Reviews of Rideau Canal, Locks 1 - 8 - Ottawa (Tourist Attraction)

Nathaly Lacasse

Beautiful in the summer but not during a heatwave plus masque. Would be amazing during the fall

Teacher David de la Peña

Great spot to watch how Rideau Canal connects to Ottawa River. At this very spot you could take great pictures just next to the Château Laurier. If you take a picture during the day and one during the night, you will feel and enjoy the versatility of this amazing spot. The locks were built from 1826 to 1831 and they continue stealing "wows" from people in 2021. Here you could see the first eight locks.(Lock 1 to Lock 8).

Nickoel Anderson

Watching the locks was really interesting. They do it manually and were happy to answer questions when they had time. Fascinating and free!

Caspian “Caspian Khw” Ka Heru Wadjet

National Heritage site unlike any other. Breathtaking views of the Ottawa river, Parliament and the historic Chateau, take a stroll across the lock gates and along the river trails. Paths are well marked, easy to navigate and there is the ByTown museum on site. Accessible by Otrain.

Dave

A must see landmark in Ottawa. Beautiful no matter what time of day, but the sunsets are the ideal time to see it. If you can witness the locks actually lifting and lowering a boat that's a real treat.

Ester V.

Amazing! So much fun for us and our kid

Carl Cencig

Well-done an scenic. Good touristic displays and information highlighting the significance and historical importance of the locks.

Arvin Miranda

Amazing mans invention, like panama canal, people here are nice as we walk around, will come back mext year

Christine Petersen

Very cool to see the locks be opened manually! Water very eutrophic unfortunately.

Jennifer Sullivan

Educational to watch the manual lock system. Kids & Hubby loved it

Kristina Rose

Very interesting with the different water falls filling up the canal.

abhinaya rajendran

Was great to watch the locks being unlocked and locked again manually. Interesting to understand the way it works.

Monica Bilodeau

Loved learning about Canadian history! Ottawa offers so much to see and do. Highly recommend everyone to visit the country's capital.

Jaime Lea Hazel

I love this place! My son and I take walks down here pretty much every day. It's absolutely beautiful in the summer time

Kathleen Bradley

Interesting to see the Old World technology in action.

Andrew King

A lovely little place to spend all or part of the day. There are several locks in a very short span, because the change in elevation is quite steep. It's a lot of fun to watch a boat pull into the lower lock, and then watch as a small army of young-adult aged attendants frantically turn the enormous cranks to activate the pumps and open the gates for each lock. It actually takes quite a long time for a boat to get from the bottom lock all the way up to the top. Kids will find it fascinating, and I have to admit, as a 40-something adult, it was pretty interesting for me too. And the surrounding grounds have a park-like atmosphere, although as I said, the downward slope means that occasionally you have to dodge bicyclists coursing down the paved path that runs alongside the grassy knoll. If you choose not to deal with the speeding bicyclist, a series of stone stairways run along the edge of the canal locks, and can get you up or down. These stairways are absolutely unforgiving. Don't fall. :) At the bottom, along the water's edge, is a lovely walk along the shore. The views are nice, and when the weather is good, it's a really lovely atmosphere. Lots of people Milling about, people picnicking on the grass, people sitting around and lounging, occasionally canoodling. There are boat rides in water taxis, they're a little bit pricey, but not horrible. I didn't take them when I was there last week, I just opted for a walking around and snapping photos and watching a boat make its way through the locks. We didn't bring a picnic lunch or anyting, so after about 90 minutes or so, I think my family had had enough of the place, which is fine actually, because it is only one or two minutes walk from Parliament Hill and other cool downtown Ottawa sites. So in conclusion, it's not a destination in and of itself, but it's one of several destinations in a very close proximity to be visited as part of an extended sojourn to the capital.

Abner King

There are a lot of people here and the distance of 2 meters cannot be guaranteed.

Stephen Cunningham

Beautiful and remarkable feat of engineering. It is a must see for anyone passing through the beautiful city of Ottawa, Canada.

