3-Day Christmas in Ottawa Itinerary
A magical itinerary for Hallmark Christmas movie lovers
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Year visited: 2023
Time of year: December
I had no desire to visit Ottawa. I didn’t even know it was the capital of Canada. But then I read an article about all the holiday movies that are filmed in and near Ottawa, Ontario (it’s a lot!), and I immediately planned a trip!
Almonte, ON is the little town just 40 minutes from Ottawa where the most holiday movies are filmed. The guard at the border even said, “Oh, you’re going to Almonte,” when we told him we were here for the Hallmark vibes. But there are lots of other little towns nearby, plus plenty of Hallmark filming locations in the city of Ottawa itself (not to mention a fabulous Christmas market!).
So here is your magical guide to a 3-day long weekend for Christmas in Ottawa.
What’s in this Article?
“3 days” can be a little bit deceiving. Basically, this itinerary is ideal for a long weekend in Ottawa. Since I’m not sure how long it will take you to travel to Ottawa, or how long exactly you have in the area, this itinerary will be a loose guide to help you plan your best trip.
It is based on our personal trip to Ottawa at Christmas time. We arrived in Ottawa on a Thursday night, spent all day Friday and Saturday here, and then left late Sunday morning (before the big snow storm that was coming!).
There are plenty of things to do in Ottawa, so you can mix and match, and add more to day 1, depending on how much time you have. Then there will be a fourth day to travel back home (or add more activities!).
Here is a brief outline of the trip:
Day 1: Arrival and first explorations of Ottawa
Day 2: Magical things to do in Ottawa
Day 3: Day trip to nearby towns & Christmas tree farm
Day 4: Travel home
When to plan your Christmas in Ottawa trip:
We planned our trip for the first weekend in December, just because that was the most convenient for us.
Since Thanksgiving is earlier in Canada than it is in the US, they do start some holiday events at the end of November, like the Christmas market in the Canadian History Museum.
Also make sure to plan your trip around a weekend, as the Ottawa Christmas market is only open on weekends. Times may vary, but their typical opening times are:
Friday: 5 pm-10 pm
Saturday: 10 am-10 pm
Sunday: 10 am-8 pm
Try to plan your trip around either the last weekend in November, or the first few weekends in December.
Be on the lookout for other holiday events going on around your dates! We didn’t even realize that there was a Christmas tree lighting party going on in Almonte the day we visited.
The ByWard Market building, in the ByWard Market neighborhood of Ottawa.
There won’t be too much going on for day 1 of our Christmas in Ottawa itinerary. This is the arrival day, so much of the day will probably be spent traveling to Ottawa. However, I will give you plenty of suggestions of things to do, so that you could even fill up a whole day, depending on how early in the day you arrive.
Arrive in Ottawa
We drove into Ottawa from the US, but you can also fly into the Ottawa International Airport. You can get into the city via public transportation, but in order to visit the small Hallmark Christmas towns and the Christmas tree farm, it will be best to rent a car for your trip.
Get to Know Ottawa
Depending on how much time your have on day 1, you can take a walking tour of the city to get your bearings, learn fun facts, and see some of the best sites in the city. Your walking tour can be with a group, or self guided.
There are so many different types of walking tours you can take! Here are a few fun suggestions:
Dinner in the ByWard Market
The ByWard Market is one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Ottawa. It also happens to be one of the best places to eat (and shop!) in the city.
As a bonus, it’s also a common filming location for holiday movies, making it the perfect spot for our first night in Ottawa at Christmastime!
This is where you’ll find the OTTAWA letters sign, for a good photo op!
Here are a few good suggestions of places to eat in the ByWard Market:
The Christmas market in Ottawa.
Our first full day in Ottawa!
Breakfast at Happy Goat Coffee Co.
Today will start with breakfast at the Happy Goat Coffee Co. Be sure to visit the Elgin St. location, as this was a (super recognizable!) filming location for the Netflix holiday flick: Midnight at the Magnolia.
Tour Parliament or Visit a Museum
One of the most popular things to do in Ottawa is to take a tour of the Parliament buildings. The iconic Gothic buildings are a staple of the Ottawa skyline, and a unique place to explore in the city.
If you’re not interested in exploring Hogwarts-esque buildings or seeing the city of Ottawa from the top of the Peace Tower, then you could also choose to spend your morning at one of the many museums in Ottawa.
