guide and told her about my situation. She immediately reschedule me for 5.30 pm cruising. The tour guide during the cruising was really great.
I would recommend it. But please, know that if if you are late for some reasons, you can reschedule it easily at the kiosk talking to a tour guide.
Written July 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JULIE1916
Ottawa, Canada58 contributions
May 2022
Very Relaxing canal Trip = Our guide Gabriella was excellent, very informative and charming, the best we have had over several excursions we have done.
The guided tour is one way, on the way back you just take in to scenery and chill (there is bar on board)
As with everything we have done in Ottawa people queue from at least 30minutes before, so if you want to sit together bear this in mind. It was very busy when we went.
The major negative is trying to find it !! its far enough past the 1 Elgin Cafe to think you have missed it (look for a small gangway tied to the canal railing - that is the start of the queue ! With all the advertising on the roads above you think they may spare a sign for the actual tour !
The guided tour is one way, on the way back you just take in to scenery and chill (there is bar on board)
As with everything we have done in Ottawa people queue from at least 30minutes before, so if you want to sit together bear this in mind. It was very busy when we went.
The major negative is trying to find it !! its far enough past the 1 Elgin Cafe to think you have missed it (look for a small gangway tied to the canal railing - that is the start of the queue ! With all the advertising on the roads above you think they may spare a sign for the actual tour !
Written May 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julia O
Thank you Julie. We have since added more signage and flags leading to the departure and at the departure area.
Written May 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kristen C
Morrisville, PA15 contributions
This tour was on a quiet, clean, electric powered boat on the Rideau canal. On a sunny warm day it was a really pleasant ride. That could be enough for many folks. But the tour guide, Brennan, was informative and hilarious and really made the tour for us.
Should you take this tour? Honestly, I’d call and find out who the guide will be. You can figure out from these reviews who is worth touring with.
Plan to locate the departure area about 30 minutes ahead of departure so that you can show your ticket and get a good spot in line, which will get you your choice of seats. You’ll want to sit on the right hand side of the boat (the side you board on) because most of the tour focuses on sights on that side.
You will also want to be early because they will show you no mercy if you show up after the scheduled departure. A man and a little boy sprinted up to the boat at 12:02 for a 12pm cruise and were denied boarding.
That said, I observed the crew being very thoughtful and accommodating to help a young lady with special needs find an optimal viewing location, so they certainly aren’t heartless, they just run a tight ship -er- electric tour boat. So be on time!
Should you take this tour? Honestly, I’d call and find out who the guide will be. You can figure out from these reviews who is worth touring with.
Plan to locate the departure area about 30 minutes ahead of departure so that you can show your ticket and get a good spot in line, which will get you your choice of seats. You’ll want to sit on the right hand side of the boat (the side you board on) because most of the tour focuses on sights on that side.
You will also want to be early because they will show you no mercy if you show up after the scheduled departure. A man and a little boy sprinted up to the boat at 12:02 for a 12pm cruise and were denied boarding.
That said, I observed the crew being very thoughtful and accommodating to help a young lady with special needs find an optimal viewing location, so they certainly aren’t heartless, they just run a tight ship -er- electric tour boat. So be on time!
Written August 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nicolas lempereur
1 contribution
Jun. 2022
THe whole rather nice canal trip was spoiled by the fact that they boarded us on one side of the canal so we parked in the Arts Center parking garage. There was one frail, aged lady in our party and 4 others including a second in her 80's. Upon return, without taking the few minutes to off-load us where we boarded, they unloaded us on the other side of the canal!! Hot weather, construction of the stairway to the bridge made access to the bridge to cross back to where we are parked was a horrible experience. Part of our group walked up to chateau hotel to wait and it took my partner and I 45 minutes to find a way up from the canal to reach the bridge to cross back by navigating through long fairway to top of a building which turned out to be a hotel and would not let us exit through the hotel...and so on, and then back to Arts Center to find the car so we could pick up the rest of our party. How thoughtless was that company ? They need to recharge on the side of the canal opposite to our boarding side but they still need to leave the passengers off there and then cross to other side.
Written June 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julia O
Hi There,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. Your feedback is important and we rely on hearing from our guests to ensure we are doing a good job. We are sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations. It was an unusual case and we will do better in the future.
Please email amanda@ekeau.com with any questions/suggestions. We would love to make things right if you give us another chance.
Regards,
Team Ottawa Boat Cruise
Written June 22, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Theresa
Ontario, Canada2 contributions
Oct. 2020
The tour guide we had (Brennan), was a very fun guide who provided the information about the tour in a fun and entertaining way. His love for history is very evident and much appreciated during the tour. The other staff present were also very friendly.
This is a good activity for during COVID-19 as it is outdoors and the chairs were spaced out well. The staff wore masks the whole time and reminded customers to wear masks at the beginning of the tour. Some people took their masks off partway through the tour and there was no reminder for them to put their mask back on. I'm not sure if this is good or bad or not but depending on your comfort level, it's something to note.
Thanks for the entertaining afternoon!
This is a good activity for during COVID-19 as it is outdoors and the chairs were spaced out well. The staff wore masks the whole time and reminded customers to wear masks at the beginning of the tour. Some people took their masks off partway through the tour and there was no reminder for them to put their mask back on. I'm not sure if this is good or bad or not but depending on your comfort level, it's something to note.
Thanks for the entertaining afternoon!
Written October 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gab D
Quebec City, Canada5 contributions
Aug. 2021
The tour was really nice, our guide Rose was both really funny and interesting. She managed to point out most of the interesting sights we passed and informed us of the history of the canal. Overall, the tour was a great and relaxing way to take in some great sights of the canal all while learning! It was a little on the pricey side and the doc was a little confusing to get to but otherwise we really enjoyed our experience.
Written August 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marina
Toronto, Canada12 contributions
Hi,
Now is Sep., 2021
Could you please advise what are restrictions now?
Should we provide proof of vaccination or not?
Should we wear masks at all times - inside and outside?
Thank you.
TheOGDroid
Brampton, Canada16 contributions
Proof of vaccination was not required when we went in late August, but I do know the government plans on introducing POV's in Ontario in mid September. That being said:
As of September 22nd, proof of vaccination will be required on all their vessels (Quebec and Ontario).
This was taken from their website.
What is the pick up address
Banense
Ontario316 contributions
1 Elgin Street on the path by the canal behind the National Art Centre
Where shall we leave our car
And where we should meet ??
Banense
Ontario316 contributions
Meeting point is 1 Elgin Street on the path by the canal behind the National Art Centre
Don't know about parking as we walked from our hotel
where to park my car
Lloyd E M
Mount Juliet, TN483 contributions
I would leave at hotel and take taxi or walk.