Hotels near The Rideau Canal and the Ottawa Locks

The Rideau Canal was inscribed by UNESCO in 2007 under criteria one and four: 202 km from Ottawa to Kingston, completed in 1832 for military reasons after the War of 1812, and the best-preserved slackwater canal in North America. It is the only canal from the great North American canal-building era still operating on its original line with most of its original structures. The flight of eight locks between Parliament Hill and the Chateau Laurier is the showpiece, and walking it and the towpath costs nothing.

The navigation season runs 15 May to 12 October 2026, with lockstation hours from 09:00 or 10:00 to between 16:00 and 19:00 depending on the month and day. Boat lockage fees apply, though they are free from 19 June to 7 September 2026 under the Canada Strong Pass. Lockstation access is prohibited between 22:00 and 06:00.

In winter the canal becomes the Rideau Canal Skateway, free and open around the clock when conditions allow, and this is where honesty matters. The 2025 to 2026 season opened on 31 December 2025 at just 3.4 km of the full 7.8 km and closed on 5 March 2026 after 56 days, drawing over a million visits. It managed 52 days in 2025 and did not open at all in 2023. The National Capital Commission is explicit that the season is weather-dependent and typically runs January to early March. Treat skating as a bonus rather than a plan.

Pro Tip: Walk down the lock flight from Parliament Hill to the river and look back up: eight chambers rising in a staircase with the Chateau Laurier above is the best free photograph in Ottawa. If you are here between 8 and 18 May 2026, add Commissioners Park at Dow's Lake for the Canadian Tulip Festival, also free.