Alex I

This is amazing to see how the boat locks work in person, especially with them using a manual door opening system which is tedious work in today's day and age! If you are lucky however you will see it in action by the staff on the grounds!

F Ho

simply beautiful! take advantage of sunrise or sunset over the canal, I'm sure you will do it again and again

Dolly Vyas

It would be great to see how this works, unfortunately I couldn't see it but I hope when things get normal I will visit this place again.

Prabal Kujur

Awesome place to visit and relax. You can have a boat ride by the side of the locks for 10 mins which shows 3 major points of the Ottawa river!

Andy Ng

Beautiful scenery overlooking the Rideau Canal towards Gatineau, Quebec. Take a moment to Walk down the steps and cross the locks!

Iulian Turcanu

Nice to visit on any day. But, if you're lucky enough to witness a boat going through the gates, it'll amp up your experience. Go there on a nice, hot summer day. Also, a great waypoint when visiting other amazing downtown Ottawa sites.

LEONARDO BLENGINI

Beautiful place, the colors and views are amazing!!!

Solecitosays

Excellent place, well organised and very nice view. You can walker around and enjoy the nice weather Summer offers.

Vishal Sharma

I really liked it, but I will take away a star as it smells bad when you go near, but how they collect water between gates to let boats and ships pass, it was really an amazing to watch. It has been constructed at beautiful with watching spot, right in between Chateau Laurier and Parliament Hill, but you need to walk down some good set of steps to have a better look at these breath-taking locks. I took the pictures from same place over the bridge on different days. Amazing view when the water runs down the river. Worth watching and definite attraction if you are visiting Ottawa and it is situated in centre of most visited areas

Jason Woo

Best time to check it out during the sunset for a romantic walk. Otherwise if you have kids go during the day it can be educational to see the Rideau Canal in action.

Jonathan Hart

This is a hidden gem next to Parliament Hill. The hike up and down some stairs next to the canal is very nice.

Colin MacLean

Great outing for the family. Nice village. Scenic walk along the locks and river. Plenty of shops if you are interested in shopping for crafts and artwork. A variety of food and beverage offerings. Nice day trip from Ottawa.

Thomas

Absolutely mesmerizing to watch boats go through the locks.

David Whiteley

A not-to-be-missed gem, at night as well as by day.

Janis S

Beautiful area to walk along & take photos. Can walk across the locks & visit the onsite small museum of how the canal was built. Parks around the area with lots of seating. Right beside the Parliament Buildings so right in the heart of th downtown core & tourist areas. From there can walk along the canal through many parks & rent bikes or skates in the winter. Stunning.

Darko Trifunovic

Beautiful views from here of the Chateau Laurier, museum of civilization, Parliament and Alexandra bridge.

mathusan

I am ashamed that I only knew about the name because of McDonald's Monopoly game. But it is truly a stunning view. If you go to Ottawa, you should go see it.

Ken and Alicia Lund

Beautiful pedestrian paths and easy access to view the Rideau Canal locks. Right next to Parliament Hill. The paths continue down the canal and along the river.

Hamdy Moussa

Nice place you will enjoy your time with your family.)

Shai Eyal

A very special place, unique experience. Impressive, most recommended. Justifies the visit in Ottawa.

Yakup M

Really impressive way of bringing ships in the canal down to the Ottawa River level. Particularly when it is all done to mechanical locks (gates), water and gravity with equipment that hasn't changed much since the canal opened in 1832.

Viraj Ranjankumar

Nice place to visit for photos and a beautiful view of the Ottawa river. Watching the way the locks work is also fascinating. Definitely worth a walk by them

Greg Sullivan

My daughters really enjoyed watching the locks being operated to allow the boats to get through.

Chris Ning

Nice location for a walk and cycling along the lockstation.

S. Min

Very interesting structure. I enjoyed walking there.

Princess Ponytail

Very nice. Great for leisure walks

Paul Jacobs

Interesting. Watched a couple of boats go down the locks. Apparently it's $1 per foot of boat for the day. Operated by Parks Canada.

Shawn Xiao

It's fun to see how a boat go through locks.

