Best Day Trips from Ottawa for Families

One of Ottawa's underrated strengths is how quickly you can get out of the city. Within 30 to 90 minutes of downtown, you have access to provincial parks, farm country, small towns with character, and outdoor adventures that work for kids of all ages. Here are the day trips that families come back to again and again.

Gatineau Park

Distance from downtown Ottawa: 15 to 30 minutes by car, depending on your destination within the park.

Gatineau Park covers 361 square kilometres of forest, lakes, and hills on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River. It is the closest true wilderness to the capital, and it offers something for every season and every age group.

In summer, head to Lac Philippe for swimming at a sandy beach, or Lac Meech for a quieter experience. Both have picnic areas, washrooms, and lifeguards on duty during peak season. Parking at the beaches costs about $12 per vehicle per day. The Pink Lake Trail (2.5 kilometres loop) is an easy hike with kids and ends at a lookout over a striking green-coloured lake.

In fall, the Gatineau Park Parkway opens to cyclists on weekend mornings before cars are allowed, and the fall colours from the Champlain Lookout are some of the best in eastern Ontario and Quebec. In winter, the park has 200 kilometres of cross-country ski trails groomed by the NCC.

Best for: All ages. Swimming, easy hikes, and picnics in summer. Leaf-peeping in fall. Skiing and snowshoeing in winter.

Parc Omega

Distance from downtown Ottawa: About 75 minutes northeast, near Montebello, Quebec.

Parc Omega is a drive-through wildlife park where you stay in your car and feed animals through the window. The 15-kilometre loop road takes you past elk, bison, wild boar, Arctic wolves, bears, and white-tailed deer. Bags of carrots are available at the entrance for about $4, and the deer will walk right up to your car.

For younger kids, this is one of the best day trips in the region. The animals are genuinely close, the drive takes about an hour at a slow pace, and there are walking trails and a small farm area at the midpoint. Adult admission is around $36, children 6 to 15 are about $28, and kids 2 to 5 are $15. It is not cheap for a family, but kids talk about it for weeks.

Best for: Families with kids ages 2 to 10. Budget half a day including drive time.

Upper Canada Village

Distance from downtown Ottawa: About 80 minutes south, near Morrisburg, Ontario.

Upper Canada Village is a living-history museum that recreates an 1860s Ontario village along the St. Lawrence River. Costumed interpreters run the blacksmith shop, the bakery, the schoolhouse, and the farm. Kids can try butter churning, watch cheese being made, and ride a horse-drawn bateau on the canal.

The village is well maintained and feels authentic without being boring. The buildings were relocated here in the 1950s when the St. Lawrence Seaway project flooded their original sites. It takes about 3 hours to see everything at a family pace. Adult admission is approximately $26, children 5 to 12 are $18.

Best for: Families with kids ages 5 to 12 who are curious about history. Combine it with a stop at the nearby Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary if you have time.

The Diefenbunker

Distance from downtown Ottawa: About 35 minutes west, in Carp, Ontario.

The Diefenbunker is a four-storey underground bunker built during the Cold War to house the Canadian government in case of a nuclear attack. It is now a museum, and the guided tours take you through the blast tunnel, the decontamination showers, the CBC broadcast studio, the Prime Minister's suite, and the Bank of Canada vault.

Older kids and teenagers find this fascinating. The claustrophobic corridors and Cold War context make it feel real in a way that textbooks cannot match. It is less suitable for very young children, both because of the content and because the tour involves a lot of walking through narrow underground hallways.

Adult admission is about $18, youth 6 to 17 are $14. The bunker maintains a constant temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius, so bring a jacket even in summer.

Best for: Families with kids ages 9 and up. Budget 2 hours for the tour plus 35 minutes each way for the drive.

Bonnechere Caves

Distance from downtown Ottawa: About 90 minutes west, near Eganville, Ontario.

The Bonnechere Caves are a series of natural limestone caves carved by an underground river. Guided tours take you through narrow passages filled with fossils, stalactites, and underground streams. The caves stay cool (about 10 degrees Celsius year-round), and the tours are led by knowledgeable guides who make the geology accessible for kids.

The tour lasts about an hour and involves some ducking and squeezing through tight spots. Kids under 5 may find it uncomfortable, but most kids ages 6 and up love the adventure of it. Adult admission is around $18, children 4 to 12 are $12. Open from May to October.

Best for: Adventurous families with kids ages 6 and up. Combine with a stop in the town of Eganville for lunch.

Saunders Farm

Distance from downtown Ottawa: About 35 minutes southwest, in Munster, Ontario.

Saunders Farm on Beckwith Road is a seasonal attraction that peaks in fall with corn mazes, pumpkin patches, wagon rides, and a haunted barn. In summer, it offers outdoor activities, a petting zoo, and play areas. The fall season (September through October) is when most families visit, and it draws big crowds on weekends.

General admission is about $25 per person during the fall season. The haunted experiences in October are geared toward older kids and teens. For young children, the daytime activities (corn maze, play structures, farm animals) are excellent.

Best for: Families with kids ages 3 to 12 during fall season. Budget half a day.

Merrickville

Distance from downtown Ottawa: About 60 minutes south along Highway 416 and County Road 43.

Merrickville is a small heritage village along the Rideau Canal, often called the "Jewel of the Rideau." The main street has antique shops, galleries, a chocolate shop, and a few good restaurants. The Rideau Canal locks in town are fun to watch in summer when boats are locking through, and kids enjoy sitting on the bank watching the water levels change.

For lunch, The Goose and Gridiron serves pub food with a patio overlooking the canal. Mrs. McGarrigle's sells locally made mustards and preserves that make good gifts. The village is small enough to explore in a couple of hours, making it an easy half-day trip.

Best for: All ages, though older kids and adults appreciate the shops more. Combine with a scenic drive through the countryside.

Planning Tips

Most of these day trips work best with a car. If you are visiting Ottawa without one, Gatineau Park is the most accessible option by transit (bus routes serve parts of the park in summer). For everything else, renting a car for a day is straightforward and usually runs between $50 and $80 from downtown rental locations.

Pack lunch for the outdoor destinations. Gatineau Park and Bonnechere Caves have picnic areas but no restaurants nearby. Upper Canada Village and Parc Omega have on-site food, but bringing snacks will save money and reduce wait times with hungry kids.

For more on exploring beyond the city, see our guide to small town escapes near Ottawa and our easy getaway roundup. If you are planning a full family weekend in Ottawa before heading out on a day trip, our museums guide for families pairs well with a day trip on day two. For March Break specifically, check our March Break ideas near Ottawa.