Ring in Spring in Ottawa

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.

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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.