Lucas

Very cool to see. Would like it if there was some info about schedules. Waited an hour and didn't get to see any boats.

Ryan Jarman

It's really cool to see the water rise and lower right infront of the mint! Although it took a very long time and I woypd get bored quick if I was actually on board 7/10

Ricky “Raikazu” Compton

Amazing in the sun and a very nice walk including going up towards the park.

James H

Still an amazing series of locks that raise and lower the boats onto the Ottawa river from the workd famous Rideau Canal.

Kevin Cheng

Beautiful spot to walk and take photos.

Luis Wiedmann

Nice look in the past! Well maintained. You can watch Parks Canada operate the original locks by hand, just like they were build. There are public washrooms and a scenic walk on top of the "cliff" to the river. Also, Canadian "Soldiers" (People in Costumes) from the old days patrol alongside it for show. Very good explaining of the engineering and building of the locks. Really nice!

Leigh Payne

Such a fantastic sight. The locks are in such a short distance of one another it really shows how much of a feat of engineering it really is. There's a little coffee shop type place at the bottom of the walkway and you can follow the path down and around to the river from the canal. The steps are quite steep so it's not for everyone. We visited twice in 2017 and made sure we had a wander both times.

Michel El Chalache

Amazing to see the boats passing the locks

Pablo Listingart

We saw them working today both ways, as back in 1832. It is an incredible engineering masterpiece. We really enjoyed watching it working with my kids. Is is just amazing that this was built almost 200 years ago

Marie Ko

So amazed and utterly in awe of the beauty of this place! It will definitely be part of my annual Fall trading to come here.

CAMERA MAN

Rideau Canal locks 1-4

Sarah Choi

There is wonderful walking road around the river. Definitely you have to see this place when you visit Ottawa.

Precious Gift Dupio

Mmhh..when the time we went there..its remembrance day..soo only 1 lock was open..we have to walk back and forth in order for us to continue our journey..but the place was nice..its smelly though once you cross the lock..but its worth it..the views our super nice..

Olatunbosun Morakinyo

The sights were beautiful

Ryan Meyers

Such a cool sight to see and to learn the history of. The crew operating the gates are happy to talk about their operation and history. If you're fortunate enough to be there when a boat is moving through its really cool to see. Highly recommend taking a look if you're in the area at all.

Shoval Solo

Very beautiful view, nice and clean

Es Que

This spectacular Canal is part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The lowering and raising of boats through the locks is quite a spectacle during Summer months. The lift height of 24 metres take around 1.5 hours to pass through. Worth a visit

김송희

This is vastly big canal! Although it was snow, when I walked alongside that canal, I felt excited! Just when you visit Rideau Canal, Be careful!!! Also if you want to visit here, you should search Rideau Canal, Locks 1 - 8 - Ottawa!!

Ari Okubo (Ari)

check it out if you're around, I happened to be there while they were working and it's a fascinating process

Phil Chao

Nice place. Cool to see the canal and the locks that raise and lower water when necessary for boats to pass through.

Dean Pyne

A cool place to visit. We love the fact that big fences have NOT been installed around the water. It really makes the place even more inviting. Please dont change a thing. We will come back again

Electronet Solutions Inc

Peaceful and quiet place to visit

Darshil Vora

Nice place to spend the evenings. Also has a lot of history behind it.

GWoo

Definitely a place to visit and watch the boats go up and down in the locks.

Marilyn Yeo

Beautiful history and the plaque was great at explaining the history behind the canals!

Jose Muller

There is A LOT of history behind this place and you can learn all about it by reading signs that have been placed all along the locks. This is also a really beautiful place to go for a walk or bike.

Serguei Gavrilov

Beautiful place any time of the year!

Kemanyi Tobin

If you're looking for a place to sit and watch the sunset, I recommend this place over anywhere in Ottawa.

Robin Aldos

The kids loved it. They enjoyed walking back and forth on the locks and the view was spectacular. Made a day of walking from sparks street to the byward market and back and had a great time. Tulips were fantastic and the city was vibrant that day. One of the few days the sun peeked through the clouds this year.