These are my suggestions for a museum to visit this morning:
National Gallery of Canada- This a popular destination due to its proximity to downtown. It is easy to walk to and close to all the most popular spots in Ottawa.
Side Note: The National Gallery actually has their own Happy Goat Coffee Co. inside, where you can go for a quick breakfast. I would still choose the Elgin St. location though, as it was the Christmas movie filming location.
Canadian Museum of History- This is just across the river from the National Gallery (and technically in the city of Gatineau). It’s a little further to walk to, but it is just across the bridge, and you will get the best views of the city skyline here. Plus the History Museum has its own Christmas market and fun Christmas decorations to see!
Canadian Museum of Nature-It’s further out of downtown, but it’s less than a 10 minute walk from the Elgin St. Happy Goat Coffee Co, so if you went there for breakfast, it’s actually convenient to visit the Canadian Museum of Nature from there. Plus this museum looks really cool, especially their new arctic gallery!
Afternoon Tea at Fairmont Chateau Laurier
For a late lunch, book afternoon tea at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, AKA the downtown hotel that looks like a gorgeous castle!
You could also eat in one of the other restaurants at the castle hotel, take a guided tour, or just wander around through all the beautifully decorated Christmas trees.
Ottawa Christmas Market
In the later afternoon or evening, take a bus from downtown to Lansdowne, location of Ottawa’s Christmas market, in the adorable Glebe neighborhood.
There is so much to do here! In addition to the Christmas market, take some time to wander around the shops and restaurants of the Glebe, also a popular Christmas movie filming location in Ottawa. There is a movie theater, and lots of other points of interest too!
Here are some of the things to do at the Christmas market:
Go ice skating
Take selfies with the fun Christmas lights
Listen to live music
Wander through the booths for cute Christmas presents (for others, or for you!)
Eat dinner!
Tips for visiting the Christmas market:
Dress warm!! Wear lots of layers, especially at nighttime.
You can use credit cards at the Christmas market.
There are bathrooms available inside the Aberdeen Pavilion.
Downtown Almonte, ON
Finally we have made it to the star of the show! The entire reason we decided to visit Ottawa in the first place!! Almonte, Ontario.
Almonte is one of many small towns just outside of Ottawa that is popular with holiday movie makers. But for some reason, Almonte is the most popular!
See a list of movies made in Almonte!
See what it’s like to visit Almonte for Christmas:
Explore Almonte
Almonte is a 40 minute drive from downtown Ottawa. Stop and get a “healthy” donut from Healthy Food Technologies, or a pastry and hot chocolate from Baker Bob’s (we got both…). Either way, be sure to visit Baker Bob’s, as it is a Christmas movie staple.
Here are things to do in Almonte:
Shop downtown
Visit the James Naismith statue
Walk along the river
Tour the Humming Bird Chocolate Factory (on Saturdays)
Tour the VODKOW Distillery (on Saturdays)
Visit the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
Stop by the picturesque town hall
Find holiday movie filming locations!
You can eat lunch at one of the many restaurants in Almonte (some of which double as filming locations!), or you can wait till you get to Cedar Hill Christmas Tree Farm and get lunch there. This is what we did (probably because we were stuffed with pastries in Almonte!), and we loved the food there. Butternut squash soup, chili dogs and hot apple cider by the fire pit.
Cedar Hill Christmas Tree Farm
Before (or after) lunch, drive another 15 minutes to Cedar Hill Christmas Tree Farm. This is an obligatory filming location for pretty much any holiday movie in the area, and is an absolute MUST visit for your Christmas trip to Ottawa!
You can browse the Christmas store for decorations, food and gifts, eat in the cafe, take photos by the adorable bridge, or ride the tractor out to the fields of Christmas trees (whether you want to buy one or not).
Pro Tip: This is a working farm, so it can be muddy. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes you don’t mind getting dirty.
Pakenham
Another popular filming spot is the small town of Pakenham, another 8 minute drive north of the Christmas tree farm. Personally, we did not stop at Pakenahm on our own trip, but you easily could visit this charming small town as well!
Evening Options
If you time your trip right, you might be in Almonte for their Christmas tree lighting festival, Light Up the Night! Or you could attend a concert inside the adorable town hall building.
