Definitely a must see while visiting Ottawa. Located next to the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. Nice view of the canal and Parliament Hill from the Fairmont. The locks make for a great photo opportunity.

The Rideau Canal has been a national historic site of Canada since 1925. It was constructed in the 1820s and is the best preserved canal still fully operational. It was built with military as well as social and economic functions in mind. It goes through more than 200 kilometres of bush, swamps, and lakes. It’s a monumental piece of work! Worth a visit!

When visiting Ottawa, it is virtually impossible *not* to see Rideau Canal. If coming in from the airport, and heading downtown, your TAXI or Uber will drive alongside the canal for a few kilometers. Then, once downtown, it’s a major attraction near the Chateau Laurier thanks to the “Ottawa Locks” that bring boats safely down (or up) towards the Ottawa River, representing an elevation change of some 79 feet. In that regard, the Rideau Canal and their accompanying Locks represent a beautiful synthesis between human engineering, history, nature and, indeed, fun. A National Historic Site of Canada since 1925, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, the Rideau Canal is 202 kilometers in length – connecting Ottawa and Kingston – and was opened in 1832. Designed by John By, the canal was originally built to function as a reliable communication center during a time when Britain and the United States actively fought for control of the area (think War of 1812); however, it was never used for military service. Instead, it later functioned as an important shipping route and then, in the modern day, as a beautiful pleasure cruise space. In the current day, Rideau Canal is synonymous with Ottawa. As we were flying from Toronto, Air Canada showed a pretty nice propaganda photo of the canal as viewed across from the Senate of Canada Building and looking towards the Chateau Laurier. We made sure to mimic this photo ;) We only strolled a couple kilometers along the canal because of a foot malady I was dealing with at the time, but I imagine cruising the length of Rideau Canal would be nothing short of magical. Maybe that will be a future bucket list item?

We are canal enthusiasts so to visit it was on our list of places which we wanted to see during our stay in Ottawa. We read the history of it's building on the information display. If we would stay longer in Ottawa we would like to take ride on the boat there - hopefully next time.

This is actually a review of a terrific Rideau Canal-oriented biking adventure we enjoyed. We rented bikes under the bridge by the old train station (currently the Senate Building) and rode along the Rideau Canal to the point where it intersects with the Rideau River…and then back to the Parliament Hill area via the Ottawa River. There was a separate paved bike path along each waterway, and it was generally quite flat. We also stopped at two waterfalls. Entire trip was about two hours, biking at a leisurely pace and making a few short stops. We had a great time!

The Rideau Canal has a paved trail system on both sides of the water, allowing you to walk (for example, eastbound) for many kilometers. Or bike. Or run. The route is very popular. We walked from downtown to Dow’s Lake (boring), around it, and back again. In total, about 15 km. Along the way, we saw pleasant residential areas, plenty of geese, tour boats on the water, and a sun beating down. Maybe not an unforgettable trip, but good exercise. Remember to bring water!