Canada’s capital, Ottawa, boasts a plethora of family-friendly attractions, activities and small-town fun. This urban oasis offers countryside scenery and vast landscape for outdoor exploration, as well as a fun cityscape — perfect for a family trip this spring.
Stay in the city and enjoy the endless options for dining, shopping and sightseeing. Be sure to rent a car so your family can catch the tail end of maple syrup season in and around the city. Enjoy nature’s bounty during the best festivals and seasonal celebrations the city has to offer.
Celebrate the season of syrup at Omega Park just 45 minutes from downtown Ottawa. Located in Montebello, Quebec, the large park brims with wildlife and family-centric attractions.
Immerse yourselves in local history and tradition with live music, chainsaw wood carvings, various maple-themed demonstrations and wagon rides with maple taffy and sugary treats, Thursdays–Sundays, through Easter. Meet local animals and keep your eyes peeled for wildlife around the park.
© Ian Wilson | Dreamstime.com
Plan your family trip during the Lanark County Maple Weekend for the full maple experience. The weekend, April 7–8, hosts sugar-making demonstrations, pancake breakfasts, sugar bush trail tours, sleigh rides and a wide variety or traditional treats and events.
Need more of a sugar high? Head to Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush in Pakenham, Ontario. Just less than an hour west of downtown Ottawa, the family-run establishment is worth the trip. Enjoy a traditional sugar bush experience with an authentic, home-cooked meal and inside peek at the backroom operations.
Hop on a horse-drawn sleigh through the forest and complete your classically Canadian afternoon. If you’re too full for more sugar, purchase some spa products for later in the Maple Shop — open through April 15.
Sink into a booth at Flapjack’s Canadian Diner and feel like a local. No rush to make the season cutoff at Flapjack’s, since it’s always maple syrup season at this beloved diner. Enjoy milkshakes, bacon pancakes and any homemade pancake sandwich you can get your hands on — you won’t be disappointed.
Finally, unwind after the long trip of eating, observing maple traditions and riding through the forest with a relaxing treatment at Holtz Spa. Opt for the Maple Treatment and enjoy the healing antioxidants and rich mineral naturally found in maple syrup. You’ll feel — and smell — amazing.
Read This Next
#WhereverFamily
Insta FeedTravel Tips
Sep 1, 2026TikTok Revolutionizes Travel Planning and Inspiration
With an estimated 1.9 billion users worldwide, TikTok influences nearly every part of our lives, from food to fashion. The app so profoundly changed the way we travel, it now describes itself as a “modern-day travel agency, itinerary planner, and travel blog rolled into one.” Using TikTok to plan travel is so popular, the app recently launched TikTok Go to make booking even easier.
Sponsored Content
GET TO KNOW TAP FORBIZ
Unlock flexible, refined business travel with TAP Air Portugal’s program, TAP FORBIZ. Developed for small, medium and large Companies, with options for corporate events, TAP FORBIZ offers exclusive advantages adapted to each type of business.
Hotels
Sep 1, 2026Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa to Welcome Return of Elf on the Shelf This Holiday Season
The magic of Christmas quickly approaches as summer comes to a close, and families can experience the holiday season in a unique way this year.
Hotels
Sep 1, 2026This London Hotel Launches Little Londoners Family Package
Balance a city break in London with kid-friendly experiences at Sea Containers London, an upscale, riverside hotel. The property recently debuted the Little Londoners package, a thoughtfully designed offering that makes exploring London easier (and more fun) for both kids and parents.
Sponsored Content
Best of Both Worlds
Enjoy the best of both worlds when you fly with TAP Air Portugal thanks to the Portugal Stopover program. With the program, TAP passengers, whether traveling for business, leisure or both, can stop in Portugal for up to 10 days at no additional airfare on the way to their final destination. What does this mean for travelers wishing to explore by both land and sea? It means after flying to Portugal with TAP and experiencing the country in an entirely new way, travelers can then embark on scenic river and ocean cruises from Portugal’s port cities, or fly with TAP to another European destination.
Europe
Aug 27, 20266 Geneva, Switzerland, Destinations for Family Travel
It’s time to start dreaming of your next family trip. Here’s some destination inspiration for you. Take a visual journey through Geneva, Switzerland, with us.
ShareThis