For our trip, we headed back to Ottawa for dinner on Sparks St, a pedestrian only street with lots of restaurants and fun Christmas lights, just like the ones at the Christmas market, but without the crowds! We ate at 3 Brewers, and it was fabulous.
*Bonus Day 4
Before you leave this morning, grab breakfast at an Ottawa staple: The Scone Witch!
The snow covered gazebo at Macdonald Gardens Park in Ottawa, a filming location for "Midnight at the Magnolia."
Not gonna lie… visiting Ottawa in winter can be cold and miserable! Although December is typically warmer than January and February.
When we visited, the first day was in the 40s F (around 5 C), which was fairly comfortable. But the second day was snowy and COLD! Especially at night after the sun goes down. So here are some things to make sure you pack to keep you warm while you’re perusing the Christmas market and wandering down Sparks St.
Winter Boots
The first thing I suggest bringing is a good pair of winter boots. The first day I just wore my cute boots (which got all muddy at the Christmas tree farm). Our second day, I gratefully switched to my winter boots halfway through the day (after getting stuck in the snow for an hour waiting for a bus and freezing my toes off…).
I would suggest just wearing a good pair of winter boots (these are the winter boots I have!) for the whole trip. They will keep your feet warm and comfortable, and you don’t have to worry about them getting muddy!
Cute Winter Hat
Obviously step 2 of dressing for winter is getting a cute (and warm!) hat. I have a ton of winter hats, but my favorite one is this cute winter hat with a little pom on top!
As a bonus, it also serves to make great pictures while you’re visiting Hallmark Christmas locations (because every Hallmark fan knows no pom means no true holiday spirit!).
A Big Warm Cozy Coat
Again, this is probably obvious, but make sure you have a good warm coat while you’re visiting Ottawa at Christmastime.
I had this large cozy coat from Macy’s, which is perfect for layering on top of my (less warm…) Christmas outfits.
It is very warm, but you will definitely need to add layers at night! I did not have enough layers on at the Christmas market, and I was freezing!
Add Layers
Pretty much any blog about visiting Europe for Christmas will tell you to wear layers, and Canada at Christmas is no different (and probably colder…). ADD LAYERS!!!
As I said before, I thought I had enough between my hat, and my scarf, and my sweater and cami and amazing coat and boots, but I was still FREEZING at the Christmas market (aside from my feet, because seriously, these boots are AMAZING!).
So make sure you have a couple Christmas sweaters on (or just sweaters in general). I would also suggest a pair of fleece leggings under your pants. I had thin Christmas leggings that pretty much did nothing.
Christmas Sweaters
And last of all, it isn’t a Hallmark Christmas trip without at least one ugly Christmas sweater. I was at first planning to wear my reindeer sweater (which is super heavy and warm), but I ended up getting a Christmas tree sweater from Maurice’s for my trip to Santa Claus, Indiana, and I thought it would also be perfect for the Christmas tree farm (it was)!
Like the outfit? Hat and boots from Amazon, sweater from Maurices, coat from Macy’s. (Note these are the cute boots, not the warm boots!).
The Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa.
There are a lot of great places to stay in Ottawa. Here are some suggestions for your trip:
Sonder Rideau
We stayed downtown at the Sonder Rideau. This was a really great spot! The location was perfect for walking around downtown or taking public transportation to the Christmas market. It was also a really great price and a really nice room! I would definitely stay here again.
The ByWard Market Neighborhood
Another great place to stay in Ottawa would be the ByWard Market Neighborhood. This is a very cool area, and also close to everything downtown. Here are a couple suggestions in the area:
Fairmont Chateau Laurier
It would be a bit of a splurge, but if you really want a magical Christmas trip to Ottawa, go for the Fairmont Chateau Laurier!
The covered bridge at Cedar Hill Christmas Tree Farm.
I hope you enjoy this magical 3 days in Ottawa Christmas itinerary!
Have you ever been to Ottawa for Christmas? Do you have any other favorite Hallmark filming locations you want to share? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below!
Any more questions?
If you have any questions about visiting Ottawa or Almonte at Christmastime, don’t hesitate to email me or comment below.
Planning a Christmas trip?
Save one of the pins below for future trip planning:
You might also like:
The Complete Almonte, ON Guide
14 Real Life Hallmark Christmas Towns
Niagara Falls, Canada & the US
Top Things to Do in Niagara Falls
Gilmore Girls Towns to Visit in Canada
This article was written by: Julia Rexford