Ultimate Guide for Biking Tours in Ottawa 2023
Calling all cycling enthusiasts! Are you ready for another new and exhilarating adventure in Canada’s capital city?
With picturesque routes, lively neighborhoods, well-maintained biking paths, and impressive landmarks, Ottawa has much to offer to everyone on two wheels. We definitely recommend touring the Rideau Canal and Byward Market for its sights.
So grab your helmet, hop on your bike, and let’s cruise into the ultimate guide for biking tours in Ottawa!
Best Bike Tours in Ottawa
The best bike tours in Ottawa are provided by Escape Bicycle Tours & Rentals and RentABike Ottawa.
Both companies have several biking tours available, the difference between each tour being the amount of time it takes and the route & sights you’ll pass through and see.
For a detailed look at the most popular biking tours, you may refer to the table below:
Best Bike Routes in Ottawa
The best self-guided biking tours in Ottawa are Big Ottawa Loop, Carp & Country Debunker, Kanata, Little Italy, Ottawa River, & Rideau Canal, Manotick South & West, Muster Mander, North Kanata to Stittsville, the Osgoode Ride, Ottawa River East & Farmland, Out a Way, Park to Park, Rail Trail, etc.
This type of tour is perfect for you if you’re not into following a tour guide or joining a random group.
Not only is it up to you what time you’ll leave and how long you’ll stay at each site, but there also aren’t as many restrictions either.
You may refer to the table below for a quick look at Ottawa’s available self-guided biking tours:
I Like to See the Water When I Ride
LENGTH: 38.2km
DIFFICULTY: Easy
If you’re a fan of waterfront views and scenery, this self-guided bike tour is perfect for you because it passes through Ottawa’s bodies of water throughout its entire length.
What’s more, it’s an easy route, so even beginners can try it out!
Little Italy, Ottawa River, & Rideau Canal
LENGTH: 14.1km
DIFFICULTY: Easy
This route will guide you through beautiful parklands and an opportunity for a food trip when you pass through Little Italy.
It’s a great route for those who want something easy and also has many stops where you can just get off your bike and have a snack.
Sample Little Italy’s culinary treats and rehydrate with cool refreshments before getting back on your tour.
North Kanata to Stittsville
LENGTH: 61km
DIFFICULTY: Easy
The North Kanata to Stittsville route is one of the easier routes despite its whopping length of 61km.
Going down this route highlights the natural beauty of the National Capital Commission Greenbelt with its many open fields and woody pathways.
Ottawa River East & Farmland
LENGTH: 31km
DIFFICULTY: Easy
The Ottawa River East & Farmland route offers stunning views of the Ottawa River, Rideau River, and the Greens Creek valley.
This route leads to Just Food Farm, a place where you can learn about market gardening and buy fresh-picked veggies.
It passes through some heavy traffic areas, so make sure to take care when passing along these areas.
Rail Trail
LENGTH: 23.5km
DIFFICULTY: Easy – Intermediate
With its well-maintained trails that pass through the south of Navan village, the Rail Trail route offers natural views of the farmlands. However, it can also be an intermediate trail due to some unpaved country roads.
It’s definitely well worth the difficulty, especially if you enjoy drinks since you’ll be passing through two wineries.
And if you do decide to drop by and sample vintages at these wineries, remember to drink moderately.
Manotick South & West
LENGTH: 56km
DIFFICULTY: Intermediate
The self-guided biking tour of Manotick South & West is one of the longest routes available, taking you through the village of Manotick and its many restaurants.
You’ll also pass through Baxter Conservation Area, a natural area with great hiking trails, plus a beach along the side of the Rideau River.
If you’re not up to finishing the whole route in one sitting, you can even go camping at Rideau River Provincial Park.
Park to Park
LENGTH: 45km
DIFFICULTY: Intermediate
The Park to Park route features sights like the Fitzroy Provincial Park and Morris Island Conservation Area.
It also passes through Penny’s Fudge Factory, a great place to grab a few snacks to take home or to eat along the way.
Big Ottawa Loop
LENGTH: 31km
DIFFICULTY: Intermediate
The Big Ottawa Loop will take you through a tour of Ottawa in its entirety, passing through sites like the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum and Rideau Canal. You’ll also see the waterfront scenery along Dow’s Lake and the Ottawa River.
Along the way, this route will allow you a look at Ottawa’s premiere universities, such as the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. By the time you finish the tour, you might already feel like a native Ottawan!
Carp & Country Debunker
LENGTH: 45.9km
DIFFICULTY: Intermediate – Difficult
The Carp & County Debunker tour is an intermediate to difficult bike tour that will lead you through the village of Carp.
What makes it difficult is that the paved country roads have short unpaved segments along the length of the roads.
Muster Mander
LENGTH: 50km
DIFFICULTY: Intermediate – Difficult
The Muster Mander self-guided biking tour is one of the longer routes and is classed as an intermediate up to a difficult path due to stone dust and unpaved roads.
Additionally, it passes through high-traffic areas that can make any cyclist’s ride harder.
However, if you’re a fan of pub grub and drinks, this route is worth it since you’ll be passing through an English-style pub and a winery near the end.
The Osgoode Ride
LENGTH: 59km
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
The Osgoode right is one of several difficult self-guided biking tours, starting at Osgoode and reaching Metcalfe halfway through its entire length.
If you time your visit right, you might catch the annual fall agricultural fair during your ride. This 2023, Navan Fair will take place on August 10-13, so make sure to mark your calendars.
Kanata
LENGTH: 38km
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
The Kanata self-guided tour offers scenic waterfront views and even a look at the Gatineau Hills not far from it.
What makes this route hard is that there are certain points where the roads are unpaved, such as Pinhey’s Point Road.
Take caution once you reach these portions of the tour, and feel free to take a break at some of the stops, like having a small picnic at Shiela McKee Park.
Out a Way
LENGTH: 101km
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
This 101km route is the longest of all the self-guided biking tours and highlights the beauty of northwestern Ottawan scenery.
Due to its sheer length, make sure to take frequent breaks, pack lightly, and rehydrate often.
Top Bike Rentals Companies in Ottawa
The best bike rental shops in Ottawa are Escape Bicycle Tours and Rentals Ottawa, RentABike, and Cyco’s.
What’s great about Ottawa is that you don’t need to buy your own bike to join a biking tour when there are several great rental shops available.
You may refer to the table below for a list of Ottawa’s best bike rental shops and their details: