Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) sits about 11 miles south of downtown, with OC Transpo bus service connecting to the city center in around 30 to 40 minutes.
A City Built Around Its Winters
Ottawa gets genuinely cold, snowy winters, and rather than working around them, the city leans in: the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, freezes into the world’s largest naturally frozen skating rink most winters, typically open from January into February depending on ice conditions. Summers are warm and humid, with the canal switching to boating and a paved recreational path.
Canada’s Capital and a Steady Government Travel Hub
As the seat of the federal government, Ottawa sees consistent weekday business and political travel year-round, which keeps demand more stable across the calendar than in most tourist-driven cities, aside from a sharp spike around Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill each July 1.
Getting Around Once You Land
The O-Train light rail’s Confederation Line covers downtown and several neighborhoods, and the core sightseeing area around Parliament Hill and ByWard Market is compact and walkable.
Search live fares to Ottawa above, and consider Canada Day or the Rideau Canal skating season if either fits your travel dates.