Janet Moraghan

Beautiful spot for relaxing and catching a sunset!

Larry Friesen

Very cool! Amazing that all manually operated!

Roger Moore

Ounce again another amazing place that Ottawa has to offer.

Dave Norton

Very interesting to watch boats of all sizes take a very slow ride up the steps a few boats at a time.

Gregory G

The Locks beside Parliament Hill in Ottawa are super cool! We spent about an hour watching boats move from the lower section of the Rideau Canal to the higher section. It was pretty fascinating and entertains both young and old! With the backdrop of the Parliament Buildings, you can get some pretty nice pictures here!

Ray Perrier

It was amazing, I love the locks. Staff are helpful and friendly and fantastic!

Shiv Raja

The locks were amazing to visit, especially with a couple of boats going through. It's interesting to watch the manual operation of the locks with pulleys and mechanisms. The area around this is nice, with activity and a nice view by the Ottawa River.

E M

Have not been to Ottawa since I was a kid. Brought back so many memories. Love the Locks at the Rideau Canal.

Khushnaz K

Great place to catch sunsets and fireworks

josh fogarasi

It was cool watching the open up the canal for boats.

Stefan

Good place to run/bike by with a nice view.

Nadia Baker

What an amazing sight to see. Truly fascinating! Definitely 5 stars for the site itself however I do have to point out the staff there. The young gal who was working was friendly and answered our questions, so 5 stars for her however there was an older fellow, moustache and he was just plain rude--NO stars for him! I asked him a question and he literally walked away! And yes he did hear me. It wouldnt have been a complicated answer. All I have to say to the worker is grow up and use basic common courtesy.

T H

By Town Museum here as well, nice view of the river and History Museum Along the bike path that goes along the canal and then goes behind Parliament Hill behind downtown. Great bike trail system here!

Heather Schofield

Had a great time here. It was fascinating to see the boats going through the locks & gradually moving higher, or lower. There is quite a loot of walking involved, but it is all paved & well maintained.

Ashley Wang

Rideau Canal covered with snow and ice on night of January 1st., 2022

Ricky Espiritu

i really love to came back to complette my tour here in ottawa its a beautiful place,,,

Ryan Mierzwa

Extremely scenic and a beautiful, calm location to either bring your family or that special someone <3 Plenty of walking And biking trails to explore. However the best part is taking in the beautiful scenic space between Ontario and Quebec.

Cecile Lefebvre

Like u can walk the plank over the locks of canal and stand just 2 feet above le mini waterfall sort of like standing above the US and Canada falls but at much smaller scale eh ?? Must see the international falls it's just magnificent the tours in both sides of the falls , You can go under in an elevator and ride a boat and feel the spray to get cooled off in the beating sun ! U could wear a raincoat provided with le ride but u might as well be standing anywhere in the rain with raincoat @ umbrella , Vraiment ! Any the Rideau canal leads to cemented (too bad for ur backs and legs and feet and ladies hips with all le cement ) trail all around back of Parliament and the forbidden view of le Biblioteque ! Oooh Monsieur Justin Trudeau can we at least visit the libraries ! Even both of Parliament Libraries on hill and Sparks St. ARE CLOSED Ur not getting any points for this election . Watch out runners in the making of a PRIME MINISTER ! ????

Bernice Bee

Nice scenery to walk around

Mark Christopher

Beautiful area to sit and watch the boats go up and down the locks. Very peaceful.

Jismon Kurians

Nice place to visit with your kids and you can explain the usage of the locks and how it works. We boarded our river cruise boat from here and it was nice.

Bee Fone

Rideau Canal Locks is connected to Ottawa River in the north and located between Parliament Hill and Hotel Chateau Laurier. A beautiful place and must see in Ottawa. Lots of tourists as well as locals come to watch the yachts travel through the locks during the summer months.

Chrissy Barbe

So cool to watch how they get the boats in and out!

Shannon Munson

Watched 3 boats coming up the lochs. Workers explained the process..talked to owners of the boats. Kids loved the history and the process. Must see!